Asbestos News
Australian man questions authorities about asbestos-containing rubble
An Australian man recently accused local authorities of dumping asbestos-containing waste at a work site.New South Wales resident Andrew Thaler said that crushed concrete used as landfill near a bridge contained asbestos and was thus not appropriate to be used, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"The stockpile at Polo Flat has got asbestos all the way through it, and from my observations, about a third of the stockpile is now missing," he told the news source. "I am wondering where else this is being used in the community, because they took 60 or 80 tons to Nimmitabel and dumped it on the side of the road to use in a creek fill."
The news source reports that WorkCover, a government safety organization, and other officials confirmed the presence of asbestos in the rubble.
Such material poses a serious health issues as the inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause a range of deadly diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Cooma-Monaro Shire Council Director of Engineering Services David Byrne said that the material would be removed shortly and he did not believe any health risk was posed by the material.
7/6/11
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