HEALTH & RESEARCH

In 1976, Jefferson County public health director Dr. Carl Johnson and two U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported plutonium concentrations in respirable surface dust downwind of Rocky Flats as high as 380 times their measured background. Published in Science, their research questioned whether measuring plutonium in whole soil adequately captured the potential hazard from fine particles capable of becoming airborne and being inhaled.

CDPHE’s cancer studies provide limited geographic comparisons, but they did not identify exposed residents, reconstruct residential histories, measure individual exposure, or follow people over time. Without that information—and with questions about the study boundaries and Denver metro comparison population—the health effects of Rocky Flats remain unresolved.

Dr. Carl Johnson was Jefferson County's public health director when he began investigating plutonium contamination and cancer around Rocky Flats. His controversial research reported higher cancer incidence in areas with greater measured contamination, and his work became entangled with development, property values and his removal from office. Decades after his death, Johnson is increasingly remembered as an important Rocky Flats whistleblower whose questions about public heal

Rocky Flats Downwinders is seeking independent researchers in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, research methodology, health policy and public-health communication to evaluate both CDPHE's Rocky Flats cancer studies and how their findings have been communicated. The objective is not to predetermine whether Rocky Flats caused disease. It is to determine what the existing evidence can—and cannot—establish and ensure that Colorado communicates those distinctions

CDPHE has analyzed cancer-registry data around Rocky Flats for decades. But cancer-registry analysis is not the same as monitoring the long-term health of people who may have been exposed during Rocky Flats operations. Understanding that distinction is essential to understanding what Colorado's cancer studies can—and cannot—tell us.

If you lived, worked or attended school near Rocky Flats, does your healthcare provider know? Learn why sharing your Rocky Flats history matters—and download RFD’s Environmental Exposure Letter to help start an informed conversation with your healthcare provider.

Existing cancer-registry studies provide useful information about people diagnosed while living near Rocky Flats—but that is not the same as following the people who lived there during historically relevant periods. RFD is advocating for independent research that considers residential history, migration, latency, exposure-informed geography and long-term health outcomes.

Rocky Flats Downwinders is launching the Truth & Transparency Campaign to ask Colorado for clearer disclosure about what existing Rocky Flats cancer studies can—and cannot—tell us, greater data transparency, independent technical review, and research designed to address the health experiences of people who actually lived near Rocky Flats during historically relevant periods.

The federal government already funds radiation-exposure screening and education, including a RESEP clinic at National Jewish Health in Denver. Rocky Flats Downwinders aren't currently among the populations it serves. We believe they should have access to comparable screening, education and medical guidance.

CDPHE says decades of cancer monitoring have not found elevated rates among residents living near Rocky Flats. But who was actually studied: people present during potential exposure or people living nearby when diagnosed? Our exchange with Colorado’s cancer registry examines this critical distinction

On Mother’s Day 1969, plutonium caught fire inside Rocky Flats Buildings 776/777. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours as portions of the filtration system were damaged and plutonium escaped. The accident became a turning point—bringing questions about contamination from the secretive nuclear weapons plant into public view.

With support from a Roddenberry Foundation Catalyst Grant, Rocky Flats Downwinders brought together scientists, community members and a Colorado hemp grower to investigate an unusual question: Could industrial hemp take up plutonium from soil collected near Rocky Flats? The pilot experiment produced intriguing results—and important questions for further research.

Randy Stafford spent months reviewing decades of Rocky Flats contamination and health studies for the Jefferson Parkway Advisory Committee. His 26-page analysis identified contradictions in study methods, risk models and conclusions—raising a larger question: what would it take to finally conduct the kind of health research Rocky Flats communities need?

A new University of Southern California-led study found higher self-reported rates of autoimmune and endocrine conditions among participants living closer to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The findings raise an important question for Colorado: Could similar research help identify health patterns among communities surrounding Rocky Flats?

Mental health professionals practicing in Arvada, Broomfield, Westminster, Superior, Boulder and other communities near Rocky Flats may encounter clients whose emotional well-being has been affected by the history of the former nuclear weapons plant. Some clients may have lived, worked or attended school near Rocky Flats. Others may be former workers, family members of workers, current residents or people who learned about the site only after receiving a serious medical diagn

A systematic review of 41 studies found that living with chronic environmental contamination can affect anxiety, stress, depression, and trauma symptoms. The research also shows that institutional dismissal of community concerns may deepen the harm.

The 2016 Metro State–RFD Health Survey collected 1,745 community health histories and reported concerning preliminary patterns involving thyroid and rare cancers. The findings were never conclusive—but the study closed before its proposed next steps or a final analysis could be completed.

The Union of Concerned Scientists explains how ionizing radiation can affect the body immediately or contribute to illnesses that emerge years later. Learn why this research matters to communities connected to the nuclear-weapons life cycle, including Rocky Flats.

Rocky Flats Downwinders has created a new resource to help community members discuss their environmental exposure history with their doctors. The Environmental Exposure Letter for Primary Care Providers is designed for people who lived, worked, or attended school near the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. The one-page letter gives healthcare providers a concise overview of Rocky Flats’ operating history, materials associated with the facility, potential long-term heal

One of the most significant contamination events in Rocky Flats history did not begin with a fire or explosion. It began with drums of plutonium-contaminated waste oil stored outdoors. A 1996 study published in Health Physics reconstructed the release of plutonium from an area of the Rocky Flats Plant known as the 903 Pad. The research was conducted as part of a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment effort to reconstruct historical contaminant releases and esti