Grocery Remodel Uncovers Asbestos Problem

A Colorado Springs, Colo., King Soopers grocery store is temporarily closed after a remodeling project unexpectedly uncovered asbestos in the building, The Gazette newspaper reports. As a result, the store – a unit of the Kroger Co. (Cincinnati) – is offering to ship grocery and medication orders to nearby residents with no delivery charges for three weeks.

“King Soopers remains committed to being there for their associates, customers and communities,” the company said in a news release, adding, “the company has been working to identify solutions that provide impacted community members with access to essential services.”

The company said it did not have timeline when the store would reopen but that it would do its “best to shorten the closure” while working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to “identify a cleanup plan to address the recent unexpected discovery of asbestos.” Asbestos is a known cancer-causing agent that was once widely used in construction projects.