Mar. 04, 2004 - 19:15 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Back Then

We moved to East Denver in early 1937 not too long after Phipps Sanitarium and surrounds became the budding Lowry Air Force Base.

During the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis I was working on the base. It was much the same as it had been. Wooden barracks for the elisted men, better ones for married nco's. There were a few new buildings but not many. Most of the base was built in the late 30s and the push was on runways and aircraft.

Back then there were a lot of things that had asbestos content.

Not too long ago the Air Force gave the base back to Denver. It seems that the tees weren't crossed or the eyes weren't all dotted on the exchange. So since then Denver and the Air Force have been at odds with each other over the clean-up. The Air Force had certified that the land was clean and the state says it is not. Some millions have been spent to haul away asbestos contaminated soil and civil authorities are trying to get the dough from the Air Force.So, I suppose some number of millions will be spent by both sides in court.

The old power plant building is still standing, wonder if they got all the asbests out of there ? Lagging on steam pipes was mostly asbestos. I do remember what a mess it was around the POL area which seems now to be piled with heaps of earth maybe fifteen feet high. Guess if you can't hide it or haul it the routine is to bury it.

My line of thinking is that asbestos is a horrible danger for a person exposed. It is pretty well established in my mind that not all people are susceptible to the ailment caused. And maybe some of us are less resistant to certain levels than others. I have been in yearly shutdown in the power plant where I worked. Usually the air would be thick at times when boiler piping and boiler itself had lagging torn off to reach something that had to be replaced or repaired. My brother-in-law worked in the boiler room on a navy battleship during World War Two where conditions were much the same. Neither of us contracted cancer from the exposure. But I feel that too many of us are susceptible to cancer from exposure to asbestos in its many forms. Much too many.

I don't think the Air Force should be condemned for using asbestos but I do think they should help pay for the clean up. Yeah, I know more tax dollars down the drain. But there are houses on the old base now and part of the base is not in use yet due to the asbestos problem. As a country we are cleaning up the messes made by ourselves Back Then . . . . . . .

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