Nauru sought assistance to meaningfully engage in the management of asbestos containing materials through implementation of best practice off-island disposal activities and establishing appropriate legislation and policies for the elimination of the importation of asbestos containing materials.
Project Description
Situation in 2018
There is a substantial quantity of asbestos in Nauru primarily in the form of asbestos-cement in roofing and cladding and stockpiles of waste. This asbestos is old and in various stages of deterioration and therefore poses a significant risk to the people of Nauru. The PacWaste program undertook the removal, transportation to the temporary storage [organized by Nauru government] and replacement of the ACM in several public buildings, the Republic of Nauru Hospital and Prison.
What was the Nauru's Project About?
The Nauru Department of Commerce, Industry and Environment (DCIE) sought assistance to:
• develop national legislation to ban the importation and use of asbestos in Nauru,
• developing a code of practice on the management of asbestos,
• execute training on the proper handling, storage, and disposal of legacy ACM in Nauru, and
• re-packaging and remove improperly stored ACM located at the NCR landfill and the Regional Processing centre grounds.
Future Situation
Re-packaged and removed shipping containers of ACM located at the NCR landfill and the Regional Processing centre grounds. This activity will be used as a “real-life” training exercise for key stakeholders to highlight best practices for ACM packaging, labelling and offsite shipment/disposal.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
1. Asbestos containing material stockpile removed and appropriately disposed from the landfill.
2. Develop a legislative framework for asbestos management.
3. Enhance the capacity of local officials, asbestos abatement workers and government staff to execute the asbestos containing materials framework.
Key Outcomes from Project Implementation
| KRA 1 Data, Information, and Education | KRA 2 Strengthen Legislative Framework | KRA 3 On-Ground Actions | KRA 4 Capacity Building |
| Waste Audit Regional Data Collection Monitoring and Reporting Framework Data Collection for Organic Materials Waste Profiling Education and Awareness Support Waste Management Decision Tool Research Documents approved by the Research Advisory Group | Removal and disposal of asbestos containing material from NRC landfill Development of a case study to provide lessons learned for future asbestos removal actions | Removal and disposal of asbestos containing material from sites on Banaba Island Installed and commissioned two healthcare waste incinerators | Capacity Needs Analysis Sustainable Financing study tour to Australia Build Capacity of Government Staff and Stakeholders: Asbestos Management, Education and Awareness Training, Healthcare Waste Management, Hazardous Materials Management, Schools Education Curriculum, Waste Auditing |
Key Outcomes & Impacts
Created an enabling environment for the management of asbestos containing materials through the implementation of the asbestos importation ban and by developing a minimum standard of operation management by the asbestos management code of practice.
Through the transformation of the construction and demolition industry to proactively and effectively identify and appropriately manage asbestos containing materials, protecting workers and the public from the potential risk of exposure.
This work was underpinned by the capacity building of government and private industry to meet the new standards for asbestos management and abatement, and piloted through the safe and efficient removal of asbestos containing materials from the landfill. The project increased community understanding of the risk of exposure to asbestos containing materials and managing asbestos containing materials.
Key Project Achievements
- 52 local officials, asbestos abatement workers and government staff were trained in the proper management and removal of asbestos containing materials residents of Banaba Island no longer exposed to asbestos in the school and hospital.
- 1 Asbestos Importation ban
- 1 Asbestos Management Code of Practice and Supplemental Guidance endorsed
- 4,966 m2 of asbestos containing materials were repackaged and disposed of in New Zealand
- 11,875 people listened to radio spots developed to educate and raise awareness on asbestos containing materials.
Supporting Documents
The following table provides a complete list of all documents developed during the project, including technical guidelines, training materials, reports, and communication resources. Where possible, links to the documents hosted on the SPREP website have been included to enable direct access.