Residents of a north Burnaby neighbourhood are outraged after bags filled with asbestos were dumped in an alley recently.
The bags appeared early Sunday morning in the 4100-block of Eton and Cambridge streets.
Residents tell Global News they contacted the city of Burnaby right away.
WATCH: Asbestos dumped in Burnaby alley
Burnaby RCMP confirm officers attended the scene Monday night after they were called by the Burnaby Fire Department to assist.
Cleanup crews from the city arrived on the scene at 8 a.m. Tuesday and safely removed the bags.
The bags were sealed but were also blocking the alley. However, at least one bag was open with the contents visible.
“You see kids around here all the time and you don’t want them poking at it and break something open,” said Deanna Hurren, who lives in the neighbourhood.
“This is a hazard to everyone in the area. I actually lost a couple of friends to asbestos and it’s scary.”
One of the members of the cleanup crew said they have seen an increase in the illegal dumping of asbestos in places like Vancouver and Surrey, both by contractors and residents.
According to the city of Vancouver, asbestos waste from within Metro Vancouver is accepted for disposal at the Vancouver Landfill in Delta, with the exception of gypsum drywall.
Vermiculite insulation, blown-in insulation and pre-1990 acoustic ceiling tiles are suspected asbestos-containing materials. These materials are only accepted at the landfill, where they are managed as asbestos waste. The only exception is for blown-in insulation and ceiling tiles that are accompanied by a certificate of analysis that confirms no asbestos was detected; these materials are accepted as garbage at the transfer and landfill.
Burnaby RCMP says it is now investigating the dumping incident.
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