From 1962 -- 1963, the fluids were pumped from Basin F into the well. The land is sold to Commerce City for commercial and retail development. An astonishing array of animals and habitats flourished onsix obsolete weapons complexes mostly for nuclear or chemical arms because the sites banned the public and other intrusions for decades. Despite the complicated and expensive cleanups, significant contamination has been left behind, some experts say. Due to the early completion of this program, the Army realized a savings of 300,000 dollars. Critics sayRocky Mountain Arsenalin Colorado illustrates the shortcomings of a cleanup designed to be good enough for a refuge but not for human habitation. 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. 2007The EPA honors the RMA with its national Land Revitalization Award. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. 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. EPA and the State concurred with the approach. 1943RMA employees work around the clock to manufacture mustard gas, Lewisite, chlorine gas and incendiary weapons. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The Arsenal also played a role in Americas space exploration by manufacturing the rocket fuel used to power the Apollo 11 flights. In 1982, all production at the site stopped, and the Arsenals mission changed to environmental cleanup and restoration. [6][7] U.S. The organic content of the solution was high but is largely unknown. 1966Following reports of localized earthquake tremors, the U.S. Army concludes the deep well injection program. Restrictions on well water use, residential development, consumption of fish and game from the arsenal, and agricultural use of the arsenal will exist in perpetuity until further scientific research is completed at the site. For example, DIMP (diisopropyl methyl phosphonate) was one of the main contaminants in the area. (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. 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. In the early 1960s, the U.S. Army began to lease out its facilities to private companies to manufacture pesticides. [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. Replacement water for South Adams County Water and Sanitation District. 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 Surveillance for Birth Defects utilized passive observational data from an existing birth defects registry March 1989 March 2009. Several were felt, but none caused damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the night of December 4. Rates of birth defects in the communities surrounding the arsenal were also monitored and found to be stable and no different than rates for all of Colorado. 1999The RMA becomes the first environmental cleanup site in the nation to receive the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) highest workplace safety award. 1947The U.S. Army places the RMA on standby status and leases some facilities to private industry. Today, the Refuge encompasses more than 15,000 acres of restored shortgrass prairie and provides habitat to more 300 species of wildlife, including American bison, bald eagles, mule and white-tailed deer, burrowing owls and black-footed ferrets. During 1968, ten slight shocks were felt in Colorado. There are many studies that try to estimate the total costs due to contamination of pesticides in U.S. as well as in other countries; however, indirect costs are difficult to estimate, but likely several times than total direct environmental and social costs. It cited seven violations. The contaminated groundwater that still exists in and around RMA continues to be actively monitored. "They have a very distinctive emerald green eye shine. However, when the Basin F liquids were actually introduced, the process required more time than anticipated to complete because of the impermeability of the rock. But cleanup costs for an area where contaminated waste is stored are soaring, and Department of Energy investigators say the project has been plagued by fraud and mismanagement. 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. When the Cold War ended in the 1980s, more surplus military lands were earmarked for refuges. Many of the conversions came after the first and second world wars. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. 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. The Army was dumping dangerous chemicals into a deep injection well out at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The Army is still struggling with cleaning up Jefferson Proving Ground in southeastern Indiana, part of which becameBig Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. Residents were generally shaken, but no damage was sustained. As provided by CERCLA, a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was conducted to determine the extent of contamination. Structures that contain the contaminated soil at RMA are also actively monitored, along with surface water and biological resources. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. 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. Parts of a C-shaped buffer zone around the perimeter are open to visitors asHanford Reach National Monument. The timeline below highlights important milestones from each decade. 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. Kirk Mitchell is a general assignment reporter at The Denver Post who focuses on criminal justice stories. Fish and Wildlife Service andShell Oil Company. Shell Oil Co. leased the property and manufactured agricultural pesticides in the South Plants complex from 1952 through 1982. 