The 21 businesses and 89 residents inadvertently sold asbestos-contaminated material by the Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority (FRWA) will now have their properties’ details recorded on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Register.

The FRWA sold 9000 tonnes of contaminated material as crushed concrete aggregate between December 2018 and March 2021.

It was used for building and road works.

The FRWA engaged asbestos removal contractors to remove the material from the affected properties last year. 

At one site more than 300 tonnes of material had to be removed.

It is expected to cost the FRWA more than $10 million to recover the material and remediating each property.

The recovered material has been returned to a stockpile at the Goolwa dump.

EPA Acting Director Operations Keith Baldry said the EPA was advised of the contamination by FRWA in March 2021 and has issued two Environment Protection Orders to Alexandrina Council as the EPA licence holder for the site.

The orders require the council to:

• cease the sale of the crushed concrete material

• identify locations where the material has been used

• engage an asbestos consultant to undertake an assessment of each location to determine the risk of any environmental harm

• prepare and implement a suitable remediation plan for each location based on the assessment results; and

• provide the EPA with certification detailing the assessment findings and remediation implemented.

Mr Baldry said details of the assessment and remediation process undertaken are provided to the EPA in the form of a Remediation Validation Report for each property.

The EPA is required under the Environment Protection Act 1993 to record these reports on the Public Register.

Any prospective or future owners will be informed of the existence of this report, via the Form 1 Statement that is required to be provided under the Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994.

“This will ensure that any future disturbance can be undertaken safely, and assurance can be provided that the properties are considered safe,” Mr Baldry said.

Residents with questions can contact the EPA on 8429 7554 or [email protected].