Illegally dumped asbestos has been discovered among a large amount of dumped building materials on Badgerys Creek Road in Sydney, NSW. Liverpool councilor Peter Harle has confirmed that dumping is a major problem for the council which sees them spend more then $200,000 a year on cleaning up the mess.
While the council and community both work hard to catch these dumpers, the task becomes difficult in areas like Badgerys Creek which are somewhat isolated from the community. In remote areas like these, the chances of dumping and not being caught are high. When these offenders have been caught, Council has imposed fine of more then $100,000 however they lack the resources to catch everyone responsible.
The major concern is that if the asbestos fibres dry and are then disturbed, they often become airborne and then pose a health risk to any person who inhales them. Exposure to asbestos can lead to people contracting asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, asbestos related pleural effusion or mesothelioma.
With these asbestos fears in mind, this Sydney Council needs to ensure they remove any asbestos in the area as soon as possible to try and reduce the risk of those members of this New South Wales community being exposed to asbestos.
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