PLASTERBOARD will be used to encase potentially deadly asbestos in more than 4000 earthquake-damaged Christchurch homes due for repair.
Canterbury District Health Board medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey says the Earthquake Commission (EQC) decision not to remove the asbestos creates a "landmine".
Christchurch-based Labour MP Ruth Dyson, in a statement on Wednesday, said the asbestos looked set to create a potentially fatal legacy, akin to the trail of events which culminated in the huge loss of life with the CTV building collapse in 2011.
Leaving asbestos in houses contravened EQC's own guidelines, she said.
It was also unfair that home owners could not decide to have the asbestos removed, and future owners could be unaware of the asbestos.
"This is obviously about saving money, but at what cost? It is risking lives. The practice must stop."
Ms Dyson said the matter needed an urgent response from the government.
But a spokesman for Duty Minister Anne Tolley said it was an operational matter for EQC, and the minister would not comment.
Dr Humphrey told The Press the encasement practice is a serious health risk, and homeowners selling their house could try to hide the presence of the now discredited building material.
"We have an opportunity to make sure houses are safe. They should just take it all out.
"It is a landmine sitting there which we won't know about."
Prolonged, chronic exposure to disturbed asbestos can cause various lung diseases, including cancer, but can take decades to develop.
But EQC home repair program manager Reid Stiven said encasing followed health guidelines.
Asbestos ceilings were encased only when they were not damaged or deteriorating, he said.
"Enclosing is a reliable method for ensuring asbestos is safely contained," he told The Press.
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