A former academic, writer, devotee of nonviolence, and founder of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, LeRoy Moore, PhD, worked successfully with others to end production at the Rocky Flats nuclear bomb factory near Denver, then sought the best possible cleanup of the plant’s highly contaminated site, only to be disappointed when the government agencies approved a cheaper, less responsible outcome. He served on various oversight bodies related to Rocky Flats and for several years was a member of two committees of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. He seeks the implementation of Nuclear Guardianship at Rocky Flats. From 1980 until he retired in 1996, he taught courses on nonviolent social change at the University of Colorado. A father and a grandfather, he resides in Boulder.
Thank you for your serious attempt to create the first nuclear guardianship site.
Hi LeRoy,
I am a student of Niels Schonbeck and have been attending the nuclear guardianship lectures. I subscribe in the Denver Post and I noticed sudden action on the Jefferson Parkway issue and it sounds like they are moving forward quickly. They are meeting about it one the Chernobyl anniversary! (Maybe they are doing it on that day in hopes that none of us will be in aatendance due to the event on the West Capitol steps in downtown Denver at 4 pm on the same day).
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_17886756?source=bb
There is a public comment session at the Boulder County Commission meeting on Tuesday. Would you happen to know if RMPJC is planning to show a presence at the meeting in Boulder to voice opposition?
They sure are sneaky.
Thank you for all that you do! I read your article about the Northwest Parkway toll road, and I am in for the fight.
Former U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine officer here, who once served as chief engineer. Just wanted to offer my congratulations and encouragement for your sense of integrity and purpose regarding permanent nuclear guardianship status for Rocky Flats’ most affected areas.
Frankly, I’m nothing less than appalled at the U.S. government’s obviously too-casual and too-cheap response to their-made-our plutonium contamination problem. Physics dictates that this must continue to be in place throughout the area, including Denver.
People can’t grasp a 24,000-year half-life unassisted, but the fact remains that in the year 24,969 only *half* of the contamination from the 1969 fire at Rocky Flats — and spread throughout the Greater Denver area, especially northwest — will have naturally decayed.
This is a very serious situation that requires serious minds, and we can only hope that it will be addressed more properly in the future by way of a cleanup of the entire area — as “cost prohibitive” as that may be. Short of that, banning human access to the areas most affected is the only thing that makes sense, even if a permanent ban is required. Well done on putting your shoulder to the wheel to help see this through.
Thank you, Mark Hughes, for this supportive and encouraging comment. I intend to share your remarks when I give a talk in a few days to the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, an oversight body funded by the DOE, the only such body in existence now. For more on what we’re engaged in here, you might want to look at our web site at http://www.rockyflatsnuclearguardianship.org/
Best, LeRoy Moore
Hi, Leroy, I am so glad I found this website and I will be going to your link posted above to your Rocky Flats Nuclear Guardianship site. I lived in Denver for 36 years where lung cancer deaths were rampant amongst our non-smoking neighbors in Cherry Hills (south Denver area). I have been studying Chernobyl and that led to reading about plutonium, hence I am just beginning my research of Rocky Flats and Hanford Nuclear Power Plant which is just across the Columbia River where I now live in Portland, OR. Hanford produced tons of plutonium up until approximately 1989 and is one of the most contaminated places on earth. I, too, am a lung cancer patient. They caught the first nodule in time, removed the upper lobe of my right lung and now I have another nodule growing in my lower right lung. My cancer is non-smoker’s cancer and I guess that may play a part in my research on how contaminated our earth is thanks to weapons technologies. Thank you to Gail Dubas for posting the link to the Denver Post article on the Jefferson Parkway Toll Road issue. I can’t believe people would want to disturb plutonium contaminated earth after only 40+ years. Great! So, with the high winds Denver & Boulder sometimes have, that dust would fly in any direction possible, contaminating everything it touches. Sorry this post was so long and, again, I thank you for your efforts of guardianship of Rocky Flats. I wish there were more people like you.
