Several were felt, but none caused damage until the window breaker that surprised Dupont and Irondale on the night of December 4. 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. 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. SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. The Army discontinued use of the well in Feb. 1966 because of the possibility that the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the area. Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? Kirk Mitchell is a general assignment reporter at The Denver Post who focuses on criminal justice stories. 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. 24,590 were here. Researchers have not examined the health risks to wildlife at the cleaned-up refuges as extensively as the potential danger to humans, but few problems have been reported. 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. Since then, the US Army started to operate the site. 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. 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. Official websites use .gov 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. 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. 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. A lot of the environmental stories are kind of doomy and gloomy, and these are successful ones, something positive, he said. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? 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. 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 CDPHE issued the Army a notice of non-compliance, claiming its containment and treatment measures were not working. RMA is also one of the few sites that had a stockpile of Sarin gas (aka nerve agent GB), an organophosphorus compound. 1942The U.S. Army establishes the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to produce chemical weapons as a war-time deterrent. By the end of December 1962, 190 earthquakes had occurred. 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 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. 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. Spills occurred in the central processing areas, storage areas, and out of chemical sewers that existed underground. Heavy volatile contaminants related to Basin F raised concern among the public for the site and the process of the clean-up itself of the Arsenal and a medical monitoring program (MMP) was put in place as part of the Record of Decision (ROD) between the U.S. Army, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment in 1996. Located just north of Denver, in Commerce City and close to the Stapleton Airport, the U.S. Army purchased 20,000 acres (81km2). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In 1992, Congress designated the sites as a wildlife refuge. Contaminated areas of soil remain in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, but are contained in basins and containment structures.[11]. Is there a risk of cancer related to Rocky Flats contamination? [citation needed]. CDPHE is asking the federal court to compel the Army to install or modify the existing treatment system to effectively prevent pollutants from contaminating groundwater, the lawsuit says. The magnitude 5.2 event caused widespread minor damage in the suburban areas of northeast Denver. 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. (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. Rated magnitude 1.5, it was not strong enough to be felt by area residents. 1943From 1943 to 1946, the Rose Hill Prisoners of War Camp houses captured German soldiers at the RMA. The U.S. Army later reactivated Arsenal facilities for Cold-War weapons production and demilitarization. All field work should be completed in March 2023. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Since 1985, the mission at RMA has been the remediation of the site. The refuge is currently open from sunrise to sunset. 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. [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. After the war, it became a bustling center of industrial. CERCLA was a tax imposed on chemical and petroleum industries. Many homeowners reported wall, ceiling, floor, patio, sidewalk, and foundation cracks. 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. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Coinciding with these activities, from 1946 to 1982, the Army leased RMA facilities to private industries for the production of pesticides. The shock shuffled furniture around in homes, and left electrical wall outlets hanging by their wires at Irondale. An official website of the United States government, Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. During 1968, ten slight shocks were felt in Colorado. The contaminated soils cleanup phase of the process was completed in 2010. Soon after, Congress enacted legislation designating the RMA as a future national wildlife refuge. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal manufactured chemical weapons including mustard gas, napalm, white phosphorus, lewisite, chlorine gas, and sarin. 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. independent local journalism in Denver. It was estimated by the U.S. It cited seven violations. And the biggest bills have yet to be paid. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. 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. After 42 years of chemical manufacturing, in 1984, the United States Army began to inspect the level of contamination at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA). Due to the early completion of this program, the Army realized a savings of 300,000 dollars. This new publication offers highlights from the past year, along with news about upcoming projects scheduled for 2022. 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. 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. 1995-1996Following extensive community input, the Off-Post and On-Post Records of Decision (ROD) are signed. Birth defects included in the analysis were: "total congenital anomalies, major congenital anomalies, heart defects, muscle and skeletal defects, and kidney and bladder defects," and these categories were inconsistent in reporting accuracy. Today, it is considered a hazardous waste site according to the Colorado Department of Public and Environmental Health. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? A local shock awakened a few persons in Commerce City November 25. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. The second largest earthquake in the Denver series occurred on November 26, 1967. 1941Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters World War II. Residents were generally shaken, but no damage was sustained. Damage on a lesser scale occurred throughout the area. Keeping our congressional leaders . Its latest plan calls for waiting 20 years in hopes that better, less expensive technology emerges or the unexploded shells degrade to a safe level. 6:54AM. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Shell Oil for failure to obtain a proper-post closure permit for Basin F, a section of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Current Basin F liquid consists of very salty water that includes some metals, chlorides, wastewater and toxic organics. Exchanging animals among smaller herds. Another strong shock rumbled through the Denver area on November 14, 1966, causing some damage at Commerce City and Eastlake. [20] In the case of Rocky Mountain Arsenal, total indirect cost was not estimated at all. An official website of the United States government. The U.S. Army and Shell conducted the $2.1 billion environmental cleanup of the site in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Tri-County Health Department. The following data were derived from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "They have a very distinctive emerald green eye shine. MORE: Federal prosecutors say they cant find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant. Three shocks in 1965 -- February 16, September 29, and November 20 -- caused intensity VI damage in Commerce City and environs. Vote in our annual food bracket challenge. