Nuclear Plant Turned Wildlife Refuge Set to Open in Colorado

Believe it or not, there used to be a nuclear weapons production facility 16 miles northwest of Denver in an area known as the Rocky Flats. In fact, it was so close to the city that there has been an ongoing debate regarding whether or not its presence has increased cancer rates in certain suburbs, leading to protests about the site until the early 2000s and a lawsuit over the potential danger. Experts claim that tests have determined the site poses no risk and the lawsuit was dismissed in September. That being said, naysayers still exist. Despite this debate, the internal trails of the area are set to open to the public this summer  according to an announcement by Fish and Wildlife Service refuge manager David Lucas.

In 2001, Congress passed the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Act, which led to a lot of the land once controlled by the Department of Energy to be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Surface in 2007. This meant that nearly 4,000 acres once home to a nuclear production plant (it’s been deactivated) became a site for preserving Colorado’s beauty.

After the official cleanup was completed in 2005, wildlife studies went into full swing, revealing over 600 different plants in the area, along with larger mammals such as elk. The terrain in the Rocky Flats is very diverse, made up of grasslands, wetlands, and shrublands.

Soon the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge will be open to visitors, with guests able to soak in amazing views of the 5,000-acre refuge on a sprawling trail system.

Some are still worried about plutonium contamination on the premise and those led the charge in the dismissed lawsuit are still thinking towards next steps.