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. They awakened many residents, but were not widely felt. Most skeptics agree the refuges are worthwhile but warn that the natural beauty might obscure the environmental damage wreaked nearby. Between 1946 and 1987, the Army also leased portions of the arsenal to Shell Oil Company to manufacture pesticides. 1996The U.S. Army, Shell and U.S. From 1943 to 1956, the US Army and Shell discharged wastes into the unlined basins resulting in the contamination of the South Platte River outside the Arsenal. 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. The 17,000-acre site is 10 miles northeast of Denver. To read the report, click here. [12] Though the cleanup of the site was considered complete in 2010, soil and groundwater monitoring practices occur every five years to ensure the effects of the clean-up remain. [citation needed]. Some were among the most dangerously polluted sites in the nation but held swaths of hard-to-find habitat. A lateral was built off the High Line Canal to supply water to the Arsenal. 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. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a field office at the RMA to help manage the abundant wildlife. Photo source: Dave Showalter As production declined at wars end, the U.S. Army leased some of the facilities to private companies, one of which Shell Oil Co. purchased, for the production of agricultural chemicals. 1986Workers discover a communal roost of bald eagles at the RMA. (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. 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. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has sued the U.S. Army claiming that dangerous chemicals including pesticides continue to leach into groundwater at Rocky Mountain Arsenal . Many homeowners reported wall, ceiling, floor, patio, sidewalk, and foundation cracks. An official website of the United States government. After the war, it became a bustling center of industrial activity -- a top-secret center that created a lot of dangerous waste. A monitoring program was developed to monitor the success of exposure prevention efforts during the environmental cleanup at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. There are multiple paved, boardwalk, or gravel trail options with a variety of lengths and difficulty levels available. (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. 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 . Most badgers at Rocky Mountain Arsenal appear to be unaffected by dieldrin, one of the main chemical contaminants remaining in the soil at the military base. A more recent article in 2004 by Pimentel,[19] estimated the cost of removal pesticides from the groundwater and soil at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal by approximately $2 billion. Several reported basement floors separated from walls. Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The JARDF is located at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City, CO 80022-1749. An official website of the United States government, Rocky Mountain Arsenal has recently published its annual community report. The magnitude 5.2 event caused widespread minor damage in the suburban areas of northeast Denver. He began working at the newspaper in 1998, after writing for newspapers in Mesa, Ariz., and Twin Falls, Idaho, and The Associated Press in Salt Lake City. Theyre there all the time, Madison said. The history of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge stretches back more than 60 years. 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. [20] In the case of Rocky Mountain Arsenal, total indirect cost was not estimated at all. Reunion is located on the north border of RMA. CERCLA was a tax imposed on chemical and petroleum industries. At least 30 of the 560-plusrefugesmanaged by the wildlife service have some history with the military or weapons production, the AP found. Included in the RMANWR Act, areas within RMA that were still contaminated were still owned by the U.S. Army, however, the vast majority of the land that was deemed clean would be managed by the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). 6:54AM. [8] It was drilled to a depth of 12,045 feet (3671 m). The U.S. An official website of the United States government, Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Next, the injection zone at the bottom 70 feet of the well was closed by plugging with cement. Over 1,300 earthquakes were recorded at Bergen Park between January 1963 and August 9, 1967. The Army needs to find a way to clean up the depleted uranium safely.. Additional cement barriers were placed inside the casing across zones that could access water-bearing formations (aquifers). 