Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mark Udall cheered the formal transfer of the last 2,500 acres of land at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from the U.S. Army. The transfer marks the end of major environmental cleanup work at the arsenal, a former chemical weapons and then commercial chemical manufacturing site that was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in 1987.
At a ceremony today, federal officials will celebrate the completion of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, which is now more than 15,000 acres. The final fieldwork related to the cleanup of the soil and structures will be finished this year – under budget and ahead of schedule.
“With today’s transfer, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal has truly been converted – it’s moved from weapons to wildlife,” Senator Udall said. “Because of its critically important activities in the defense of our nation, this area has been a secured facility and has thus become a safe haven for a multitude of wildlife species. And thanks to the collaborative effort of so many players, including the workers doing the cleanup and the wildlife officials protecting and enhancing habitat, the legacy of serious environmental harms has been addressed and a new era can begin in earnest.”
“We must remain vigilant in ensuring that the cleanup is effective and safe for the long-term – for those who visit this inspiring landscape, and for the surrounding communities,” Senator Udall continued. “But this accomplishment is a crowning recognition of the value and importance of our environment and how natural landscapes like this and the wildlife it contains can lift our spirits and help us to see that anything is possible.”
