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Legacy asbestos management in remote communities

This presentation discusses the challenges of managing legacy asbestos in remote communities, including risks to residents and strategies for disposal and education. Includes a case study from Yuendumu.

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Legacy asbestos management in remote communities

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. Risks to Residents Dangers are poorly understood by residents

  6. 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!

  7. 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 AustGovtAsbestos 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

  8. 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.

  9. Asbestos Disposal Pit at Yuendumu • In 2013, Council sought and was granted NT EPA 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.

  10. Yuendumu case study • 4legacy landfill/dumping areas identified • 1 since fenced off, others still open access.

  11. Yuendumu legacy landfill 1 • Did a detailed walk-through audit of 15ha legacy landfill/dump next to active landfill • .

  12. 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 Councilcurrently lacks funds for fence materials.

  13. 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 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.

  14. 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 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

  15. Yuendumu existing landfill (cont) • The smaller deposits were immediately removed by the Works Crew to the asbestos disposal pit.

  16. 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.

  17. 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 wrappingand removing it

  18. 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)

  19. 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

  20. Questions or comments?

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