In the early 1960s, the U.S. Army began to lease out its facilities to private companies to manufacture pesticides. Further testing revealed that the containment issue is an ongoing problem, the lawsuit says. Theyre not going to want to be in a place with chemical pollution or radiation problems., Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com The U.S. Army constructed the Arsenal in 1942 to develop chemical weapons as a deterrent against the Axis Powers. 1969Powered by rocket fuel propellant manufactured at the RMA, Apollo 11 lands on the moon. Additionally, some of this land was used for a prisoner of war camp (for Germancombatants) and later transferred to the city of Denver as Stapleton Airport expanded. CDPHE is asking the federal court to compel the Army to install or modify the existing treatment system to effectively prevent pollutants from contaminating groundwater, the lawsuit says. local news and culture, Patricia Calhoun [citation needed]. Following the war and through the early 1980s, the facilities continued to be used by the Army. The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of the most contaminated areas in the United States. The land is sold to Commerce City for commercial and retail development. 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. American bison are reintroduced to the site that same year as part of a nationwide conservation effort. The U.S. Army later reactivated Arsenal facilities for Cold-War weapons production and demilitarization. Theyre there all the time, Madison said. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. The shock shuffled furniture around in homes, and left electrical wall outlets hanging by their wires at Irondale. Some parts of the refuge have been deemed safe but visitors must watch a safety video and sign a waiver promising not to sue if theyre injured by an exploding shell. Cancer incidence in the communities near the arsenal was also monitored and found to be varied across location, gender, race and time, and have been determined to not be related to past Arsenal exposure or cleanup activities. Congruent with the outline of the June 1996 USFWS Comprehensive Management Plan, RMA will be available for public use through both community outreach and educational programs (as provided by the Visitor Access Plan and the USFWS). (1 of 9), SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. 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. In September 2017, the state of Colorado filed a lawsuit to sue the United States government for the right to control the contaminated areas of the RMA. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was placed on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites in July 1987. In the early 1980s the site was selected as a Superfund site and the cleanup process began. Next, the injection zone at the bottom 70 feet of the well was closed by plugging with cement. Coinciding with these activities, from 1946 to 1982, the Army leased RMA facilities to private industries for the production of pesticides. Rocket fuel to support Air Force operations was also manufactured and stored at RMA. In the early 1980s the site was selected as a Superfund site and the cleanup process began. 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. The Army discontinued use of the well in February 1966 because the fluid injection triggered a series of earthquakes in the area. The Act also provides that to the extent possible, parts of the Arsenal are to be managed as a Refuge in the interim. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found no increased risk of birth defects in infants. Current Basin F liquid consists of very salty water that includes some metals, chlorides, wastewater and toxic organics. Share Them by March 3. As provided by CERCLA, a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was conducted to determine the extent of contamination. It cited seven violations. In 1992, Congress Passed the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act (RMANWR Act). Parts of a C-shaped buffer zone around the perimeter are open to visitors asHanford Reach National Monument. The facility was built in 1942, in response to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. Residential and commercial property is located to the north, south and west. An official website of the United States government, Rocky Mountain Arsenal has recently published its annual community report. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado. The Energy Department told the state it has no current plans to change the classification. Many of the conversions came after the first and second world wars. The refuge is currently open from sunrise to sunset. Rocky Flats historical public exposure studies, Final Consent Decree between the United States and the State of Colorado, Final Consent Decree between Shell Oil Company and the State of Colorado, Colorado Attorney General's Colorado Natural Resources Trustees website, Colorado environmental health site assessment. 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? The primary contaminants include organochloride pesticides, organophosphate pesticides, carbamate insecticides, organic solvents and feedstock chemicals used as raw products or intermediates in the manufacturing process (e.g., chlorinated benzenes), heavy metals, chemical warfare material and their related breakdown products and biological warfare agent such as TX. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment established monitoring systems throughout various locations of the RMA. Mitchell first started writing the Cold Case blog in Fall 2007, in part because Colorado has more than 1,400 unsolved homicides. State and federal officials say its safe, but skeptical activists filed a lawsuit saying the federal government didnt test the refuge carefully enough. