The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of the most contaminated areas in the United States. If agency officials believed the sites were unsafe for the public, he said, they would not work there. 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. 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. This resulted in subsequent earthquakes in Denver area. The documents provide the framework, purpose and overall rationale for remediation of the site. Several reported basement floors separated from walls. If you have additional questions, please call 303.289.0300. biological agent at Rocky Mountain Arsenal was begun in August 1971 and was completed in mid-February 1973. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (credit: CBS) Nick Kaczor and his team were also out -- trying to find the black footed ferrets. 1989The U.S. One monitoring project has demonstrated incremental improvements over time, and specifically measured 640 parts per billion (ppb) in 1987 and 55 ppb in 1989, while a different off-post monitoring well measured 138 ppb in 1985, 105 ppb in 1987, 14 ppb in 1988, and 6.7 ppb in 1989. The CDPHE issued the Army a notice of non-compliance, claiming its containment and treatment measures were not working. Another strong shock rumbled through the Denver area on November 14, 1966, causing some damage at Commerce City and Eastlake. Extremely loud, explosivelike earth noises were heard. Mitchell first started writing the Cold Case blog in Fall 2007, in part because Colorado has more than 1,400 unsolved homicides. 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. 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 A lot of the environmental stories are kind of doomy and gloomy, and these are successful ones, something positive, he said. To learn more and view artifacts from each period, visit the Refuge Visitor Center. 24,590 were here. The facility was built in 1942, in response to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. 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. 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. During November 1967, the Denver region was shaken by five moderate earthquakes. The 17,000-acre site is 10 miles northeast of Denver. 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. In summary, there is no current evidence of health effects. Fish and Wildlife Service andShell Oil Company. In addition, contamination affects public health and nature (honeybee poisonings, pesticide resistance in pests, destruction of natural predators, wild birds, microbes) negatively. The well was cased and sealed to a depth of 11,975 feet, with the remaining 70 feet left as an open hole for the injection of Basin F liquids. Marshall fire victims protested green building codes as too expensive. [8] It was drilled to a depth of 12,045 feet (3671 m). [11], The NRDA found several injuries to wildlife. "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." 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. One of the lessees, Julius Hyman and Company, manufactures agricultural chemicals at the site. The land has a unique story - it has survived the test of time and transitioned from farmland, to war-time manufacturing site, to wildlife sanctuary. First, the well casing was tested to evaluate its integrity. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Several were felt, but none caused damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the night of December 4. 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. 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. 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. MORE: Federal prosecutors say they cant find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant. Starting in 1942, the U.S. Army used the 27-mile site for the manufacture, assembly, and disposal . Both those cases are pending in federal court. In the mid-1980s, wildlife, including endangered species, moved into the space and the land became a protected park. Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? Next, the injection zone at the bottom 70 feet of the well was closed by plugging with cement. Both the landfills and the covers are built to prevent intrusion by humans or animals, and also to prevent further contamination to the groundwater. 1966Following reports of localized earthquake tremors, the U.S. Army concludes the deep well injection program. [4], The Arsenal's location was selected due to its relative distance from the coasts (and presumably not likely to be attacked), a sufficient labor force to work at the site, weather that was conducive to outdoor work, and the appropriate soil needed for the project. The history of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge stretches back more than 60 years. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a manufacturing center of United States chemical weapons, is located in Commerce City, Colorado. For example, DIMP (diisopropyl methyl phosphonate) was one of the main contaminants in the area. The Army replied by indicating federal authorities should regulate the arsenal superfund site through the CERCLA, and not state environmental authorities. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. And the biggest bills have yet to be paid. There is no appropriate standard by the EPA, but the state of Colorado has a standard treatment protocol for this chemical. 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 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. Further testing revealed that the containment issue is an ongoing problem, the lawsuit says. Soldiers test-fired millions of artillery rounds at the proving ground, some made of depleted uranium. Between 1946 and 1987, the Army also leased portions of the arsenal to Shell Oil Company to manufacture pesticides. All of these constituents constitute threats to human health and the environment, the lawsuit says. The defendants must build a system to actively dewater Shells trenches to prevent the mixing of effluent with groundwater, the lawsuit says. Many residents reported it was the strongest earthquake they had ever experienced. More recently, it has been used as a storage facility for excess office furniture and equipment. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City, Colorado. 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 . Photo source: Dave Showalter 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. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a field office at the RMA to help manage the abundant wildlife. