Rocky Flats Plant

The Rocky Flats Plant was a United States nuclear weapons production facility near Denver, Colorado that operated from 1952 to 1992. It was under the control of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) until 1977, when the AEC was replaced by the Department of Energy (DOE). Weapons production was temporarily halted in 1989 after FBI agents raided the facility. Operators of the plant later pleaded guilty to criminal violations of environmental law. The entire site is now the combined Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and the actively managed DOE Office of Legacy Management "Rocky Flats, Colorado, Site", encompassing the heavily contaminated original weapons production area.

History

1950s

Following World War II, the United States began production of nuclear weapons. The AEC chose the Dow Chemical Company to manage the bomb production facility. A 4 sq mi (10 km²) site about 15 mi (24 km) northwest of Denver, Colorado on a windy plateau called Rocky Flats was chosen for the facility. On July 10, 1951, ground was broken on the first building in the facility. Contemporary news reports stated that the site would not be used to produce nuclear bombs.