Since January, New South Wales has been gripped by concern over asbestos found in recycled mulch laid at public parks, supermarkets and schools.
"We have staff on site that put eyes on every load that's tipped out," managing director Russell Norton said. "To get that many sites, I feel there's been a major let-down in their processes to end up in that situation," he said.The NSW Environment Protection Authority has identified one supplier as common across all contaminated sites — Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility — but is investigating the "complex supply chains involved".
"The recycled mulch is independently tested by a National Authorities Testing Australia -approved laboratory … the independent testing shows GRRF's mulch did not and does not contain asbestos."At another NATA-accredited facility in western Sydney, occupational hygienist Linda Apthorpe showed 7.30 the arduous process involved in testing mulch for asbestos contamination.
"A fragment of bonded asbestos-containing material is not immediately going to pose a risk to health," Ms Apthorpe said.