Potentially radioactive waste discovered in Western Sydney High School storeroom

The scrutiny facing one of Sydney’s biggest high schools has taken an unexpected turn this week, with the discovery of a box containing ‘potentially hazardous’ material believed to be Yellow Cake, a substance used in school experiments back in the 1960s to test for radioactivity.

Though Yellow Cake only emits a small amount of radiation and has an exceptionally long half-life, it can also be toxic if inhaled or ingested.

The substance was discovered in a box in a storeroom at Castle Hill High, the surrounds of which have now been placed into lockdown as specialist crews prepare to remove it this weekend. Though the contents remain unconfirmed, the box is clearly labelled ‘yellowcake’ - per reports from NewsCorp.

In an email to staff, Principal Georgina Fleming confirmed that the room in question was cordoned off and should not be entered due to testing. Meanwhile the Department of Education also confirmed the discovery of 'a potentially hazardous material in a locked science block storeroom... the material was in a sealed box and believed to have been used to support science experiments in the past.

The room was reportedly not accessible to students at any point, but the incident raises more serious questions over the standards of safety and maintenance the school is employing. The box itself was only found after reports of falling dust from the ceiling revitalised ongoing asbestos concerns lingering over the school.

Though the falling substance in question was confirmed to not be asbestos, the current situation continues a challenging period for the facility, which attracted negative attention last year after reports emerged that traces of asbestos had been discovered on school grounds but not communicated to staff for four years.

A subsequent parliamentary enquiry found that while the exposure risk at the school was considered low, errors of judgement had indded been made by senior staff and procedures were not followed.