Vasquez Boulevard & I-70

National Information

Regional Information

Site Information

What's New?
Site Description
Site Risk
Cleanup Progress
Community Involvement
Site Photos
Site Documents
Contacts

National Priorities List (NPL) History

Proposed Date
1/19/1999

Final Date
7/22/1999

Superfund Program

Click here for an interactive map	Site Type: Active NPL City: Denver County: Denver Street Address: Vasquez Blvd. & I-70 boundary area Zip Code: 80216
EPA ID#: COD002259588 Site ID#: 0801646 Site Aliases: Argo Smelter, Omaha & Grant Smelter, Vasquez Blvd. & I-70 (North Residential Soils) Congressional District(s): 01

The investigation and cleanup of lead and arsenic in residential soils in the Vasquez Boulevard & I-70 (VB/I-70) Superfund Site was completed in August 2006. This was a vast residential soils cleanup project encompassing more than four square miles and approximately 4,500 properties in Cole, Clayton, Swansea, Elyria, Globeville and Curtis Park neighborhoods. During the investigation, EPA took 30 soil samples at each of the 4,315 residential yards sampled in the VB/I-70 boundaries. EPA then removed, replaced and re-landscaped yards at 761 properties because of lead and/or arsenic contamination. During the process, EPA removed more than 91,000 cubic yards of soil and planted more than 1.5 million square feet of sod.

This Superfund project also included innovative features such as a unique lead paint abatement program and a community-based Community Health Program.

The Community Health Program is intended to raise awareness in the community about lead and arsenic hazards. The Community Health Program is a unique program being designed by local, Federal and State government representatives and committed community leaders. For more information on the Community Health Program please call Jay Salas at 720-865-5463.

In addition to the residential soils cleanup (OU1), EPA is continuing to investigate possible heavy metal contamination at the site of two historic smelters in northeast Denver: The Omaha and Grant smelter, Operable Unit 2 (OU2) and the Argo smelter, Operable Unit 3 (OU3).

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Site Description

The VB/I-70 site is an area of approximately four square miles located in north-central Denver. Historically, this area was a major smelting center for the Rocky Mountain West. Three smelting plants: Omaha & Grant, Argo and Globe, operated in the area for varying lengths of time, beginning as early as 1870, refining gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

VB/I-70 is divided into three operable units for the purposes of better managing the project. Operable Unit 1 (OU1) focuses on residential soils and includes all or parts of the following north Denver neighborhoods: Cole, Clayton, Swansea, Elyria, Globeville and a small section of Curtis Park. EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) began investigating these residential yards in 1998 to determine if arsenic, lead, cadmium, or zinc residues from past smelting operations posed a potential threat to the health of residents. The investigation showed that lead and arsenic were the heavy metals of concern and sampling results showed elevated lead and arsenic concentrations in some yards. A large-scale residential soils investigation and cleanup ensued. This effort was completed in August 2006.

Operable Unit 2 (OU2) of the VB/I-70 Site is the area where the Omaha and Grant Smelter was located. EPA is concerned that wastes generated from the historic smelter operation may still exist and may impact the groundwater or be a health concern. EPA is investigating to evaluate these concerns.

Operable Unit 3 (OU3) of the VB/I-70 Site is the area where the Argo Smelter operated. The historic smelter buildings have been demolished and the area has been redeveloped. EPA is investigating to evaluate if smelter generated wastes were buried on the site and whether they pose a health risk to future construction workers or groundwater.

A detailed map can be found at the Site Photos link.

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Site Risk

The site risks for OU1 are summarized in the following table. Site risks for OU2 and OU3 are currently being studied.

Media Affected	Contaminants	Source of Contamination
Soils	Lead and arsenic	Smelting operations and/or application of lawn care products

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Cleanup Progress

On January 19, 1999, the Vasquez Boulevard & I-70 site was proposed for the EPA Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), a roster of the most serious hazardous-waste sites in the country. Including the site on the NPL ensures EPA immediate access to cleanup funding through the Superfund program if industries fail to clean up the site adequately. Listing also guarantees the public an opportunity to participate in cleanup decisions.

In the summer of 2000, EPA began a large residential-soils remedial investigation. In 2001, EPA finalized a Remedial Investigation Report and Feasibility Study Report.

In May 2002, EPA released a Proposed Plan outlining its preferred cleanup option. Due to extensive public comments requesting EPA to lower the soil concentration cleanup levels, EPA developed a new cleanup alternative. This alternative proposed to clean up soils that exceed lead concentrations of 400 parts per million (ppm) or arsenic concentrations of 70 ppm. A revised proposed Plan, which included this alternative, was issued for public review in May 2003. A Record of Decision and responsiveness summary detailing EPA's final cleanup decision was issued on Sept. 25, 2003.

All of the soil remediation work for OU1 was completed in August 2006.

A Community Health Program was designed to complement the soil removals. The City of Denver administers the program which included door-to-door visits from community members trained to provide education to area residents on the hazards of lead, arsenic, and a range of other environmentally-related topics. The program provided opportunities for parents to have their children tested to lead or arsenic exposure. The Community Health Program concluded in 2007.

At OU2, the Omaha & Grant smelter site, EPA, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the City of Denver continue to work together to investigate potential heavy metal contamination on the soils, groundwater, surface water and sediments at and adjacent to the site. The site is located approximately where the Denver Coliseum stands today. A Remedial Investigation Report and Feasibility Study is forthcoming.

At OU3, the Argo Smelter site, EPA and CDPHE completed a Remedial Investigation and a Feasibility Study. In November 2007, EPA released a Proposed Plan outlining its preferred cleanup option. In December 2007, EPA held a public meeting to discuss the proposed cleanup option and other alternatives. A Record of Decision and responsiveness summary detailing EPA's final cleanup decision will be issued this Spring.

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Community Involvement

EPA recognizes that community involvement at VB/I-70 is key to achieving a successful environmental cleanup. The final cleanup plan at VB/I-70, OU1 was developed with extensive community and agency involvement. From 1999 to 2006, a group of committed community and agency stakeholders met together in a working group to gain information and provide input on the residential soils cleanup plan. EPA twice awarded a technical assistance grant to an area community group, CEASE, whose members came together specifically to participate in the cleanup process for VB/I-70. EPA produced and distributed numerous fact sheets, flyers, and postcards to advertise meetings and to update the community on the VB/I-70 residential yards cleanup. In addition, EPA participated in and presented at a number of neighborhood organization meetings, neighborhood fairs and picnics, parent-teacher meetings at schools, adult education classes, and other community gatherings. EPA also hosted a number of public meetings, availability sessions, and open houses.

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