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS EPA and the State concurred with the approach. Treatment plants remove contaminants from groundwater to keep them out of domestic wells. For testing purposes, the well was injected with approximately 568,000 gallons of city water prior to injecting any waste. These monitors tested the air for several decades during the cleanup and showed the cleanup was protective of public health. An official website of the United States government. 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. Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Catch . Fish and Wildlife Service that at least 20,000 ducks died in a 10-year span during the 1970s. The injected fluids had very little potential for reaching the surface or usable groundwater supply since the injection point had 11,900 feet (3630 m) of rock above it and was sealed at the opening. 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. 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. 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. Other demographics of the mother were gathered as well. 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. 2004After the EPA certifies that cleanup actions are complete, the U.S. Department of Defense transfers 5,000 acres of RMA land to the U.S. Department of the Interior to officially establish the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Lake Skipper (s): 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). 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. These field activities began in the fall of 1997 and significant portions of the cleanup have already been accomplished. In 1987, the RMA was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. 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. Baseline rates of congenital anomalies in the study area compared to Colorado as a whole did not show significant differences between populations. [3] After the bald eagles were captured, tested, and found to be healthy, the National Wildlife Federation worked with policymakers to transition RMA to a wildlife refuge. They awakened many residents, but were not widely felt. 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. [citation needed] Provisions for a permanent water supply for off-post residents affected by arsenal groundwater contamination. At the borders of the RMA and at some places in the sites interior, contaminated groundwater is pumped from the below the surface and cleaned before reinjection. Additionally, ordnance (including incendiary munitions) was manufactured and tested, and asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used at RMA. The U.S. After 42 years of chemical manufacturing, in 1984, the United States Army began to inspect the level of contamination at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA). 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 . No significant increase was observed in congenital anomalies during the clean-up period compared to pre-clean up, although there are no baseline data prior to initial contamination events because data was not yet being collected and the population was very different at that time. Access a text only version of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Site Spotlight. Since 1985, the mission at RMA has been the remediation of the site. 2003The EPA removes 917 acres of RMA land from the National Priorities List. Critics sayRocky Mountain Arsenalin Colorado illustrates the shortcomings of a cleanup designed to be good enough for a refuge but not for human habitation. The Arsenal also played a role in Americas space exploration by manufacturing the rocket fuel used to power the Apollo 11 flights. 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. Today, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, once some of the most contaminated land in the country, is a cleaned-up nature center. All field work should be completed in March 2023. 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. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, among other post-military sites, was a top priority, establishing RMA as a superfund site. Fish and Wildlife Service to create and later expand the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Site reviews will be conducted every five years to make sure the cleanup remedy is still effective. A 14-year, $2-billion remediation effort begun in 1996 will turn most of the arsenal into a national wildlife refuge. 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. 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. A similar shock, magnitude 4.1, centered in the Denver area November 15. 2007The EPA honors the RMA with its national Land Revitalization Award. The Colorado School of Mines rated this shock magnitude 5.0. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act was passed in October 1992 and signed by President George H. W. Bush. 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. 1941Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters World War II. 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. Some waste disposal pits presented short-term hazards sufficient to preclude their excavation. To read the report, click here. So theres a huge downside to converting it into a wildlife refuge, because it allows residual contamination to remain in place, said Jeff Edson, a former Colorado state health official who worked on the cleanup. Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. (1 of 9) SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. 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. 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 Department of Public Health and Environment established monitoring systems throughout various locations of the RMA. The cleanup of the refuge's 15,000 acres was completed in 2010. (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. 1992Congress passes the 1992 Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act, which designates the site as a future national wildlife refuge. 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. All manufacturing activities ended in 1982. Only one, on July 15, caused minor damage at Commerce City. Now a majority are voluntarily adopting them. How? A local shock awakened a few persons in Commerce City November 25. 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. 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. This legacy, they say, requires restrictions on where visitors can go and obligates the government to monitor the sites for perhaps centuries. 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. 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