Asbestos on site
Dumped asbestos has been found on the construction site of the 350-bed Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison redevelopment.
The find raises concerns about potential delays and an increase in the construction costs for the state-of-the-art $232 million facility.
The quantity of the carcinogen is undetermined, but the discovery has been confirmed by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Department of Corrective Services.
Construction of the prison officially began on August 2. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder was notified of the find on August 15.
“It is the responsibility of the construction company to appoint someone to remove the asbestos,” City acting chief executive Rob Radosevich said.
“The City’s health and compliance department’s only involvement has been to undertake an initial site inspection in conjunction with the construction company and provide notifications and advice to the company or landowner.
“The construction company has not advised of any changes to its timeframe as a result of the asbestos. The cost of the cleanup is as yet unknown.”
