Vas County authorities fine workers during asbestos roadwork in Szombathely

The Vas County Government Office has identified minor regulatory violations during roadwork on Oladi Plató in Szombathely, where workers are removing asbestos-contaminated pavement. Two employees received small on-site fines for failing to wear closed clothing or proper respiratory protection. The inspections were launched following reports from Greenpeace Hungary to prevent the release of harmful fibers into the air.

Authorities have received reports from 720 locations across Vas County, with the estimated amount of asbestos-contaminated crushed stone reaching 216,451 tons. Currently, the only site in the county capable of accepting this material is the Zala-Müllex Kft. facility in Harasztifalu. The facility manager, Arnold Bauer, noted that the landfill has a remaining capacity of approximately 80,000 cubic meters, enough for about 120,000 tons of contaminated material. He suggested that capacity could be expanded if planning and permitting processes are accelerated.

The contamination stems from asbestos-containing stones sourced from mines in the Austrian state of Burgenland, which were used in road construction across various Hungarian regions, including Budapest and Pest County.