Community Protection

What We Do

The Division of Environmental Quality is dedicated to the appropriate management of asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint, which may be present in facilities owned by the City and County of Denver. Our task is to minimize health risks to City employees and visiting public, and with ensuring compliance with State and Federal regulations in regard to these materials through technical consulting, education, and oversight for City owned facilities.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber found in certain rock formations. Because it is an abundant natural resource, fire resistant, and performs well as an electrical and thermal insulator, it has been used in a variety of building materials throughout the world and continues to be mined and used to this day. Asbestos was used in over 3,000 different building materials and manufactured products. Chrysotile, the most common mineral type of asbestos used, can be found in heating system insulation, fireproofing materials, various types of floor coverings, acoustical ceiling panels, interior and exterior wall surfaces, gaskets, and roofing material. Other manufactured asbestos materials which may contain asbestos include protective clothing, automotive brake pads and clutch systems. It is important that people are aware of what are suspect asbestos-containing materials, the potential of health hazards associated with asbestos, and appropriate positive measures.

In 1989, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) imposed a ban on the manufacturing and use of almost all asbestos-containing materials within the United States. In 1991, a federal circuit court remanded parts of the ban allowing continued manufacturing and use of certain asbestos-containing products in the U.S. USEPA provides a summary discussion of the asbestos ban and phase-outs in effect at the following link: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbbans2.pdf.

Because of the potential health hazards associated with asbestos-containing materials (ACM), the materials are regulated under multiple federal and State regulations. These regulations include requirements for:

• Training and licensing of asbestos professionals such as abatement workers and building inspectors;
• Renovation and demolition of buildings -including residential properties;
• Building inspection methodology;
• Transportation;
• Sample analysis, and
• Abatement removal work practices.

The Division of Environment Quality provides technical assistance for other City agencies to ensure compliance with State and federal regulation for City owned facilities. For more information or if you have questions, please contact Stacey Guillaume at: Stacey.Guillaume@denvergov.org (720-865-5474) or Steve Gonzales at: Steve.Gonzales@denvergov.org (720-865-5447).

A List of Asbestos-Containing Materials