Asbestos Fears Linger After Massive Australian Brush Fire

Nearly five months after a catastrophic brush fire devastated the historic timber town of Yarloop in Western Australia, residents may now be at risk of asbestos exposure. The blaze damaged much of the asbestos previously hidden inside the town's renovated structures, and that could have long-lasting effects on Yarloop. Containing the asbestos may impede cleanup efforts, and it's unclear how much residents were exposed to the carcinogen known to cause deadly mesothelioma. However, Dr. Andy Robertson, director of disaster management at the WA Department of Health, said asbestos levels in Yarloop shouldn't be high. "We haven't done any air testing, but we anticipate that the levels of asbestos particulate, asbestos material in the air would be low," Robertson told ABC News. "Once the recovery process gets underway, there will be more dust created, and there will be more risk." Damaged Asbestos Found in Scorched Homes, Businesses Firefighters battled the Jan. 7 blaze for almost three weeks before extinguishing it, but by then, the fire had destroyed almost 200 homes and businesses, displaced most of the town's 500-plus residents and killed two men. Although the majority of Yarloop's homes razed in the fire were wooden, recovery workers found asbestos in public buildings and asbestos-containing materials used in home renovations. Asbestos health risks and safety hazards from damaged power poles prompted officials to close the town to the general public. Al...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure & Bans Source Type: news