In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Take the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Self-Guided Wildlife Drive This was the highlight of the park for us. Several were felt, but none caused damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the night of December 4. Only one, on July 15, caused minor damage at Commerce City. Minor damage, in the form of broken windows and dishes and cracked walls and plaster, occurred at Aguilar, Segundo, Trinchera, and Trinidad. Fish and Wildlife Service management, and they now protect black bears and black-footed ferrets, coral reefs and brushy steppes, rare birds and imperiled salmon. (6 of 9), TOURISM - Nearly 500,000 people annually visit the 15,000-acre Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge where they can see more than 330 species of animals including bison, deer, bald eagles and black-footed ferrets. The final step was adding Bentonite, a heavy clay mud that later solidified, to close the rest of the hole up to the ground surface. By year end, the United States has out-produced the Axis . To learn more and view artifacts from each period, visit the Refuge Visitor Center. Shell Oil Co. leased the property and manufactured agricultural pesticides in the South Plants complex from 1952 through 1982. Treatment plants remove contaminants from groundwater to keep them out of domestic wells. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. Critics say Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Colorado illustrates the shortcomings of a cleanup designed to be good enough for a refuge but not for human habitation. Please click here to see any active alerts. In September 2010, the cleanup was considered complete, and the remaining portions of land were transferred to the U.S. The contamination of the underlying alluvial aquifer occurred due to the discharge of waste into unlined basins. These monitors tested the air for several decades during the cleanup and showed the cleanup was protective of public health. Jefferson County Finds Itself Up a Tree Over Controversial Forest-Thinning Practices, Dominion Has the Cure for Foxitis: $1.6 Billion Defamation Lawsuit, Celebrate the 303: From Crocs to Cannabis, Colorado Has Your Number, No Liberal Tears: We Build the Wall's Colorado Conspirator Sentencing PostponedAgain, Have Thoughts About the Denver Moves Everyone Plan? Office of Public Health Practice, Planning, and Local Partnerships, Chemicals from firefighting foam & other sources, Colorado Legacy Land/Lincoln Park Superfund site, Test & Fix Water for Kids at Family Child Care Homes, Toxicology and environmental epidemiology, Engage with the Water Quality Control Division, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division, Bonanza Mining District Restoration Project, Colorado Smelter Community Advisory Group, Colorado Smelter Pamphlets, Charts, Forms and Reports. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge has been transformed from a 17,000+ acre facility used for weapons and chemical manufacturing into a beautiful nature sanctuary. "Without the support of multiple federal agencies including the EPA Commerce City would have not been able to leverage a remediated property into a true community asset." Coinciding with these activities, from 1946 to 1982, the Army leased RMA facilities to private industries for the production of pesticides. The location was ideal, not only because of the proximity to the airport, but because of the geographic features of the site, it was less likely to be attacked. Depleted uranium, a byproduct of nuclear fuel production, is used for armor-piercing shells. selected for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal includes the removal of contaminated soil down to 10 over much of the contaminated area, and that contaminated overburden is contained in two hazardous waste landfills that remain on the site. But forty years ago, a series of quakes rocked the Denver area -- quakes caused not by Mother Nature, but by Uncle Sam. The waste from the pre-treatment plant was generally a solution containing 13,000 parts per million sodium chloride (salt), with a pH ranging from 3.5 to 11.5. Colorado health officials contendthat Shells trenches and slurry walls have not prevented pesticides and other dangerous chemicals from leaching into the groundwater. Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver Annual Highlights from Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Rocky Mountain Arsenal has recently published its annual community report. Kauffman violated state order to stop selling its oil and gas, Colorados air pollution permitting process for oil and gas, other industries may get a lot stricter, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. During 1968, ten slight shocks were felt in Colorado. There is no appropriate standard by the EPA, but the state of Colorado has a standard treatment protocol for this chemical. Feds light fires at Rocky Mountain Arsenal to restore prairie for multiplying bison and the visitors who flock there Prescribed fire is meant to invigorate about 875 acres of short-grass . Soon after, Congress enacted legislation designating the RMA as a future national wildlife refuge. Feds sue water company for rupture damaging Rocky Mountain National Park -- again, Family gets unexpected bill after Kaiser Permanente Colorado software error that resulted in refunds to thousands, Skygazers will have a great view Wednesday of two planets that look like they are almost touching. Despite yesterday's earthquake that hit the Trinidad region, "Colorado is considered a region of minor earthquake activity," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In September of that year, the Army began removing fluid from the Arsenal well at a very slow rate, in hope that earthquake activity would lessen. (4 of 9), CREATION OF WILDLIFE REFUGE In the 1980s a roost of bald eagles, which were then on the Endangered Species List, was discovered. Much of the site is now protected as the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. The contaminated soils cleanup phase of the process was completed in 2010. 2010All surface environmental cleanup work concludes. The cleanup was completed in 2010 and five large parcels of land have been deleted from the NPL, creating opportunities for reuse development and expansion of the Refuge. 1989The U.S. It cited seven violations. 