The City of La Junta and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) requested assistance from the EPA Emergency Response Unit for a cleanup of the five properties and proper disposal of the ACM waste.  Four of the five structures have been partly or wholly destroyed and the fifth is structurally unsound and opened to the environment. An EPA On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) conducted a removal site inspection (RSI) on July 5, 2018 and determined that the exposure of the abandoned structures and debris piles to weather events represents an ACM inhalation threat to nearby residents and community members.

1. EPA will mobilize to the Site and meet with local representatives to go over work plan. 

2. Establish process to provide information with stakeholders. 

3. Continue to work with officials to gain access agreements to properties. 

4. Establish air monitoring locations. 

1. EPA's On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) conducted a kickoff meeting with City of La Junta representatives including the La Junta City Manager and City Engineer. During the meeting all parties involved discussed the work plan and  community and media interests.

2. As planning occurred for each property, the EPA OSC met with local homeowners who live on properties surrounding each site to address any concerns the residents may have.

3. Access agreements for all properties were obtained by the City of La Junta on behalf of EPA.

4. EPA will conduct air monitoring and air sampling at each property for every day work is performed. Air monitoring will be performed by placing DustTraks upwind and downwind of the property. The DustTraks will be moved throughout the work day as the winds shift. DustTraks record particulates in the air, which will show any migration of dust from the property.

EPA will perform air sampling by placing one SKC Pumps with a teflon membrane technology (TEM) filter attached in each of the four cardinal directions of the property (North, East, South, and West). Samples will be collected at each property every day work is performed. Samples will be sent to an analytical laboratory and analysed for asbestos.

1. Meet with local representatives.

2. Keep public informed.

3. Survey Sites to identify heavy machinery locations during operations.

1. Keep public informed.

2. Conduct asbestos removal operations at 3 residential properties. 

3. Conduct air monitoring.

1. Keep EPA Response website updated with current information for public and stakeholders.

2-A. On May 8, EPA mobilized to 1119 Smithland Ave. with equipment and crews to begin planning for deconstruction of the three residential properties. Due to the weather, the Bent County landfill was closed and debris removal at 1119 Smithland Ave. was temporarily suspended.  

2-B. On May 9, 2019 EPA mobilized to 1501 Edison Ave. with equipment and crews to begin deconstruction activities on the residential structure. During this deconstruction process water is sprayed with surfactant to maintain dust suppression. At each work zone a trench is dug around the property to contain water runoff from the property and will be pumped offsite for proper disposal. Due to weather delays, debris removal from the property was temporarily suspended until  May 13, 2019, when the EPA re-mobilized to the Edison Ave. property and began debris removal. The removal was completed on May 16, 2019, and a total of 11 truck loads (132 cubic yard) of asbestos containing material (ACM) waste was taken from the Edison property and transported to the Bent County landfill for disposal.

2-C. On May 10, 2019 EPA mobilized to 218 Dalton Ave. with equipment and crews to begin deconstruction activities on the residential property. During this deconstruction process water is sprayed with surfactant to maintain dust suppression. At each work zone a trench is dug around the property to contain water runoff from the property and will be pumped offsite for proper disposal. Debris removal for 218 Dalton Ave. began on May 11, 2019 and was completed on May 13, 2019. A total of 14 truck loads (189 cubic yards) of ACM waste was removed from the Dalton property and transported to the asbestos cell at the Bent County landfill in Las Animas for disposal. 

3. EPA conducted air monitoring for asbestos at 4 points around each of the properties day work is performed. Additionally, dust monitors were placed upwind and down wind of the sites to see if particulates were emanating from the site. If no dust is detected then we also know asbestos is not leaving the site. Workers are also being monitored for asbestos around their breathing zone to ensure the workers are being protected. 

1. Perform air monitoring.

2. Keep public informed.

3. Complete removal on residential properties.

1. Keep public informed via website and meeting with the local community.

2. Demolish and conduct asbestos removal operations at hotel on 122 Carson Ave.

3. EPA is conducting air monitoring for asbestos at 4 points around hotel property. Additionally, we are  monitoring for dust. Dust monitors will be placed upwind and down wind of the hotel to see if dust from our work is leaving the site. If no dust is detected then we also know asbestos is not leaving the site. Workers are also being monitored for asbestos around their breathing zone to ensure the workers are being protected.

