LEGACY ASBESTOS
MANAGEMENT IN
REMOTE COMMUNITIES
By Glenn Marshall
Director Works & Infrastructure
Central Desert Regional Council
Presentation to Inaugural Municipal Services Conference – NT Local Government
7 Oct 2015
What is ‘legacy asbestos’?
• Old and no-longer-used
asbestos lying around
the community
• Might be in house yards
or on edge of
community.
• Typically in old landfills
or in rubbish/dirt
dumping areas
• Typically old cement
sheets and water/sewer
pipes
Today’s Message:
• Don’t ignore legacy asbestos, you know it exists.
• Assess risks to your staff and residents
• Establish programs to manage risks, within budgets, staff
resources & safety limits
• Seek partnerships and funding
• Commence achievable actions
How big is the problem?
• NT Asbestos Register lists asbestos in buildings
• No registers for legacy/dumped/random asbestos
• It can be found anywhere around the community
• Older communities are worst.
Risks to Residents
Dangers are poorly
understood by residents
Risks when lying on the edge of
communities
• If undisturbed, probably
low risk
• Grass fires tend to make
it more friable & dusty
• Potential disturbance &
dust by Council field staff
during plant operation
• Be cautious!
Regional Waste Coordinator
• A position funded mostly by NT Dept Health since 2013.
• Works across Central Desert, Barkly and MacDonnell Councils
• Has been focused on setting up quality landfill sites and hazardous
waste management (excluding asbestos)
• In late 2014, obtained $45,000 for pilot Community Legacy Asbestos Mapping
Project at Yuendumu, Papunya and Ali Curung.
• Funded by Aust Govt Asbestos Safety and Eradication Program
• In June 2015 obtained a further $75,000 from ASEP to map a further 15
communities in the 3 Regional Councils.
• Current NT Asbestos Removal program has been of limited help
• Willowra example
Central Desert Council’s Strategy
• Community audits – where are the problem areas?
• Train staff – identification, make safe, handling
• Fence off and sign old landfills, dumping grounds &
contaminated areas
• Install EPA-approved asbestos disposal pits
• Educate community about asbestos – identify & report
suspected asbestos, leave it alone.
Asbestos Disposal Pit at Yuendumu
• In 2013, Council sought and was granted NT EPA
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approval to install an Asbestos Disposal Pit at the current
landfill site.
This was for local asbestos only.
EPA were encouraging and supportive of the move.
It has proved very handy for small volumes of locally
derived asbestos from contractors and Works staff
Administrative reporting at the end of each year is
onerous (20 page report) and costs $500.
We have argued that we do not have the resources or
funds for this, but feel on deaf ears.
Yuendumu case study
• 4 legacy landfill/dumping areas identified
• 1 since fenced off, others still open access.
Yuendumu legacy landfill 1
• Did a detailed
walk-through
audit of 15ha
legacy
landfill/dump next
to active landfill
•.
Yuendumu legacy landfill 1
• Found and sampled multiple possible asbestos samples.
• Got them analysed. Virtually all were asbestos.
• Area was then fenced off by Works Crew with 4 strand
stock fence and ‘Danger Asbestos’ signs.
• Minimal risk to Crew. Fence is minimum 20 metres from
nearest asbestos samples.
• Other 3 sites are scheduled for fencing, but Council
currently lacks funds for fence materials.
Active landfill next to old landfill
• The legacy dump is unwind of the current landfill.
• Do asbestos fibres blow into the work area of our Staff?
• We sampled 8 handfuls of dirt from within the current
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landfill.
All were analysed in Adelaide for individual asbestos
fibres
None came back positive
If we still held concerns, next step would be to sample the
air, preferably on a windy day.
This is expensive and not currently being considered.
Yuendumu existing landfill
• In July 2015, possible recent asbestos dumping at the active
landfill was reported by the Team Leader Works.
• The Regional Waste Coordinator inspected the site.
• One obvious asbestos pipe (1m) was found, wrapped and
removed to the asbestos disposal pit.
• A further six (6) cases of cement sheeting were found in
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various locations (4 looked very much like asbestos):
construction waste area;
green/woody waste area
scrap metal area
public drop-off area
entry road to asbestos disposal pit
• All were sampled and posted for analysis to Adelaide
Yuendumu existing landfill (cont)
• The smaller deposits were immediately removed by
the Works Crew to the asbestos disposal pit.
Yuendumu existing landfill (cont)
• Scattered deposits were surrounded by portable fence
panels with ‘Danger Asbestos’ signage.
• After analysis, only one was confirmed as asbestos, on
the entry road to the asbestos disposal pit.
• It was old asbestos sheeting broken into multiple 20-cent
sized pieces along a 30m x 4m section of the entry road.
• The options were i) remove 400mm layer of soil to
asbestos disposal pit; ii) cover with 400mm soil and
permanently fence off.
Yuendumu existing landfill (cont)
• To minimise risk to the Works Crew, soil was carted in and the
area permanently fenced.
• A new access road to the asbestos disposal pit has been
created.
• LESSONS
• Treat all suspected asbestos as real asbestos until proven
otherwise.
• Get suspected asbestos analysed.
• Isolate suspected asbestos immediately until proven to be
asbestos
• If intact and easy to remove, consider wrapping
and removing it
Staff Training at Yuendumu
• In 2013, Council provided Cert II Asbestos Identification
and Handling training to the Works Crew at Yuendumu.
• They have subsequently removed several cases of real or
suspected asbestos.
• In 2014 NT Work Safe assessed Council’s training and
methods, found them sound and allowed it to continue.
• Council only allows removal of intact, non-friable
asbestos pieces by its staff. Anything that is friable,
flakey, crumbling or burnt is left alone, fenced off and
sign posted.
• If it is in a risky area, experts are called in to remove it
(this has only been done once due to very high cost)
Properly nullifying legacy asbestos risk
• Council is assessing the scope and costs to properly nullify risky
legacy asbestos at the 4 legacy sites.
• First actions are:
• Fence and sign sites to stop public access or further dumping
• Install firebreaks around fence line to minimise further incidental
burning of asbestos (making it more friable/dusty).
• Further affordable actions are limited.
• If funding is ever secured (probably millions of $):
• Detailed audit/sampling of each area to clarify type, extent,
location & condition of asbestos
• Dozing up asbestos-laden dirt piles into one pile.
• Covering those piles with 500mm clean soil cap.
• Or: excavate large pits and push contaminated dirt into those
Questions or comments?