Asbestos News

After an asbestos controversy that led to the firings of two senior staffers at an Australian building consortium, the country's opposition government is searching for an explanation as to why the carcinogenic material was mishandled.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that during the demolition of houses in the Aboriginal community of Maningrida in Australia's Northern Territory, asbestos-containing materials were taken to a dump, which is a violation of asbestos handling procedures.

As a result, two senior staff members at Territory Alliance, the consortium responsible for the demolition, were fired.

The Opposition's Indigenous Affairs spokesman Nigel Scullion said he was incredulous that such experienced personnel could make such a mistake.

"Literally hundreds of thousands of dollars will be spent on people's salary that are supposed to get up every day in Maningrida to ensure that the things that have now happened that are unsafe to the community and unsafe to their workers and put the health of the community at risk should not have happened," he told the news source.

Exposure to asbestos can cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.