Hundreds of sites, including private gardens could be impacted by asbestos-laced mulch, says EPA

Seven schools across Sydney have been identified for precautionary testing of asbestos as the city’s contaminated mulch crisis deepens. Here’s the latest

Seven schools across Sydney have been identified for precautionary testing of asbestos as the city’s contaminated mulch crisis deepens.

The schools have been identified as having received mulch from the same manufacturer that has supplied mulch to the other 25 contaminated sites, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) supply chain tracking confirmed on Friday morning.

Inspections commenced on Thursday night and will continue throughout Friday, and there is currently no evidence of asbestos contamination at any of the schools identified.

The schools undergoing testing include Allambie Heights Public School in Allambie Heights, International Grammar School in Ultimo, Mt Annan Christian College in Mt Annan, North Sydney Public School in North Sydney, Penrith Christian School in Orchard Hills, St Luke’s Catholic College in Marsden Park and Westmead Christian Grammar in Westmead.

St Luke’s Catholic College in Marsden Park has closed down the school for the day.

“Those that remain open are advised to keep students and staff away from garden beds in and around the school sites, and to expect to see EPA officers on the ground throughout the day,” the EPA statement read.

The new alert comes amid revelations the toxic material could be laying in hundreds of backyards, gardens and parks across the state as Sydney’s contaminated mulch crisis deepens, and disease experts are urging people to take action.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority has confirmed private landscaping jobs are now in the scope of their investigation, homeowners have been contacted and their mulch is being tested for the deadly substance.

It is understood two private properties, worked on by the same landscaper, had been singled out for testing as of Thursday night.

Late on Thursday the NSW government brought together a new “asbestos taskforce” for its first meeting, bringing together state, federal and local government authorities to boost the EPA’s capacity.

EPA CEO Tony Chappel said in the “worst case scenario”, contaminated mulch may have been supplied to private and public sites “in the hundreds”

The mulch in question, manufactured by Greenlife Resource Resource Facility, is not sold “off the shelf”, he said, but onsold through “multiple layers of distribution” to building companies and landscapers.

He urged anybody with concerns about mulch to call the EPA on 131 555: “We have advice there … and we can arrange testing as well.”

Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia president Barry Robson lamented the development as “tragic”, and urged anyone who suspects they’ve been exposed to sign themselves up to the National Asbestos Exposure Register “immediately”.

“The insidious part of this is the latency period. It’s not like catching a cold, it takes 20, 30 or 40 years for the diseases, including mesothelioma, to present themselves.”

Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said there is ‘no doubt there is a failure’. NCA Newswire Gaye Gerard

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said there is “no doubt that there is a failure” in how recycled products like mulch have been regulated, and that she and the Premier would do everything in their power to close legal loopholes identified over the course of the investigation.

“What this has shown is that there is clearly a problem and a regulatory gap,” she said.

“I want the EPA to get to the bottom of this investigation (and) I want them to throw the book at anyone who’s done the wrong thing.”

“There is a place for recycled product, but there is no place for recycled product if it’s got contaminants like asbestos in it.”

Workers rake up asbestos contaminated mulch in garden beds around Rozelle Interchange. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Though Greenlife is the “common thread” of all positive tests to date, Mr Chappel said, the EPA is investigating if other recycled mulch companies have been selling contaminated products.

It comes as one of Sydney’s largest landscaping suppliers warns the crisis is one the recycled materials industry may never recover from.

Australian Native Landscapes founder and director Patrick Soars said he had “never seen anything like this” in his 50 years in the industry.

“We’re been getting panicked phone calls from our customers in their hundreds, if not thousands,” he said.

“These people have destroyed our business and our industry overnight.”

Greenlife maintains that its mulch is asbestos-free when it leaves its facility, and the EPA’s subsequent tests have come back negative.

Bunnings Warehouse has confirmed that it does not sell any products made by Greenlife either to the public or to trade customers. While it does sell some recycled mulch products, both in bags and bulk quantities, the retailers says its own compliance team conducts annual audits of the suppliers.

Shadow environment minister Kellie Sloane said the revelation that asbestos-containing mulch may have made its way into people’s homes is “concerning”, and reiterated the Opposition’s call for a public register of potentially contaminated sites.

Ms Sloane called on the Minns government to release a report into asbestos management commissioned by the previous government and never subsequently released.

Kellie Sloane, Liberal MP for Vaucluse and shadow environment minister, wants the Minns government to release a report into asbestos commissioned by the former government. Picture: Julian Andrews

“It’s clear that the regulatory framework needs review,” she said.

“The Coalition recognised that when we were in government and called for the chief scientists to look at this, to look at the supply chains, and to look at their dangers.

“We’re saying release that report – it may hold some of the answers.”

‘Council workers moved us, but didn’t warn us of asbestos risk’

The City of Sydney council says it “regrets” allowing people to access a park contaminated with asbestos, after being accused of negligence and endangering residents when staff failed to inform park-goers of the risk.

Tai chi instructor Peter Bliss panicked when he was informed his Tuesday morning class in Surry Hills’ Harmony Park may have been encountered asbestos, not by the council staff there with them that day, but through reporting in The Daily Telegraph.

“I was in a bit of shock, I started breathing heavily. I couldn’t believe (the council) knew about it the night before,” he said.

“I got there about 7.30am … I walked throughout the whole park, through the wet grass and the mulch, looking for a nice spot to do the class.”

The mental health coach, who had been hired by a nearby architectural firm to instruct the class of eight women and two men, also “couldn’t believe” that workers began erecting fencing without asking the group — including a pregnant woman — to leave.

Peter Bliss was doing Tai Chi in Harmony Park on 13 February when the workers came to close off the park to the public due to asbestos contamination. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“I joked to my class that we were going to be barricaded in, but no one said anything to us,” he said.

“One of the girls asked (a worker) what was going on, and I don’t think he knew. He told us to look at the website to find out.”

The council took 12 hours to seal off Harmony Park. Picture: Tim Hunter.

The only clue lay with a television news crew setting up nearby, but why they were at the park “didn’t twig until later” Mr Bliss said.

A spokesman for the City of Sydney council confirmed that contractors and city staff were briefed on why the park, along with two others, was being closed.

“We regret a small number of people were able to briefly use Harmony Park on Tuesday morning before it was fenced off and closed,” the spokesman said.

“City staff were deployed to all three parks on Tuesday morning … informing people in the parks to stay out of the mulched areas while fencing was being erected.”

Harmony Park remains the sole location among 22 contaminated sites across Sydney and regional NSW where friable asbestos, a form of the dangerous substance that can more easily become airborne than bonded asbestos, has been discovered in recently-laid mulch.

The City of Sydney council was notified of the positive test result on Monday evening, but staff didn’t prevent access to the park until 12 hours later on Tuesday morning.

Workers erecting the barricades wore gardening gloves, but not masks or other protective clothing, despite being seen handling mulch.

A spokesman for the council said those employees were not required to don further protection.

“To meet Workplace Health and Safety requirements for the safe removal of asbestos, personal protective equipment is only required for anyone removing or handling asbestos or material suspected to contain asbestos,” he said.

“As soon as we were told about contamination at Harmony Park, the City of Sydney made urgent arrangements for fencing to be installed.

“Additionally, the City installed temporary barriers in advance of the fencing being installed.”

However Mr Bliss said his class was among many dog-walkers, runners and a CrossFit group who accessed the park after the positive test had been received, and was furious that more wasn’t done to prevent them from being exposed to a highly carcinogenic substance.

“Alert the public before you alert the media,” he said.

“Surely their concern is for the public, and there seemed to be a lack of concern for the public who were there that morning.”

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