Elbert County is in the process of mitigating asbestos and possibly other contaminants at its trash-compactor site.
The compactor site, at 5251 County Road 124, will remain closed through the process, and those who had used it must dispose of their garbage elsewhere.
The compactor site is on an old landfill that was used for the disposal of roofing and other building materials until it closed in the 1970s. Rubbish dropped off by residents is compacted there and then transported to another landfill.
In June, Elbert County commissioners were looking at options to transform the site southeast of Elizabeth, which is also home to an abandoned Titan 1 missile silo.
County officials were in talks with a company called Backhoe Services, which deconstructs missile silos.
Elbert County gave the company the green light to perform soil testing at the site.
But before the county offered a contract, Backhoe Services began excavating, moving dirt on at least 5 acres of county property.
Around that time, someone anonymously called the state, concerned that there could be contaminants at the compactor site.
In September, the state came in and Elbert County shut down the work. Samples were taken, and trace amounts of asbestos were found on some discarded objects, said Cory Stark, director of Elbert County Emergency Management.
It was not clear whether Backhoe Services ever tested the soil and why it started excavating without a formal contract.
The company could not be reached for comment.
Officials say the asbestos was solid and not airborne and does not pose a threat to people living in the area.
“It’s confined to the site,” Stark said. “Nothing has left that site.”
County officials do not expect any lawsuits, because the contaminant never was airborne.
“We don’t foresee any,” Elbert County Commissioner Kurt Schlegel said. “None of the material is friable.”
Still, some residents are worried.
“I’m concerned more asbestos could come up,” said Elizabeth resident Jill Duvall. “And how did the excavation become so massive? Wasn’t anyone from the county paying any attention to them?”
The plan, which is still being developed, is to remove any objects contaminated with asbestos and then cover the area. It was not clear when the project would be completed or how much it would cost.
In the meantime, Elbert County residents who do not use commercial trash service are encouraged to take their garbage to other landfills in the area.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
Other options
A list of those alternative landfills can be found at . (Spaces are required in this URL.)
