[CPEO-MEF] Grass Fire Burns 1,300 Acres NW of Denver

[Christine Ziebold <c_ziebold@yahoo.com>]

Previous fires around Rocky Flats have liberated plutonium trapped in
the prairie grass. See article below from Environmental Information
Network 1993. Since the DOE "cleanup" for closure did not include
remediation of the vast prairie land areas ( only land use
controls...), subject to 50 years of deposition and uptake from Rocky
Flats emissions, this ought to be considered be a public health threat.
What's NRC doing? 
Never mind the Plutonium, and at least they didn't have to shut down
the county airport.

Christine Ziebold MD PhD MPH
Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant RAB community member
 -----------
Grass Fire Burns 1,300 Acres Northwest of Denver
Fire Is 90% Contained, Roads Reopened

POSTED: 2:03 pm MDT April 2, 2006

DENVER -- A fire broke out around 2 p.m. Sunday on the northwest side
of the Denver metro area, near Highways 128 and 93, in the vicinity of
Rocky Flats. The fire started in Boulder County, and quickly spread
into nearby Jefferson and Broomfield Counties.
The fire was fueled by sustained northwest winds of 30 mph, with gusts
up to 50 mph. Within minutes the flames grew to hundreds of acres,
jumped Indiana Street, and moved toward the suburbs of Westminster and
Broomfield.
The fire prompted officials to evacuate 135 homes, affecting over 3,000
residents of the Walnut Creek Subdivision in Broomfield just after 3
pm. Evacuees were sent to the West View Recreation Center in
Westminster, where the American Red Cross was stationed.
Numerous roads were closed in the vicinity of the fire, including
Indiana and Simms.

Just before 5 pm, the evacuation order was lifted and residents were
allowed back home. All roads in the fire zone have reopened.
At last report, the fire had consumed 1,300 acres and was 90%
contained. No structures were lost thanks to the quick action of
firefighters.
During the height of the fire, an air tanker was called in from
Albuquerque, New Mexico to help fight the flames.
The fire did not disrupt operations of the Jefferson County airport.
=========================================================

ROCKY FLATS AND THE HAYSTACK FIRE
Article by Susan Elofson-Hurst and Paula Elofson-Gardine
 
On May 1, 1991, Countryside resident Tim Hites was driving west on
108th Ave. at Simms St. He saw a column of smoke that appeared to be
coming from the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Facility (RFP). Several
Jefferson County Sheriff's vehicles were at that corner. Mr. Hites
asked them if there was a fire at Rocky Flats. He was told that bales
of hay were on fire.
 
The fire had been set by children playing there, and not to worry about
it.Mr. Hites drove out to investigate further, and discovered the fire
was 1,500 feet east of Indiana Street, adjacent to the RFP east
entrance. He observed West Adams County Fire Department (WACFD)
personnel putting water on the fire, and digging a two foot containment
ditch around the fire area.
 
Having knowledge that the area may be contaminated with plutonium (Pu)
from the RFP, Mr. Hites was concerned that the fire fighters were not
wearing any protective gear or masks (Mr. Hites was a Director on the
Board of the Rocky Flats Cleanup Commission at the time). Mr. Hites
called Jefferson County emergency dispatch. He was told that this area
was not listed on their database that determines whether a hazmat team
responds.
 
He then contacted the WACFD Lieutenant in charge. He explained that the
fire area the WACFD firemen were working on, was potentially
contaminated with radiotoxics from the RFP. He asserted that they
should be taking precautions against inhalation of this smoke, as there
were 178+ contaminated areas slated for Superfund Cleanup that included
off site areas owned by the City of Broomfield, such as Great Western
Reservoir. By 7:00 p.m. the same evening, Mr. Hites had gone back out
to check on the situation. The fire had been left burning and
unattended. The neighborhoods of Walnut Creek and Countryside, 1-1/2
miles to the east were choked with heavy, black smoke from the hay
fire.
 
The next morning, Mr. Hites called the City of Broomfield to inquire
why they had not listed the property east of Rocky Flats as
contaminated with the Jefferson County Hazmat Response Database. The
land was owned by the City of Broomfield at that time. It was purchased
later by the Department of Energy. Mr. Hites asked if the parents of
the children that had been playing in the area that had set the fire
had been notified that their children could have received an inhalation
exposure to plutonium in the smoke. The Mayor's assistant promised to
check on it and get back with him. When Mr. Hites called back for
follow up, they refused to discuss the matter.
 
Following the fire, the Colorado Department of Health (CDH) was asked
to investigate the area for possible radiological contamination. The
CDH subsequently issued a Special Report "Haystack Fire May 21, 1991 --
Dosimetry & Hazard (cancer risk) Assessment for Firemen Responding on
Location".
 
The soil at the haystack fire site, ash, boots & bunker trouser wipes
for West Adams County and the Westminster Fire Department personnel
responding to the fire were tested. The highest plutonium reading was
3.97 picoCuries per gram (pCi/g), which equates to 8.70 disintegrations
per minute per gram (dpm/g). The Colorado State Standard for plutonium
in soil (the 1st, and possibly only state with a Pu standard) is 2.0
dpm/g. Plutonium levels in remote areas of Colorado average 0.04 dpm/g.
 
The CDH Special Report results indicate that the area of the haystack
fire was in fact contaminated with approximately 217.5 times greater
plutonium contamination than that of "background" plutonium readings
from remote areas not surrounding the Rocky Flats Plant. Worldwide
fallout "background radiation" is assumed to be that deposited from
above-ground nuclear bomb testing in the 1950's and 1960's.  There is
no available information concerning follow up regarding the children
playing in the area that set the fire.  There is no posting warning of
radiation or contamination hazard in this area.  The only signs
currently posted state "No Trespassing", and one "No Swimming" sign.
 
REPRINT: SPRING 1993 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION NETWORK NEWS


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