News - Dec 20, 2023 Asbestos Abatement from Identified Buildings Completed in Tonga

A number of buildings were identified by the Ministry of MEIDECC and the Ministry of Infrastructure Tonga for Asbestos Removal Work.  The six buildings selected for the asbestos removal work were the storage house of quarters 35&40, quarter 88, and the Ministry of Infrastructure workshop, office, and a gas station building. These six buildings are all owned and managed by the Ministry of Infrastructure building control division.

The estimated asbestos area for the removal project was 2052 m², however, the total area of asbestos roof removal from the selected buildings including asbestos guttering, wall cladding, flashing, facia board, and soffits was confirmed by the removal contractor that is asbestos and was measured by the removal contractor were estimated to be 2622.79 m².

The asbestos removal work for the six selected buildings commenced in September with the complete asbestos removal work at the storage house of quarters 35 & 40, quarter 88, and the MOI Workshop building. The asbestos sheets from the roof and wall claddings, guttering, soffits, flashing, and facia from the six buildings of asbestos removal work were safely packed and wrapped repeatedly with polyethylene plastic sheeting, and the asbestos debris was collected and taped closed in a clear asbestos waste bag by the abatement crew. A caution yellow label was taped on top of the wrapped asbestos waste to mark the asbestos hazardous waste delivery to the Tapuhia landfill.

The asbestos waste was collected and loaded onto a waste collection skipper bin tipper truck ready for disposal, for a volume of one (1) to five (5) cubic meters of asbestos waste, the excavator dug a pit of approximately seven to ten meters within the compacted waste in cell two and burry the amount of asbestos waste. For a volume of five (5) to ten (10) cubic meters of asbestos waste, the excavator dugs a whole pit of approximately ten (10) to fifteen (15) meters within cell two and burry the amount of asbestos waste. Before delivering the asbestos waste to Tapuhia landfill for disposal, the Waste Authority office was informed to enable the landfill operators to prepare the disposal site a day before the delivery of the asbestos waste to Tapuhia Landfill for special disposal.

The programme will continue to work with stakeholders in Tonga to further improve Asbestos management.

Photo Gallery Asbestos Abatement