Mulch containing asbestos has been found at three extra websites near a newly-opened parkland in Sydney, prompting authorities to seal off the areas.
Ten areas in and across the Rozelle Parklands in inner-city Sydney have now been confirmed to have examined optimistic, after Transport for NSW confirmed on Saturday extra areas had been found.
The three extra websites have since been closed off to the general public.
The brand new websites have been part of the identical landscaping work carried out inside areas of the parkland which have since returned a optimistic consequence for the doubtless harmful chemical.
They’re landscaped backyard beds adjoining to the highway and sidewalks across the Anzac Bridge, Victoria Rd and Metropolis West Hyperlink junction.
It isn’t recognized how lengthy the contaminated materials has been within the backyard beds and playground mulch for, with Transport for NSW solely confirming the landscaping work was carried out “close to the tip of 2023 previous to the ultimate web site audit and the opening of the park”.
Bonded asbestos, which is combined with cement or different exhausting bonding supplies, has a a lot decrease danger in comparison with friable asbestos, which might be crushed by hand into harmful airborne particles.
Nonetheless, bonded asbestos can turn into friable whether it is broken or outdated.
Air monitoring of the location has additionally not discovered airborne particles “outdoors of regular anticipated parameters,” Thursday’s replace stated.
Greater than 85 samples from the park and surrounding areas have been independently examined — 13 have come again with optimistic outcomes.
“Evaluation of focused samples taken from various different landscaped websites outdoors the principle Rozelle Parklands might be accomplished in coming days,” Transport for NSW stated in an announcement.
“We thank the group for his or her endurance and understanding whereas we work by means of the following steps and can replace them as extra data turns into obtainable.”
Additional evaluation might be accomplished within the coming days.
