Before Rocky Flats' accelerated cleanup was completed, independent researchers questioned whether the proposed soil standards would protect future generations. A 2001 IEER report recommended considering plutonium levels of 1–10 picocuries per gram, challenging assumptions that wildlife refuge designation and land-use restrictions could provide protection over thousands of years. What standards were ultimately adopted, and why does that distinction still matter?

After the 1989 FBI raid halted plutonium production, Rocky Flats underwent an accelerated cleanup that reached physical completion in 2005. More than 800 structures were removed, but the cleanup did not eliminate all contamination. What remained, how were the decisions made, and why does Rocky Flats still require long-term environmental stewardship?