[BoulderCouncilHotline] Fwd: CDPHE requests DOJ press for release of GJ documents

[Morzel, Lisa]

Dear council and community

Please see message below from our executive director, David Ableson, regarding release of the now-sealed documents related to the closing of the former Rocky Flats weapons facility.

Our next Rocky Flats Stewardship Council meeting is Monday, April 1st, from 8:30-11:45 am at the Jefferson County airport.

Lisa
Member of the Boulder City Council

303-815-6723

"We interact with one another as individuals responding to a complex haze of factors: professional responsibilities, personal likes and dislikes, ambition, jealousy, self-interest, and, in at least some instances, genuine altruism.  Living in the here and now, we are awash with sensations of the present, memories of the past, and expectations and fears for the future. Our actions are not determined by any one cause; they are the fulfillment of who we are at that particular moment.  After that moment passes, we continue to evolve, to change, and our memories of that moment inevitably change with us as we live with the consequences of our past actions, consequences we were unaware of at the time." The Last Stand, Nathaniel Philbrick


Begin forwarded message:

From: David Abelson <dabelson at rockyflatssc.org<mailto:dabelson at rockyflatssc.org>>
Date: March 18, 2019, 4:40:30 PM MDT
To: Barbara Vander Wall <bvanderwall at svwpc.com<mailto:bvanderwall at svwpc.com>>, Carl Castillo <CastilloC at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:CastilloC at bouldercolorado.gov>>, Cathy Shugarts <cshugart at CityofWestminster.us<mailto:cshugart at CityofWestminster.us>>, "Dan Hartman (dhartman at cityofgolden.net<mailto:dhartman at cityofgolden.net>)" <dhartman at cityofgolden.net<mailto:dhartman at cityofgolden.net>>, David Abelson <dabelson at rockyflatssc.org<mailto:dabelson at rockyflatssc.org>>, "David Allen" <DAllen at broomfield.org<mailto:DAllen at broomfield.org>>, "David DeMott (ddemott at cityofwestminster.us<mailto:ddemott at cityofwestminster.us>)" <ddemott at cityofwestminster.us<mailto:ddemott at cityofwestminster.us>>, Emily Hunt <Emily.Hunt at cityofthornton.net<mailto:Emily.Hunt at cityofthornton.net>>, James Boswell <james.boswell at cityofthornton.net<mailto:james.boswell at cityofthornton.net>>, "Jan Kulmann (jan.kulmann at cityofthornton.net<mailto:jan.kulmann at cityofthornton.net>)" <jan.kulmann at cityofthornton.net<mailto:jan.kulmann at cityofthornton.net>>, "Jeannette Hillery" <jmhillery915 at comcast.net<mailto:jmhillery915 at comcast.net>>, "Jennifer Bohn (jenniferbohn9 at gmail.com<mailto:jenniferbohn9 at gmail.com>)" <jenniferbohn9 at gmail.com<mailto:jenniferbohn9 at gmail.com>>, "Jim Dale (jdale at cityofgolden.net<mailto:jdale at cityofgolden.net>)" <jdale at cityofgolden.net<mailto:jdale at cityofgolden.net>>, "Joyce Downing (jdowning at northglenn.org<mailto:jdowning at northglenn.org>)" <jdowning at northglenn.org<mailto:jdowning at northglenn.org>>, Kathleen Bacheller <pkbach at comcast.net<mailto:pkbach at comcast.net>>, "Kathryn Skulley (kskulley at cityofwestminster.us<mailto:kskulley at cityofwestminster.us>)" <kskulley at cityofwestminster.us<mailto:kskulley at cityofwestminster.us>>, "Ken Freiberg (freibergkj at gmail.com<mailto:freibergkj at gmail.com>)" <freibergkj at gmail.com<mailto:freibergkj at gmail.com>>, "Ken Lish (kenl at superiorcolorado.gov<mailto:kenl at superiorcolorado.gov>)" <kenl at superiorcolorado.gov<mailto:kenl at superiorcolorado.gov>>, Kim Griffiths <kagriff.kg at gmail.com<mailto:kagriff.kg at gmail.com>>, Kim Groom <kgroom at broomfieldcitycouncil.org<mailto:kgroom at broomfieldcitycouncil.org>>, "Libby Szabo" <lszabo at jeffco.us<mailto:lszabo at jeffco.us>>, Linda Proter <ljporter at q.com<mailto:ljporter at q.com>>, Lindie Aragon <laragon at CityofWestminster.us<mailto:laragon at CityofWestminster.us>>, Lisa Morzel <lisamorzel at gmail.com<mailto:lisamorzel at gmail.com>>, "Mark Lacis (markl at superiorcolorado.gov<mailto:markl at superiorcolorado.gov>)" <markl at superiorcolorado.gov<mailto:markl at superiorcolorado.gov>>, "Mark McGoff (mmcgoff at arvada.org<mailto:mmcgoff at arvada.org>)" <mmcgoff at arvada.org<mailto:mmcgoff at arvada.org>>, "Matt Jones (mjones at bouldercounty.org<mailto:mjones at bouldercounty.org>)" <mjones at bouldercounty.org<mailto:mjones at bouldercounty.org>>, Melissa Weakley <mweakley at rockyflatssc.org<mailto:mweakley at rockyflatssc.org>>, "Mike Shelton (mshelton at broomfieldcitycouncil.org<mailto:mshelton at broomfieldcitycouncil.org>)" <mshelton at broomfieldcitycouncil.org<mailto:mshelton at broomfieldcitycouncil.org>>, Murph Widdowfield <murphwid at gmail.com<mailto:murphwid at gmail.com>>, Pat OConnell <poconnel at co.jefferson.co.us<mailto:poconnel at co.jefferson.co.us>>, Rik Getty <rgetty at rockyflatssc.org<mailto:rgetty at rockyflatssc.org>>, "Roman Kohler" <RFKohler at yahoo.com<mailto:RFKohler at yahoo.com>>, Sam Weaver <WeaverS at bouldercolorado.gov<mailto:WeaverS at bouldercolorado.gov>>, "Sandra McDonald" <smcdonald at arvada.org<mailto:smcdonald at arvada.org>>, Shelley Stanley <Sstanley at northglenn.org<mailto:Sstanley at northglenn.org>>, Sophie Porcelli <sporcelli at northglenn.org<mailto:sporcelli at northglenn.org>>, Summer Laws <slaws at bouldercounty.org<mailto:slaws at bouldercounty.org>>
Subject: CDPHE requests DOJ press for release of GJ documents


