Asbestos dumped at Vic tip

Asbestos has been dumped at a Melbourne tip without proper approval, raising questions about the safety of other landfill sites.

The EPA has ordered an independent review into all its landfill asbestos licences following an investigation into community concerns over the BTQ Bulla landfill site near Sunbury.

The site was issued with a licence amendment by the EPA, allowing it to have a separate asbestos disposal area, which is out of line with the usual stringent approval processes.

The error resulted in asbestos being dumped in an area that has not been assessed as suitable, EPA Chief Executive Officer Nial Finegan said in a statement.

Video emerged in July of bags of asbestos being broken up by a excavator at the Bulla site, but at the time the EPA said the tip had proper approval.

The site was also fined for asbestos mismanagement back in 2011.

Exposure to asbestos may cause a range of illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer and a cancer called mesothelioma.