Canberra Government Publishes List of 1,022 Asbestos-Risk Houses for Takeover, Demolition

Canberra’s government on Tuesday made public a list of 1,022 homes and buildings eligible to be bought from their owners and potentially demolished due to their construction with “fresh asbestos” by two companies collectively known as “Mr Fluffy.” The companies blew free-floating asbestos directly into houses for insulation. These Canberra government videos posted Wednesday describe the process of buying back homes and informing neighbors.

Canberra has been dealing with the issue for almost 50 years, with contaminated houses being found over time, and changing standards over time about how much leftover asbestos might be safe. Complicating the issue is that Mr Fluffy sold sacks of loose asbestos direct to consumers for years for their own do-it-yourself insulation projects. The silicate fiber was also mixed into concrete and sheet rock.

At the time the houses were insulated, asbestos was seen as an excellent building material, due to its flexibility and fire resistance. However, asbestos fibers, when inhaled, have been discovered to cause mesothelioma, a rare cancer that often fatally damages the lungs and other organs. Inhaled asbestos fibers can also cause malignant lung cancer and a severe form of pneumonia; the US Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has prohibited any use of the material, labeling it a carcinogen.

The Australian federal government granted the Canberra government a $1 billion loan to deal with remediation. A removal program in the 1980s failed because it left some asbestos behind.

The full list of homes can be seen here.

The Fluffy Owners and Residents Action Group, which claims 590 families in its membership, was formed in 2014. Credit: YouTube/ACT Canberra