Thousands of ducks died after coming in contact with its wastewater ponds in the 1950s. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found no increased risk of birth defects in infants. (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." But forty years ago, a series of quakes rocked the Denver area -- quakes caused not by Mother Nature, but by Uncle Sam. The defendants must build a system to actively dewater Shells trenches to prevent the mixing of effluent with groundwater, the lawsuit says. 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. Located just north of Denver, in Commerce City and close to the Stapleton Airport, the U.S. Army purchased 20,000 acres (81km2). 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. The site was operated by the United States Army throughout the later 20th century and was controversial among local residents until its closure in 1992. This was further exacerbated when the U.S. Army discovered an endangered species, the bald eagle. The contamination of the underlying alluvial aquifer occurred due to the discharge of waste into unlined basins. 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. Also, they noted that if all groundwater were to be cleared for human consumption, the cost would be $500 million annually. Some waste disposal pits presented short-term hazards sufficient to preclude their excavation. All surface work related to the environmental cleanup ended in 2010, one year ahead of schedule and within budget. 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. 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.. 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. The Act also provides that to the extent possible, parts of the Arsenal are to be managed as a Refuge in the interim. 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. Provisions for a permanent water supply for off-post residents affected by arsenal groundwater contamination. Due to the early completion of this program, the Army realized a savings of 300,000 dollars. "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." 1989The U.S. Madison, the Fish and Wildlife Service historian, said the refuges are salvaging something valuable from ecological devastation. SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. Contaminated ground water was first discovered to have migrated off of the Arsenal in the mid-1950s when crop damage and affected livestock was noted on farms north of the Arsenal. Annual Highlights from Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Rocky Mountain Arsenal has recently published its annual community report. The Energy Department told the state it has no current plans to change the classification. This new publication offers highlights from the past year, along with news about upcoming projects scheduled for 2022. Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. From a tiny Pacific island to a leafy Indiana forest, a handful of sites where the United States manufactured and tested some of the most lethal weapons known to humankind are now peaceful havens for wildlife. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was placed on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites in July 1987. Spills occurred in the central processing areas, storage areas, and out of chemical sewers that existed underground. To learn more and view artifacts from each period, visit the Refuge Visitor Center. State officials say they want long-term and legally binding assurances. Washington state officials are worried that the Trump administration wants to reclassify millions of gallons of wastewater at Hanford from high-level radioactive to low-level, which could reduce cleanup standards and cut costs. As portions of the cleanup are completed, this property becomes part of the National Wildlife Refuge system and is transferred to the U.S. Department of Interior. One of the lessees, Julius Hyman and Company, manufactures agricultural chemicals at the site. All waste that was left in place is now interred beneath large-area engineered covers that prevent any intrusion into the waste that remains below. Three shocks in 1965 -- February 16, September 29, and November 20 -- caused intensity VI damage in Commerce City and environs. 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. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. But parts of the refuge remain off-limits, including specially designed landfills where the Army disposed of contaminated soil. PDF Jun 1, 2022 Laws, rules, and regulations General Fishing Laws The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of the most contaminated areas in the United States. (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. Contaminated areas of soil remain in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, but are contained in basins and containment structures.[11]. 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 Army and Shell Oil Co. began conducting detailed site investigations in the 1970s to define the extent of contamination. MORE: Federal prosecutors say they cant find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant. 1966Following reports of localized earthquake tremors, the U.S. Army concludes the deep well injection program. Today, only the foundation of a watch post from Rose Hill is visible, and then only when pointed. 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. Today, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, once some of the most contaminated land in the country, is a cleaned-up nature center. The Surveillance for Birth Defects utilized passive observational data from an existing birth defects registry March 1989 March 2009. 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. 1941Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters World War II. 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. In 1987, the RMA was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The land is sold to Commerce City for commercial and retail development. A volume of approximately 52,500 acre-feet (65 million cubic metres) of the alluvial aquifer is not usable for human consumption. Take the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Self-Guided Wildlife Drive This was the highlight of the park for us. 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. 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). The cleanup of the refuge's 15,000 acres was completed in 2010. Houses creaked and objects rattled during this magnitude 2.1 earthquake. There is no appropriate standard by the EPA, but the state of Colorado has a standard treatment protocol for this chemical. A. Dietrich f. h,_ During the 1968 pumping tests at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal disposal well, the U.S. Geological Survey was responsible for moni wring earthquakes occurring in the area of the arsenal ami making chemical analysis of the fluids removed. From Arsenal of Democracy to urban wildlife refuge, the RMA has been critical to achieving U.S. defense, space exploration, environmental remediation and conservation goals. Contaminants included solvents, metals, pesticides, and miscellaneous manufacturing-related chemicals. In 1992, Congress designated the sites as a wildlife refuge. 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. It was felt at Laramie, Wyoming, to the northwest, east to Goodland, Kansas, and south to Pueblo, Colorado. Catch . An official website of the United States government, Rocky Mountain Arsenal has recently published its annual community report. In 1992, Congress Passed the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act (RMANWR Act). A lateral was built off the High Line Canal to supply water to the Arsenal. In September 2017, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sued the U.S. Army, U.S. This legacy, they say, requires restrictions on where visitors can go and obligates the government to monitor the sites for perhaps centuries. August 24, 2011 2007The EPA honors the RMA with its national Land Revitalization Award. Otherkey partners include Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, the local health department andlocal government officials, the Army,U.S. An official website of the United States government. The magnitude 5.3 tremor caused the most serious damage at Northglenn, where concrete pillar supports to a church roof were weakened, and 20 windows were broken. 