Spanish police are currently searching for the person who dumped 450 kilos of hazardous waste at the entrance to the Las Mimosas urbanisation in the city of Altea in Valencia. The area is home to many British expats.
Altea Council were required to bring in a specialist company to remove the waste due to the environmental and health dangers it posed.
The sheets, which contained asbestos, were strewn on the CV-755 road between Altea la Vella and Callosa d’en Sarria.
They appeared on September 5, semi-blocking access to vehicles entering and exiting Las Mimosas, according to The Olive Press.
Altea Urban Scene councillor, Aurura Serrat Guarnios, said: “Several residents told us about this incident and workers immediately moved the asbestos sheets to a safe place in a ditch at the side of the road, despite putting their health at risk.”
Serrat Guarnios explained that the specialist company was hired at a cost of over 2,600 euros (£2,165) to take the sheets away last Thursday, September 24.
The councillor confirmed that Altea Policia Local are trying to find out who dumped the waste.
She also added that anyone with dangerous materials can use an expert firm which uses techniques to reduce the risk of exposure and uses appropriate vehicles and safety procedures.
Serrat Guarnios appealed to residents “not to dump waste on public roads, especially if it poses a health risk”.
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals and are known to cause health problems including tissue inflammation, scarring, breathing problems and serious health issues including cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
There is no safe amount of exposure. There is also no cure once it has developed, but some treatments can help including oxygen therapy and inhalers. According to WHO, it causes more than 200,000 deaths globally every year.
It was commonly used in building materials in the late 1800s and during and after World War II. Its use started to decline in the 1970s after the health risks became widely understood.
Home to white-washed houses and crystal-clear waters, the city of Altea in Costa Blanca is often compared to the Greek island of Santorini. As a result, it has become increasingly popular in the last few years as foreign and domestic tourists alike have flooded the coastal city to experience Greece, but in Spain.