Deadly asbestos dumped on roadside
Deadly cancer-causing waste was dumped at one of Galway’s beauty spots, near where children walk on their way to school.
Locals in scenic Menlo were alarmed to discover hazardous asbestos material brazenly discarded at ‘The Moneen’, which has become a dumping black-spot.
The dangerous material, believed to be taken from the roofs of old sheds or houses, was dumped at the bad bend between Menlo and Coolough, and was there for at least a week.
Galway City Council engaged costly hazardous waste specialists to remove the material and dispose of it safely.
Asbestos is extremely dangerous – exposure to it may increase risk of asbestosis, other nonmalignant lung and pleural disorders, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers.
Smokers who are exposed to asbestos have a greatly increased risk of lung cancer, according to studies.
The area where the asbestos was dumped is popular with locals. “Asbestos is lethal stuff,” said City Councillor Frank Fahy.
“It is extremely dangerous, and where it was dumped posed a risk to passersby. A lot of walkers and joggers would pass that area and could have been exposed to asbestos. Children who walk to the local school would have had to pass by where the asbestos was dumped. It is highly irresponsible and downright dangerous for these people to dump asbestos,” he said.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.