2 September 2005

Fairbairn Park closed after being covered in asbestos

| johnboy
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ABC Online is reporting that Fairbairn Park has been closed after tonnes of asbestos contaminated soil were used for earthworks on the site.

The soil, which contains asbestos, was noticed missing late last week from a holding yard at Mitchell.

The EPA traced the soil to the Fairbairn Motor Sports Park where it has been used in noise abatement mounds.

Well done to the Environment Protection Authority for noticing the missing stuff and then finding it.

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On another note, anybody know the deal with the “holding yard” in Mitchell? Was it enclosed (doubtful) or open air? I’m sure the lucky residents of Palmerston (about 2Km away) would be interested to know what kind of shite was blowing over the washing in their back yards.

*golf clap* well done, just fan-bloody-tastic, top effort.

Growling Ferret1:48 pm 02 Sep 05

Just bands, I grew up in a house with asbestos in the roof, that had the giant white balloon over it for 3 months whilst the asbestos was removed. I’ll pretty familiar with the stuff…

As fro and bonfire said, mechanics who worked on cars with asbestos brake linings (the preferred product for about 30 years) are more likely to be in danger than you…

Asbestos bits have been found on school grounds and the ANU, and the playing fields in Canberra were all built on former rubbish tip sites – I can almost guarentee that there would be asbestos at these former tip sites, sitting under the (occasionally lush) grass.

I’d be more worried about the effects of asbestos if I lived in the inner north or south and the developers were knocking down a fibro joint next door…

But, back to my original point. If this is the justification that ACTEPA use to permanently shut down Fairbairn Park, myself and many thousands of other Canberra motorsport enthusiasts will be extremely disappointed. And there are plenty more of us than the vocal dragway supporters….

Absent Diane1:46 pm 02 Sep 05

But Thumper we are all responsible for caring!! Bucket anyone???

mesothelioma, mesothilioma, misothelioma, misothilioma

that should drive the google bots crazy for a while

“Talking about stupid comments. How will contaminated fill more than a km from the nearest industrial area (let alone residential) give you health problems?”

I don’t know about you…but 1 km is not nearly far enough away for a pile of asbestos contaminated soil for my liking.

Growling Ferret11:54 am 02 Sep 05

“So we should all have serious health problems so a minority bunch of rev-heads can learn their trade? “

Talking about stupid comments. How will contaminated fill more than a km from the nearest industrial area (let alone residential) give you health problems?

I agree that the waste should be cleaned up and disposed of in a safe manner. However, I’m mighty annoyed that the asbestos contaminated soil was dumped at Fairburn, and could be another nail in the coffin for the complex through the stupidity of a small number of people.

The EPA has been trying to shut down the complex -” this could be the nail in the coffin for thousands of passionate amateur motorsport competitors in Canberra and the surrounding reasons… Could Canberra/Qbn produce another Mark Webber? Not if the ACTEPA gets their way…”

Sorry…but what a stupid comment! So we should all have serious health problems so a minority bunch of rev-heads can learn their trade?

Growling Ferret10:52 am 02 Sep 05

I’m not a conspiracy theorist Thumper, but I have spoken to a few people heavily involved in the SDMA, and they are mighty pissed off that the work that has been done over the last 5 years jumping through every hoop and over every hurdle could be undone by the stupidity of someone else…

I believe it was last year the EPA tried to shut the complex down, as they could find no record of motorsport ever being approved in the complex. Luckily, someone who had been out of the sport for a long time found the original lease from the 70’s tucked away in a filing cabinet…

i wonder about all this asbestos mania. statistically im still more likely to get hit by a bus than contract mesothelioma from working with asbestos panels, brake pads etc.

Funny you shoudl say something like that, Growling Ferret. I was thinking somethign along very similar lines. I was under the impression that the SDMA had managed to secure a lease, though?

How woudl you remove asbestos contaminated soil? How would you know when you had it all? Does it really matter at a motorsport park? God knows, I’ve probably inhaled more asbestos changing brake pads than I could digging holes in asbestos-contaminated mounds…

Growling Ferret9:36 am 02 Sep 05

From the information I have, the soil was mixed in with clean soil and dumped at the Motorcross track. Whoever authorised its dumping should be hung drawn and quartered…

The implications of this stupid action may mean the closure of the Canberra Kart Club, the SDMA Hillclimb, the dirt track racing club, all of whom having been battling against the EPA to secure a lease on the Fairburn facility.

The EPA has been trying to shut down the complex – this could be the nail in the coffin for thousands of passionate amateur motorsport competitors in Canberra and the surrounding reasons… Could Canberra/Qbn produce another Mark Webber? Not if the ACTEPA gets their way…

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