Hello Vicki:
Thank you for your message. I’m sorry to hear about your non-smoker’s lung cancer. Cherry Hills is far from Rocky Flats but not too far for plutonium released from Rocky Flats to travel. I’m also familiar with the Hanford site; much of the plutonium processed at Rocky Flats originated at Hanford. Some also came from the Savannah River Plant in SC. I’m reading your message as a pause from an article on plutonium I’m right now writing. When it’s published I’ll post it to this blog.
By the way, I’ve been thinking lately that we should compile a directory of people who think physical ailments (cancer or otherwise) they or others have experienced may be due to exposure to plutonium or other toxins released from Rocky Flats. Would you be interested in such a project?
Good wishes to you.
Hello LeRoy…
Would like your opinion on a question about Rocky Flats…
Many entities, some with good intentions some without, have heralded the “land bridge” that section 16 creates for allowing migration onto and off of the RFWR. Is it, really, a good idea to encourage “easy migration” between wildlife living on Rocky Flats and the rest of the “food chain” ?
Hello Harry:
In and of itself the land bridge, as it gets called, is not a bad idea, because wildlife already go back and forth between the Rocky Flats site and the open space along the base of the mountains not far to the west. In fact, when the plant was in production wildlife went back and forth. This of course means mainly large creatures like deer and elk and probably some bears, as well as coyotes and mountain lions. They have to cross Highway 93, but they cross roads busier than 93 a lot.
What’s not good about the Section 16 land bridge is that for Fish & Wildlife Service to get this property they have to release a 300 foot wide strip of land down the eastern boundary of the RF site for construction of the Jefferson Parkway. There are many reasons why this privately financed toll road should not be built, but chief among them is that the Rocky Flats land on which the road would be built is contaminated with plutonium.
I don’t know where you live, but the City Council in Boulder, where I live, dropped its long-term opposition to what is now called the Jefferson Parkway as part of the deal to get Section 16 transferred to FWS. The gain for Boulder is that this means Section 16 cannot possibly be developed and thus that development that Boulder does not want along Hwy 93 will not happen.
Hi LeRoy,
We just moved here from Tucson and have been looking at houses in the Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and Arvada area as I work in Golden and Boulder. I discovered your work yesterday after visiting Arvada and our realtor suggesting I should look into the Rocky Flats contamination history before we should consider Arvada too seriously. I read your essay, “DEMOCRACY AND PUBLIC HEALTH AT ROCKY FLATS:
THE EXAMPLES OF EDWARD A. MARTELL AND CARL J. JOHNSON”
I also read the two LA TImes Magazine articles by Barry Siegel in August 1993
Very interesting and disturbing but of course not surprising given the various interests involved.
I just this morning read your Feb 4, 2012 article in The Blue LIne summarizing the recent measurements along Indiana St.
Here’s the point I wanted to make.
Looking at those measurements, the highest P239 readings of 1579 pCi/Kg were at site 5S. This reading is 10 times higher than the reading at 23S just to the north and 6 times higher than the reading at 10S at Indiana and 86th parkway.
My concern is that the fact that this higher reading is also the measurement closest to the Candelas development indicates that the Candelas development is exposing Plutonium into the air
Was this high reading of 1579 pCi/Kg unusually high compared to the others as it appears to be?
Was this a surface sample or was this a measurement at depth? If it was a surface sample, that would be consistent with and indicative of the plutonium enhanced dust being kicked up by the development activity there at the Candelas (which is not good given that airborne dust is the way to get this into the human system and “cook” until it produces cancer).
Thanks,
Rob
Hello Rob Kursinski:
Thanks for your comment. I’ve been out of town, returned last night, so am just now on Sat, Mar 31, seeing your message.
Your observations about the samples are quite perceptive. These samples were collected in September 2011. Sample 5S was collected to a depth of 6 inches. Perhaps more important than the depth is the fact that beginning the middle of the previous June movement of earth with bulldozers had taken place in a large swath of the Candelas development in the immediate vicinity of where sample 5S was collected. I was at that location on June 17, a very windy day, and the air was filled with clouds of blowing dust. I think it fair to assume that the Candelas activity had released plutonium-bearing dust that could then be readily picked up by the wind.
