Representatives from the Ute Tribe requested EPA's assistance to collect and dispose of chemicals found in a historic ammunition structure. An On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) with EPA Region 8’s Emergency Response Unit visited the Site on February 6, 2018. Upon visual inspection inside the storage facility, the OSC was able to identify large amounts of pesticides (including malathion), herbicides, corrosives and other chemicals. Many of the containers in the facility are compromised and leaking.
EPA will mobilize to the Site on February 12, 2018. The damaged and undamaged containers of chemicals will be removed from the facility, secured and over-packed into larger containers suitable for transport to a hazardous waste disposal facility. The storage facility will then be cleaned of remnant contamination. A nearby fenced area owned by the Ute Tribe will be used as a temporary staging area.