Pueblo, Colorado

Located in the southeastern quadrant of Colorado, Pueblo is a crossroads city in many ways. Most obviously, the intersections of U.S. Highway 50 and I-25 make the state's ninth most populous city one of the most trafficked corridors of Colorado. Historically, Pueblo is the confluence of what was once four separate towns – Bessemer, Pueblo, Central Pueblo and South Pueblo – built to accommodate early ore miners. Climatically, Pueblo perhaps has more in common with high-desert southern neighbor state New Mexico than the snowier, more-mountainous climates of Colorado cities to the north and west. Economically and culturally, Pueblo is caught at the crossroads of the Old West, the manufacturing past and an uncertain future.

Founded around 1842 by a trader named George Simpson and incorporated in 1885, Pueblo had its history literally washed out by the Great Flood of 1921 (caused by yet another intersection – that of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek), which destroyed about one-third of the city's businesses as well. The mainstay of Pueblo's economy has long been based around the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, or CF&I Steel Corp, which traces its roots back to the 1880s and is Pueblo's financial foundation to this day, despite the flagging fortunes of the steel industry. In 1982, when the steel market crashed, the company ceased operation of its blast furnaces, which were mostly dismantled in 1989, save for some stoves and furnace foundations which were left as is due to asbestos dangers. These remnants of a once-great industry can still be sighted from I-25's north-south Pueblo crossing, looking eastward.

Pueblo boasts some of the oldest schools in the state, as Centennial High School dates back to 1876 (though rebuilt on a new site in 1973), and Pueblo Central School, nicknamed the “School of Heroes”, hearkens to 1881 (later rechristened as Central High School when it was rebuilt in 1920). Two new high schools were built to accommodate the increasing population of the 1950s, and Pueblo now has thirteen high schools in all.

Asbestos exposure in the workplace has been a problem in Pueblo for many years now. All these residential and commercial construction projects – in addition to utility and power-generation facilities like that of the Comanche Power Station - have put workers at risk in Pueblo. If you or a loved one were exposed to asbestos in Pueblo, Colorado, you may be at risk to develop certain asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma (a terminal cancer). For those diagnosed with mesothelioma in Pueblo, the area has quality medical care, cancer centers, and doctors that can provide treatment for mesothelioma.

Large Jobsites in Pueblo where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance has compiled information obtained from a number of sources to identify the following large job sites in Pueblo where asbestos exposure was known to have occurred. These sites are listed below. Click on them to get more detailed information.

Other Jobsites in Pueblo where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

These additional jobsites in Pueblo, CO have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.