Illawarra wharfies are angered after asbestos was discovered in a soil shipment which they were handling from a Barangaroo construction site in Sydney to Port Kembla. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has responded by prohibiting developer Land Lease to go ahead with the 600,000 tone shipment of soil after the asbestos was found.
However this has not settled down angry dock workers who had been handling the contaminated soil for a week.
A ban by unions has now be placed on receiving any more shipments from the Barangaroo construction site and conducting work on the material until they are completely sure there is no more health risks.
Workers who handled the shipment have spoken out about their fear over the health risks associated with exposure to asbestos, not just for themselves but for their families.
Unfortunately, even small amounts of asbestos exposure can result in the development of malignant mesothelioma, the asbestos related cancer. These New South Wales workers may have had friends or relatives who have suffered asbestos conditions in the past which would add to their concern. Many mesothelioma compensation claims in NSW have occurred since the establishment of the Dust Diseases Tribunal of NSW in 1989. Such asbestos compensation claims in NSW have highlighted the number of those in New South Wales who are diagnosed with asbestos conditions.
