The Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is the only National Wildlife Refuge on the site of a former nuclear weapons plant. Keeping the Rocky Flats Refuge closed to the public means visitors to the Refuge will not be exposed to highly toxic radioactive plutonium.
Why is this important?
After completion of the Superfund cleanup of the Rocky Flats industrial area, the Department of Energy transferred about 7 square miles of land to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to operate as a Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge surrounds 2 square miles of land that are still on the Superfund list of the most contaminated places in the country. Highly toxic radioactive plutonium in the environment of this Superfund site will make its way onto the Refuge where it can be readily inhaled, the worst way to be exposed to plutonium. FWS is now curtailing activities at Refuges in western states due to lack of funds. By keeping the Rocky Flats Refuge closed to the public, FWS can prevent harm from exposure to plutonium and also save money .
