Residents of Weston, in the NSW Hunter, fear they have been exposed to aluminium-smelting byproducts cyanide and arsenic from disused pot linings dumped in the residential area more than 40 years ago and excavated during recent high winds.

Excavation of the suburban block, treated as a dump site for smelter and construction waste over the years, has stirred up what neighbours feared was toxic dust during the preparation of the land for new homes.

“I tried to point this [toxic dust] out last August, when work started, but council claimed there was no risk,” neighbour Helen McGee said.

“If people breath these things they can be very dangerous to your health.”

Site manager David Lane from DLA Environmental refuted claims he had not adequately controlled dust on the site between Cessnock Road and First Street, a short distance from the smelter Hydro Aluminium, which was shut down last year.

“The site is under a NSW EPA-accredited auditor and that’s as [much] integrity as you can get,” he said. 

A detailed site remediation plan accompanied a list of council conditions for the development.

Mr Lane said when wind speeds exceeded eight metres a second (29km/h) work ceased.

“We’re doing dust monitoring on site,” Mr Lane said.

The requirements included dust measuring equipment, wind-speed monitors, and the control of dust with water carts.

Kurri Kurri Landcare president Col Maybury said residents had been showered in toxic dust.

“This extraction should not take place in these westerly wind months,” he said.

Mr Lane, along with Cessnock council and project managers from HDB Planning, declined to answer how many times during the past month work had to be abandoned because of windy conditions.

“To be honest, the majority of dust comes off the council laneway that is being used to access the land,” HDB Planning project manager Tony O’Beirne said.

Cessnock council said it was satisfied the conditions of the remediation plan were being adhered to.

“The applicant’s environmental specialists [DLA Environmental] who, along with the applicant are responsible for the works on the site, ceased work a number of times in 2012 when they felt weather conditions may impact upon their ability to manage the site according to the requirements of the remediation action plan,” a council spokesman said.

“Council has not required works to cease, however council officers have been on site a number of times and ensured compliance with the measures as indicated in the Remediation Action Plan.”

Hydro Aluminium has partly funded remediation works on the site and the waste has been taken back to the smelter for unspecified processing.