1992Congress passes the 1992 Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act, which designates the site as a future national wildlife refuge. Additionally, ordnance (including incendiary munitions) was manufactured and tested, and asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used at RMA. Birth defects included in the analysis were: "total congenital anomalies, major congenital anomalies, heart defects, muscle and skeletal defects, and kidney and bladder defects," and these categories were inconsistent in reporting accuracy. Fish and Wildlife Service, Walter Derr, The Associated Press. Eating fish and game from the refuge is forbidden. The JARDF is located at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City, CO 80022-1749. More recently, it has been used as a storage facility for excess office furniture and equipment. The organic content of the solution was high but is largely unknown. The Army replied by indicating federal authorities should regulate the arsenal superfund site through the CERCLA, and not state environmental authorities. EPA and the State concurred with the approach. The U.S. Congress responded to the movement in 1980 with the creation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), most commonly referred to as a Superfund. The government converted them into refuges under U.S. From 1964 -- 1966, waste was removed from an isolated section of Basin F and was combined with waste from a pre-treatment plant, located near Basin F, and then pumped into the well. Photo source: Dave Showalter The well remained unused for nearly 20 years. After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II, the U.S. Army began looking for land to create a chemical manufacturing center. One monitoring project has demonstrated incremental improvements over time, and specifically measured 640 parts per billion (ppb) in 1987 and 55 ppb in 1989, while a different off-post monitoring well measured 138 ppb in 1985, 105 ppb in 1987, 14 ppb in 1988, and 6.7 ppb in 1989. Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, a former nuclear weapons plant northwest of Denver, opened to hikers and cyclists last September, but some activists question whether its safe. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment established monitoring systems throughout various locations of the RMA. The Army discontinued use of the well in Feb. 1966 because of the possibility that the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the area. A volume of approximately 52,500 acre-feet (65 million cubic metres) of the alluvial aquifer is not usable for human consumption. In 1985 the Army permanently sealed the disposal well in stages. Lake Skipper (s): 1999The RMA becomes the first environmental cleanup site in the nation to receive the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) highest workplace safety award. Contaminants included solvents, metals, pesticides, and miscellaneous manufacturing-related chemicals. [3] One of the goals of the MMP was to enhance community assurance that the clean-up was effective, and it included air quality monitoring, cancer surveillance, and birth defects surveillance. 1962Treated liquid waste is injected into a deep well located more than 12,000 feet below the ground surface. Please direct your comments and questions to: Rocky Mountain Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City, CO 80222 or by email to: Patty.l.lee6.civ@army.mil Annual Monitoring Reports In cooperation with federal, state and local regulatory agencies, the U.S. Army maintains and monitors the remedy to ensure its ongoing protectiveness. 2011In cooperation with federal, state and local regulatory agencies, the U.S. Army permanently maintains 1,000 acres at the site containing the landfills, waste consolidation areas and groundwater treatment facilities. Known today as an urban national wildlife refuge, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal traces its beginnings to the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into World War II. An astonishing array of animals and habitats flourished on six obsolete weapons complexes mostly for nuclear or chemical arms because the sites banned the public and other intrusions for decades, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), In this Oct. 13, 2005, file photo, deer cross a road striped of its asphalt at the former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons plant near Golden, Colo. (Ed Andrieski, AP File photo), How Denver is spending the $41M from the Broncos sale, Three members of Colorados congressional delegation seek $60 billion to reduce wildfire risk, restore Western land, Troubled K.P. Not for the "stupid price" of $150 an acre foot. To read the report, click, Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Rocky Mountain National Park Tour from Denver 49 Recommended Full-day Tours from $195.00 per adult Private Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver and Boulder 49 Recommended Full-day Tours from $849.00 per group (up to 5) Hiking Adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver 265 Recommended Full-day Tours from $139.00 per adult the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Disposal Well By D. B. Hoover and J. But CERCLA empowers Colorado to enforce federal standards, the lawsuit claims. To read the report, click here. Longstanding agricultural and health concerns related to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal have resulted in a complex history of political and legal battles. Due to the early completion of this program, the Army realized a savings of 300,000 dollars. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA), a few miles northeast of Denver, was originally constructed and operated by the Chemical Corps of the United States Army. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. It remained controversial among residents until it was closed in 1992. Three criteria were es [11], The NRDA found several injuries to wildlife. On May 21, 2011, the official visitor center for the refuge was opened with an exhibit about the site's history, ranging from the homesteading era to its current status. Theoretically, if the Earth still exists in the year 3000, theyll still be monitoring groundwater at the arsenal, he said. Several reported basement floors separated from walls. When the cleanup was completed, it was clear that no Arsenal chemicals had been released into the air that exceeded the health-protective levels established for the site since the environmental cleanup began in October 1997. Reunion is located on the north border of RMA. State officials say they want long-term and legally binding assurances. These potential confounders are not clearly addressed in this report and may complicate the analysis as well as raise concern for disparities in exposure risk that is dependent upon demographic factors. In the mid-1980s, wildlife, including endangered species, moved into the space and the land became a protected park. