EPA says developer dumped asbestos in own 'idyllic' housing estate
Dubbo's Southlakes appears like a clean-cut new estate but the NSW Environment Protection Authority has accused its developer of dumping asbestos from a Sydney construction site in its own backyard.
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NSW environmental authorities have accused a property group of trucking asbestos from Sydney and dumping it in their own "idyllic" housing estate.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority issued a clean-up notice late last week after their investigators allegedly discovered white asbestos at MAAS Group Properties' Southlakes Estate.
A website for the estate describes the under-construction suburb near Dubbo as "an idyllic community set to the backdrop of manicured open spaces, landscaped pathways, parklands, lakes and water ways".
But the EPA, in a document published on their website, says MAAS is suspected of causing a "pollution incident" at their own estate.
The authority alleges it became aware of building and demolition waste being taken from Millers Point in Sydney by MAAS trucks on February 19.
Six days later, the document says, the EPA watched as grey waste material was dumped at Southlakes.
EPA investigators went to the site a week later and found dozens of piles of building waste "which contained foreign materials comprising brick, concrete, render, plastic, rubber, PVC pipe, glass, tiles and terracotta pipe".
"During the inspection EPA officers saw a number of pieces of suspected asbestos containing materials on the surface of both the grey and brown coloured stockpiles," the EPA document says.
Three pieces of debris tested positive as white asbestos while more was taken for analysis.
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"EPA officers saw suspected asbestos pipe and fragments of suspected asbestos containing materials within a number of pieces of concrete," the EPA said.
Some of the debris was near waterways and the suspected asbestos did not have erosion or dust suppression measures.
They told MAAS to cease dumping and ordered them not to remove the material until it could be tested – then two more samples tested positive in the laboratory.
MAAS has now been ordered to clean up the site using certified experts and facilities and submit reports on if the soil is contaminated.
They also have to pay $563 for the clean-up notice.
MAAS have been contacted for comment.