Colorado

Covered Facilities

(SEC) = The Special Exposure Cohort. This is a defined category of employees established under EEOICPA. The SEC is comprised of classes of employees who have at least one of the 22 SEC cancers and have worked for a specific period of time at one of the SEC facilities. Claims compensated under the SEC do not have to go through the dose reconstruction process, as is required for other cancer claims covered by EEOICPA.

• 1: Climax Uranium Mill, Grand Junction

  Once a sugar beet mill in 1899, it was transformed by the Climax Uranium Company in 1950 to operate as a uranium and vanadium mill until 1970, producing 2.2 million tons of radioactive tailings during its 19-year operation.

  

• 2: Coors Porcelain, Golden

  In the mid-20th century, during the height of the nuclear arms race, Coors Porcelain became an important supplier to the U.S. government. 

  

• 3: Grand Junction Operations Office (SEC)

  Grand Junction was once at the center of America's race to develop nuclear technology. During the Cold War, the Grand Junction Operations Office (GJOO) played a critical role in the procurement and testing of uranium ore that fueled the nuclear weapons program.

  

• 4: Green Sludge Plant, Uravan

  The small town of Uravan, Colorado, played an unexpectedly significant role in the Manhattan Project by becoming a crucial cog in the machinery of uranium production.

  

• 5: New Uranium Mill, Rifle

  The New Rifle Uranium Mill was constructed in 1958 by the Union Carbide Corporation. It replaced the earlier facility to accommodate the growing demand for uranium processing.

  

• 6: Old Uranium Mill, Rifle

  The Old Rifle Uranium Mill was built in 1924 by the Rifle Mines Development Company and was one of the first uranium processing sites in the U.S. 

  

• 7: Project Rio Blanco, Rifle

  The Rio Blanco site is where the Atomic Energy Commission conducted a nuclear test as part of the Plowshare program that was initiated in 1957 to develop peaceful applications for nuclear explosives. On May 17, 1973, three 33 kiloton yield nuclear devices were detonated in a deep well to increase natural gas production. This test, known as the Rio Blanco shot, marked the last nuclear test explosions of the Plowshare program and the operation ended in June 1976.

• 8: Project Rulison, Grand Valley

  The Project Rulison site is where the Atomic Energy Commission conducted a nuclear test as part of the Plowshare program which was initiated in 1957 to develop peaceful applications for nuclear explosives. On September 10, 1969, a forty kiloton yield nuclear device was detonated deep underground to increase natural gas production. Flaring began on October 4, 1970 and ended on April 23, 1971. 

• 9: Rocky Flats Plant, Golden (SEC)

  The Rocky Flats plant played a vital role in producing nuclear weapons parts, such as plutonium and uranium. From 1952 to 1989, the site's primary function was to manufacture the essential "pit" that contained the heavy metals and functioned as the trigger device for nuclear warheads. These "pits" were then transported to other sites for the assembly of weapons.

• 10: Shattuck Chemical, Denver

  Shattuck Chemical prepared uranium compounds and uranium oxide in the late 1950s and processed refined uranium and produced natural uranium oxides. In 1963, Shattuck supplied a small quantity of uranium to the Rocky Flats Plant. Along with the dates above, employees of subsequent owners and operators of this facility are also covered under EEOICPA.

• 11: University of Denver Research Institute

  The University of Denver Research Institute processed radioactive materials for National Lead of Ohio (Fernald). This facility handled test quantities of radioactive metal in February 1965. In 1963, an institute researcher (F. Perkins) held a Atomic Energy Commission contract for work on intermediate-temperature oxidation of beryllides.

• 12: Uranium Mill, Durango

  Between 1948 and 1953, the Vanadium Corporation of America operated this mill on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1953, the mill operated as a privately owned facility and in March 1963, Vanadium shut down and dismantled the mill. Environmental remediation was performed by DOE contractors from October 1986 through May 1991 and those contractors are covered under EEOICPA.

• 13: Uranium Mill, Gunnison

  This mill processed approximately 540,000 tons of uranium ore between 1958 and 1962 and is covered under RECA and not separately covered under EEOICPA. However, environmental remediation was performed by DOE contractors from September 1991 though December 1995 and those contractors are covered under EEOICPA.

• 14: Uranium Mill, Maybell

  This mill processed about 2.6 million tons of ore over seven years of operation and is covered under RECA and not separately covered under EEOICPA. However, environmental remediation was performed by DOE contractors from May 1995 through September 1998 and those contractors are covered under EEOICPA.

• 15: Uranium Mill, Naturita

  This uranium and vanadium ore processing mill processed about 704,000 tons of ore and is covered under RECA and not separately covered under EEOICPA. However, environmental remediation was performed by DOE contractors from May through November of 1994 and again from June of 1996 through September 1998 and those contractors are covered under EEOICPA.

• 16: Uranium Mill No. 1, Slick Rock

  This mill extracted radium salts and vanadium from locally mined ores between 1942 and 1943 and is covered under RECA and not separately covered under EEOICPA. However, environmental remediation was performed by DOE contractors from 1995-1996 and those contractors are covered under EEOICPA.

• 17: Uranium Mill No. 2, Slick Rock

  This mill processed vanadium and uranium from 1957 through 1961 and is covered under RECA and not separately covered under EEOICPA. However, environmental remediation was performed by DOE contractors from 1995-1996 and those contractors are covered under EEOICPA.