Squibb monitors the surface water, which is a continuous, automated sampling process. “It doesn’t require anyone to operate it, so we’re able to collect samples at night, in the snow — all year round,” Squibb said, noting that the current approach allows his team to collect thousands and thousands of samples annually for laboratory analysis.

Surface water is of greater monitoring interest because it flows off-site into public areas through a creek or stream.

Squibb says the farthest downstream sampling locations are at the site’s boundary and serve as the points of compliance. Having traveled through the site, this water flowing through these sampling locations must meet regulatory standards.

“At the points of compliance, we monitor for uranium, plutonium, americium, and nitrate, because these are the contaminants that pose the only significant risk to the public,” said Squibb. “By design, throughout the site’s cleanup, we removed almost all the contamination that we had originally identified.”

When it comes to uranium at the Rocky Flats Site, the surface water expert wants the public to know that there is naturally occurring uranium that predates any manmade residue. “The soils and groundwater at the Rocky Flats Site contain a lot of natural uranium simply due to the geologic materials that are native to the area,” said Squibb. “While there is some uranium left over from production activities of the former Rocky Flats Plant, the uranium found in the site’s surface water is predominantly natural.”