This information is being provided for all interested parties including, but not limited to, current and former employees, volunteers, members of the public, and others who work/have worked at or have/had business at the Boulder County Justice Center at 6th and Canyon in Boulder.
Background
In October 2017, Boulder County learned of the presence of non-friable asbestos in building materials slated for deconstruction as part of an upcoming remodel at the Justice Center. Non-friable means the asbestos cannot be released into the air on its own; the block would need to be disturbed in some way (such as during a demolition project) in order for the asbestos-containing fibers to be released.
During required pre-construction testing of building materials in the area identified for the remodel, a third-party testing company found a low level of asbestos-containing material in the form of a block filler coating in the original cinder block walls in the identified construction space. (More information is available in the Frequently Asked Questions handout.)
We are using this website as a way to share with you everything we know and to continue to keep you updated as we learn more.
If there’s a question you would like to have answered or a particular area addressed, please send us your questions or feedback through our Asbestos Comment Form.
Asbestos abatement for planned construction at the Justice Center (early 2018)
Jan. 30, 2018, Update: DA’s Infill – Abatement
Asbestos abatement has started in the old DA’s area at the Justice Center. The contractor CHC (Colorado Hazard Control) has installed a containment barrier to isolate this portion of the building and is removing the asbestos block filler on the existing CMU (Concrete Masonry Units) with a high-pressure washer. You will hear some noise generated from this process as well as the sound of a compressor and fans running. Air monitoring outside the contained space is being carried out on a daily basis. The results have been well below the maximum threshold for particulates in the air, which indicates that the air quality outside the contained area is within safe standards. Abatement will continue for another 14 weeks.
Dec. 20, 2017, Update: DA’s Infill – Abatement
Boulder County has awarded an asbestos abatement contract to Colorado Hazard Control Inc. to manage asbestos abatement for planned construction work at the Justice Center. The project provides more office space for District Attorney staff. CTL Thompson has been hired as our third party abatement Project Manager. They will provide oversight of the abatement work and conduct third-party air monitoring while the work is being performed. Colorado Hazard Control will be staging equipment and erecting some scaffolding in the courtyard area the week of Dec. 26.
Other remodels
Work on bringing Canyon Café electrical, plumbing and accessibility up to current codes and standards will begin Dec. 26 and end around Jan. 15. The area where the work will occur has tested negative for asbestos-containing material. This particular area of the building was constructed at a later timeframe than the original structure and the concrete block walls did not contain the same block filler material as the original block walls.