NSW’s top environmental authority has cracked down on companies after children discovered asbestos mulch

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The New South Wales environmental watchdog has launched multiple prosecutions over asbestos-contaminated mulch found at dozens of sites in Sydney earlier this year.

Transcript

00:00The prosecution follows what the EPA says is its largest investigation in the agency's

00:07history.

00:08It all began here in mid-January at Rizal Parklands when children discovered asbestos-contaminated

00:13mulch.

00:14The discovery of toxic substances triggered a health panic across Sydney over several

00:18months and in that time we saw the widespread closure of parks, playgrounds, schools and

00:23even part of a hospital.

00:25The EPA says it's inspected over 300 sites across Sydney with around 79 identified as

00:31having asbestos.

00:32Now the Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne is very heartened by the outcome and without commenting

00:39on the case itself he did express his frustrations with the process.

00:42It was so frustrating that no one would take responsibility for cleaning up the asbestos

00:46and in fact this park was closed for many months, for much longer than it needed to

00:50be because everybody involved was pointing fingers rather than getting on with the cleanup.

00:55I make no comment about the specific allegations that will be determined by the court but it's

01:01a good thing that the government and the EPA have pursued this investigation because we

01:07have to send a message to everybody in the construction and waste sectors that you can't

01:11put the health and safety of children at risk.

01:14The EPA is alleged there has been 102 offences relating to 26 sites and we're going to hear

01:19more details about it in the Land Environment Court closer to February when the first direction

01:24hearings occur.

01:25Some of the allegations the EPA has made public include carrying out scheduled activities

01:28without a licence, the reuse of asbestos waste and failing to carry out resource recovery

01:33competently.

01:35So far three companies and one individual has been charged.

01:38One of the entities charged, Green Life Resource Recovery Facility, says it's going to defend

01:42the charges and it maintains that it takes environmental obligation very seriously.

01:48It says the EPA has never found any asbestos contamination at its Brungelli site in Sydney

01:53South West.

01:54It also took a swipe at the EPA accusing it of informing the media of the details of the

01:59charges before it was served with file documents.

02:01The EPA is alleging the executive liability sits with Director Arnold Votoko who is the

02:06sole director of VE Resource Recovery.

02:09Mr Votoko is one of the country's wealthiest businessmen responsible for major developments

02:14such as the Narellan Town Centre.

02:16He is however most known for being the operator of dessert cafe Max Brenner.

02:20So far Mr Votoko has not responded to any of the allegations publicly.

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