Residents at risk by asbestos fly-tippers
Asbestos waste is being dumped carelessly in the open air, the council's environment department has revealed.
ASBESTOS waste is being dumped carelessly in and around Dénia in the open air, the council's environment department has revealed.
This shock revelation comes after heaps of the dangerous material was found in Las Rotas, El Tossalet, on the Montgó and in Jesús Pobre in at least five places.
As well as posing a serious hazard to the public, the flytippers are putting their own health at grave risk: asbestos should only ever be removed by specialists with the correct equipment.
Microscopic fibres from this now-banned construction material can be inhaled and, even in very minimal quantities, are known to cause lung cancer.
Once extracted, asbestos should be disposed of in a dedicated plant where it will be treated according to a specialist process – never deposited in an ordinary tip or eco-park.
This process is extremely expensive, and the council suspects some of the culprits may be aware of the dangers but choose not to bear the cost.
Local bye-laws in almost every town prohibit dumping inflammable, explosive, toxic, poisonous or dangerous waste in public places.
And where these are left by or in the bins, rubbish collectors are not allowed, by law, to handle them, so they have to leave them.
Dénia council has appointed a specialist firm to remove the asbestos waste, and criticises the culprits for letting the taxpayer fund their dirty work.
Last time Dénia had to pay for a single heap of asbestos to be removed from the street, it cost over €3,000.