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA), a few miles northeast of Denver, was originally constructed and operated by the Chemical Corps of the United States Army. 1999The RMA becomes the first environmental cleanup site in the nation to receive the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) highest workplace safety award. 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. 1962Treated liquid waste is injected into a deep well located more than 12,000 feet below the ground surface. The animals were transferred from the National Bison Range in Montana. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, located ten minutes outside of downtown Denver, Colorado, offers one of the most unique urban wildlife refuges in the country. 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. 1969Powered by rocket fuel propellant manufactured at the RMA, Apollo 11 lands on the moon. 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. 1992Congress passes the 1992 Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act, which designates the site as a future national wildlife refuge. If you have additional questions, please call 303.289.0300. 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. Join the Westword community and help support [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. 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. Boulder sustained minor damage to walls and acoustical tile ceilings on April 27, 1967, as result of a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. 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. Groundwater is also pumped and treated at the site. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is 15,000 acres and features three lakes that are home to over 300 species of wildlife. Fish and Wildlife's Rocky Mountain Arsenal website. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Kauffman violated state order to stop selling its oil and gas, Colorados air pollution permitting process for oil and gas, other industries may get a lot stricter, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Madison, the Fish and Wildlife Service historian, said the refuges are salvaging something valuable from ecological devastation. The On-Post Record of Decision was signed in June 1996 and describes the cleanup plan for soils, groundwater and structures within the approximately 27-square-mile on-post Operable Unit. Share Them by March 3. 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 Arsenal also played a role in Americas space exploration by manufacturing the rocket fuel used to power the Apollo 11 flights. Fish and Wildlife Service, Walter Derr, The Associated Press. More than 600 chemicals have been used or manufactured at the arsenal, including: Diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP), a chemical unique to the Army's manufacture of nerve gas. They would be worse if they were surrounded by a fence and left off-limits for decades and decades, said David Havlick, a professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who studies military-to-wildlife conversions. The program consisted of four tests between September 3 and October 26. In September 2017, the state of Colorado filed a lawsuit to sue the United States government for the right to control the contaminated areas of the RMA. Now a majority are voluntarily adopting them. Most handled conventional weapons, not nuclear or chemical. 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. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, among other post-military sites, was a top priority, establishing RMA as a superfund site. (1 of 9) SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a manufacturing center of United States chemical weapons, is located in Commerce City, Colorado. The primary contaminants include organochloride pesticides, organophosphate pesticides, carbamate insecticides, organic solvents and feedstock chemicals used as raw products or intermediates in the manufacturing process (e.g., chlorinated benzenes), heavy metals, chemical warfare material and their related breakdown products and biological warfare agent such as TX. 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. By year end, the United States has out-produced the Axis . EPA and the State concurred with the approach. Starting in 1942, the U.S. Army used the 27-mile site for the manufacture, assembly, and disposal . 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. State and federal officials say its safe, but skeptical activists filed a lawsuit saying the federal government didnt test the refuge carefully enough. (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. North of the former Stapleton Airport and west of Denver International Airport, Adams County. 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. In 1975, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ordered the Army and Shell to stop the non-permitted discharge of contaminants, to control the contaminated groundwater leaving the site, and to implement a monitoring plan. 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. Over 1,300 earthquakes were recorded at Bergen Park between January 1963 and August 9, 1967. Roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Denver, the arsenal was once an environmental nightmare where chemical weapons and commercial pesticides were made. For testing purposes, the well was injected with approximately 568,000 gallons of city water prior to injecting any waste. Many residents reported it was the strongest earthquake they had ever experienced. The U.S. 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. Another group asked the courts to release documents from a 27-year-old criminal investigation into the weapons plant, hoping they will show whether the government tracked down and cleaned up all the contamination. 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. They have been left in place to excavate, so they have been left in place. Both the landfills and the covers are built to prevent intrusion by humans or animals, and also to prevent further contamination to the groundwater. At Commerce City merchandise fell in several supermarkets and walls cracked in larger buildings. Fish and Wildlife Service, bringing the total to 15,000 acres (61km2). Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2004, in part, to protect our national symbol, the bald eagle. This new publication offers highlights from the past year, along with news about upcoming projects scheduled for 2022. 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. Photos source: US Fish and Wildlife Service Thousands of ducks died after coming in contact with its wastewater ponds in the 1950s. The Energy Department told the state it has no current plans to change the classification. For testing purposes, the well was injected with approximately 568,000 US gallons (2150 m) of city water prior to injecting any waste. The Surveillance for Birth Defects utilized passive observational data from an existing birth defects registry March 1989 March 2009. Last Conditions Report for Rocky Mountain Arsenal: 11.15.21. 1943RMA employees work around the clock to manufacture mustard gas, Lewisite, chlorine gas and incendiary weapons. Montbello is located to the south of the RMA, and Commerce City to the west. Theyre not going to want to be in a place with chemical pollution or radiation problems., Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com 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. Just watch where you step. Two early morning shocks occurred November 14. The contamination of the underlying alluvial aquifer occurred due to the discharge of waste into unlined basins. The Army is still struggling with cleaning up Jefferson Proving Ground in southeastern Indiana, part of which becameBig Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. 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.. August 24, 2011 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 17,000-acre site is 10 miles northeast of Denver. 1987The EPA places the RMA on the National Priorities (or Superfund) List. In September 2010, the cleanup was considered complete, and the remaining portions of land were transferred to the U.S. Colorado health officials contendthat Shells trenches and slurry walls have not prevented pesticides and other dangerous chemicals from leaching into the groundwater. 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