The Queensland authorities has taken authorized motion towards a council for allegedly contaminating 100 cubic metres of topsoil unfold throughout a college oval six years in the past.
In paperwork filed within the Brisbane District Courtroom, the federal government claims illegally dumped asbestos was found at a Southern Downs Regional Council waste facility on at the very least 4 events over an eight-year interval.
Asbestos was discovered on the Warwick Central State College oval six years in the past. The Queensland authorities is now suing these it believes chargeable for the contaminated topsoil.Credit score: Nearmap
The federal government claims the council was negligent in permitting the asbestos to infect mulched inexperienced waste the council made out there “to members of the general public, together with soil provide contractors, both for fee of a charge or totally free”.
Based on the court docket paperwork, contaminated mulch was utilized by a 3rd occasion to prime gown the Warwick Central State College oval in December 2017, sparking well being fears locally.
The college had paid $3,338.50 for the topsoil, solely to find small quantities of asbestos on the oval utilized by college students and workers.
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Whereas an air high quality evaluation later discovered no critical well being dangers, in August 2018 the oval was scraped, the contaminated materials disposed of, and the topsoil changed – at a value of $585,845.63.
In the identical month because the cleanup operation, asbestos was allegedly found within the council waste facility once more.
“Asbestos materials was discovered on the waste facility in mulch being loaded on a member of the general public’s trailer, within the steel recycling pile, the concrete recycling pile, the wooden and timber recycling pile, the mulch pile, and the woodchip pile,” the paperwork state.