IMMED N STAPLETON INTL ARPT
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) is nearly 27 square miles, roughly the size of Manhattan. RMA is located at the western edge of the Colorado plains, near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, ten miles northeast of downtown Denver, Colorado. Characterized by rolling terrain, grasslands, shrublands, wetlands and aquatic habitats, the site supports a variety of plant and wildlife species. To the west and northwest of the site sits Commerce City and the South Platte River. Newer residential developments and the town of Henderson are located to the north, and the neighborhoods of Montbello and Stapleton are to the south. The Denver International Airport is located just to the east. The U.S. Army established the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) in 1942 to produce incendiary munitions and chemical warfare agents such as mustard gas used in World War II. Following the war, and through the early 1980s, the Army continued to use these facilities. Private industry was also encouraged to lease facilities at RMA after the war to foster economic growth in the area, offset operational costs and maintain facilities for national security. Under the lease program, Julius Hyman and Company began producing pesticides in 1946. In 1952, Shell Chemical Company acquired Julius Hyman and Company and continued to produce agricultural pesticides on-site until 1982. These activities over time resulted in widespread and significant environmental contamination across the site. Contamination was detected in soil, ditches, stream and lakebed sediments, sewers, groundwater, surface water, biota, structures, and, to a much lesser extent, air. The most highly contaminated sites are concentrated in the central manufacturing, transport and waste disposal areas. The buffer zone along the boundaries or the site proved to be relatively uncontaminated. The principal contaminants included organochlorine pesticides, heavy metals, agent-degradation products and manufacturing by-products, and chlorinated and aromatic solvents. Some of the most highly contaminated sites included: Bald eagle pair Bald eagle pair roosting northeast of the former North Plant's sarin manufacturing facility, looking west with Mt. Evans in the background South Plants (Central Processing Area, Hex Pit, Buried M-1 Pits, Chemical Sewers): The South Plants complex was built and put into use immediately after RMA was established in 1942. From 1942 through 1945, The Army manufactured mustard and lewisite at South Plants. Mustard and lewisite-filled munitions, as well as bulk product, were stored in the nearby toxic storage yards. Portions of the South Plants manufacturing complex were leased to private industry following World War II, primarily for the production of pesticides. Two major lessees of facilities in South Plants were Julius Hyman and Company (1947-1952) and Shell Chemical Company (1952-1982). The South Tank Farm was constructed as part of the South Plants facility and included 11 storage tank locations that were used for chemical storage. North Plants: From 1950 to 1952, the Army designed and constructed the North Plants complex to manufacture the nerve agent GB, also called Sarin. One-ton containers of bulk GB and other nerve agent and filled-bombs were stored in the nearby toxic storage yards. Basins A and F: There are six former disposal basins at RMA. These basins provided for the disposal of contaminated liquid wastes from the chemical manufacturing operations at South Plants and North Plants. Basin A was originally developed as an unlined evaporative basin for disposal of liquid waste from the production of mustard and lewisite. Basins B, C, D, and E were used to hold overflow liquid wastes from preexisting basins. Use of Basin A for liquid disposal was discontinued in 1956 when chemical sewers were constructed to convey waste to Basin F. Basin F was an asphalt-lined evaporation basin constructed by the Army in 1956. Lime Basins: The former Lime Basins are three unlined basins, each approximately one acre in size, used to treat liquid waste and storm runoff from Army and Shell chemical manufacturing operations at South Plants from 1942 – 1957. Through 1943, wastewater from production of Lewisite was routinely treated with lime prior to discharge to the basins. The lime was used to precipitate metals and reduce arsenic concentration in the wastewater, resulting in a lime sludge that contained high levels of heavy metals, including arsenic. After Lewisite production ceased in November 1943, the Lime Basins continued to receive other liquid waste from South Plants from both Army and Shell production activities, including pesticide production wastewater. These wastes were transported through two chemical sewers that discharged into the south side of the basins. Wastewater from the Lime Basins was subsequently discharged to Basin A. Wastewater disposal to the Lime Basins ceased in January 1957 following the completion of the chemical sewer lines to Basin F. Complex Army and Shell Disposal Trenches: The Complex Army Trenches are located east of Basin A in central Section 36. The Complex Army Trenches were the primary solid waste disposal area for the Army from the early 1940s through the late 1960s. Those solid wastes included miscellaneous solid chemical waste and potentially contaminated tools and equipment, unwanted containers, rejected incendiaries, empty munitions casing, and rejected munitions. The Complex Army Trenches cover area encompasses approximately 91 acres. Also located in the central area of the site, the Shell Disposal Trenches were used for disposal of liquid and solid wastes associated with Shell insecticide and pesticide manufacturing from 1952 to 1966. The wastes were buried in bulk form and in drums.
26 |
People living within a 1 mile radius |
$62,261 |
Average Income |
12 |
Occupied homes |
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