Map of South Navajo Street, Denver County, Denver, Colorado
The former Western Minerals Products Company plant at 111 South Navajo Street in Denver, Colorado, began operating sometime prior to 1967. The plant operated until 1990, processing vermiculite mined in Libby, Montana. This vermiculite was contaminated with asbestos.
The facility exfoliated ("popped" or expanded) vermiculite to manufacture insulation and other products. Over 100,000 tons of vermiculite were processed at the Denver site.
Since 1990, the site has been occupied by Minnesota Corn Processors, a corn syrup manufacturer. The land around it is used primarily for light industry, with a community baseball field to the southeast. The nearest homes are approximately one-quarter mile away. According to the U.S. Census, almost 13,000 people lived within one mile of the site in 1990.
Recent EPA soil sampling at the site showed some Libby asbestos in several areas. Much of the site, however, is covered by buildings and an asphalt parking area. Adjacent properties, including the baseball field, were free of asbestos contamination. Asbestos was not detected in any of the air samples collected.
Former Workers
Current Workers
Past Community
Present Community
Consumer Products
ATSDR did not evaluate products that contain Libby vermiculite, such as vermiculite attic insulation, as part of this project. Information concerning vermiculite consumer products is available on ATSDR's Web site at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/NEWS/vermiculite051603.html and on EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/asbestos/.
Where can I find more information?
The document also may be reviewed in person at the following locations:
Athmar Branch Library
1055 S. Tejon St. at W. Mississippi Ave., Denver, CO
Telephone: (303) 935-0721
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Records Center
999 18th St., North Terrace, 5th Floor, Denver, CO
Telephone: (303) 312-6473
Public input and questions are encouraged. ATSDR responses will be provided in a separate document available to the public and not as an additional release of this site-specific health consultation. Comments on the health consultation must be submitted in writing by October 31, 2003. Mail comments to:
Chief, Program Evaluation, Records and Information Services Branch, ATSDR
1600 Clifton Rd., NE (MS E-60)
Atlanta, GA 30333
The names of those who submit comments will not be printed in a public document. They are, however, subject to release through requests made under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
For more information, please call ATSDR toll-free at 888-422-8737 and ask to speak with Jill Dyken, Environmental Health Scientist or Health Communications Specialists Maria Teran-MacIver or Debra Joseph. Callers should refer to the former Western Minerals Denver site.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA, also called the Superfund law). This law established ATSDR as the federal health agency to deal with environmental health issues at hazardous waste sites. The agency's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse health effects from a variety of hazardous substance sources.
This page last updated on December 08, 2008