The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) is a former chemical weapons manufacturing facility located northwest of Denver, Colorado. It was built in response to World War II. Today, Arsenal is managed as an endangered wildlife refuge. RMA was not only used for the production of chemical weapons but also as a weapon research and development base.
The Army and contractors currently lease the site, which is then used as a national wildlife refuge. This site covers approximately 1,100 acres. The U.S. Army also operates an on-site landfill and two waste consolidation areas. Five groundwater treatment facilities are also available.
RMA was built in 1942 to produce chemicals for the war effort. The cleanup of the site was completed in 2010. About 650 hazardous wastes were disposed off as a direct result of the operation. These hazardous materials included solid and explosive wastes, as well other chemicals. Napalm was a dangerous pesticide, rocket fuel, chemical munitions and other compounds that were produced at the RMA. Many of these contaminated materials migrated into the surrounding soil and water.
In the middle of the 1960s, the Army attempted to pilot a project to manage toxic wastes. They devised a plan for injecting chemicals into the RMA's deep injection well. After a series earthquakes, injection activity was stopped. It was not a regular waste disposal practice. There were many open basins at the site. Basin A was large and covered 93 acres. Basin F was a large lagoon. They were all contaminated. Moreover, these basins had large amounts of groundwater. This resulted in groundwater contamination of the surrounding area.
RMA was a former chemical weapons manufacturing site, and had a significant impact on the local community. Several farmers were affected by the contamination. However, there were no reported deaths. Nearby ranches also saw livestock die. 14 interim response actions were carried out by the Army (XXX Oil Company) to prevent further exposures.
The facility produced products for agriculture such as herbicides and chemical wastes. These products were shipped off the site by rail spur. During the transfer, chemicals were transferred to rail cars and damaged some of the RMA buildings.
Some of the facilities were leased by the XXX Oil Co., which used them later to produce pesticides. The RMA was terminated and the site became an area of national wildlife refuge.
While the RMA's wastes were removed from the site, the chemical contamination spread into the surrounding area. Groundwater extraction was required in several areas. Groundwater P&T was installed along the RMA's northern and northwest boundaries. Operable Units 2/3 were also affected. The ROD off-site also affected domestic wells within these areas.
The RMA's Emergency Management/Contingency Plan describes the U.S. Army's response to the contaminated land, and provides guidance to the managers of the RMA National Wildlife Refuge.