Walsh engineers called in when asbestos, lead dangers present

BOULDER — Colorado residents should be able to breathe a little easier thanks to Walsh Environmental Scientists and Engineers.

Walsh, specialists in the area of environmental health and safety services, recently added another string to its bow when it took over Evergreen Environmental Consulting Co.

The acquisition has boosted the ability of Walsh to detect and deal with the specific health hazards posed by asbestos and lead-based paint, constant potential dangers in many older commercial and industrial buildings.

These risks become very real when buildings are being demolished or renovated for uses such as apartments or offices. The work involved can stir up dust particles leading to serious and even fatal health problems.

Asbestos, with its insulating, fire-resistant and strengthening properties, was widely used by the construction industry until the Environmental Protection Agency started to impose restrictions in 1978, says Jon McClurg, Walsh marketing director.

Up to that time it was commonly found in pipe and duct insulation, ceiling and floor tiles, carpet underlay, roofing and shingles. Similarly, from the turn of the century until 1940, almost all paint contained lead before it was banned in 1978.

Property owners and managers, increasingly aware of the potential human and financial costs, are turning to Walsh to carry out inspections and risk assessments, usually at the time buildings change hands.

“They rely on us to help meet the legal requirements and to protect the health of the construction workers, the building’s occupants and the general public,´ said Evergreen’s founder, Steve Tarasar.

Walsh and Evergreen staff have inspected and prepared management plans for more than 400 commercial and industrial buildings, including schools, office blocks, apartment complexes and shopping centers.

Most of the work has been in and around Denver and includes such landmarks as McNichols Arena and Currigan Hall. Elsewhere in Colorado the company has inspected 25 prison facilities. In six Western states, the staff has surveyed 175 post offices.

Closer to home in Boulder County, Walsh was employed by the Town of Erie during renovations to the old Lincoln schoolhouse, a historic building dating back to 1907, which had actually been condemned in the late 1980s.

Only one floor of the three-story building was being used as the town hall but, as Director of Public Works Dave Sell recalls, space was fast running out and the options were either to renovate or build something new.

“Obviously in a building of that age we expected a few unknowns. The contractors took various samples and found asbestos in the walls and heating system, and the paint in the place was lead-based.

“Walsh were called in to mitigate and remove the hazardous materials, which took about three weeks. The result is that we have now saved this great old building, and staff there know they are working in a safe, healthy environment. Of course, we’re now starting to run out of space again!”

For the company founded 20 years ago by its president Jim Walsh, jobs involving lead-based paint and asbestos are only the tip of a total workload that now reaches many parts of the world.

McClurg says the company has expanded into a multi-disciplinary firm employing 60 people in Boulder, five in Grand Junction and one at a project office in Denver. The company has just enjoyed its most profitable year.

McClurg says the company is able to handle a huge variety of work itself. For example, with a fully equipped environmental laboratory, Walsh staff can assess, monitor and, where necessary, deal with such problems as soil and water contamination from underground storage tanks or mining projects.

In another part of the office, an equally sophisticated computer network might be used to harness satellite imagery to assess the environmental impact of oil exploration in the South American jungle.

While domestic activities account for about 80 percent of revenue, the company also has a strong and growing overseas presence with joint ventures in Peru and South Africa, a teaming arrangement in Japan, a project office in Ecuador and an increasing volume of work in Albania.

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