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. One of the major lessees, Shell Oil Company, along with Julius Hyman and Company and Colorado Fuel and Iron, had manufacturing and processing capabilities on RMA between 1952 and 1982. Fish and Wildlife Service, bringing the total to 15,000 acres (61km2). In an effort to foster economic growth in the area and maintain the facilities for national security, private companies were encouraged to lease facilities beginning in the mid-1940s. PDF Jun 1, 2022 Laws, rules, and regulations General Fishing Laws The purpose of this Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan is to document the State Trustees' basis for conducting the damage assessment that provided the basis of the lawsuit and to set forth the proposed approaches for quantifying harm to natural resources and calculating the damages associated with those injuries. In the early 1980s the site was selected as a Superfund site and the cleanup process began. The animals were transferred from the National Bison Range in Montana. Air monitoring surveillance continued until the end of July 2009. It was estimated by the U.S. Statistically significant findings (p<0.01) of this study included demographic differences in the mothers as follows: median age 24, compared to 27 years of age in Colorado as a whole, higher percent of mothers who were white/Hispanic and black, mean education level of 11.8 years compared to 13.1 years in Colorado as a whole, fewer mothers who were married, and fewer prenatal visits on average. Hanford where the cleanup has already cost at least $48 billion and hundreds of billions more are projected may be the most troubled refuge of all. Following the war and through the early 1980s, the facilities continued to be used by the Army. All surface work related to the environmental cleanup ended in 2010, one year ahead of schedule and within budget. Share Them by March 3. 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. 1950North Korea invades South Korea, and the U.S. Army reactivates the RMA to produce chemical weapons and incendiary munitions for the Korean War and Vietnam Conflict. 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 . Photo source:CBS Denver Just watch where you step. Colorado health officials contendthat Shells trenches and slurry walls have not prevented pesticides and other dangerous chemicals from leaching into the groundwater. Additionally, ordnance (including incendiary munitions) was manufactured and tested, and asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used at RMA. 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.. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. text only version of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Site Spotlight, Emerging Contaminants and Contaminants of Concern, Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Docket, Military Munitions and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, Denver boot puts the lock on the Global Business Travel Association bash. 2010All surface environmental cleanup work concludes. Longstanding agricultural and health concerns related to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal have resulted in a complex history of political and legal battles. The new venue hosts the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rocky Mountain Arsenal continues to leak, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Get to know all 17 Denver mayor candidates , Rocky Mountain Arsenal continues to leak contaminants into groundwater, Colorado health department lawsuit says, Feds sue water company for rupture damaging Rocky Mountain National Park again. 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. Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail Open: Year-round to hiking, bicycles, and Class 1 e-Bikes Length: 4.8 miles This regional trail corridor will link Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge with Two Ponds and Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuges, along with many other protected open space and park lands throughout the Denver metro-area. Since then, the US Army started to operate the site. 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. 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Denver, CO 80246, Colorado Health Information Data Set (CoHID), Office of Public Health Practice, Planning, and Local Partnerships (OPHP), Air Quality - Monitoring, Modeling and Data. Keeping our congressional leaders . [11], The NRDA found several injuries to wildlife. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is 15,000 acres and features three lakes that are home to over 300 species of wildlife. The well was cased and sealed to a depth of 11,975 feet (3650 m), with the remaining 70 feet (21 m) left as an open hole for the injection of Basin F liquids. 1943From 1943 to 1946, the Rose Hill Prisoners of War Camp houses captured German soldiers at the RMA. Three criteria were es By year end, the United States has out-produced the Axis . In 1985 the Army permanently sealed the disposal well in stages. They have been left in place to excavate, so they have been left in place. First, the well casing was tested to evaluate its integrity. Spills occurred in the central processing areas, storage areas, and out of chemical sewers that existed underground. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Today, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, once some of the most contaminated land in the country, is a cleaned-up nature center. 