The contents of this page were initially written to address site remediation activities at the Denver Federal Center (DFC) to comply with two legally binding Consent Orders issued by the State of Colorado Health Department and associated environmental regulations. The resources and procedures associated with soil disturbing activities apply to the states in Region 8.
This page offers links and procedures for:
- Soil disturbing activities: trenching and excavations, earth moving activities, fugitive dust
- Site remediation: Personal protective equipment, respirator requirements, confined space entry, asbestos in soils
Prior to 1946 the DFC was the Denver Ordinance Plant, a 200-building munitions plant where 22,000 employees produced over 7 million cartridges a day for the war effort. The former ordinance plant’s activities resulted in hazardous substances being released to the soil and groundwater. Prior to 1941, the site was a quiet cattle ranch outside of Denver.
After the war, the facility was converted into a smaller federal facility, consisting of federal office and indoor and outdoor laboratory space for 28 federal agencies employing over 6,000 within approximately a square mile campus.
The cleanup involves: assessing impacts to the soil and groundwater, restoring the site to levels protective of human, health, and the environment.
| Observance |
When |
| Construction Safety Day |
Varies with each state, but consider it an Everyday event |
| Sustainability and environmental management program |
| Objective |
Provide a safe work environment for those working on construction site and those who may be impacted by construction site activities. |
| Provide a safe work environment in the removal or remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater to residential standards. |
| Proper disposal of generated waste in compliance with environmental regulations and the Consent Order(s). |
| Treat groundwater so it meets drinking water standards. |
| Targets |
Prevent accidents. |
| Clean the DFC to Consent Order defined residential standards with unrestricted land use. |
| Groundwater contamination leaving the DFC property meets drinking water standards or NPDES permit standards. |
| Close out the Colorado Health Department Consent Orders. |
Additional resources
(Includes Federal, State, and local policy and regulations)
Procedures and forms
For more information about this program, please contact:
John Kleinschmidt: john.kleinschmidt@gsa.gov or 303-236-2858
Bill Fieselman: william.fieselman@gsa.gov or 303-236-2516
U.S. General Services Administration