Rocky Flats

Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant (Rocky Flats) in Jefferson County, Colorado, was a nuclear weapons production site. From 1952 to 1989, Rockwell International produced plutonium triggers for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for nuclear weapons. After its cleanup in 2006 (scheduled), the site will be designated a National Wildlife Refuge. Rocky Flats has been controversial regarding issues such as regulation, government oversight, community involvement, use of risk-based analyses, cleanup standards, and disposal of radioactive waste.

Operations were on a 384-acre portion of the 10-square-mile site, 10 miles northwest of Denver. Community groups expressed concerns over contamination and lack of oversight by the DOE. Major sources of contamination on- and off-site were two fires (1957, 1969), an accidental release of plutonium into the air in 1974, leakage of metal-laden oil from barrels stored outside since 1958, and a chromic acid spill in 1989. The use of corrosive and radioactive materials, storage of hazardous and radioactive wastes, and spraying wastewater resulted in contamination on- and off-site. Additional problems included safety issues, decreased staffing, breakdown of controls in the radiation compliance programs, and organizational independence.

Following an FBI raid in 1989, Rockwell settled out of court in 1992 admitting to environmental crimes and paid an $18.5 million fine, the largest environmental penalty ever imposed at that time. In 1989, EG&G Technical Services became the prime contractor for the site. EG&G planned to resume production but stopped due to performance problems. In 1993, the DOE revealed that the site had at least 14 tons of plutonium, 7 tons of enriched uranium, 281 tons of depleted uranium, 65 tons of beryllium, and large amounts of other toxic chemicals. Surface soils had high concentrations of plutonium-239, estimated at almost 380 times the background concentration, or level naturally or previously occurring, and a significant inhalation hazard. Although conclusive evidence of health problems in the community due to exposure is not available, community groups and health studies emphasize the potential risks from accidental releases and continual operations. Studies of the workers' health continue; to date elevated risk of disease and chromosome damage related to radiation exposure has been seen in some plant workers.

The DOE initially estimated that the cleanup would take 70 years and $36.6 billion. A joint venture of Kaiser Engineers and CH2M Hill (environmental and engineering firms), Kaiser-Hill proposed a cleanup that would take 7 years costing $6 billion. Citizen groups called the latter plan a “dirty closure” as it would leave elevated levels of plutonium in the soil and groundwater, and the contaminated building would be buried. When Kaiser-Hill and DOE agreed to a 7-year plan costing $7 billion, community groups were angered over the lack of citizens' input. Debate involved several stakeholders, including DOEsponsored organizations and grassroots organizations.

By designating the end use of Rocky Flats as a National Wildlife Refuge, the DOE tailored remediation goals to meet less stringent legal requirements, since the risk standard is based on the “maximally exposed individual” on the future site—a wildlife refuge worker. By using a risk-based end state, costs were lower than if the land was to be cleaned up to background concentrations.

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