The Department of Environment, from the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), sought to address asbestos removal and management.
Project Description
Situation in 2018
Asbestos is a major issue for many Pacific Island countries with a history of use of ACM in construction. Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer) and inhalation of asbestos fibres that have become airborne can cause serious lung disease.
What was the Tonga Project About?
The Tonga project sought to:
- Develop national legislation to ban the importation of asbestos
- Provide an educational program to raise public awareness of asbestos and how to interact with it safely,
- Update and revise the current asbestos Code of Practise to guide the management and handling of asbestos,
- Provide training on asbestos abatement work (handling and disposal)
Abatement of ACM from a few selected buildings in Tongatapu
Future Situation
Adoption of appropriate regulations and/or policy to eliminate the importation of asbestos and ACM into Tonga, enhanced capacity of local officials and government staff to execute the ACM Regulations. Adoption of a Strategic Action Plan which details the short- and long-term management options for eventual removal/abatement of all ACM in Tonga.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- Adopt appropriate regulations and/or policy to eliminate the importation of asbestos and asbestos containing materials into Tonga.
- Enhance the capacity of local officials and government staff to execute the ACM Regulations
- Develop a Strategic Action Plan which details the short- and long- term management options for eventual removal/abatement of ACM in Tonga and execute the removal of asbestos containing materials from selected sites in Tongatapu
Key Outcomes from Project Implementation
| KRA 1 Data, Information, and Education | KRA 2 Strengthen Legislative Frameworks | KRA 3 On-Ground Action | 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 Organics management guidance documents | Legislative & Regulatory Stocktake and National Option Paper Product Stewardship Scheme Feasibility Study Development of drafting instructions for an Asbestos importation ban Development and adoption of an Asbestos Management Code of Practice | Removal and disposal of asbestos containing materials from selected government buildings in Tongatapu Development of a case study to provide lessons learned for future ACM removal actions | Capacity Needs Analysis Sustainable Financing study tour to Australia Build Capacity of Government Staff and Stakeholders: Asbestos Management, Education and Awareness Training, Healthcare Waste Incinerator Maintenance and Operation, Healthcare Waste Management, Hazardous Materials Management, Schools Education Curriculum, Sustainable Financing |
Key Outcomes & Impacts
The project created the enabling environment for the holistic management of asbestos containing materials through the implementation of the asbestos importation ban and by development of a minimum standard of operation management through the asbestos management code of practice.
The use of the Code of Practice by the construction and demolition industry improved their response to the presence of asbestos containing materials by proactively and effectively identifying and appropriately managing asbestos containing materials, thereby protecting workers and the public from the potential risk of exposure.
Government and private industry partnered to utilise the new asbestos management standards for abatement when removing asbestos containing materials from several public buildings, ensuring the safety of workers and the community who visited or worked in these buildings.
This enabling environment is further supported by the community’s increased understanding of the risk of exposure to asbestos containing materials and learning how to live safely with asbestos.
Key Project Achievements
- 32 permanent workers and 8800 visitors per year that are no longer exposed to the potential risks from asbestos containing materials by removal from four government buildings.
- 15 people received formal training in in the proper management
and removal of asbestos containing materials - 2,672 m2 of asbestos contaminated material was removed from public buildings in Tongatapu, and landfilled locally.
- 1 Asbestos Management Code of Practice and Supplemental Guidance endorsed.
- 1 Repaired healthcare waste incinerator (Prince Ngu Hospital)
- 36,300 visits by community members reached via social medial, TV and radio messages on hazardous waste management
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.