Testing regime meant to stop toxic chemicals going into NSW landscape products gamed by suppliers

Exclusive: Manufacturers retest contaminated soil fill until it ‘complies’ with regulations and can then be used at childcare centres, schools or parks

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A testing regime meant to stop toxic chemicals going into landscaping products in New South Wales has been gamed by suppliers who kept retesting samples until they passed.

Waste facilities making soil fill from construction and demolition waste – called “recovered fines” – are required to test their product for hazardous contaminants and report results to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) if they exceed legislated thresholds.

43% of facilities were requesting retesting and were only doing so after they received a result that breached state regulations

Waste facilities were sending in samples for testing that looked very different to material EPA officials collected from their stockpiles, a separate 2013 report shows

One testing laboratory alleged it was asked by manufacturers “not to report the presence of suspected asbestos”

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