16 hours ago
Norfolk Island Council defends waste management amid illegal asbestos dumping fears
The illegal dumping of asbestos-contaminated material is creating health risks for those who dump the material and potentially to others, the Norfolk Island Rregional Council says.
Photo:
RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The Norfolk Island Regional Council says people on the island are illegally dumping construction and demolition waste that potentially contains asbestos.
RNZ Pacific has been receiving complaints from members of the island community who believe the council has been hiding asbestos under mulch instead of exporting it to mainland Australia.
Norfolk Island Regional Council acting general manager Philip Reid said asbestos is not being buried as part of the council's waste management operations.
Reid said construction and demolition waste that had been illegally dumped was temporarily moved and covered with mulch.
"This is due to the potential for the material to contain asbestos following unauthorised disposal by waste management centre users," Reid said.
According to Health New Zealand
, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made up of many small fibres which are very strong and are highly resistant to heat, fire, chemicals and wear.
It says asbestos can increase the risk of developing cancer and the main way people are exposed to asbestos is by breathing in air that contains asbestos fibres.
A statement from the Norfolk Regional Council said the illegal dumping of asbestos-contaminated material is creating health risks for those who dump the material and potentially to others.
It said exporting asbestos waste off-island is costly for residents.
"One alternative to export could be the development of an engineered disposal pit on Norfolk Island specifically for asbestos waste, which could reduce transport costs but would require careful design to meet planning and environmental legislation.
"This option would need to consider the initial cost to develop and construct the pit and also look at the implications of monitoring the pit in the long term."
The statement said the council, in the meantime, is developing a community awareness campaign aimed at curbing the illegal and dangerous dumping of asbestos.
"The current interim measures of maintaining secure storage during relocation will minimise risks until a permanent solution is implemented."
