Residents worried about naturally occurring asbestos on unsealed roads
A belt of naturally occurring asbestos runs through parts of central west NSW, and those living on unsealed roads in the area are looking for reassurance about their safety.
Residents in central west New South Wales are expressing concerns over the potential presence of asbestos in unsealed roads. Lawyers for affected homeowners have requested road dust samples be tested for asbestos fibres, citing a naturally occurring asbestos belt in the area. Orange City Council has agreed to conduct tests but maintains there is no evidence the roads are impacted by the carcinogenic mineral.
One resident, Len Elliott, lives on an unsealed road and worries about the dust from the roads entering his home and affecting his family. Asbestos becomes hazardous when disturbed, releasing tiny fibres that can be inhaled and cause lung cancer and fibrosis. Elliott discovered he lived in a Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) corridor through the Orange area, which was mapped by the NSW government.
Slater and Gordon, a law firm, took on the residents' concerns pro bono and wrote to the council, requesting testing on several roads with significant erosion. The council stated there was no evidence to suggest the roads were affected but pledged to investigate the concerns. About 1% of NSW land is affected by NOA, which is created during the formation of molten rock infused with water at depth.
The council has over 22 years of experience evaluating NOA and will handle any discoveries on a case-by-case basis. Residents are advised to be cautious when handling potentially disturbed NOA materials and seek professional advice to manage associated risks.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
