Although it may be banned today, our long history of asbestos use means it remains a common contaminant on sites across Western Australia. But that doesn’t mean all asbestos contamination is the same.
Understanding different sources of asbestos contamination is critical in mitigating them. With an incorrect assessment, site managers expose themselves to continued health risks, budget blowouts and regulatory delays.
In this article, we explain 5 common sources of asbestos contamination and how you can successfully address them with proactive action. To arrange a site inspection with one of our consultants, contact West Soil & Water today.
These are the most common sources of asbestos contamination in Western Australia.
Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) were heavily used in commercial and residential construction throughout the 20th century, particularly in walls, roofing and fencing. When those structures were (or are) demolished, fragments remain on site and cause soil to become contaminated with asbestos.
Our team often discovers building related ACMs when completing site investigations. In many cases, their contamination is not immediately visible and can only be addressed with a comprehensive sampling program.
Another major source of contamination is incorrectly or carelessly managed demolition.
Before asbestos became heavily regulated, demolition practices often resulted in ACMs being buried and mixed with other waste. That means many sites contain asbestos debris from previous structures within their surface soils and fill material.
Even a small demolition project can create a significant contamination risk. Site managers must ensure demolition contractors have created a robust, asbestos-aware plan or they risk significant regulatory scrutiny and remediation costs.
Waste has a similar history to demolition. With few regulations around asbestos, ACMs were often incorporated into other construction waste and disposed of directly on site or buried in fill. Those ACMs degrade over time and eventually disperse fragments into surrounding soils.
But not everyone abides by regulations. Because ACMs are expensive to dispose of, they are often illegally dumped on vacant land or construction sites. If they go unnoticed and get disturbed during development, asbestos fragments can spread across the site.
As we alluded to above, imported fill is a surprisingly common source of contamination. Historically, ACMs were used as a cheap fill in landscaping, road and levelling projects. Asbestos containing demolition waste was also a popular choice.
Although contaminated fill may have been transported to site decades ago, asbestos fragments can still be present in the soil. These situations are complex because the contamination may be widely spread rather than concentrated in a single location.
Almost every building constructed in Western Australia between the 1940s and 1980s utilised ACMs. But the risk isn’t limited to demolition sites – as they become older and more dilapidated, standing structures contribute significantly to asbestos contamination.
Common examples include cement piping, fencing and roofing materials. Whether it be through direct damage or merely ageing, fibres and fragments can be disturbed to create localised contamination zones.
Thorough remediation, removal and/or abatement works are almost always necessary to address this kind of asbestos risk.
As you might have gathered, asbestos contamination can originate from countless different sources. Understanding your site’s unique history is critical to correctly identifying potential risks.
Contact a commercial asbestos remediation and removal company and ask if they offer investigation services. These involve desktop assessments, site walkovers and laboratory analysis to understand how historical demolition, manufacturing or waste disposal practices may have exposed your site to legacy contamination.
West Soil & Water incorporates these investigations into wider site assessments that help your team plan appropriate management and remediation strategies before development begins.
Immediately conducting a site investigation and developing a management plan is the best response to any suspicion of asbestos contamination in soil. It is the surest way to minimise health risks, protect project budgets and timelines and avoid unwanted regulatory scrutiny.
At West Soil and Water, our consultants have supported WA developers for over 13 years by creating tailored investigations and remediation plans that address the sources of contamination that are actually relevant to your site.
To enquire about asbestos removal services for commercial or residential sites, contact West Soil & Water today.