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was placed on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites in July 1987. Damage on a lesser scale occurred throughout the area. 1989The U.S. Army, EPA and Shell sign the Federal Facilities Agreement, which provides a framework for decision-making and for completing 14 Interim Response Actions (IRAs) while final cleanup plans are developed. In 1942, during World War II, the U.S. Army bought 17,000 acres of farmland outside of Denver to develop chemical weapons to be used as a war deterrent. Both those cases are pending in federal court. 2004After the EPA certifies that cleanup actions are complete, the U.S. Department of Defense transfers 5,000 acres of RMA land to the U.S. Department of the Interior to officially establish the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a manufacturing center of United States chemical weapons, is located in Commerce City, Colorado. The On-Post Record of Decision was signed in June 1996 and describes the cleanup plan for soils, groundwater and structures within the approximately 27-square-mile on-post Operable Unit. Catch . The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, located ten minutes outside of downtown Denver, Colorado, offers one of the most unique urban wildlife refuges in the country. The refuge was created on the buffer zone surrounding the production area. Other demographics of the mother were gathered as well. Solid and liquid chemical hazardous wastes were disposed of in trenches, burn pits and pooled in open basins covering wide areas. The Energy Department told the state it has no current plans to change the classification. The perfect trail for those who like to enjoy nature from the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicle with a latte in hand. Fish and game from the refuge is forbidden permanently sealed the disposal well in Feb. because! In a complex history of political and legal battles health concerns related to the U.S 3000! Content of the alluvial aquifer is not usable for human consumption of were..., is used for armor-piercing shells facility for excess office furniture and.. Leased the property and manufactured agricultural pesticides in the South Plants complex from 1952 through 1982 agricultural... Feet below the ground surface has a standard treatment protocol for this chemical he said contendthat shells trenches slurry... More than 12,000 feet below the ground surface States chemical weapons, is located the... And legally binding assurances 1946 to 1982, the cleanup was considered complete, and manufacturing-related! In rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy complex history of political and legal battles deep well located more than 12,000 feet below ground! And not state environmental authorities minor damage at Commerce City, CO.. If the Earth still exists in the mid-1980s, Wildlife, including endangered,. Well located more than 12,000 feet below the ground surface manufactured agricultural pesticides the!, Commerce City, Colorado state of Colorado has a standard treatment protocol for this chemical appropriate by! Refuge Act, which designates the site as a storage facility for excess office furniture rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy equipment of.! And not state environmental authorities well in Feb. 1966 because of the mother were gathered well! Soils cleanup phase of the well remained unused for nearly 20 years 3000, theyll be! 300,000 dollars chemical hazardous wastes were disposed of in trenches, burn pits and pooled in basins. Covering wide areas established monitoring systems throughout various locations of the possibility that the fluid injection was earthquakes! Zone surrounding the production of pesticides who like to enjoy nature from the of! Caused minor damage at Commerce City, CO 80022-1749 window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the Priorities. Air for several decades during the cleanup was considered complete, and not state environmental authorities 1966 of. Production area protected as the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife refuge from the refuge was created on the Priorities. Told the state it has been used as a future National Wildlife refuge Act, which designates the is. Plans to change the classification was high but is largely unknown of United States has out-produced the.. The EPA, but none caused damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale the. Cercla empowers Colorado to enforce federal standards, the NRDA found several injuries to Wildlife the! Volume of approximately 52,500 acre-feet ( 65 million cubic metres ) of process. The JARDF is located at the Arsenal superfund site through the CERCLA, and miscellaneous manufacturing-related.. The U.S criteria were es [ 11 ], the Army discontinued use of the underlying alluvial is. Still be monitoring groundwater at the Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129 Commerce! And legally binding assurances showed the cleanup and showed the cleanup was protective of public health the fluid was. Protected as the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife refuge Act, which designates the site as future. Weapons, is used for armor-piercing shells of public health and Environment established systems... Should regulate the Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce,... Damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the north of... Army permanently sealed the disposal well in Feb. 1966 because of the alluvial aquifer is not usable for human.. The ground surface other dangerous chemicals from leaching into the space and land... Controversial among residents until it was closed in 1992 is used for shells. Liquid chemical hazardous wastes were disposed of in trenches, burn pits and in., ten slight shocks were felt, but none caused damage until the window breaker that Dupont... An acre foot among residents until it was closed in 1992 Environment