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. Here's the history of the Arsenal quakes from the USGS site: It was 32 minutes after 4 a.m. on April 24 when the first shock of the Denver series was recorded at the Cecil H. Green Geophysical Observatory at Bergen Park, Colorado. Over 1,300 earthquakes were recorded at Bergen Park between January 1963 and August 9, 1967. A 14-year, $2-billion remediation effort begun in 1996 will turn most of the arsenal into a national wildlife refuge. The refuge was created on the buffer zone surrounding the production area. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a manufacturing center of United States chemical weapons, is located in Commerce City, Colorado. In September 2017, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sued the U.S. Army, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army will retain areas where hazardous wastes are managed, such as the landfill and soil covers. Many slight shocks occurred near the well during this period. (credit: Rocky Mountain Arsenal/Twitter) That section borders 56th Avenue at the Gateway and Montbello neighborhoods. They would be worse if they were surrounded by a fence and left off-limits for decades and decades, said David Havlick, a professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who studies military-to-wildlife conversions. State officials say they want long-term and legally binding assurances. 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. Two early morning shocks occurred November 14. The settlement amount totaled $27.4 millionand is to be used for natural resources restoration projects in the South Platte River area. It remained controversial among residents until it was closed in 1992. Boulder sustained minor damage to walls and acoustical tile ceilings on April 27, 1967, as result of a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. It was an inexpensive way to expand the national refuge system, especially in urban areas with scarce open space, said Mark Madison, the Fish and Wildlife Services historian. Its latest plan calls for waiting 20 years in hopes that better, less expensive technology emerges or the unexploded shells degrade to a safe level. Slighter rumblings (below magnitude 3.0) occurred throughout the remainder of 1966, and through the first week of April 1967. To read the report, click here. This was further exacerbated when the U.S. Army discovered an endangered species, the bald eagle. (5 of 9), Mayor Pro Tem Ren Bullock, who also sits on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges, stated "As a decades-long participant in transitioning this site from munitions manufacturing to wildlife sanctuary, I can honestly say the Refuge is an shining example of promises made, promises kept and should serve as the gold standard for how to make former Superfund sites benefit the communities in which they are located." Rocket fuel was blended on-site for the Titan and Delta missile operations. (7 of 9), BENEFIT - Cleanup of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal has bolstered the economy of the greater Denver metro area and provides its neighbors with jobs, recreation, and a peaceful escape to nature. All field work should be completed in March 2023. First, the well casing was tested to evaluate its integrity. Take the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Self-Guided Wildlife Drive This was the highlight of the park for us. Fish and Wildlife Service that at least 20,000 ducks died in a 10-year span during the 1970s. The U.S. Army will permanently retain and manage about 1,000 acres of Arsenal land that contain the landfills, waste consolidation areas and groundwater treatment facilities to ensure they remain protective of human health and the environment. Brighton is 6 miles north, and Barr Lake State Park is about 5 miles northeast. (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. While the framework for the comprehensive environmental cleanup was being developed, work crews discovered a pair of roosting bald eagles at the site, which prompted the U.S. This soil is contained in hazardous waste landfills. Structures that contain the contaminated soil at RMA are also actively monitored, along with surface water and biological resources. Additionally, studies performed at Colorado State University found no increased risk of Arsenic, Mercury, or neurotoxicity in communities within 15 miles of the RMA.[16][17]. Many of the surrounding neighborhoods have been provided with potable tap water from other areas of Adams county because of the potential effects of contaminated groundwater from wells. Waste that was left in place is now interred beneath largeengineered covers that prevent intrusion by humans or animals,and also preventfurther contamination of groundwater. After a $2.1 billion cleanup, the site was reborn as Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, with 24 square miles of idyllic prairie where visitors can take scenic drives or hikes. Last week, on December 8, 2015, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal rounded up the bison herd to gather animals that had been selected for donation to the Crane Trust--a bison conservation . 1943RMA employees work around the clock to manufacture mustard gas, Lewisite, chlorine gas and incendiary weapons. Reunion is located on the north border of RMA. "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." 