Archaeology Southwest - Exploring and protecting the places of our past

Asbestos Removal at Camp Naco

ADEQ Grant Allows Asbestos Removal at Camp Naco

Diamond-shaped gray shingles have protected the adobe buildings at Camp Naco for almost 90 years. Until recently, those shingles have prevented preservation efforts from moving forward—the tiles contain asbestos. Although the tiles are safe if they remain in place, their removal and disposal is regulated as a hazardous material.

In April 2010, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) awarded a $37,000 grant to Huachuca City so that the asbestos shingles could be removed from the former Recreation Center at Camp Naco. This has stopped the deterioration of one of the best-preserved buildings and enabled the rehabilitation process to begin.

Huachuca City has hired Tucson-based Environmental Strategies, Inc., to collect the shingles and transport them to a designated disposal facility in Maricopa County. Work began in mid-May and was nearly complete by the Memorial Day weekend.

The next steps are to arrange for adobe repair to the building; to install new roof trusses and sheathing; to cover the window and door openings to deter birds and vandals; and to put a new, temporary roof in place to protect against the summer rains.

Funding for these protective measures comes from multiple sources. Some of the funds result from a grant that was awarded to Archaeology Southwest by the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation. The Bureau of Land Management recently offered $3,000 for supplies. Private individuals and contractors donated the new roof trusses.

The Naco Heritage Alliance has received confirmation of its 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service. Donations of cash or appropriate building materials are needed, and are tax deductible.

The following series of photos, taken since 2006, shows the gradual deterioration of the roof at the western end of the Recreation Center. By late 2009, significant deterioration of the adobe wall at the near corner of these photos was evident. It is essential that a new roof be in place when the 2010 monsoon season begins.