Rocky Mountain Arsenal: Past and Present

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The Rocky Mountain Arsenal once home to chemical manufacturing facilities in support of the World War II and some parts of the land was used for the Prisoner of War camp. The Arsenal’s location was selected due to its relative distance from the coast. The weather that conducive or suitable to outdoor work, and the appropriate type of soil needed for the project. The location was also close to Stapleton Airfield, a major transportation hub. The land was also used by some private industries to manufacture pesticides. This operations in the sites resulted in the contamination of the soil and ground water, and loss of native species. In 1992, the Congress passed the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Act, designating the site as a future refuge. Since then, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal has been transformed from environ mental clean-up site into a premier Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Each year, thousands of visitors come to the refuge to appreciate its wildlife and view the scenic habitats. The Arsenal has been called a significant habitat island for wildlife and a place to renew the relationship with the nature. Rocky Mountain Arsenal: Past and Present The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) is located in Denver Metropolitan area, Commerce City, Colorado, approximately 10 miles North-East of downtown of Denver. In 1942, at the height of World War II, the United States Army purchased the 19,915 acres of land at a cost of $62, 415,000 on which to manufacture chemical weapons in support of the war. Weapons manufactured at Rocky Mountain Arsenal included both conventional and chemical munitions, including White Phosphorus (M34 grenade), Napalm, Mustard Gas, Lewisite, and Chlorine Gas. Rocky Mountain Ars... ... middle of paper ... ... two remaining sites on the property are retained by the Army, the South Plants location due to historical use and the North Plant location which is now a landfill containing the remains of various buildings used in the North and South Plant locations. As of May 21, 2011 the official Visitor Center was opened with an exhibit about the site's history ranging from the homesteading era to its current use as a National Wildlife Refuge. Works Cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Arsenal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Wildlife_Refuge Brian Shannon (1997) “Arsenal Base Clean-Up” http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/arsenal.htm. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/rocky.htm http://www.pmrma.army.mil/ http://www.denver.org/what-to-do/attractions/rocky-mountain-arsenal http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-HM/CBON/1251615995405

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