The Environment Protection Authority has been asked to investigate a “very significant” asbestos contamination which has shut Yondell Avenue fire trail and Wiggins track in Springwood.
Blue Mountains City Council has confirmed council’s “asbestos response team” found widespread dumped asbestos waste along Yondell after a Rural Fire Service hazard reduction burn in late May.
“Subsequent to the undergrowth being burnt, fragments suspected of being illegally dumped asbestos were discovered by council staff and reported to council’s asbestos response team,” a council spokeswoman said.
“The asbestos response team confirmed the material was dumped asbestos waste and due to the asbestos fragments being widespread … engaged a licensed asbestos assessor to inspect the site.”
Following inquiries early last week by the Blue Mountains Gazette, after a tip-off from a reader, council said their assessor’s verbal report on Thursday June 14 confirmed “very significant contamination across a large area”.
“Council will now report the incident to the NSW EPA and develop a plan to manage and / or remediate the site. In the interest of public safety the site remains fenced, with warning signs posted, to restrict public access,” the spokeswoman said.
But she said nearby residents in Yondell Avenue should not be concerned as they were deemed to a “safe” distance away.
“They are 100 metres from Wiggins track … the legal exclusion zone for friable ACM is 10 metres. Air monitors placed along the fence line on Yondell Ave have returned negative results to date,” she added.
The spokeswoman said the risk from the hazard burn on the asbestos material could not be determined.
“This question requires expert advice as there are many variables involved in determining the risk profile of any hazardous material, including the temperature of the fire; exposure to weathering and past fire events; and if the material was bonded or not prior to a fire event. Without knowing all of these variables for any particular ACM ‘find’, council treats the ACM as being friable as a precautionary measure.”
The track is partly council, crown and National Parks land, and is popular for walking and cycling. With “community health and safety” being “paramount” she could not confirm when it would reopen.
“The ACM fragments are widespread, dispersed along 500m of Yondell Ave Fire trail. It appears to be a similar situation on the Wiggins Track but the track will be investigated fully this morning [Thursday June 14] by a licensed asbestos assessor.”
The EPA has told council they will send an officer to examine the site. Council said nearby residents have been notified in their letterboxes and a more extensive mail-out will occur soon.
The council spokeswoman said the need to identify and manage asbestos containing material continued to a challenge faced by all councils and communities across NSW.
“As matters of potential asbestos containing material are progressively raised, council will continue to respond appropriately in accordance with its Asbestos Management Plan and procedures and take the necessary steps to address the issue and to minimise risks as a matter of urgency.”