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. After a $2.1 billion cleanup, the site was reborn as Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, with 24 square miles (61 square kilometers) 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 . A volume of approximately 52,500 acre-feet (65 million cubic metres) of the alluvial aquifer is not usable for human consumption. 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. If you have additional questions, please call 303.289.0300. Between 1946 and 1987, the Army also leased portions of the arsenal to Shell Oil Company to manufacture pesticides. In the early 1980s the site was selected as a Superfund site and the cleanup process began. Tensions arose between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the State of Colorado, United States Army, and the chemical industries as they partnered to clean up the site and create the RMANWR. 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. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found no increased risk of birth defects in infants. In some cases, they could have conceivably made the site into something that was economically valuable, but that would have cost more, Rome said. The Colorado departments Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver to force the Army to comply with standards set by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The new venue hosts the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. 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. 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. Longstanding agricultural and health concerns related to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal have resulted in a complex history of political and legal battles. Next, the injection zone at the bottom 70 feet of the well was closed by plugging with cement. Several were felt, but none caused damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the night of December 4. Shell Oil Co. leased the property and manufactured agricultural pesticides in the South Plants complex from 1952 through 1982. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Reunion is located on the north border of RMA. Many residents reported it was the strongest earthquake they had ever experienced. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (credit: CBS) Nick Kaczor and his team were also out -- trying to find the black footed ferrets. 1969Powered by rocket fuel propellant manufactured at the RMA, Apollo 11 lands on the moon. Treatment plants remove contaminants from groundwater to keep them out of domestic wells. Rocket fuel to support Air Force operations was also manufactured and stored at RMA. After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II, the U.S. Army began looking for land to create a chemical manufacturing center. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Through events, communications, advocacy and fundraising, we support the refuges in. Most of the land areas now belong to the U.S. The settlement amount totaled $27.4 millionand is to be used for natural resources restoration projects in the South Platte River area. Early 1980sAll production at the RMA ceases, and the mission shifts to environmental remediation and restoration. 6:54AM. Theoretically, if the Earth still exists in the year 3000, theyll still be monitoring groundwater at the arsenal, he said. 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. The building was known as the Environmental Analytical Laboratory, and was used to analyze soil, water, and air samples collected during the environmental clean-up of RMA. MORE: Federal prosecutors say they cant find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant. In the early 1960s, the U.S. Army began to lease out its facilities to private companies to manufacture pesticides. 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. 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. 1995-1996Following extensive community input, the Off-Post and On-Post Records of Decision (ROD) are signed. Despite the complicated and expensive cleanups, significant contamination has been left behind, some experts say. 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. Depleted uranium fragments are scattered on the firing range among 1.5 million rounds of unexploded shells, which makes cleanup dangerous and expensive. The Army needs to find a way to clean up the depleted uranium safely.. 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. 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. EPA and the State concurred with the approach. 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. 1941Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters World War II. The 17,000-acre site is 10 miles northeast of Denver. The first of the major chemical demilitarization programs to be undertaken at Rocky Mountain Arsenal was the disposal of the obsolete The Army is still struggling with cleaning up Jefferson Proving Ground in southeastern Indiana, part of which becameBig Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. [11], The NRDA found several injuries to wildlife. Fish and Wildlife Service inventoried more than 330 species of wildlife that inhabit the Arsenal including deer, coyotes, white pelicans and owls. Known today as an urban national wildlife refuge, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal is one of the most studied environmental cleanup sites in the country. 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 . Two sites were retained by the Army: the South Plants location due to historical use[clarification needed], and the North Plant location, which is now a landfill containing the remains of various buildings used in the plants. 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. More recently, it has been used as a storage facility for excess office furniture and equipment. Converting a heavily polluted weapons complex into a wildlife refuge is cheaper than making it safe for homes, schools and businesses, said Adam Rome, who teaches environmental history at the State University of New York at Buffalo. 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. Trace amounts of the chemical 1,4-dioxane has been found in some samples of drinking water. The government converted them into refuges under U.S. American bison are reintroduced to the site that same year as part of a nationwide conservation effort. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. The facility was built in 1942, in response to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. 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. After the war, it became a bustling center of industrial activity -- a top-secret center that created a lot of dangerous waste. As cleanup progressed, the Army transferredmost of the land to the U.S. The JARDF is located at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, 7270 Kingston Parkway, Building 129, Commerce City, CO 80022-1749. A separate study of cancer incidence by the Colorado Department of Health did not find convincing evidence of increased cancer risk in people living in residential areas surrounding the arsenal,[15] although the study was made more difficult by the large demographic changes in the area and was also confounded by smoking and obesity rates. Theyre there all the time, Madison said. 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. EPA and the State concurred with the approach. [6][7] Mallard carcasses found to have higher levels of Dieldrin. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. 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. 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. State officials say they want long-term and legally binding assurances. 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. The magnitude 5.2 event caused widespread minor damage in the suburban areas of northeast Denver. 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). Although the U.S. Army and Shell used accepted disposal practices of the time, decades of chemical and agricultural production led to contamination of some of the soil, structures and groundwater. All field work should be completed in March 2023. [citation needed]. Damage on a lesser scale occurred throughout the area. (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." 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 . Today, it is considered a hazardous waste site according to the Colorado Department of Public and Environmental Health. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a field office at the RMA to help manage the abundant wildlife. Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? (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. Another strong shock rumbled through the Denver area on November 14, 1966, causing some damage at Commerce City and Eastlake. During the cleanup of the RMA, concern for air pollution from the hazardous materials was raised. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. State and federal officials say its safe, but skeptical activists filed a lawsuit saying the federal government didnt test the refuge carefully enough. PDF Jun 1, 2022 Laws, rules, and regulations General Fishing Laws Due to the early completion of this program, the Army realized a savings of 300,000 dollars. Additional cement barriers were placed inside the casing across zones that could access water-bearing formations (aquifers). 2010All surface environmental cleanup work concludes. When the cleanup was completed, it was clear that no Arsenal chemicals had been released into the air that exceeded the health-protective levels established for the site since the environmental cleanup began in October 1997. Many of the conversions came after the first and second world wars. The animals were transferred from the National Bison Range in Montana. The manufacturing of these weapons continued until 1969. 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 Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for managing the Arsenals wildlife and habitat. the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Disposal Well By D. B. Hoover and J. 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. Houses creaked and objects rattled during this magnitude 2.1 earthquake. Please click here to see any active alerts. The Army discontinued use of the well in February 1966 because the fluid injection triggered a series of earthquakes in the area. 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. Site and the cleanup of the Arsenal to Shell Oil Co. leased the property and manufactured pesticides. 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