You say you read my paper about Martell and Johnson. Perhaps you recall the discussion in that paper of how the State of Colorado established an essentially meaningless standard for plutonium in soil at off-site locations, such as Candelas. The most that the state might do with a development like Candelas, if the state got involved at all, would be to require that plutonium found in surface soil be plowed under.
Best, LeRoy
Leroy,
My family and I were just out in the boulder and jefco area evaluating places to live in conjunction with a planned job change – coming to the area from New England. We happily found a few areas we love – one on the north slope of table Mesa and the other south of 82nd and west of Indiana. We chose this area over Broomfield and Erie for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it’s so much closer to Summit County. However, upon our return home, our research lead us to finally understand why there was “nothing” between our hotel at flat irons and this residential area (save for some new development occurring which seems to be called candelas).
I’ve read your answer to smeone’s question about living in the “plum zone” and I sense your unease with that (specially Superior). What wold luntell family that wanted to move to the region, planned to work in boulde and didn’t want to be north of boulder? Would you be comfortable with them in the areas I mentioned above? If not, where would you recommend they look to move?.
Hello Leigh:
These questions about where to live are always vexing. Contamination from Rocky Flats should, in my view, be avoided, because it’s primarily with easily airborne particles of plutonium that are too small to see but not to small to do harm is taken into the body. Plutonium has a 24,110 year half-life, which means that after this long, the material will still be half as radioactive as it it now, and so on. This means that from a human perspective this material left in the environment (as knowingly happened at Rocky Flats) poses an essentially permanent hazard. So I’d want to avoid areas known to be contaminated with plutonium. Atomic Energy Commission scientists P. W. Krey and E. P. Hardy mapped the contaminated area near Rocky Flats in 1970. A link to their map is on this blog. Take a look at it. I’d want to avoid the area they show to be contaminated. Most of Superior does not fall in the more contaminated zone. And there are plenty of areas both north and south of the more contaminated area that would be better with respect to contamination from Rocky Flats.
Good wishes in your choice for a place to live.
LeRoy
Thank you LeRoy. One follow up question…..and I assume I know the answer. Is there no updated map since 1970? With the amount of construction, land disturbance, natural erosion and such one would think the map looks different today, and it seems as if no public or private entity has updated this data….what a shame. This whole situation is a reflection of almost all that’s bad with aspects of the world we live in, and it’s a shame no public leader has the “balls” to fight for transparency so that at least all involved parties can work in a long term solution vs. worrying about liability and consequences.
Hello Leigh:
No similar map has been produced by anyone else, though the Krey and Hardy map was used to define the “class area” for a class action lawsuit (Coo, v. Rockwell International Corp.) brought on behalf of people living in the area shown by Krey and Hardy to be contaminated with plutonium released from Rocky Flats. This case was won in a jury trial in Denver federal court in 2005, with a verdict that ultimately totaled almost $1 billion. The verdict was reversed on appeal and is now on file with the Supreme Court.
In addition, in Sept 2011 an independent scientist, Marco Kaltofen of the Boston Chemical Data Corp., collected soil samples along the eastern edge of the Rocky Flats site and examined the for plutonium content. He showed that the levels of plutonium in the surface soil now are roughly equivalent to the levels found by Krey and Hardy in 1970. An article summarizing his work appears on this blog.
Best, LeRoy
Greetings Leroy,
I just finished Kristin Iversen’s book and found it incredibly upsetting. I currently live in gunbarrel and moved to the area over 20 years ago. The issue of Rocky Flats has faded away from the public consciousness compared to the late 80s and I would guess that over 50% of Colorado residents have no awareness of it. I applaud your efforts despite the apathy and ignorance of the public and the deliberate attempts of government officials, and vested interests to cover up the facts.
It seems clear that the site is still a threat to public health. What do you think should be done at this point given that there is contamination in existing neighborhoods, as well as on land slated for development? Were the health risks known this could have serious implications for the NW metro area and I’m sure the chambers of commerce types would love it for people such as yourself and Iversen to shut up.
