The National Capital Authority will soon remove asbestos from seven places around Lake Burley Griffin, after discovering the dangerous substance in the soil in March.
The asbestos was first identified in the soil of a walking track running next to the west basin, around the National Museum of Australia.
The area has been fenced off from public access since, with air quality testing finding the asbestos is not airborne and the air quality is safe.
Further sites around the lake, including on the eastern foreshore, were found after 50 samples were taken and seven came back positive.
The locations of the seven positive samples:
-
Adjacent to the path in front of H-Block.
- Adjacent to the extended fence line along the eastern side of the peninsula behind the Medical Superintendents Residence.
- Four sites along the lake's edge on the western side of the peninsula.
- Adjacent to the bike cage near the AIATSIS car park.
The NCA will soon commence remediation works at seven localised sites along the western foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin, at which non-airborne asbestos was discovered in March 2022.
— NCA (@nca_media) July 29, 2022
More info: https://t.co/TBUIaQhb5X pic.twitter.com/GgOYszCVZH
At the sites near the National Museum of Australia, contractors will remove the layer of contaminated soil and replace it with clean material.
Afterwards, they will work on the eastern foreshore, where the contaminated soil will be capped.
The NCA will take advice from experts about when to remove fencing following remediation works.
Signs will be placed at the affected sites, including at the beginning of the West Basin bush track, detouring visitors onto paved paths towards the National Museum of Australia and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Air quality inspection on the whole peninsula will be undertaken during remediation works to ensure it remains safe.
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