Communications with overseas jurisdictions relating to meth residues in property

Miles Stratford made this Official Information request to Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

The request was partially successful.

From: Miles Stratford

Dear Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor,

Please provide copies of the communications sent by research staff during preparation of the PMCSA Meth Report to overseas jurisdictions, which relate to how guidelines and regulations that exist in those jurisdiction are applied to methamphetamine residues in property arising from use and or manufacture of methamphetamine.

Please provide copies of the responses received from these jurisdiction.

Yours faithfully,

Miles Stratford

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From: PMCSA Info

Dear Mr Stratford

I would like to acknowledge receipt of your email and will forward to Dr Anne Bardsley and Megan Stunzner who are dealing with this matter.

Kind regards

OPMCSA

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From: Office of the PM's Chief Science Advisor
Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor


Attachment G Morrison emails.pdf
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Dear Mr Stratford

 

Questions around the use of guidelines came up during discussions with
various experts during the course of our research, but we hold only one
email pertaining to your request - see attached.

 

Regards

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

Phone: +64 (9) 923 6318

 

NB: the email address [1][Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor request email] will shortly become invalid.
Correspondence for the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor should be
therefore be sent to [2][email address]

 

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From: Miles Stratford

Dear Office of the PM's Chief Science Advisor,

Thank you for your timely response to this request. I understood that the research proposal by the PMCSA Office was to involve a thorough review of international best practice as far as Standards and Guidelines is concerned. Yet there is only correspondence with one overseas jurisdiction.

Written enquiry of representatives of responsible agencies in California, Colorado and Utah, identify that thees jurisdictions treat meth residues from use in the same way as meth residues form manufacture

On what basis did the Office of the PMCSA reach the conclusions that no overseas jurisdictions adopted the same levels for meth residues deposited by meth use as those adopted for residues from meth manufacture?

Yours sincerely,

Miles Stratford

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From: Office of the PM's Chief Science Advisor
Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

Dear Mr Stratford

 

Your query is asking for our office to provide an explanation - this is
not covered by the OIA.

 

Although we are not obligated to do so, we provide a brief response below.
Please note that your queries are now being charged at the rate of $38 per
half hour, as outlined in our email of 19 July.

 

Q:

" I understood that the research proposal by the PMCSA Office was to
involve a thorough review of international best practice as far as
Standards and Guidelines is concerned."

 

A:

You understood incorrectly. We were asked to look into the available
scientific evidence on the risks to occupants of houses previously used
for methamphetamine production and/or use, and how levels of contamination
translate to potential exposure and levels of risk, and what this means in
the context of the current situation in NZ. Please see our response to
your request for correspondence with Minister Twyford's office for the
specific outline of the review (letter dated 15 December, 2017).

 

Q:

"On what basis did the Office of the PMCSA reach the conclusions that no
overseas jurisdictions adopted the same levels for meth residues deposited
by meth use as those adopted for residues from meth manufacture?"

 

A: The conclusion is based on thorough reading of overseas guidelines and
discussions with overseas contacts.

 

Regards

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

Phone: +64 (9) 923 6318

 

NB: the email address [1][Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor request email] will shortly become invalid.
Correspondence for the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor should be
therefore be sent to [2][email address]

 

 

 

   

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From: Miles Stratford

Dear Office of the PM's Chief Science Advisor,

Thanks for that advice.

The synopsis of research presented to Phil Twyford indicated a science writer would be contracted. Which science writer/s was/were contracted to craft the PMCSA Meth Report?

Yours sincerely,

Miles Stratford

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From: Office of the PM's Chief Science Advisor
Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

Dear Mr Stratford

 

The writers are listed in the Report, a link to which can be found
[1]here.

 

Please note that your queries are now being charged at the rate of $38
per  half hour, as outlined in our email of 19 July.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

Phone: +64 (9) 923 6318

 

 

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