A Volunteer Country Fire Authority crew exposed to asbestos during a controlled burn carried out at the request of the Central Goldfields Shire Council was “anxious” about the situation, but not yet considering legal action against the embattled shire.
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CFA operations officer in the Central Goldfields catchment, Mark Nevill, said the organisation was offering affected members medical monitoring and had systems in place so volunteers could access psychological support.
“We’re disappointed it occurred and we are concerned for the members of the brigade and their families - there’s a level of anxiety about this which is understandable,” he said.
The Environment Protection Authority recently confirmed CFA crews were exposed to asbestos during a controlled burn in Flagstaff.
“EPA attended the premises and is currently investigating potential breaches of the Environment Protection Act 1970,” an EPA spokesperson said.
And the shire’s former mayor Geoff Lovett said council staff led members of the Carisbrook CFA to believe the waste pile at the former Penney and Lang abattoirs site did not contain asbestos.
Of the seven samples tested by the EPA, two contained asbestos, Mr Nevill said.
Local lawyer John McPherson said the EPA could well have the grounds to prosecute the council under the Environmental Protection Act, but to what degree it does, remained to be seen.
He said asbestos exposure was problematic from a legal standpoint because the symptoms could take 20 years to develop.
“They (members) are really left in a quite awkward spot – they’re basically being told you may have possibly been exposed to a substance so toxic it could develop into a condition that could kill you in 20 years.”
The EPA was contacted for further comment, but declined due to its ongoing investigation.