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. (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. First, the well casing was tested to evaluate its integrity. RMA contained a deep injection well that was constructed in 1961. 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. 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 well remained unused for nearly 20 years. The Army is still struggling with cleaning up Jefferson Proving Ground in southeastern Indiana, part of which becameBig Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act was passed in October 1992 and signed by President George H. W. Bush. 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. An acoustical ceiling and light fixtures fell at one school. 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. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. Fish and Wildlife Service, Walter Derr, The Associated Press. Please click here to see any active alerts. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2004, in part, to protect our national symbol, the bald eagle. Following a final land transfer, the Refuge expands to 15,000 acres and becomes one of the largest urban national wildlife refuges in the United States. In response, the Army constructed an asphalt-lined impoundment for the disposal of wastes in 1956. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a manufacturing center of United States chemical weapons, is located in Commerce City, Colorado. Denver's independent source of 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. The Colorado School of Mines rated this shock magnitude 5.0. 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. 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. The Army discontinued use of the well in Feb. 1966 because of the possibility that the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the area. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. During 1968, ten slight shocks were felt in Colorado. Residents may see flames, too, but are asked to not call 911 for this reason. These monitors tested the air for several decades during the cleanup and showed the cleanup was protective of public health. Many slight shocks occurred near the well during this period. Known today as an urban national wildlife refuge, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal is one of the most studied environmental cleanup sites in the country. 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. (2 of 9), CLEANUP - The remedy selected for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal included the removal of contaminated soil down to 10 over much of the contaminated area, which is contained in two hazardous waste landfills that remain on the site. In the mid-1980s, wildlife, including endangered species, moved into the space and the land became a protected park. The refuge was created on the buffer zone surrounding the production area. Much of the site is now protected as the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Disposal Well By D. B. Hoover and J. 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. All field work should be completed in March 2023. Colorado health officials contendthat Shells trenches and slurry walls have not prevented pesticides and other dangerous chemicals from leaching into the groundwater. The Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges (FFRWR) is a community that supports the two largest national wildlife refuges in the Denver metro area-the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuges. 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. Marshall fire victims protested green building codes as too expensive. 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. 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. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. The end result was approximately 165 million gallons of Basin F liquid waste being injected into the well during the period from 1962 through 1966. How? During removal of contaminated soil and construction of the remedy containment structures, air monitoring was conducted at multiple sites in the Arsenals interior and fence line, and several sites in the surrounding communities. In 1984, the Army began a systematic investigation of site contamination in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly referred to as Superfund. Photo source:CBS Denver The U.S. Army constructed the Arsenal in 1942 to develop chemical weapons as a deterrent against the Axis Powers. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, which was once a U.S. Army chemical weapons manufacturing facility, became a wildlife refuge in 1992. A similar shock, magnitude 4.1, centered in the Denver area November 15. 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. 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 the early 1960s, the U.S. Army began to lease out its facilities to private companies to manufacture pesticides. State health officials are asking the federal courts to intervene to stop the contamination on the north and northwest boundaries of the trenches. The 17,000-acre site is 10 miles northeast of Denver. North of the former Stapleton Airport and west of Denver International Airport, Adams County. 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. [citation needed] Its radiation isnt strong enough to be dangerous outside the body, but its dust is a serious health risk if inhaled or swallowed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. Several reported basement floors separated from walls. Since there is no further use for the building, the Army will remove it as part of a larger effort to reduce the Armys footprint at RMA. Because of the Superfund site status and the dramatic cleanups, many residents in neighborhoods surrounding the RMA voiced concern about ongoing health risks of living within the close vicinity of the site. To read the report, click, Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Organochlorine pesticides, heavy metals, agent degradation products and manufacturing by-products, and chlorinated and aromatic solvents are getting into groundwater in unsafe levels, it says. Rated magnitude 1.5, it was not strong enough to be felt by area residents. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? The military closed the sites to keep people safe from the dangerous work that went on there, not to save the environment, said Havlick of the University of Colorado. Weapons manufactured at RMA included both conventional and chemical munitions, including white phosphorus (M34 grenade), napalm, mustard gas, lewisite, and chlorine gas. The Arsenal also played a role in Americas space exploration by manufacturing the rocket fuel used to power the Apollo 11 flights. Many homeowners reported wall, ceiling, floor, patio, sidewalk, and foundation cracks. For more information please visit U.S. 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. 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 cleanup was completed in 2010 and five large parcels of land have been deleted from the NPL . [1], The environmental movement began in the United States in the 1960-1970s. 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.. [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. 1942The U.S. Army establishes the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to produce chemical weapons as a war-time deterrent. 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. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. Today, it is considered a hazardous waste site according to the Colorado Department of Public and Environmental Health. 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