McDonald's affected

Children’s playground closed following asbestos scare

Eco-alert: Another asbestos discovery at a playground in Burgenland ...(Bild: Gerhard Schiel)

The waves following the asbestos scandal are running high. Greenpeace has made further discoveries at a McDonald's playground and an Asfinag rest area in Burgenland. Lower Austria is also affected, and a large-scale air measurement campaign is being launched.

Following specific reports from the Burgenland population, Greenpeace environmental experts had further locations tested for asbestos by an independent laboratory. Once again, some of the samples contained over 50 percent of the carcinogenic material.

Several findings
Alarmingly, the findings come from the vicinity of a McDonald's fast-food chain playground in Oberpullendorf, the Asfinag rest area in Mogersdorf on the S7, the Steinberg-Dörfl business park, and a parking lot in Bozsok, Hungary. The companies and operators concerned were informed of the test results in advance.

Experts from Greenpeace uncovered the asbestos scandal in Burgenland.(Bild: MITJA KOBAL)

McDonald's and Asfinag responded immediately. The fast food chain is having the asbestos gravel removed, and Asfinag has closed the rest area in question. "This is purely a precautionary measure," emphasize those responsible. The primary concern is gravel that is located away from the road.

Areas contaminated with asbestos must be closed immediately, following the example of McDonald's and Asfinag. There is no need for weeks of air measurements.

Herwig Schuster, Umweltchemiker bei Greenpeace

Bild: Greenpeace / Mitja Kobal

Greenpeace is calling on the province of Burgenland to take immediate measures to protect the population. First and foremost, freely accessible asbestos chunks must be removed and particularly critical areas such as playgrounds and sports fields must be closed and renovated. Environmental physician and public health expert Daniela Haluza from the Medical University of Vienna supports this demand based on her professional expertise.

The province of Burgenland has set up a task force to clarify the matter.(Bild: Christoph Miehl)

"There must be no hesitation here."
Herwig Schuster, environmental chemist at Greenpeace Austria, warns: "Fist-sized pieces of asbestos, such as those located right next to the children's slide at the McDonald's restaurant, pose an acute danger. Anyone who has children knows exactly how much they love to play with stones. There can be no hesitation here. Areas contaminated with asbestos must be cordoned off immediately, following the example of McDonald's and Asfinag, and the material must be removed. This does not require weeks of air measurements, but immediate protective measures." McDonald's emphasizes that the affected rock is located outside the guest area and is separated from it by a fence.

Asbestos as road grit in Lower Austria
As reported, the Aspang road maintenance department is now also coming under particular scrutiny, where, according to research by the "Krone" newspaper, the contaminated material was used as grit in winter road maintenance. The Lower Austrian provincial service says that it reacted immediately after the allegations became known: as a precautionary measure, the delivered material is no longer being used, and existing residual quantities have been secured and clearly labeled. In addition, an internal review is underway to determine when and on which routes the grit was used.

Material also processed in asphalt mixing plants?
At the same time, checks are being carried out to determine whether material from the same source could also have been processed in asphalt mixing plants in the industrial district. "As things stand at present, this cannot be ruled out," a spokesperson admitted on Wednesday. This is precisely why State Vice-Governor Stephan Pernkopf (ÖVP) is now pushing for a full investigation in the department of his counterpart Udo Landbauer (FPÖ). After all, the area covers around 265 kilometers of state and federal roads in 20 municipalities in the districts of Neunkirchen and Wiener Neustadt-Land.

Air measurement program was decided in no time
At the heart of the eco-initiative is a comprehensive air measurement program, which has been launched at representative locations in the industrial district—and thus also in the Aspang area in the district of Neunkirchen.

When asked, Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf emphasizes that "the indications are being taken seriously and consistent precautions are being taken." External experts, the Lower Austrian Environmental Ombudsman, and the relevant authorities in Burgenland, with whom Pernkopf is in close contact, are involved in the measurement program.

Experts and the Environmental Ombudsman are involved, and I am also in contact with colleagues in Burgenland.

LH-Vize Stephan Pernkopf (ÖVP)

The air measurements are intended to detect possible fiber releases – especially in areas where mechanical stress such as traffic or previous spreading measures may have occurred.

No exceedances of the limit values known yet
Despite the explosive nature of the issue, experts are cautiously giving the all-clear for the time being: so far, no exceedances of relevant guideline or limit values are known. At the same time, they emphasize that asbestos is a particularly treacherous pollutant, the risks of which often only become apparent during subsequent processing or weathering.

Nevertheless, the case remains a shock for the affected communities and the population. One thing is clear: the focus is now not only on supply chains and quarries, but also on specific practices on site – above all in Aspang, in the district of Neunkirchen. The ongoing measurements should quickly provide clarity and determine whether the suspicion will turn into a real environmental and health hazard.

Incidentally, the operators and owners of the Rumpersdorf and Badersdorf quarries have not yet commented on the matter at the request of "Krone," and questions about supply chains and possible claims for damages have remained unanswered so far.