Asbestos dumping cause for concern down under
Asbestos dumped at Garnet Jackson Reserve in Australia has been left in place for a three week period while the Botany Bay Council discusses options and awaits the final environmental assessment. This lack of action has been criticized by University of New South Wales professor of toxicology and occupational health, Chris Winder, who argues that the land should have been capped with soil to keep the material from becoming airborne.
“It wouldn’t be that hard to do, so if it’s still open someone is not doing their job properly,” he said. “It is a material that is feared by the community so it is only right for the responsible people to take all practicable steps to ensure no exposure occurs. Asbestos is very light and the merest breeze will lift the particles up and send them downwind. They are fibers, they are not like a grain of sand - they are not solid - they are a long thin thing which can be picked up by the wind.”
Asbestos exposure has been repeatedly linked to the development of mesothelioma. The majority of patients lose their battle with this rare cancer in under two years. The cancer affects thousands worldwide every year. The asbestos at this particular site is believed to have been dumped illegally by a local building company.
Botany Environment Watch President Nancy Hillier said, “We have had some terrible winds of late. The council need to put resident’s minds at rest and act immediately to ensure the dust is not carried.”