Expert questions if malpractice caused asbestos exposure at Colorado Springs apartment complexes

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Some residents of Thrive at Park's Edge, an apartment complex owned Slipstream Properties, tell us they stayed inside their units while renovations were being done.

Thrive at Park's Edge was evacuated just before Thanksgiving due to dangerous levels of asbestos.

Thrive at the Incline, owned by the same company, was then evacuated last week for the same reason.

Before the renovations began at both complexes, Slipstream was required to test areas they planned to do work on for asbestos.

Asbestos -- a silent killer that's in many buildings, even modern ones -- becomes dangerous when it's exposed.

We took a number of pictures inside parts of Thrive at Park's Edge that were still mid-construction. Our team showed the images -- taken after evacuation -- to a containment expert at First General Services.

He told us that if asbestos was present in the materials shown it would have been disturbed by the work that had been done.

By state law, there is an intense process that needs to be followed for testing and removal.

Officials say an owner should always assume a building contains asbestos unless they know otherwise -- which is why they must test the area before doing construction that might disturb it.

If asbestos is found, the owner has to file an "abatement permit" with the state, and hire a certified company to safely contain it.

After that, they need to test the air to make sure the asbestos is actually contained.

Then, they can start construction.

We reached out to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to confirm whether Slipstream Properties and the contractors it hired followed the proper procedure.

We're still waiting to hear back.

We're also trying to get an on camera interview with Slipstream Properties, or at least a statement, as soon as possible.