Hello Stewardship Council –



The February 2019 meeting included a brief discussion of the recent petition to release the Rocky Flats Grand Jury documents.  Today, CDPHE (via the Colorado Attorney General’s Office) wrote DOJ voicing its support for the release of the documents.  Notably, the state’s argument in favor of the release takes a different take.  Here is the crux of the state’s email:



“The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is fully confident that the extensive site investigation performed as part of the CERCLA/CHWA cleanup identified any potential spill sites, buried wastes, or other sources of environmental contamination. The site investigation included multiple rounds of interviews with then current and past employees, review of a variety records, and site inspections.  As well, there was a huge environmental sampling and monitoring program. CDPHE is confident that the cleanup is fully protective of human health and the environment.  Most of the environmental investigation began after the grand jury process concluded. CDPHE thinks it is extremely unlikely that there is any information in the documents that were seized or subpoenaed, or in any of the testimony before the grand jury, that is not already known to the state, EPA or DOE environmental investigators. Nonetheless, doubts about the adequacy of the investigation and cleanup persist because of public concerns over plutonium contamination, the notoriety of the FBI raid, dissatisfaction in some quarters with the settlement of the criminal charges, concerns raised by the former grand jurors, and the continuing secrecy of the information collected during the grand jury process. CDPHE believes that releasing the grand jury information could help to assuage some the continuing concerns over the adequacy of the cleanup and the safety of the site (including lands that are now part of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge).  CDPHE encourages the US Attorney’s office to seek release of the DOE/Rockwell documents that either were seized during execution of the criminal search warrant at Rocky Flats in 1989 or were surrendered in response to grand jury subpoenas, as well as any testimony heard by the grand jury, that may be related to environmental contamination.  Of course, we acknowledge that any released information would be redacted as needed to protect privacy or national security.”



Please let me know what questions you have.



David




David M. Abelson
Executive Director
Rocky Flats Stewardship Council
P.O. Box 17670
Boulder, CO 80308
(303) 412-1200
dabelson at rockyflatssc.org<mailto:dabelson at rockyflatssc.org>

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