A $1.1 million upgrade of a busy Auckland road has been delayed because of the discovery of carcinogenic tar dust at the construction site - right beside the Child Cancer Foundation and Starship Hospital.
And Auckland Transport has come under fire for failing to alert neighbours to the possible inhalation of toxic particles from the road works on Grafton Rd.
Asphalt containing more than 150mg/kg of coal tar is deemed hazardous waste in Europe. Yet it can be found in quantities of up to 7000mg in New Zealand and most streets built before 1970 - those which have not been reconstructed - are likely to contain coal tar below the surface.
The Aucklander reveals today that children with low resistance to infections may have been inhaling carcinogenic coal tar particles as they walk from Starship Hospital to the nearby Child Cancer Foundation. Dust was also blowing around the building.
"We knew nothing about any contamination or [potential] health risk," said Child Cancer office manager Paula Elder.
