Northwest Neighborhood (NWN)
Between the early 1940’s and the late 1950’s, the Air Force had a complex of hospital buildings on fourteen acres of land located north of East 8th Avenue, west of Uinta Way, south of East 11th Avenue, and east of Spruce Court and Ulster Way. This area is now called the Northwest Neighborhood (NWN) of Lowry. The complex of buildings included the hospital and the hospital’s steam heating plant. The steam lines associated with the steam heating plant may have been wrapped in asbestos-containing insulation. The complex was demolished by the Air Force between 1963 and 1975 prior to any asbestos abatement regulations. When the buildings were demolished, not all of the building debris and piping were removed. Material containing asbestos has been found in the soil in the NWN and includes water pipes, some gas pipes, insulation material, and floor tile.
In 2003, during basement excavations for new construction, building debris with associated asbestos was discovered at depth. On April 2003, CDPHE issued Compliance Advisories for asbestos in soil in the NWN. The Compliance Advisories required sampling, emissions control, and response plans related to asbestos in soil. Under the Compliance Advisory, several sampling work plans and a response plan were approved by CDPHE for investigation and remediation of the NWN soils. LRA and the builders sampled and remediated properties they owned in the NWN; over 30,000 samples in total were collected. Of these samples, 93% showed no detections of asbestos. In addition, the Air Force conducted indoor air sampling for asbestos at Building 667 and 670 as well as some limited sampling for asbestos in soil. Building 670 was sampled and remediated for asbestos in soil and was issued a No Further Action letter in January 2005.
In Privatization 2 (2005), LAC became responsible for sampling and remediation of 22 acres of Air Force owned property within the NWN, which included the former location of the base hospital heating plant. These areas consisted of Filing 28, 670 North, Building 667, and portions of Filing 16 and Building 670. LAC began sampling in April 2006 and completed sampling in August 2006. During the sampling, over 5,700 soil samples were taken. As in the earlier sampling in other areas of the NWN, approximately 93% of the samples showed no detections of asbestos, 5% contained asbestos at trace levels, and 2% contained asbestos at concentrations greater than "trace". LAC commenced remediation of this property in May 2006 and completed remediation in August 2006.
LAC submitted requests for Notice to Construct or No Further Action and Requests to Transfer for each of the properties and has received the following closures from CDPHE:
- 670 North – Notice to Construct and permission to transfer issued on August 17, 2006
- Building 667 – No Further Action and permission to transfer issued on September 7, 2006
- Filing 28 (First 11 lots) – No Further Action issued March4, 2008
- Filing 28 (including Trenton Median and building 670 sliver) – No Further Action for Trenton Median and a Notice to Construct and permission to transfer issued on December 18, 2006
- Filing 28 (Block 1, Lot 5) - No Further Action issued February 29, 2008
For properties with an approved Notice to Construct, after redevelopment is complete, the individual builders are responsible for cleaning each of the residences in accordance with the Approved Air Sampling Work Plan prior to issuance of NFA.
