Beginning of Clean Air for Globeville Project

In 2010, Globeville Civic Association #1 (GCA#1) members asked Groundwork Denver for assistance in resolving an ongoing problem with bad odors in the community. Neighbors described a tar or asphalt smell that permeated the air. Some experienced sore throat, runny nose, watering eyes, and respiratory problems when they smelled the odor. Groundwork Denver and GCA#1 were awarded grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Justice program to investigate the problem further. Anonymous door-to-door surveys were conducted throughout Globeville during 2012. One Globeville family volunteered to collect air samples when they smelled odors and a wind station was erected at the volunteer family’s home. This data, coupled with the lab analyses, helped us pinpoint likely sources of the odors.