Plan For Controlled Burn At Rocky Flats Called Off

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Federal officials say they are no longer considering setting a controlled burn at the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service service scrapped the plans after people raised concerns the fire could put plutonium particles in the air. The site in Jefferson County was used for nuclear weapons manufacturing during the Cold War.

"We understand the public's concerns about the risks of burning and are committed to finding the right management balance for the refuge," Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Noreen Walsh said in a statement.

The service says it would still consider a burn in the future but decided to get more information before conducting one this year.

From the 1950s to 1990s the United States used Rocky Flats to make nuclear weapons. In 2001 Congress turned the site into a national wildlife refuge. After extensive cleanup efforts the Fish and Wildlife Service is looking for a way to stop the spread of invasive weeds, prevent wildfires and rejuvenate native grasses.

One woman has offered to bring her herd of 900 goats to eat problematic underbrush on the land.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a complete statement on Friday about the situation:

After careful consideration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has decided not to pursue this year the proposed controlled burn at the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. "Although the controlled burn is a management tool that we will consider in the future, we have heard concerns from the public and we want to take time to engage in further dialogue on these issues," said Noreen Walsh, Regional Director for the Service's Mountain-Prairie Region. "The State of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy and others have all approved our proposed burn plan, but as good neighbors, we want to assure the public that safety is our absolute priority. While we believe all of our proposed management actions at Rocky Flats are safe both for our own employees and the public, we understand the public's concerns about the risks of burning and are committed to finding the right management balance for the refuge. We remain committed to working with our Federal, State, County and local partners on management of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in to the future," Walsh added.