The testing is part of an investigation triggered by the discovery of the potentially fatal substance in parklands built above the Rozelle interchange last month. That mulch was supplied by Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility,which also supplied mulch at three sites along the Bankstown rail line that were subsequently found to be contaminated with asbestos.
The company denied it supplied hazardous mulch,saying on Monday its product underwent regular testing as it was prepared to ensure it was free of asbestos.
“Furthermore,all retained mulch at GRRF’s site has been thoroughly retested by a highly respected independent testing company and all tests have come back clear of asbestos,” the company said in a statement.
“The company has no visibility of,and does not control,how its products are used on sites once delivered to the construction site.”
NSW EPA chief executive Tony Chappel on Monday said supplying mulch containing asbestos was illegal,noting his organisation was working with the Department of Fair Trading to issue a product recall. The agency’s investigations are continuing.
“We’re working still through multiple lines of inquiry but the supplier in question is a common link across all the sites where we so far had positive detections,” he said.