01. Colorado Asbestos Use
Asbestos Use in Colorado
Asbestos-containing building materials were widely used in residential and commercial construction throughout Colorado. Many companies also used asbestos products in their manufacturing processes.
People who have lived or worked in Colorado may have been exposed to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos fibers can pose major health risks, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and other serious illnesses.
By 1978, asbestos was no longer used in most construction materials in Colorado. Today, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulates asbestos materials. This includes setting rules for testing, removing and disposing of asbestos within the state. For example, regulations state that asbestos testing is required whenever 32 square feet of drywall or flooring will be removed.
Colorado Asbestos Statistics
The risks of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma still remain for Colorado residents. At least 11 natural asbestos deposits have been cataloged in Colorado. Key facts and statistics about asbestos and mesothelioma in Colorado from 1999 to 2020 include:
- Colorado ranked 27th for the most mesothelioma cases in the United States at 861.
- Colorado ranked 26th for the most mesothelioma deaths in the United States at 674.
- Jefferson, El Paso, Denver and Arapahoe Counties had the highest mesothelioma mortality in the state.
Patients looking for mesothelioma treatment in Colorado should seek care from experienced mesothelioma doctors and care teams. The UCHealth Lung Cancer Clinic – Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora has mesothelioma specialists. Other treatment options are also available in nearby states.
People with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases may qualify to seek legal compensation. Colorado mesothelioma lawyers can help asbestos exposure victims determine their legal options.
02. Asbestos in Workplaces
Occupational Asbestos Use in Colorado
In the manufacturing industry, Colorado workers faced occupational asbestos exposure from making asbestos-containing products or working in buildings or with machinery that contained asbestos. Many companies also used fireproofing products with asbestos to protect their buildings and factories.
While asbestos was never actively mined in Colorado, it often develops near other minerals that were mined. At the Camp Albion mining district in north-central Colorado, a form of asbestos was found in syenite rock. Non-asbestos miners may have been exposed via cross-mineral contamination.
Non-occupational exposure may occur in places like multi-use buildings. For example, a 1982 Public Health Reports journal article found 63% – 89% of Colorado public schools tested positive for asbestos materials.
Asbestos exposure may also occur in other commercial and residential places. These include apartment buildings, parks, nursing homes and shops. Tile adhesive that contained asbestos was found in 2023 in a King Soopers grocery store in Colorado Springs. The Kiowa Hills Health and Rehab Center, also in Colorado Springs, was evacuated in early 2024, because of asbestos contamination.
Power Plants
The equipment in power plants was often made with asbestos materials to increase its heat resistance. Companies like Pawnee Power Plant in Brush, Western Minerals Plant in Denver and Ray D. Nixon Power Plant in Colorado Springs put their employees at risk of exposure.
Mining
Colorado miners working with other minerals faced possible exposure to natural asbestos in and around their jobsites. Mining machinery also often contained asbestos components. Workers in mines, such as Calumet Iron Mine and Creswell Mine, may be at risk of developing mesothelioma.
Manufacturing
Various manufacturers in Colorado used asbestos in their equipment and processes. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Johns-Manville manufactured insulation and construction materials with asbestos. In 1988, Johns-Manville created a $2.5 billion trust to compensate its employees for asbestos exposure.
Oil Refineries
The oil refinery industry frequently used asbestos because of its resistance to most chemical processes. Conoco Oil Refinery and Gary Williams Energy are two of the oil refineries in Colorado where known exposure has occurred.
Military
Asbestos was often used when constructing Army barracks and bases, as well as Air Force bases. In Colorado, these include:
- Buckley Space Force Base (formerly Buckley Air Force Base)
- Fort Carson Army Post
- Lowry Air Force Base
- Peterson Air Force Base
- U.S. Air Force Academy
- U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot
03. Superfund Sites
Asbestos Superfund Sites in Colorado
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 25 Superfund sites in Colorado related to various environmental concerns. Asbestos contamination was identified at two of the 25 sites, the Lowry Landfill and Vasquez Boulevard & Interstate 70 (VB/I-70).
Lowry Landfill
The Lowry Landfill, in Arapahoe County, Colorado, has been a Superfund site since 1984. From the mid-1960s to the 1980s, Lowry Landfill accepted liquid and solid municipal and industrial waste.
The hazardous waste contaminated groundwater, surface water, soil and sediment with various dangerous materials. One of these materials was asbestos. The EPA estimated that approximately 138 million gallons of industrial waste were disposed of on-site.
The Lowry Landfill Superfund site is currently in the long-term maintenance and operations stages. Local agencies and the EPA use collection, containment, monitoring and treatment methods to tackle the contamination.
Vasquez Boulevard & Interstate 70 (VB/I-70)
From the 1870s onwards, Vasquez Boulevard & Interstate 70 (VB/I-70) was an important smelting center for the Western Rocky Mountains. Former smelting plants in the area refined copper, gold, lead, silver and zinc, which deposited toxic levels of heavy metals in the soil and groundwater.
During the cleanup of VB/I-70, the City and County of Denver (CCOD) chose to construct the Globeville Landing Outfall Project on part of the Superfund site. While excavating the site, the work crews had to go through the parking lot of the Denver Coliseum, which used to be a municipal landfill in the 1950s.
The CCOD discovered asbestos-containing materials in the former landfill. Upon removal from the site, the CCOD collected air and dust samples and tested them for asbestos, metals and particulate matter to ensure the safety of nearby communities. The EPA also performed regular particulate matter monitoring, and their results showed successful suppression of dust emissions.
04. Exposure in Colorado Cities
Asbestos Exposure in Colorado Cities
The following is a list of Colorado cities with asbestos jobsites. Not all sites with asbestos risks are known. Click on a city to see a list of work sites with known asbestos exposure in Colorado.
05. Other Work Sites
Asbestos Risks at Other Colorado Jobsites
Select a city to see a list of work sites where asbestos exposure occurred.Colorado Directory of Asbestos Work Sites
, Colorado Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred