Rocky Mountain Arsenal Rocky Mountain Arsenal , south entrance. ( photo 1960 ) The Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a United States chemical weapons manufacturing center located in the Denver Metropolitan Area in Commerce City , Colorado . The site was operated by the United States Army throughout the later 20th century and was controversial among local residents until its closure . Foundation In 1942 , the U.S. Army acquired 19 , 915 acres ( 80.59 km² ) of land on which to manufacture weapons in support of World War II ( WWII ) military activities . Additionally , some of this land was used for a ( German ) Prisoner of War camp and later transferred to the city of Denver as Stapleton Airport expanded . Manufacturing Operations Rocky Mountain Arsenal , south plant. ( photo 1970 ) Weapons manufactured at RMA included munitions filled with white phosphorus , napalm , and chemical agents . The manufacture of these weapons continued until 1969 . Subsequently , through the 1970s until 1985 , RMA was used as a demilitarization site to destroy munitions and chemically related items . Coinciding with these activities , from 1946 to 1982 , the Army leased RMA facilities to private industries for the production of pesticides . One of the major lessees , Shell Oil Company ( Shell ) , along with Julius Hyman and Company and Colorado Fuel and Iron , had manufacturing and processing capabilities on RMA between 1952 and 1982 . Deep Injection Well RMA contained a deep injection well that was constructed in 1961 . It was drilled to a depth of 12 , 045 feet ( 3671 m ) . The well was cased and sealed to a depth of 11 , 975 feet ( 3650 m ) , with the remaining 70 feet ( 21 m ) left as an open hole for the injection of Basin F liquids . For testing purposes , the well was injected with approximately 568 , 000 US gallons ( 2150 m³ ) of city water prior to injecting any waste . The injected fluids had very little potential for reaching the surface or usable groundwater supply since the injection point had 11 , 900 feet ( 3630 m ) of rock above it and was sealed at the opening . The Army discontinued use of the well in Feb. 1966 because the fluid injection was triggering earthquakes in the area . The well remained unused for nearly 20 years . In 1985 the Army permanently sealed the disposal well in stages . Environmental Issues Rabbit used to check for leaks at Sarin nerve gas production plant. ( photo 1970 ) In 1984 , the Army began a systematic investigation of site contamination in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response , and Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ( CERCLA ) . In 1987 , the site was placed on the National Priorities List ( NPL ) . As provided by CERCLA , a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study ( RI/FS ) was conducted to determine the extent of contamination . Since 1985 , the mission at RMA has been the remediation of the site . Contaminants The primary contaminants include chlorinated pesticides , organophosphate pesticides , carbamate insecticides , organic solvents and feedstock chemicals used as raw products or intermediates in the manufacturing process ( e.g. , chlorinated benzenes ) , heavy metals , and chemical warfare materiel and their related breakdown products . Additionally , ordnance ( including incendiary munitions ) was manufactured and tested and asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCBs ) were used at RMA . Rocky Mountain Aresenal NWR Act A winter communal roost of bald eagles , then an endangered species , was discovered on site in 1986 . The US Fish and Wildlife Service soon realized that more than 330 species of wildlife inhabit the Arsenal including deer , coyotes , white pelicans and owls . The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act was passed in October 1992 and signed by the first President Bush . It stipulates that the majority of the site will become a National Wildlife Refuge under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when the environmental restoration is completed . The Act also provides that to the extent possible , parts of the Arsenal are to be managed as a Refuge in the interim . Finally , the Act provides for the transfer of some Arsenal land for road expansion around the perimeter of the Arsenal and 915 acres ( 3.70 km² ) to be sold for development and annexation by Commerce City . Record of Decision Information collected during the RI/FS , in conjunction with the results of a risk assessment , was used to develop and evaluate potential cleanup options . The assessment of these cleanup options led to the development of the Record of Decision ( ROD ) for the On-Post Operable Unit , which outlines the remediation plan for RMA . The On-Post ROD was signed on June 11 , 1996 by the Army , Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) and the Colorado Department o f Public Health and Environment ( CDPHE ) . The ROD then received concurrence from Shell and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service ( USFWS ) . Consisting of 31 soils/structures implementation projects , the ROD was divided into disposal facilities , early start projects , and four separate phases . In 1997 , the ROD’s remediation of the site began and is currently in progress . Several of the implementation projects have been completed . To facilitate the ongoing remediation effort , the Army , Shell , and USFWS formed the Remediation Venture Office ( RVO ) , which oversees implementation of the site-wide remedy established in the ROD . Developments Since 2004 Although comprising 17 , 056 acres ( 69.02 km² ) at the beginning of remediation in 1997 , 5 , 976 acres ( 24.18 km² ) of the RMA have been determined to meet cleanup requirements and are no longer part of the National Priorities List . Of that , approximately 4 , 927 acres ( 19.94 km² ) were transferred by the Department of Army to the USFWS in April of 2004 and another 917 acres ( 3.71 km² ) , located in the southwest corner of the site , were sold to Commerce City in June of 2004 . Also , in 2004 , approximately 129 acres ( 0.52 km² ) , located at the boundaries , were transferred to local jurisdictions and to the U.S. Army Reserve Center for road improvement projects . Implementation of the remedy for the estimated 11 , 080 acres ( 44.84 km² ) remaining is ongoing and is scheduled for completion in 2011 . Public Use Congruent with the outline of the June 1996 USFWS Comprehensive Management Plan , RMA will be available for public use through both community outreach and educational programs ( as provided by the Visitor Access Plan and the USFWS ) . This public availability will be implemented while simultaneously supporting the remediation effort and the USFWS activities . Colorado Rapids In 2007 the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer will open a soccer-specific stadium on part of the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal land that was transferred to Commerce City . External links Rocky Mountain Arsenal Rocky Mountain Arsenal History The Rocky Mountain Arsenal : States ' Rights and the Cleanup of Hazardous Waste An Assessment of One of the Largest & Most Studied Superfund Sites in the Country : The Rocky Mountain Arsenal ( pdf ) Categories : History of Colorado | Chemical warfare | United States Army industrial facilities 