A possible second supplier of asbestos-contaminated mulch is being investigated by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority, as the number of contaminated sites rises to 61.
The environment watchdog said on Saturday it was “following up on a possible second supplier” that may have provided asbestos-contaminated mulch to at least two sites where the substance has been detected. The sites, both in western Sydney, were Cranebrook High School and Mont Saint Quentin Oval in Bardia.
Only one company, Greenlife Resource Recovery, has been identified as being directly implicated by the EPA in the contamination crisis, which has involved bonded asbestos and friable asbestos being found in mulch. Greenlife has said it is confident mulch leaving its facility was free from asbestos and it was not responsible for the contamination.
Bonded asbestos is mixed with cement or other hard materials and considered of lower risk than friable asbestos, which can be crumbled and become airborne, posing a significant risk to human health if the fibres are inhaled.
The EPA has been overseeing tests based on contact and supply tracing of Greenlife’s product.
The possibility of a second supplier providing contaminated mulch emerged after landowners at the two sites – which were not connected to that contact tracing – independently conducted due-diligence testing and informed the EPA of positive results.
A spokesperson for the EPA said on Saturday that it followed up on all positive notifications.
“Our investigators are working to gain more information about this possible second supplier and we will provide more updates when we have confirmed details and have assessed the risks related to this supplier,” the spokesperson said.
Asbestos-contaminated mulch has been found in schools, hospitals, parks and several transport projects in Sydney, as well as along a bridge on the south coast.
Greenlife has launched a legal challenge against the environment watchdog. The EPA issued a prevention notice earlier this month banning Greenlife from selling mulch after sites it had supplied tested positive for asbestos.
Mulch in NSW is regulated under the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014. It must not contain asbestos or other contaminants such as metal, plastics, polystyrene and glass.
In a statement on Saturday, the EPA said it will “continue to keep the community informed of any cases or situations that pose a public risk”.
The EPA has been overseeing the testing, clean-up and disposal of contaminated mulch across the hundreds of sites around NSW.
The investigation has been the agency’s biggest, with more than 130 investigators trying to determine how the asbestos got into the mulch and trace it through the supply chain.
The growing public health emergency has forced the cancellation of a major Mardi Gras party and the closure of popular parks and schools.
