Fears asbestos spread to homes in mulch from Emu Park transfer station

A stockpile of asbestos-laced mulch has been discovered at a central Queensland council waste facility, with potentially contaminated soil likely already in several residential backyards.

A stockpile of asbestos-laced mulch has been discovered at a regional council waste facility, with potentially contaminated soil likely already in several residential backyards.

A small amount of asbestos was detected in a mulch stockpile at Livingstone Shire Council’s Emu Park transfer station, the Department of Environment has confirmed.

How much material has been distributed is uncertain, with the department confirming a “small number” of residents had picked up mulch – which is provided for free – in recent weeks.

The transfer station has been shut as a precaution.

Livingstone Shire Council covers suburbs and areas in the Greater Rockhampton area including Yeppoon, Marlborough and Ogmore.

According to Livingstone Shire Council’s website, asbestos waste can only be accepted at the Yeppoon landfill.

An asbestos fibre was found at the Emu Park transfer station. File picture

It’s understood one asbestos fibre – measuring 2mm by 3mm – was detected by DES at the Emu Park facility as part of targeted inspections brought on by the asbestos mulch crisis gripping New South Wales.

Livingstone Shire Council, in a statement, said it would work closely with the department to “undertake further testing and investigate the extent of the contamination”

“Council will notify the community of further actions required,” a spokesman said.

“We will advise if asbestos has been detected in piles of free mulch available to residents for loading and use. Until further testing has been conducted and if you have recently collected mulch from Emu Park Transfer Station, please avoid disturbing the stockpile until further notice.”

Separately the department confirmed NuGrow’s Rockhampton site had returned positive results for asbestos, though the samples were not from a stockpile of finished compost and those materials had not left the site “at this stage”.

The positive results at Emu Park and NuGrow Rockhampton come after a detection at NuGrow’s Ipswich site.

Tonnes of potentially contaminated soil was feared spread across schools, construction sites, landscape suppliers and even a car dealership after a small amount of asbestos was detected at NuGrow’s Ipswich site on February 28.

Everleigh Dog Park, at a development in Greenbank, returned a positive results for asbestos Workplace Health and Safety Queensland confirmed on Monday.

The site is under construction, is not accessible to the public and is deemed “low risk” to the community.

It was at the time also the first confirmation contaminated compost has been found outside the stockpiles of beleaguered waste company NuGrow.