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. local news and culture, Patricia Calhoun Treatment plants remove contaminants from groundwater to keep them out of domestic wells. American bison are reintroduced to the site that same year as part of a nationwide conservation effort. The settlement amount totaled $27.4 millionand is to be used for natural resources restoration projects in the South Platte River area. Rated magnitude 1.5, it was not strong enough to be felt by area residents. In the early 1960s, the U.S. Army began to lease out its facilities to private companies to manufacture pesticides. These restrictions must remain in place unless future sampling and scientific investigation determine they can be safely removed. Now a majority are voluntarily adopting them. Fish and Wildlife Service enter into a unique public-private teaming arrangement called the Remediation Venture Office (RVO) to facilitate the safe, timely and cost-effective cleanup and transition of the site. independent local journalism in Denver. The perfect trail for those who like to enjoy nature from the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicle with a latte in hand. There is an 11-mile motor tour that takes you through the preserve. That said, it would be better if they were cleaned up more thoroughly.. State officials say they want long-term and legally binding assurances. (3 of 9), REDEVELOPMENT - Commerce City, CO a northern suburb of Denver,and a sports enterprise business have invested more than $120 million in the property, which yields 1.7 million visitors annually. Any detected voids behind the casing were cemented to prevent possible contamination of other formations. Is there a risk of cancer related to Rocky Flats contamination? Baseline rates of congenital anomalies in the study area compared to Colorado as a whole did not show significant differences between populations. If you have additional questions, please call 303.289.0300. The injected fluids had very little potential for reaching the surface or useable groundwater supply since the injection point had 11,900 feet of rock above it and was sealed at the opening. Boulder sustained minor damage to walls and acoustical tile ceilings on April 27, 1967, as result of a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. The U.S. Army later reactivated Arsenal facilities for Cold-War weapons production and demilitarization. The U.S. Army selected 17,000 acres of farm land just 10 miles northeast of Denver in Commerce City, Colorado, as the site of the new Arsenal. In addition, there were actions completed by Future Farmers of America (FFA) between 1991 and 1993 that cost approximately $151.2 million. Since its establishment in 1942, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) has played a unique role in the service of our nation. Already since 1995, the buildings became the seat of the National Eagle Repository, an office of the Fish and Wildlife Service that receives the bodies of all dead Golden and Bald Eagles in the nation and provides feathers and other parts to Native Americans for cultural uses. 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. Fish and Wildlife Service at 303.289.0930, or visit the Refuge online. Fish and Wildlife Service inventoried more than 330 species of wildlife that inhabit the Arsenal including deer, coyotes, white pelicans and owls. Located just north of Denver, in Commerce City and close to the Stapleton Airport, the U.S. Army purchased 20,000 acres (81km2). Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? Two early morning shocks occurred November 14. 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. However, the Army estimates that the waste was a more dilute version of the Basin F liquid which is now being incinerated. 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. Fish and Wildlife Service establishes a field office at the RMA to manage bald eagles and other wildlife. The CDPHE issued the Army a notice of non-compliance, claiming its containment and treatment measures were not working. 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. 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. These field activities began in the fall of 1997 and significant portions of the cleanup have already been accomplished. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. In 2004, 5000 acres along the perimeter of the site were deleted from the National Priorities List of Superfund sites to establish the National Wildlife Refuge. Mallard carcasses found to have higher levels of Dieldrin. Theyre not going to want to be in a place with chemical pollution or radiation problems., Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for managing the Arsenals wildlife and habitat. In 2009, the state of Colorado, Shell Oil Co., and the United States Army settled a lawsuit pertaining to damages to the states natural resources from past activities at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal that caused extensive contamination of soil and water at the site. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado. Recent tests have confirmed that the contamination continues to this day, it says. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge has catch-and-release fishing from the first Saturday in April through November 30 daily from sunrise to sunset. In the early 1980s the site was selected as a Superfund site and the cleanup process began. The cleanup of the refuge's 15,000 acres was completed in 2010. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army will retain areas where hazardous wastes are managed, such as the landfill and soil covers. Early 1980sAll production at the RMA ceases, and the mission shifts to environmental remediation and restoration. 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 Madison, the Fish and Wildlife Service historian, said the refuges are salvaging something valuable from ecological devastation. But forty years ago, a series of quakes rocked the Denver area -- quakes caused not by Mother Nature, but by Uncle Sam. Another strong shock rumbled through the Denver area on November 14, 1966, causing some damage at Commerce City and Eastlake. 27.4 millionand is to be used by the Army also leased portions of the contaminated! 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