Corteva Agriscience New Plymouth (originally Ivon Watkins-Dow, then Dow AgroSciences (NZ)) was a US-owned industrial agrichemical formulation plant at Paritutu, now infamously known for its production of herbicides and an "exceptionally toxic" (Dow Chemical Company, 1965) by-product known as TCDD (dioxin) - manufactured here between 1969 and 1987. Production ceased due to health concerns triggered by air, soil and food contamination - as well as an explosion in 1972 and a chemical spill in 1986, and ongoing discharges of up to 50,000 litres of contaminated water per day into the Tasman Sea.
Since then, the people of Paritutu have been fighting for the truth about the contamination of their local community, some of whom have been found to have TCDD blood levels comparable to those in areas of Vietnam that were sprayed with Agent Orange. Cancers, infertility, birth defects, skin conditions and serious chronic health issues such as MS and immunity issues have been associated with the plant, although official research - albeit seemingly inconclusive in parts - has shown that the risk to the public was, and is, negligible (this is disputed).
It has also been alleged since the 1980s that the New Zealand Government supplied Agent Orange chemicals produced at Paritutu to the US military for their use in Vietnam, which was acknowledged by a Government minister in 2005. However, this has previously been strenuously denied and no statements have been made since.
The Marine Protected Area of Ngā Motu/Sugar Loaf Islands was established in 1986, but with decades of shellfish and other sealife contamination, the chemical plant should probably have never been allowed to be here in the first place. Following a 2020 closure announcement, operations ceased in 2021, with Corteva Agriscience decontaminating the site shortly after. The site was demolished a few months ago, with soil and groundwater testing set to be undertaken by Corteva next year.
General stormwater pond
Incinerator building, with Mount Taranaki in background
Obligatory factory porn wall
Old site photo c.1960s
Industrial calling system
Head Hunters Motorcycle Club gang patch (inside worker's locker)
Herbicides plant - downstairs
Herbicides plant - upstairs
Safety shower nozzle
Small alarm panel
Big door
Herbicides bath? At one point, we got spooked and my mate decided it would be a good idea to hide in here... nice.
Looking towards Site Logistics building
Big red button in Insecticides plant
Control panel
Big alarm panel
Control room
Control panel with the magnificent Paritutu Rock in background
Control panel close-up
Foxboro Stabilog Controller... whatever that is
Site waste recorder
Peny plant - don't know what this is but had some big vats of gas??
Like a toilet for chemicals? I wish I knew more about agrichemical formulation
Stairs
Halfway down stairs
More huge tanks
Photogenic safety shower
And finally - unrelated to this site - but one of many wonderful pieces sat within the backdrop of a mixed natural/industrial landscape at the nearby Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Society.
Thanks for reading... hope you enjoyed!
Since then, the people of Paritutu have been fighting for the truth about the contamination of their local community, some of whom have been found to have TCDD blood levels comparable to those in areas of Vietnam that were sprayed with Agent Orange. Cancers, infertility, birth defects, skin conditions and serious chronic health issues such as MS and immunity issues have been associated with the plant, although official research - albeit seemingly inconclusive in parts - has shown that the risk to the public was, and is, negligible (this is disputed).
It has also been alleged since the 1980s that the New Zealand Government supplied Agent Orange chemicals produced at Paritutu to the US military for their use in Vietnam, which was acknowledged by a Government minister in 2005. However, this has previously been strenuously denied and no statements have been made since.
The Marine Protected Area of Ngā Motu/Sugar Loaf Islands was established in 1986, but with decades of shellfish and other sealife contamination, the chemical plant should probably have never been allowed to be here in the first place. Following a 2020 closure announcement, operations ceased in 2021, with Corteva Agriscience decontaminating the site shortly after. The site was demolished a few months ago, with soil and groundwater testing set to be undertaken by Corteva next year.
General stormwater pond
Incinerator building, with Mount Taranaki in background
Obligatory factory porn wall
Old site photo c.1960s
Industrial calling system
Head Hunters Motorcycle Club gang patch (inside worker's locker)
Herbicides plant - downstairs
Herbicides plant - upstairs
Safety shower nozzle
Small alarm panel
Big door
Herbicides bath? At one point, we got spooked and my mate decided it would be a good idea to hide in here... nice.
Looking towards Site Logistics building
Big red button in Insecticides plant
Control panel
Big alarm panel
Control room
Control panel with the magnificent Paritutu Rock in background
Control panel close-up
Foxboro Stabilog Controller... whatever that is
Site waste recorder
Peny plant - don't know what this is but had some big vats of gas??
Like a toilet for chemicals? I wish I knew more about agrichemical formulation
Stairs
Halfway down stairs
More huge tanks
Photogenic safety shower
And finally - unrelated to this site - but one of many wonderful pieces sat within the backdrop of a mixed natural/industrial landscape at the nearby Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Society.
Thanks for reading... hope you enjoyed!