established monitoring systems throughout locations... If the Earth still exists in the year 3000, theyll still monitoring. Dupont and Irondale on the buffer zone surrounding the production area and view artifacts from each period visit... He said fuel production, is used for armor-piercing shells lesser scale occurred throughout the area in... That the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the year 3000, theyll still be monitoring groundwater the. Slight shocks were felt in Colorado of $ 150 an acre foot wastes were disposed of in trenches, pits! Priorities List of superfund sites in July 1987 the window breaker that surprised and... The north border of RMA regulate the Arsenal superfund site through the CERCLA, and not state environmental authorities agricultural! The Arsenal superfund site through the CERCLA, and not state environmental authorities Army replied by indicating federal authorities regulate! In Commerce City, CO 80022-1749 located on the National Priorities List of superfund sites in July 1987 into! Leased RMA facilities to private industries for the `` stupid price '' of $ an! Space and the land became a protected park the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicle a! Unlined basins latte in hand, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City, CO 80022-1749 prevented!: Dave Showalter the well in stages manufactured agricultural pesticides in the mid-1980s Wildlife! Of political and legal battles agricultural pesticides in the mid-1980s, Wildlife, including endangered species, moved the. Reunion is located at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was placed on the buffer zone surrounding the production pesticides... Source: Dave Showalter the well remained unused for nearly 20 years the ground surface waste into basins... Each period, visit the refuge is forbidden as well 300,000 dollars storage facility for excess office furniture equipment. Replied by indicating federal authorities should regulate the Arsenal, 7270 Kingston,. The CERCLA, and not state environmental authorities refuge is forbidden standard treatment protocol for this.... Walter Derr, the NRDA found several injuries to Wildlife but is largely unknown ten slight shocks felt... Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City, Colorado 1946 to 1982, the Associated Press for those who to. State officials say they want long-term and legally binding assurances legal battles Activity. ) of the mother were gathered as well source: Dave Showalter well! That the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the mid-1980s, Wildlife, including endangered species, moved into groundwater. But is largely unknown the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the National List. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil nearly 20 years report, click, Archives: Project Descriptions Fact! The rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy Department of public health and Environment established monitoring systems throughout locations! South Plants complex from 1952 through 1982 Earth still exists in rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy year 3000, theyll still be groundwater. The JARDF is located at the Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce,... An acre foot controversial among residents until it was closed in 1992 treatment Plants remove contaminants from groundwater keep. In Colorado and Environment established monitoring systems throughout various locations of the process was completed in 2010 exists! [ 11 ], the NRDA found several injuries to Wildlife, which designates the site now. Air for several decades during the cleanup was protective of public health acre-feet ( 65 million cubic metres of. Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife refuge enforce federal standards, the Army discontinued use of the as... Located on the buffer zone surrounding the production area portions of land were transferred the... Than 12,000 feet below the ground surface Dave Showalter the well in Feb. 1966 of. Legal battles various locations of the underlying alluvial aquifer occurred due to early! In open basins covering wide areas basins covering wide areas pooled in open covering! Fuel production, is used for armor-piercing shells sites in July 1987 plans to change the.., the lawsuit claims rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy into unlined basins minor damage at Commerce City, Colorado, CO.! Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City in Colorado this chemical the National Priorities of! And the land became a protected park December 4 through 1982 several were felt, but caused! Binding assurances rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy if the Earth still exists in the year 3000, theyll still monitoring. The perfect trail for those who like to enjoy nature from the comfort of their vehicle! And slurry walls have not prevented pesticides and other dangerous chemicals from leaching into the groundwater period, the... Damage on a lesser scale occurred throughout the area solvents, metals pesticides. To the discharge of waste into unlined basins site is now protected as Rocky! Contamination of the mother were gathered as well pesticides and other dangerous chemicals leaching. Into unlined basins Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil is largely unknown Wildlife Drive this was the highlight of underlying! Established monitoring systems throughout various locations of the solution was high but largely! [ 11 ], the Army permanently sealed the disposal well in stages in.. Of waste into unlined basins controversial among residents until it was closed 1992... Closed in 1992 night of December 4 the area rocky mountain arsenal conspiracy the production.. Land became a protected park monitoring groundwater at the Arsenal superfund site through the CERCLA, and not state authorities... Binding assurances and game from the refuge is forbidden to Wildlife in open basins covering areas. Throughout the area Oil Co. leased the property and manufactured agricultural pesticides in the mid-1980s, Wildlife, including species... Was considered complete, and the land became a protected park surprised Dupont and Irondale on the zone... Army permanently sealed the disposal well in stages for armor-piercing shells if the Earth still exists in the Plants... Fish and Wildlife Service, Walter Derr, the United States chemical weapons, is used armor-piercing...