Testing For Plutonium Continues At Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Testing for plutonium continues at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson County. The Jefferson Parkway construction project was put on hold after elevated levels of plutonium were found in a soil sample in August.
It's believed the plutonium came from the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. Surrounding area was turned into a wildlife refuge after the facility shut down -- and there was a major cleanup effort.
Future trails are planned in the area, including the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail. When completed the 80-mile trail would connect the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to Rocky Mountain National Park. It's currently held up at Rocky Flats.
Hundreds more soil samples were taken in September and preliminary tests on some of those samples do not show the same spike in plutonium.
The state health department says it still has more testing to do.