7 Aug 2007

Cooks Islands seeks expert advice on disposing of asbestos

10:31 am on 7 August 2007

The Cook Islands is seeking the expertise of the Pollution, Prevention and Waste Management Advisor for the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme Dr Frank Griffin, on how to dispose their stocks of asbestos.

Dr Griffin will also address public concern over the specualtion of health and safety issues that the asbestos may cause.

However, Dr Griffin says disposing of the asbestos won't be easy.

"Unfortunately in some of the smaller islands there is not enough land mass, the acquisition of land for the actual burial site is also an issue because there's not much land, and people are not easily willing to give away their land to such activities."

Dr Griffin says the other option is to export to other countries, but that comes at a huge cost.