The Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant was located near Arvada, Colorado and operated from 1952 until 1989 as part of the United States' nationwide nuclear weapons complex. The Rocky Flats facility manufactured plutonium trigger mechanisms for nuclear weapons from radioactive and hazardous materials. Manufacturing activities, accidental industrial fires and spills, support activities, and waste management practices contaminated soil, sediment, groundwater and surface water with hazardous chemicals and radioactive constituents, and severe weather conditions all created added risk to the health of the surrounding community.

Rocky Flats Downwinders (RFD) is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, community based organization founded in 2015. It advocates on behalf of those impacted by living downwind from the former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant near Arvada, Colorado. Our main goals are to bring about awareness of Rocky Flats in order to educate the community, to sensitize medical professionals regarding potential adverse health effects suffered by Downwinders, and to offer supportive services for Downwinders.

In 2015, we reached out to local universities for assistance in creating a health survey to better understand the health implications of living near the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant. We began working with Metropolitan State University’s (MSU) Integrative Health Department to distribute such a survey which first became available May 17, 2016. In November 2016, Metropolitan State University released preliminary results of its health survey of Rocky Flats Downwinders. The results revealed that 48.8% of the 1745 respondents had reported rare cancers.

An updated survey was approved by MSU’s Internal Review Board on April 10, 2017 and included a larger geographical area and time frame. In April of 2017, MSU revised its health survey of Rocky Flats Downwinders to include residents of the areas circumscribed by the boundaries of CO-7 on the north, I-25 on the east, I-70 on the south, and Highway 93 on the west, between 1952 and the present.

In 2018, we were notified that MSU would NOT continue our health survey. We were informed that due to the retirement of the Principal Investigator, the study had been suspended. At the time the survey was closed, nearly 5,000 people had submitted their health information, but unfortunately, this data was never analyzed.

In 2019, due to community support for the MSU Health Survey and in response to its closure, RFD began working on a second community driven health survey. Together with Sasha Stiles, MD, Shaunessy McNeely, RN, MPH and other impacted community volunteers and members, we are hopeful to give the community a voice.

OBJECTIVES

1- To obtain an idea of the health of the community surrounding the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant with consideration of the time frames during operation, during “clean up” and post “clean up”.
2- To provide a forum for Rocky Flats Downwinders to document their health issues and the health issues of family members.
3- To collect data in order to map cancers, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases and other health and reproductive problems near Rocky Flats.

PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is NOT tracking cancers, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases or ANY health issues around Rocky Flats. Since many of us have experienced serious illness after living in this area and/or our family members have become ill/passed away, we believe it is vital for the community to document the health issues of people who live(d) near Rocky Flats. Therefore, this information will be used to map the incidence of cancers/serious illnesses by those whom currently live or have lived, worked or recreated in the vicinity of the plant.

PLEASE COMPLETE ONE SURVEY PER PERSON

I understand that by clicking on the “submit” button below, I am agreeing to participate in a voluntary Community Driven Health Survey sponsored by Rocky Flats Downwinders, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization (“RFD”), and that I am authorizing RFD to use and/or disclose the protected health information that I have provided as it deems necessary to track and document the health experiences of those who are living and/or have lived near Rocky Flats and to help bring about public awareness of those health experiences.  I understand that this authorization shall be valid for ten years and can only be withdrawn by you emailing the withdrawal request to: tiffany@rockyflatsdownwinders.com. However, I understand that any action already taken in reliance on this authorization cannot be reversed, and my revocation will not affect those actions.

By completing this Rocky Flats Community Driven Health Survey for yourself, a minor in your care, and/or a deceased family member, you are granting permission to share the information with the legal and medical team assisting our cause. You also agree for your health data to be mapped using major intersections rather than addresses in order to better understand rates of illnesses in the area. By completing this form you release RFD and its volunteers, advisers, agents, founders, and board members of liability for any and all uses of this data.

By completing this form you are agreeing to be included in this survey. You do not need to be identified by name, but if you have more information you’d like to report please leave your name and contact information below.