ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews risk assessment and management at Rocky Flats from several perspectives. It explores the controversies that have surrounded the plant since its founding in 1951. The chapter offers a descriptive tour of the plant, with emphasis on hazard management strategy. It provides an analysis of occupational health issues and a discussion of the management of low-probability/high-consequence accidents. The Long-range Rocky Flats utilization study and the accompanying Citizen's Committee report provided a new "citizen validated" assessment of the Rocky Flats operations in the context of relocation costs. The plutonium used at Rocky Flats emits ionizing radiation from five isotopes, the most abundant of which is plutonium-239. Rocky Flats experienced a serious accident during the period 1959-1969 when waste cutting oil containing an estimated 1.5 grams of plutonium leaked into the ground from 1000 steel storage drums. In 1980,22.6 percent of Rocky Flats badged personnel had measurable systemic accumulations of plutonium.
