Posted inEnvironment, Health, News

New tests find lower radioactivity at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge

By Dan Elliott, The Associated Press A new round of soil testing near a former nuclear weapons plant outside Denver found no radioactivity above the cleanup standard for the site with a history of environmental violations, U.S. officials said Friday. The Fish and Wildlife Service released the results of tests on 48 soil samples from […]

Posted inEnvironment, News

Plutonium found in Rocky Flats soil near Denver, though 2nd test shows lower level

By Dan Elliott, The Associated Press Elevated levels of plutonium were found in the soil near a former nuclear weapons plant outside Denver, while a second test showed far lower levels, health officials said Tuesday. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said it is trying to sort out the conflicting results of tests […]

Posted inEnvironment, News

Wildlife roam where U.S. once made nuclear and chemical arms, like at Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Rocky Flats

By Dan Elliott, The Associated Press 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. An astonishing array of animals and habitats flourished on six obsolete weapons complexes — mostly […]

Posted inCrime and Courts, Environment, News

Federal prosecutors say they can’t find files on investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear arms plant

By Dan Elliott, The Associated Press The U.S. Department of Justice has lost track of more than 60 boxes of documents from a 27-year-old criminal investigation into safety and environmental violations at a former nuclear weapons plant in Colorado, officials said Tuesday. The files were gathered in a two-year grand jury probe of the Rocky […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: 10 things Colorado lawmakers should prioritize to be forward thinking on fracking

Colorado is poised to build a globally competitive clean energy economy that protects our quality of life and magnificent open spaces. Newly seated Gov. Jared Polis ran on a platform committing to an equitable transition to a clean energy economy. A booming oil and gas industry once largely confined to rural Weld County on the […]

Posted inCrime and Courts, News

Activists want details on 27-year-old criminal investigation into Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant

By Dan Elliot, The Associated Press Activists asked a U.S. judge Thursday to make documents public from a 27-year-old criminal investigation into a former nuclear weapons plant outside Denver with a history of fires, leaks and spills. The activists said the documents could show whether the federal government did enough to clean up the site before […]

Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Growth, News, Politics and Government

Superior weighs drilling moratorium, open space purchase to stop U.K. company’s Rocky Flats plan

Superior’s board of trustees, searching for a way to block a proposed plan to drill 31 wells in the community, edged toward a six-month drilling moratorium and purchasing the drill site for public open space at a meeting Monday night. “We are unified in our opposition to this,” Mayor Clint Folsom said at the work […]

Posted inEnvironment, Opinion, Opinion Columns

EPA regional chief Doug Benevento: Trust-but-verify technique proves Rocky Flats is ready for the public

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month opened to hundreds of visitors who came to enjoy the spectacular scenery, wildlife, and recreational opportunities the site offers. The transformation of this property is a marvel and an achievement to be celebrated. The refuge is located on lands that once surrounded the Rocky Flats industrial plant, […]