A Queensland council is counting the cost of an urgent clean up after illegal asbestos was dumped at Nikenbah, on the Fraser Coast.
The material was left at the Nikenbah transfer station, which does not accept asbestos-containing material waste. The affected section of the station was closed as a safety precaution while the clean up was arranged.
The council is reviewing closed-circuit footage of the site in an attempt to attempt to identify the perpetrators or someone who may have seen them.
Fines for dumping asbestos or waste containing asbestos start at $2,669 for individuals or more than $10,000 for corporations.
Local Councillor, David Lee, explained that the situation was “not just lazy” but “downright dangerous” in consideration of the safety procedures required for the disposal of asbestos.
“Council staff were alarmed to discover this week that someone had dumped asbestos in the steel pile and the builders’ waste area,” Cr David Lee said.
All asbestos waste taken for landfill disposal is required to be transferred in double-wrap, or double bagged, heavy-duty polyethylene sheeting and sealed with tape, and clearly marked as asbestos.