By Cameron Weston
ASBESTOS was recently discovered in soil at the BayFit Leisure Centre construction site, some of which has been moved to two local parks.
The contaminated soil was detected when contractors began digging stormwater drains and the discovery immediately halted work at the site.
The find is expected to push back the completion date of the BayFit project by several weeks and will require an expensive clean-up operation.
Some contaminated soil was moved to Paisley Park in Newport and HD Graham Reserve in Altona to be used for landscaping.
The soil at HD Graham Reserve remains in mounds but it has been spread at Paisley Park, making the removal process significantly more difficult.
Mayor Carl Marsich last week said the soil posed a “minimal risk” to the community and that “appropriate protection measures” had been taken to contain and remove the contamination including fencing off the soil at both parks.
Hobsons Bay City council director of works and assets Phillip McDonald confirmed the council was receiving advice on the contamination.
“We don’t quite know how we’re going to treat it as yet. We are still getting advice.”
Mr McDonald said the clean-up operation would cost “a substantial amount of money… as much as $100,000 or $200,000.”
BayFit project manager Jeff Edwards from ADCO Construction said work was continuing in other parts of the site and a 10-metre “no go zone” had been established around the contamination site.
“Everything has been done as per the regulations.”
Mr Edwards confirmed that the asbestos find would result in a delay of “two or three weeks”.
“We can’t really do any active work while it is being treated.”
Mr McDonald said soil was initially tested at 11 site locations in June 2005, revealing no contamination and allowing work to begin.
He said the asbestos found at the site was mostly small pieces of broken asbestos cement sheeting, which had probably come from building rubble used as fill more than 20 years ago.
He said the asbestos was not in the form of fibres dispersed throughout the soil, so had been missed in the initial soil tests.
“Unless you actually hit a piece during the testing, you wouldn’t actually know it was there.”
WorkCover spokesman Michael Birt said asbestos pieces were often found in fill, particularly at older sites.
“Often in these landfill situations there are small and large pieces in the soil.
“The pieces are usually not much of a problem but it is the fibres that pose the risk.
“But it is an important issue and people should always treat asbestos with respect.”
