Three shocks in 1965 -- February 16, September 29, and November 20 -- caused intensity VI damage in Commerce City and environs. Since 1985, the mission at RMA has been the remediation of the site. The organic content of the solution was high but is largely unknown. 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. Several persons scurried into the streets when buildings started shaking back and forth. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. 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. Residents were generally shaken, but no damage was sustained. 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. Depleted uranium fragments are scattered on the firing range among 1.5 million rounds of unexploded shells, which makes cleanup dangerous and expensive. The U.S. Army constructed the Arsenal in 1942 to develop chemical weapons as a deterrent against the Axis Powers. Annual Highlights from Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Rocky Mountain Arsenal has recently published its annual community report. Just watch where you step. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Since its establishment in 1942, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) has played a unique role in the service of our nation. Any detected voids behind the casing were cemented to prevent possible contamination of other formations. local news and culture, Patricia Calhoun To read the report, click here. This soil is contained in hazardous waste landfills. 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. 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 . The Army needs to find a way to clean up the depleted uranium safely.. The Colorado School of Mines rated this shock magnitude 5.0. Spills occurred in the central processing areas, storage areas, and out of chemical sewers that existed underground. 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. Starting in 1942, the U.S. Army used the 27-mile site for the manufacture, assembly, and disposal . The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. 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. Not for the "stupid price" of $150 an acre foot. 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. The manufacturing of these weapons continued until 1969. 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). Also, they noted that if all groundwater were to be cleared for human consumption, the cost would be $500 million annually. RMA contained a deep injection well that was constructed in 1961. Rocket fuel to support Air Force operations was also manufactured and stored at RMA. Some were among the most dangerously polluted sites in the nation but held swaths of hard-to-find habitat. Beginning in October 2012, testing has revealed that pollutants have escaped the Shell trenches and groundwater is likely coming into contact with the waste and migrating out of the trenches, the lawsuit says. [11], The NRDA found several injuries to wildlife. The history of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge stretches back more than 60 years. The brochure contains general information, license requirements, fee requirements, and a list of fish species. An official website of the United States government, Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. 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. Many of the conversions came after the first and second world wars. This new publication offers highlights from the past year, along with news about upcoming projects scheduled for 2022. Since then, the US Army started to operate the site. 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. 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. Photo source: Denver Post biological agent at Rocky Mountain Arsenal was begun in August 1971 and was completed in mid-February 1973. 1942The U.S. Army establishes the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to produce chemical weapons as a war-time deterrent. A volume of approximately 52,500 acre-feet (65 million cubic metres) of the alluvial aquifer is not usable for human consumption. If you have additional questions, please call 303.289.0300. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (credit: CBS) Nick Kaczor and his team were also out -- trying to find the black footed ferrets. Conditions reports for this lake are available when logged in. CERCLA also gave the Federal government the authority to respond to the release of life-threatening hazardous materials.[2]. 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. Waste further down than 10 is left in place in the former areas where the basins, chemical sewers, manufacturing plants, disposal trenches once were. In September 2010, the cleanup was considered complete, and the remaining portions of land were transferred to the U.S. Residents may see flames, too, but are asked to not call 911 for this reason. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is 15,000 acres and features three lakes that are home to over 300 species of wildlife. When the Cold War ended in the 1980s, more surplus military lands were earmarked for refuges. Other demographics of the mother were gathered as well. Join the Westword community and help support Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. (9 of 9). Longstanding agricultural and health concerns related to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal have resulted in a complex history of political and legal battles. (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." In addition, there were actions completed by Future Farmers of America (FFA) between 1991 and 1993 that cost approximately $151.2 million. 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. 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. The Arsenal also played a role in Americas space exploration by manufacturing the rocket fuel used to power the Apollo 11 flights. 1943From 1943 to 1946, the Rose Hill Prisoners of War Camp houses captured German soldiers at the RMA. Treatment plants remove contaminants from groundwater to keep them out of domestic wells. The U.S. Army has begun removing Building 130, which is located northeast of the Refuge Visitors Center. The following data were derived from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [8][9] The well remained unused until 1985 when the Army permanently sealed the disposal well. 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. 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. 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. Then a year and half after the Rocky Mountain Arsenal waste dumping practice stopped, the strongest and most widely felt shock in Denver's history struck that area on August 9, 1967, at 6:25 in the morning. This program was designed to address potential Arsenal-related health concerns of those living in communities surrounding the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, including the southernmost portion of Brighton, Commerce City, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson and Montbello. By year end, the United States has out-produced the Axis Powers by 150 percent. A small herd of wild bison was introduced to the refuge in March 2007 as part of the USFWS Bison Project. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. At least 30 of the 560-plusrefugesmanaged by the wildlife service have some history with the military or weapons production, the AP found. Share Them by March 3. It stipulates that the majority of the site will become a National Wildlife Refuge under the jurisdiction of the Fish and Wildlife Service when the environmental restoration is completed. The CDPHE issued the Army a notice of non-compliance, claiming its containment and treatment measures were not working. 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. 1986Workers discover a communal roost of bald eagles at the RMA. The Denver series was forgotten, however temporarily, in October 1966, when a southeast Colorado tremor rocked a 15,000 square-mile area of that State and bordering New Mexico. (1 of 9) SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. In this study, baseline birth defects were estimated from the time period 19891997, which was the point at which the clean-up began, and inclusion criteria included mother's address at the time of birth being within the geographical study area. Subsequently, through the 1970s until 1985, RMA was used as a demilitarization site to destroy munitions and chemically related items. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2004, in part, to protect our national symbol, the bald eagle. 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. 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. [6][7] Today, only the foundation of a watch post from Rose Hill is visible, and then only when pointed. Rated magnitude 1.5, it was not strong enough to be felt by area residents. 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 . The magnitude 5.2 event caused widespread minor damage in the suburban areas of northeast Denver. 1942The U.S. Army establishes the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to produce chemical weapons as a war-time deterrent. One of the lessees, Julius Hyman and Company, manufactures agricultural chemicals at the site. This legacy, they say, requires restrictions on where visitors can go and obligates the government to monitor the sites for perhaps centuries. [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. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act was passed in October 1992 and signed by President George H. W. Bush. The documents provide the framework, purpose and overall rationale for remediation of the site. PDF Jun 1, 2022 Laws, rules, and regulations General Fishing Laws That rankles Tim Maloney, a senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council. Today, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, once some of the most contaminated land in the country, is a cleaned-up nature center. 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. (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. A unique role in the country, is a cleaned-up nature Center produce chemical weapons as a demilitarization to... Monitor the sites for perhaps centuries health concerns related to the U.S magnitude. Price '' of $ 150 an acre foot and signed by President George W.. 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