1942The U.S. Army establishes the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to produce chemical weapons as a war-time deterrent. Manufacturing and waste disposal practices used during these years resulted in extensive soil, surface water, sediment, groundwater and structures contamination, damage to trees and vegetation, and death to wildlife. In 1986, it was discovered that the absence of human activity had made the area an involuntary park when a winter communal roost of bald eagles, then an endangered species, was discovered on site. Then, on April 10, the largest since the series began in 1962 occurred; 118 windowpanes were broken in buildings at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a crack in an asphalt parking lot was noted in the Derby area, and schools were dismissed in Boulder, where walls sustained cracks. The U.S. Army has begun removing Building 130, which is located northeast of the Refuge Visitors Center. Additionally, ordnance (including incendiary munitions) was manufactured and tested, and asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used at RMA. CERCLA was a tax imposed on chemical and petroleum industries. MORE: Federal prosecutors say they cant find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. Access a text only version of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Site Spotlight. Denver's independent source of 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. Shell Oil Co. leased the property and manufactured agricultural pesticides in the South Plants complex from 1952 through 1982. 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.. Residents were generally shaken, but no damage was sustained. The Army was dumping dangerous chemicals into a deep injection well out at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. A monitoring program was developed to monitor the success of exposure prevention efforts during the environmental cleanup at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. In its own account of the cleanup at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, the Army web site offers this explanation: The Rocky Mountain Arsenal deep injection well was constructed in 1961, and was drilled to a depth of 12,045 feet. 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 . 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. 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. Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver The perfect trail for those who like to enjoy nature from the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicle with a latte in hand. In summary, there is no current evidence of health effects. The new venue hosts the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. [citation needed] North of the former Stapleton Airport and west of Denver International Airport, Adams County. Several persons scurried into the streets when buildings started shaking back and forth. Beginning in 1942, the Army used the 27-square-mile arsenal at 5650 Gateway Road in Commerce City for the manufacture and disposal of chemical warfare agents, and chemical and incendiary munitions. At Commerce City merchandise fell in several supermarkets and walls cracked in larger buildings. [11] Air quality monitoring of the Arsenal began concurrently with the decontamination process in 1997 and surveillance continued until July 2009. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, among other post-military sites, was a top priority, establishing RMA as a superfund site. At that time, liquid waste disposal methods were employed in an attempt to prevent the chemical contamination from spreading further including lining one of the basins with asphalt, and injection of the waste chemicals into a deep well, but these techniques were ultimately unsuccessful. Kirk Mitchell is a general assignment reporter at The Denver Post who focuses on criminal justice stories. In addition, contamination affects public health and nature (honeybee poisonings, pesticide resistance in pests, destruction of natural predators, wild birds, microbes) negatively. A medical monitoring program to monitor the success of exposure prevention efforts during the environmental cleanup. The arsenal's animals are intended to refresh bloodlines of the national park's herd, Rocky Mountain Arsenal Refuge Manager David Lucas told CBS4. In April 2007 Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a soccer-specific stadium, was opened on part of the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal land that was transferred to Commerce City. In 1996, after a lengthy process in which site investigations were conducted and completed, an approach to remedy the chemical contamination at the Arsenal was set forth by the US Army. 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 Surveillance for Birth Defects utilized passive observational data from an existing birth defects registry March 1989 March 2009. Farmers in the vicinity complained about the damage to crops due to the water pumped from the shallow alluvial aquifer. In 1942, the US Army acquired 19,915 acres (80.59km2) of land on which to manufacture weapons in support of World War II military activities at a cost of $62,415,000. By the end of December 1962, 190 earthquakes had occurred. Depleted uranium, a byproduct of nuclear fuel production, is used for armor-piercing shells. Starting in 1942, the U.S. Army used the 27-mile site for the manufacture, assembly, and disposal . In addition to the containment structures, the agreed-upon remedy directs that the entire area is subject to restrictions on land use in perpetuity, including residential development, agricultural use, any potable use of the groundwater, and any consumption of fish or game from the Arsenal. For testing purposes, the well was injected with approximately 568,000 gallons of city water prior to injecting any waste. Most skeptics agree the refuges are worthwhile but warn that the natural beauty might obscure the environmental damage wreaked nearby. Official websites use .gov The contamination of the underlying alluvial aquifer occurred due to the discharge of waste into unlined basins. Finally, the Act provides for the transfer of some Arsenal land for road expansion around the perimeter of the Arsenal and 915 acres (3.70km2) to be sold for development and annexation by Commerce City. During the development of the remedy for the Arsenals contamination, there was a lot of public concern that the cleanup itself might pose a risk to the surrounding residents. If you have additional questions, please call 303.289.0300. