A communications union has raised concerns regarding work done by a Telstra contractor after asbestos was discovered within the proximity of a recently replaced telecommunications pit.
Telstra’s National Broadband Network (NBN) roll out included pits that were discovered to contain asbestos.
Coutts Contracting is currently under investigation, since they had been put in charge of replacing dozens of pits in Caboolture and Morayfield between August 2011 and October 2012.
Recently a piece of asbestos was found near a replaced pit in front of a house in Morayfield.
Phil Hughes, a representative for the Communication Workers Union says that it is unclear how long the piece has been there. He is concerned because it’s dry and is potentially very dangerous as the sun breaks it down and exposes the fibres.
He alleges that pieces of asbestos were left in the ground and simply covered with a thin layer of land fill. He said that the contaminated soil is under only about an inch of soil, which means it will eventually work its way up to the surface of the ground, endangering the community.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-19/union-concerns-over-asbestos-found-at-telstra-work-site/5167488
