cougar cattle test results arrive - finally

Cougar cattle test results arrive - finally
BY TROY ROWLING
01 Oct, 2010 01:24 PM
IT took 66 days, but Kingaroy cattle tested foll-owing the Cougar Energy contamination scare have finally been cleared by the State Government.

The results were mailed to the five affected cattle producers by Biosecurity Queensland on September 20.

The letters state biopsies carried out by government vets on 25 suspect cattle in July had found no traces of the chemicals benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene.

Producers also received a phone call from chief biosecurity officer Ron Glanville confirming the results.

The correspondence ends almost two months of waiting for the producers, who had been initially assured by Biosecurity Queensland the results would be available within a week of the tests being carried out.

The latest letter states the biopsy results were only finalised on September 13.

South Burnett producer John Andress, who first raised the issue with Sustainability Minister Kate Jones at a community forum in August, said he was disappointed the process had taken so long.

"We shouldn't have had to go to this much trouble to get the results," he said.

"When the producer helps the veterinary officer by placing their steer in the head bale, I don't think it is too much to ask they would give us their results. But I am just relieved we could finally get this issue sorted out."

Mr Andress said he was now confident he could sell his "contamination-free" cattle.

Following inquiries by Queensland Country Life, Mr Glanville acknowledged this month that no method existed to test for benzene in solids and a technique had to be developed at a government laboratory at Camp Hill, Brisbane.

The results from blood samples, which were also tested by Biosecurity Queensland, were hand delivered to Mr Andress on September 9.

http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/state/livestock/cattle/cougar-cattle-test-results-arrive-finally/1957496.aspx