Asbestos dumped in street near Allambie Heights homes
Safety concerns were raised after dangerous smashed up asbestos was found in a northern beaches street just metres from homes.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Dangerous asbestos has been dumped on the side of a suburban street on the northern beaches, just metres from the front yards of homes.
Residents of Mortain Ave at Allambie Heights alerted authorities after finding the smashed up mineral — which has been linked to cancer — hidden in an empty bag of potting mix.
A specialist Fire and Rescue NSW hazardous materials (HAZMAT) unit from Forestville was called in to examine and remove the toxic material.
A firefighter suited up in protective equipment before setting up an exclusion zone around the dusty shards of asbestos that had spilt from the bag on Friday.
Airborne fibres from broken and pulverised asbestos can cause long term respiratory illnesses.
Fire and Rescue NSW Zone Commander Kel McNamara said the discovery of asbestos in a public area was treated seriously.
Superintendent McNamara said it was possible that the bag may have fallen out of a vehicle on to the roadway.
“It was either dumped deliberately or, if it did fall form a vehicle, it was certainly not being carried in appropriate sealed bags.”
After cordoning off the area around the asbestos, the firefighter sprayed the material with a combination of a glue-like substance and food colouring to bond the fibres together.
“The material was then placed in a specially designed contamination bag before the Council was called to take the bag to an appropriate waste facility,” Supt McNamara said.