Local oversight of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant in north Jefferson County soon will pass to a new organization as the facility is transformed into a wildlife refuge.
“This is a pivotal point in time for the whole site,” said Clark Johnson, an assistant to Arvada’s city manager.
Johnson, who is Arvada’s contact on Rocky Flats issues, said monitoring will change from ensuring safe cleanup and closure to long-term stewardship of the 6,000-acre site.
On Monday, the Arvada City Council approved disbanding the Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments, which was created in 1999 to advocate for the surrounding communities, and authorized an agreement to establish the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council.
The action is expected to be repeated among the other six governmental coalition members.
In December, contractor Kaiser-Hill Co. submitted paperwork to the U.S. Department of Energy announcing the $7 billion cleanup – begun in 1995 – was finished.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state health department still must verify whether Superfund cleanup standards have been met, a process that is expected to take until the end of this year.
“It has been a long road,” said David Abelson, executive director of the Rocky Flats coalition and who will assist in the transition. By March, the new group will begin monitoring such issues as ground and surface water, conversion into a wildlife refuge and “really expand who is paying attention” by passing expertise to the next generation.
Officials from Arvada, the city and county of Broomfield, Boulder County, the city of Boulder, Jefferson County, Superior and Westminster have served on the coalition.
The council will include the coalition representatives, plus an additional seat that will rotate between Northglenn and Golden and four community seats. Eight individuals and groups have applied for the community seats.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
