They argued about crucial adjectives right down to the wire, but open space officials and neighborhood activists at the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant finally agreed on one thing: How scary the warning signs should be.
Postings at recently opened trail entrances to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge — a former factory for 70,000 plutonium bomb triggers — will now say visiting for hiking or biking “may expose you to radioactive materials.”
State and local officials have backed the effort to transform the image and geography of Rocky Flats into an open space mecca for a metro area of 3 million people looking for green options. Review after review of past contamination worries, state public health medical director Ned Calonge has said, shows “there’s no additional radiation risk to people who recreate in the refuge area.”
Still, the new language approved by nearby Boulder County Open Space and the city of Westminster after much staff review includes stark caveats:
“Radioactive and hazardous materials remain in the soil and ground water and may be present in airborne dust particles. Nearby communities and industry professionals continue to express concern about the area’s safety and its risks to human health,” the signs say.
(Westminster’s final debate on the signs resulted in the insertion of “some” right before “industry professionals,” apparently to better reflect the divisive nature of the discussions. Councillors also moved linguistic mountains from Boulder County’s wording on the north to locate the most historically hazardous portions from “1.5 miles south of here” to “2 miles west of here.” Distance is important.)
The near-final language for Westminster’s signs at the new entrance to open space trails on the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons site. One final addition will include adding “some” just before mentioning the “professionals” who continue to raise questions about health and safety. (City of Westminster working documents)Westminster’s signs will go up by late February, a city spokesperson said. Boulder County said its signage on the north side is already up, minus the “some” qualification.
Those who lobbied hardest for strong warnings and who continue to advise against recreating on Rocky Flats from the redesigned entrance points said they were pleased with the final language.
“After decades of advocacy from the state to the municipal and county levels, we finally will have strong warnings posted around Rocky Flats,” said Christopher Allred of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, a longtime nonprofit watchdog for Rocky Flats and a leader of the signage campaign. “We appreciate these important steps by the Boulder County Commission and Westminster City Council to bring more transparency and public health protections to the region. It is time for other communities bordering Rocky Flats to follow suit.”
Physicians for Social Responsibility Colorado has worked closely with the peace and justice center over the years, and also endorsed the final language. “As an organization of health professionals that has educated the public about the dangers from exposure to plutonium, we commend Boulder County and Westminster officials for prioritizing public health by installing warning signage at Rocky Flats,” said Deborah Segaloff, a retired biomedical researcher who is an adviser to the advocacy group.
A map of Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, including the proposed route for the Rocky Mountain Greenway. (Courtesy Candelas)Westminster City Council member Kristine Ireland, who has also been wary of promoting Rocky Flats as a recreational haven for city residents, also approves.
“I believe the new approved signage with the radioactive symbol is a good thing,” Ireland said. “It educates the public of the history of Rocky Flats and helps them make an informed decision about usage of the land adjacent to the site.”
Two improved trail entrances to the sprawling open space opened late last summer, before the language arguments had been settled.
Safer and more welcoming refuge entrances, passing over and under busy highways, were a priority of Jefferson County open space officials to promote use of the 5,200-acre site. The new connections include a multimillion-dollar bridge at Indiana Street on the east, and a new underpass at Colorado 128 to the north. Westminster open space and a popular dog park border Rocky Flats on the east side, and Boulder County Open Space is adjacent on the north.
The new links are meant to further a greenway trail running more than 80 miles through the suburbs, western foothills and on to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Westminster and Broomfield, originally part of the coalition backing the Rocky Mountain Greenway, dropped out in recent years after public opposition focused on the question of lingering contamination. Westminster’s council voted in 2025 to not build easy connections for its current trails to the expanded entry points into Rocky Flats.
Trails meander across the landscape of Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in this July 25, 2025 photo. The refuge is a former nuclear weapons manufacturing site that’s now widely used by outdoor enthusiasts to hike and bicycle. l(Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)Westminster’s concession to Jefferson County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is paying for 83% of the connection costs, was to agree not to block off the entrance entirely.
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