The Rocky Flats Stewardship Council was formed in February 2006 to provide ongoing local government and community engagement of the post-closure management of Rocky Flats, the former nuclear weapons plant northwest of Denver.

The nearly $7 billion cleanup project was completed in October 2005 and represents an important legacy for surrounding communities. Cleanup significantly reduced the many risks posed by the former weapons site.  There are, however, ongoing management needs that remain vital to ensure long-term protection of human health and the environment. Those responsibilities lie with the Department of Energy (DOE). In June 2007, DOE transferred 3,953 acres of the former site buffer zone to the Department of the Interior (DOI) to manage as the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. 

The Stewardship Council’s mandate is found in federal law. In late 2004, the United States Congress, working with the DOE and its predecessor organization, the Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments, approved legislation creating a new organization to focus on the post-closure care and management of Rocky Flats. This organization, the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, includes elected officials from ten county and municipal governments neighboring Rocky Flats, three community organizations and an individual serving as a community representative.

In addition to working with DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the Stewardship Council also works with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on issues related to the management of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

For more information about the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, including its Board of Directors, establishing the Intergovernmental Agreement, and its annual work plan, click here.