Soldiers test-fired millions of artillery rounds at the proving ground, some made of depleted uranium. An official website of the United States government, Archives: Project Descriptions / Fact Sheets, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The site was placed in 1987 on the EPAs National Priorities List, which is also known as the Superfund list. [citation needed]. It was also helpful that the location was close to Stapleton airfield, a major transportation hub.[5]. 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. Madison, the Fish and Wildlife Service historian, said the refuges are salvaging something valuable from ecological devastation. In 2004, 5000 acres along the perimeter of the site were deleted from the National Priorities List of Superfund sites to establish the National Wildlife Refuge. However, the Army estimates that the waste was a more dilute version of the Basin F liquid which is now being incinerated. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was placed on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites in July 1987. Since its establishment in 1942, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) has played a unique role in the service of our nation. 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. 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 . 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. SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. 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. Three shocks in 1965 -- February 16, September 29, and November 20 -- caused intensity VI damage in Commerce City and environs. For testing purposes, the well was injected with approximately 568,000 US gallons (2150 m) of city water prior to injecting any waste. "They have a very distinctive emerald green eye shine. The Surveillance for Birth Defects utilized passive observational data from an existing birth defects registry March 1989 March 2009. Slighter rumblings (below magnitude 3.0) occurred throughout the remainder of 1966, and through the first week of April 1967. This new publication offers highlights from the past year, along with news about upcoming projects scheduled for 2022. Mallard carcasses found to have higher levels of Dieldrin. That said, it would be better if they were cleaned up more thoroughly.. 1962Treated liquid waste is injected into a deep well located more than 12,000 feet below the ground surface. 1995-1996Following extensive community input, the Off-Post and On-Post Records of Decision (ROD) are signed. 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. 24,590 were here. State and federal officials say its safe, but skeptical activists filed a lawsuit saying the federal government didnt test the refuge carefully enough. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army will retain areas where hazardous wastes are managed, such as the landfill and soil covers. (1 of 9), SITE HISTORY - Rocky Mountain Arsenal was listed on the NPL in 1987. 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. 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. Spills occurred in the central processing areas, storage areas, and out of chemical sewers that existed underground. The perfect trail for those who like to enjoy nature from the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicle with a latte in hand. In September 2010, the cleanup was considered complete, and the remaining portions of land were transferred to the U.S. Recent tests have confirmed that the contamination continues to this day, it says. It was an inexpensive way to expand the national refuge system, especially in urban areas with scarce open space, said Mark Madison, the Fish and Wildlife Services historian. As provided by CERCLA, a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was conducted to determine the extent of contamination. Photo source: Dave Showalter Eating fish and game from the refuge is forbidden. The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), a list of the most contaminated areas in the United States. In 1987, the RMA was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. independent local journalism in Denver. Minor damage, in the form of broken windows and dishes and cracked walls and plaster, occurred at Aguilar, Segundo, Trinchera, and Trinidad. August 24, 2011 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. It cited seven violations. The history of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge stretches back more than 60 years. 1941Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters World War II. 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. Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver In the early 1960s, the U.S. Army began to lease out its facilities to private companies to manufacture pesticides. 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. Early 1980sAll production at the RMA ceases, and the mission shifts to environmental remediation and restoration. 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. In September 2017, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sued the U.S. Army, U.S. Share Them by March 3. A 14-year, $2-billion remediation effort begun in 1996 will turn most of the arsenal into a national wildlife refuge. It was estimated by the U.S. For example, DIMP (diisopropyl methyl phosphonate) was one of the main contaminants in the area. [13], As part of the clean up of the RMA, much of the soil, up to 10 feet below the surface was removed from the site. As cleanup progressed, the Army transferredmost of the land to the U.S. Boulder sustained minor damage to walls and acoustical tile ceilings on April 27, 1967, as result of a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. (8 of 9), "The Refuge and adjacent property represent a public-private partnership done right," said Mayor Sean Ford. 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. For questions about Refuge programs and conservation efforts, please contact the U.S. 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. 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. Kirk Mitchell is a general assignment reporter at The Denver Post who focuses on criminal justice stories. Conditions reports for this lake are available when logged in. 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. 1989The U.S. For testing purposes, the well was injected with approximately 568,000 gallons of city water prior to injecting any waste. The Army and Shell operated Basin F, a hazardous waste surface impoundment for the storage and treatment of liquid and solid hazardous wastes, but the facility leaked wastes into the environment after waste disposal ended in 1981, the lawsuit says. A lot of the environmental stories are kind of doomy and gloomy, and these are successful ones, something positive, he said. 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. Exchanging animals among smaller herds. 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). Located just north of Denver, in Commerce City and close to the Stapleton Airport, the U.S. Army purchased 20,000 acres (81km2). Fish and Wildlife Service andShell Oil Company. Photos source: US Fish and Wildlife Service [12] Though the cleanup of the site was considered complete in 2010, soil and groundwater monitoring practices occur every five years to ensure the effects of the clean-up remain. 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. The injected fluids had very little potential for reaching the surface or useable groundwater supply since the injection point had 11,900 feet of rock above it and was sealed at the opening. Damage on a lesser scale occurred throughout the area. CERCLA also gave the Federal government the authority to respond to the release of life-threatening hazardous materials.[2]. All surface work related to the environmental cleanup ended in 2010, one year ahead of schedule and within budget. 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. 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