4. Demobilize

1. Updated webstite with new photographs and notices. Meet with La Junta City Engineer and Manager,  neighbors and concerned citizens on an on-going basis.

2. On May 18, 2019 began and completed the demolition of the structure at 122 Carson Ave. Demolition was consistent with demolition operations at Dalton and Edison properties. No asbestos containing material (ACM) will be removed from the Carson property until May 20, 2019 when the Bent County landfill re-opens.

3. Air monitoring conducted by placing one SKC Pump with a teflon membrane technology (TEM) filter attached in each of the four cardinal directions of the site (North, East, South, and West). Samples will be collected at each Site every day work is performed and sent to an analytical laboratory to be analysed for asbestos. Dust monitors will be placed upwind and down wind of the site to monitor the level of particulates emanating from the property during removal operations.

1. Keep public informed via website and meeting with local community.

2. Conduct asbestos removal operations at hotel on 122 Carson Avenue.

3. Conduct air monitoring.

4. Demobilize.

1. Removal of asbestos containing material (ACM) mixed waste from 122 Carson Ave. was initiated on May 20 and continued until completed on May 25, 2019. During this period, 475 cubic yards of waste were transported to the asbestos waste cell at the Bent County Landfill in Las Animas for disposal. Removal operations at 122 Carson Ave. were performed consistent with the removals at the Dalton Ave. and Edison Ave. properties.

2. Air monitoring was conducted at the Carson Ave. property during removal operations consistent with the monitoring performed at the Dalton and Edison Ave. properties.

3. On May 26, 2019, the EPA demobilized from the Carson Ave. property and returned to the Smithland property to continue removal operations. The City of La Junta removed the residual clean concrete foundations from the Carson property and transported them to a construction and demolition debris staging area in La Junta. An EPA skeleton crew remained at the Carson property to backfill and grade the property with clean fill provided by the City of La Junta. Filling operations at Carson were completed on May 28, 2019.

4. Removal operations at the Smithland property continued from May 26 until completed on May 27, 2019 and were performed consistent with the removals at the Dalton, Edison and Carson Ave. properties. A total of 260 cubic yards of waste were removed from Smithland and transported to the asbestos waste cell at the Bent County Landfill in Las Animas for disposal. 

On May 26, 2019 removal operations were suspended in the afternoon at the Smithland property due to excessive wind gusts. However, air monitoring and sampling equipment continued to operate the full work cycle. A sample taken from the Smithland property was analyzed and the results yielded positive for chrysotile. An additional analysis was performed by the lab to analyze for concentration levels of asbestos on the filter. The results yielded 8.3 structures per square millimeter (s/mm2) of asbestos loading on the filter, which is below the clearance criteria of 70 s/mm2 as stated by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Regulation 8, Part B. This event demonstrates the importance of cleanup operations and the efforts taken during the time critical removal action.

5. Air monitoring was conducted at the Smithland property during removal operations consistent with monitoring performed at the other properties as stated above for the Carson Ave. property.

6. The City of La Junta will remove the residual clean concrete from the Smithland property, back fill with clean fill, and bring the property to final grade.

1. Mobilized to 802 Best Avenue and initiated removal of ACM mixed waste on May 27, 2019. Removal operations were completed on May 28, 2019. During this period 89 cubic yards of waste were transported to the asbestos waste cell at the Bent County Landfill in Las Animas for disposal. Removal operations at the Best property were performed consistent with the removals at the Carson, Dalton, Edison and Smithland properties.

2. Air monitoring was conducted at the Best property during removal operations consistent with the monitoring performed at the Carson, Dalton, Edison and Smithland properties.

3. The City of La Junta will remove the residual clean concrete foundations from Best, back fill with clean fill, and bring the property to final grade.

4. Demobilize from the property on May 28, 2019 and from the entire Site on May 29, 2019.

1. Keep public informed via website and meet with local community members as needed.

2. Complete asbestos removal operations at all properties.

3. Continue to conduct air monitoring until completion of removal operations..

4. Final demobilization from the Site on May 29, 2019.