CLEANUP SITES

Important Advisory Note: Information about the environmental condition of each Lowry site listed below is only a summary taken from more comprehensive documents. This website is not intended to provide a complete, detailed analysis of environmental data. To see a thorough treatment, you must refer to the actual environmental reports, which may be obtained from the information sources.

Groundwater
No one at Lowry is drinking groundwater. Lowry's drinking water comes from surface water reservoirs replenished annually by high mountain snowmelt. According to Denver Water, Denver's water supply is among the cleanest in the nation. From more information about Denver drinking water, visit Denver Water or call 303-628-6510.

At Lowry, groundwater has been contaminated by past use and disposal practices. The primary contaminant found in the groundwater is trichloroethylene (TCE), a common cleaning solvent used in many industries for degreasing. At Lowry, it was used for cleaning metal parts. Several well-documented plumes of contaminated groundwater exist at Lowry, and cleanup is underway on and off the former base.

The main TCE plume is approximately three miles long and contains approximately 70 gallons of TCE. Any exposure to TCE would be related to its slow migration upward through the soil, as a gas. There are, however no immediate health risks.

Cleanup of the TCE began in October 2004. The goal of the program is to eliminate any potential long-term health risks by removing the TCE from the groundwater. While the ongoing, aggressive groundwater treatment is the best way mitigate the long-term concerns, CDPHE has required the installation of subslab depressurization systems in all new construction built over the groundwater plumes at Lowry to further reduce any potential exposures.

In the first stage, an oxidant (potassium permanganate) was injected into the groundwater to destroy the TCE. Preliminary data indicate that the mass of solvents in the plume has been reduced by up to 50% in many areas.

Remediation continues of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the groundwater at Lowry with the fifth treatment scheduled for April through June 2009. To download the fact sheet, click here.

Landfill - Click here for the landfill fact sheet
The LRA has completed closure of the former municipal landfill. The 70-acre landfill site is located on the southern portion of Lowry, north of Alameda Avenue. From 1948 to 1989, the Air Force and military families used the landfill for disposing municipal waste and construction debris, similar to other municipal dumps of that time. This site is not related to the Lowry Landfill, located about 25 miles southeast of Denver in Arapahoe County. As is done with the majority of landfills in the U.S., the landfill was capped to isolate the fill, prevent erosion and keep water from flowing through the debris.

The landfill site, its environmental condition and potential development on the site has raised concerns and questions with residents in the Lowry community. Here are the facts about the landfill:

Click here to download the LRA's landfill fact sheet. Click here to download the City of Denver's landfill fact sheet.

Asbestos
Asbestos is present in many of Lowry's older buildings. However, most of the asbestos-containing material, used for insulation and fireproofing prior to 1970, is in good condition and does not pose any threat to human health, safety or the environment. All buildings at Lowry undergo asbestos abatement evaluation and, if necessary, remediation prior to being leased, sold or demolished.

Asbestos-containing debris is sometimes found during construction. A variety of materials related to former Air Force buildings and utilities have been found, including utility pipes, exterior siding and insulation material.

When asbestos-containing materials are found outdoors, the area is covered with plastic or sprayed with a dust suppressant and fenced. Cleanup involves removing the material while following procedures that limit release of dust. Air monitoring is also conducted.

In late 2002 and early 2003, homebuilders uncovered asbestos-containing debris in Lowry's Northwest Neighborhood. The debris was related to Air Force buildings demolished on the site in the 1960s and 1970s. Fortunately, extensive soil sampling found that 93% of approximately 30,000 samples showed no detection of asbestos. Isolated areas with pieces of asbestos-containing material such as tile, siding, insulation and pipe. Following sampling, soils with any detections of asbestos were removed.

Fire Training Zone
Located at the southwestern corner of East First Avenue and Havana Street, the 51-acre fire training zone was used for firefighting exercises from 1946 to 1980, with most large-scale activities ending in 1965. Training exercises included placing waste materials and fuel on old aircraft or over the burn area and igniting it. The area was periodically graded and covered with soil. Soil sampling conducted in 1999 identified little residual material remaining from fire training activities. Three small groundwater plumes with TCE are also in this area. Remediation of this soil is complete. Groundwater remediation continues in this area.

Outdoor Firing Range
Located near Dayton Street and First Avenue, the firing range was used for small arms and machine gun target practice. Targets were set up at the base of a soil berm with a concrete backstop. Remediation included removing bullets, fragments and any soil containing lead concentrations greater than local and federal standards. Remediation is complete.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Sopher, LAC environmental community relations specialist, at 303-948-4122, or Marilyn Null, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, at 303-692-3304.