Asbestos News
Australian Capital Territory plagued by asbestos-tainted soil
Talks about what is to be done with the large amount of asbestos-containing soil in the Australian Capital Territory have been delayed.The Canberra Times reports that there have been a number of finds of soil heavily contaminated with asbestos in the area, with one find uncovering 600,000 cubic meters of toxic soil. It is estimated that the cleanup of this one area could cost as much as $100 million.
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher is reportedly responsible for taking care of the matter and has been working to try to get the attention of the government.
"[Ms. Gallagher] wrote to the Commonwealth Government in August to follow-up on the issue of past contamination of territory lands first raised by the former chief minister, Jon Stanhope earlier this year in April," a spokesperson for Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr told the news provider.
It is essential that asbestos discoveries are taken care of quickly because if the soil is disturbed the deadly mineral fibers can become airborne. If these fibers are inhaled they can cause a number of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
10/12/11
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