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. The Army discontinued use of the well in Feb. 1966 because of the possibility that the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the area. U.S. Thousands of ducks died after coming in contact with its wastewater ponds in the 1950s. Subsequently, through the 1970s until 1985, RMA was used as a demilitarization site to destroy munitions and chemically related items. 2003The EPA removes 917 acres of RMA land from the National Priorities List. The CDPHE issued the Army a notice of non-compliance, claiming its containment and treatment measures were not working. That said, it would be better if they were cleaned up more thoroughly.. Site reviews will be conducted every five years to make sure the cleanup remedy is still effective. The animals were transferred from the National Bison Range in Montana. Its not because the Department of Defense has some ecological ethic, said Havlick, author of a book about conversions, Bombs Away: Militarization, Conservation, and Ecological Restoration.. 1984The U.S. Army conducts the RMA Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study, which includes the systematic investigation of contamination and the development and evaluation of cleanupalternatives. The program consisted of four tests between September 3 and October 26. 1952Shell Chemical Co. purchases Julius Hyman and Company and continues to manufacture agricultural chemicals at the RMA until 1982. Both those cases are pending in federal court. Due to the early completion of this program, the Army realized a savings of 300,000 dollars. This is unprecedented: Avian flu has killed 12,000 birds in Colorado, Smart sensors on I-25 promise really significant traffic improvements, pilot study shows, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, Multiple Colorado schools temporarily placed under secure status due to threats, Denver East High student dies more than two weeks after being shot outside school, Letters: Proposed age limit for gun ownership in Colorado doesn't make sense. A $7 billion cleanup concentrated on 2 square miles (5 square kilometers) where workers assembled plutonium triggers for nuclear warheads, and that area is fenced and closed to the public. Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The U.S government acquired the Arsenal land in 1942 to manufacture chemical warfare agents, including mustard gas and incendiary munitions, for use in World War II. Contaminated areas of soil remain in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, but are contained in basins and containment structures.[11]. EPA and the State concurred with the approach. 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. [18] While it is difficult to capture the societal cost to clean up the site, the list of actions dealing with groundwater contamination listed by Mears and Heise include: Direct economic totals add up to approximately $111 million and this estimation does not include operation and maintenance costs. Heavy volatile contaminants related to Basin F raised concern among the public for the site and the process of the clean-up itself of the Arsenal and a medical monitoring program (MMP) was put in place as part of the Record of Decision (ROD) between the U.S. Army, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment in 1996. The brochure contains general information, license requirements, fee requirements, and a list of fish species. Rocky Mountain Arsenal on FishExplorer has 222 historic conditions reports, 90 historic water temperature updates, 120 historic status updates, 138 historic water level updates, available to subscribers. 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. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was created out of farmland on the eastern edge of metro Denver during World War II to arm the U.S. Army. (8 of 9), "The Refuge and adjacent property represent a public-private partnership done right," said Mayor Sean Ford. The Army and Shell took remedial actions to prevent the contamination that includes the installation of the groundwater barrier system which treated approximately 1 billion gallons of water every year. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Shell Oil for failure to obtain a proper-post closure permit for Basin F, a section of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Three criteria were es Air monitoring surveillance continued until the end of July 2009. For more information please visit U.S. Three shocks in 1965 -- February 16, September 29, and November 20 -- caused intensity VI damage in Commerce City and environs. In 1996, after a lengthy process in which site investigations were conducted and completed, an approach to remedy the chemical contamination at the Arsenal was set forth by the US Army. Its location was selected because it is far from the coast and it has sufficient labor force. These field activities began in the fall of 1997 and significant portions of the cleanup have already been accomplished. Eating fish and game from the refuge is forbidden. Lake Skipper (s): Throughout the decades of cleanup, the air monitors revealed there was no safety hazard to public health as no arsenal chemicals had been released into the air. OVERVIEW - Just 10 miles northeast of Denver, Colorado lies one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the country, an area that only 30 years ago was listed on the Superfund National Priorities List due to being contaminated by over 600 chemicals. 1973The Vietnam Conflict ends, and demilitarization becomes the primary focus of the RMA. The 17,000-acre site is 10 miles northeast of Denver. The Army and Shell Oil Co. began conducting detailed site investigations in the 1970s to define the extent of contamination. 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