Environmental air quality tests conducted by officials with Australia's occupational safety agency support claims from labor unions that workers at the Gorgon natural gas project on Barrow Island were exposed to asbestos from barrels that were accidentally opened during cleanup operations at the plant. Leaders of the major labor unions, Unions WA (Western Australia) and the Maritime Union of Australia, stated that Chevron, one of the firms backing the project, did not inform workers that the drums they were moving were lined with asbestos.

Simone McGurk, secretary for Unions WA, confirmed that an independent laboratory found noticeable levels of asbestos in and around the areas of the Gorgon plant affected by the cleanup efforts. She said that the tests came back positive for both the chrysotile ("white") and crocodolite ("blue") varieties of the dangerous fiber. She also stated that union representatives have brought the issue to the attention of Chevron managers nearly two weeks previous to the incident, but that the group had yet to receive a response.

Chris Cain, secretary for the Maritime Union of Australia, also expressed concern about the lack of apparent precautions taken with workers who could potentially have been exposed to asbestos. He mentioned that some loose asbestos fibers had ran out of the barrels and onto wooden pallets, as well as the topsoil around the outdoor cleanup site. He also alleges that the barrels did not carry either warning labels or proper seals to protect workers from possible contamination.

A spokesperson for Chevron countered the allegations, stating that union officials had been notified that asbestos had been found at the Gorgon site and that it had been placed into protective plastic bags, along with the required airtight seals and clear warning labels on the drums. She also mentioned that Chevron would be conducting an investigation into the claims, with special focus on the numerous contractors who were involved in the cleanup projects and how they handled the tasks involved in asbestos removal.

Chevron officials also released a statement saying that they would follow the processes involved in removing the asbestos, including how workers dealt with transporting the hazardous material from the Barrow Island plant to a certified disposal site on the mainland of Western Australia. The investigation would involve interviews with several of the contractors in order to "get to the bottom of the allegations".

With this latest incident, along with the James Hardie scandal, the widespread use of asbestos in Australia has raised concerns among labor unions, environmental activists and the medical community. According to Ms. McGurk and Unions WA, another Chevron facility in Dampier, Western Australia, showed traces of asbestos contamination. Mr. McCain also said that, despite the country's increasingly strict controls on how workers are exposed to sites that could contain asbestos, Chevron ignored them and allowed plant workers to work around "some of the most dangerous" forms of asbestos.

WorkSafe, the country's occupational safety and health office, is also conducting an investigation into the unions' allegations. The government agency has also met with criticism from union leaders, citing their slow response time and lack of resources to carry out a thorough probe into the situation.

(Mesothelioma Web*, 27/01/2010)

* Sources: Western Australia Today, Australian Broadcasting Network