Once again thank you for your wonderful work, Doug
Hello Doug:
Thanks for this note. Kristen Iversen’s book is certainly a huge contribution to alerting people to the conditions at Rocky Flats. Right now we face two big problems, first, stopping construction of the proposed Jefferson Parkway, a privately financed toll highway, along the eastern, most contaminated edge of the Rocky Flats site. Second, we need to keep the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge from being opened for public recreation. The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center’s Rocky Flats Nuclear Guardianship program is addressing both these issues, and we could certainly use your participation and support. To learn more about this work, other than my blog, go to http://www.RockyFlatsNuclearGuardiahship.org.
Good wishes, LeRoy
I’m looking for an article that appeared in Redbook in (I think) 1971, “The Great Nuclear Debate.” A close friend lived near Denver and gave birth to a severely disabled child. I’ve been very interested in more info about Rocky Flats since reading the article and my friend’s child has increased my research. Thank you.
Roxanne Kearns: I’m not familiar with the article you mention, would certainly like to see it if you locate it. I wonder if Kristen Iversen knows of it. I’ll send her a note.
LeRoy
I found an article that may be referring to Roxanne Kearns’ search for “The Great Nuclear Debate” in Time Magazine, dated Monday, Dec. 08, 1975 and entitled “Environment: The Great Nuclear Debate”, but you need a paid subscription to read the entire article. I hope this helps. Take care, Vicki T.
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” – Helen Keller
Thanks. I hope this proves helpful to Roxanne. When I searched for the article she wanted on Google, I was surprised how many articles with this title, “The Great Nuclear Debate,” showed up. The debate, which was incredibly vociferous in the 1980s, especially after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, goes on and on. It does appear now that there’s really no “renaissance” of nuclear power, though some countries are moving ahead (most notably China) with new reactors. Efforts in the U.S. haven’t disappeared, but are moving at a snails pace — no rush to build reactors. The bigger problem continues to be weapons, with the haves not wanting the have-nots to get them, yet doing very little to meet their obligations under Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Article VI obligation to take concrete steps to abolish nuclear weapons by setting a positive example of disarmament and abolition.
Hi Dr. Moore,
I read Kristen Iversen’s brave book this summer and and recently moved to Lakewood (south of 6th Avenue, off Kipling). Somehow this is the first I’ve heard about Rocky Flats (which is incredible since I grew up in Bailey) and I am just wondering how safe it is to live in Lakewood or in other parts of Denver for that matter. Obviously northwestern Denver seems dicey. But are there any “safe” places in the Denver Metro area in general? I just want to get as much information as possible before I make any significant changes in my life.
Thank you so much for your work with this.
Celsea
Hello Celsea:
Thanks for your message. Kristen Iversen’s book is exceptional. I’m glad you read it. Living in Lakewood south of 6th Ave means you’re well outside the area contaminated by plutonium and other toxins released from Rocky Flats. Somewhere on this blog I have a link to a map of the area off the Rocky Flats site contaminated with plutonium. It shows that you live in the non-contaminated area.
Best, LeRoy Moore
Hi Leroy,
One more question for you: (and thank you for taking the time to write about this) one of reasons Iversen’s book piqued my interest is because I had recently spent five weeks at the end of 2012′s very dry summer house sitting for a friend near Rocky Flats (about three blocks west of Wadsworth and just south of 100th street) where I did a lot of gardening, yard work, dog walking and commuting by bus to my job in Denver. It seems silly to worry about my short stay up there when people have been living there for years, but after seeing a few maps of contamination (thanks for directing me to those) I am concerned about the possibility of plutonium ingestion.
In addition, I do a lot of house sitting and I carry all of my belongings with me in my car (I had everything up with me in Westminster as well) and I wanted to know if you knew of any best practices to prevent contamination to other areas of the state or the country (or the world) as I visit, travel, work and continue to house sit. I have thrown away a lot of stuff (which I needed to do anyway
and washed everything, but I have no idea if I’m doing my best to prevent further exposure to my current living spaces, family and friends and community.
There may not be an answer to this (and again, I know people affected by Rocky Flats are dealing with much more dire difficulties), but it helps my peace of mind to ask. Thank you again for all of your work here.
Celsea