Hiking Green Mountain’s northern slopes just got a little more serious for Lakewood locals. City and Jefferson County officials issued a warning on Wednesday after county leaders posted a munitions-safety reminder for William F. Hayden Park. The notice explains that munitions debris has been discovered on Green Mountain’s north side and that the Army National Guard is conducting a munitions-response operation in the area. Visitors are being urged to stay on marked trails and to avoid touching anything that looks even remotely suspicious while crews work to locate and remove potential hazards.
According to the Jefferson County Colorado Government, the reminder lays out the three R’s of munitions safety, also known as recognize, retreat, and report. That means do not touch or move a suspicious item, retrace your steps to get out of the area, and call 911. The county warns that anything that looks like a pipe, can or stray piece of metal should be treated as potentially dangerous and reported to authorities immediately.
History and current response
According to the Army National Guard, crews are carrying out phased surface and subsurface work under the Military Munitions Response Program to address munitions and explosives of concern at the former impact area. The plan lays out a multi-year schedule for remedial design, removal actions, and long-term monitoring as part of the cleanup.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment notes that munitions debris, including 75mm shrapnel and other projectile fragments, has been found on Green Mountain’s north slopes. Local reporting has documented hikers and residents discovering items over the past decade, and the Jefferson County bomb squad or National Guard responding to evaluate and remove suspected munitions, according to KUNC.
Safety guidance and public records
The City of Lakewood’s Hayden Park safety brochure reiterates that visitors must stay on designated trails and explains the 3Rs. It also notes that an administrative record of project documents is available at the Belmar Library. “All munitions should be considered dangerous, regardless of how long they have been in the environment,” the brochure says, and it provides contact information for the Army National Guard and local emergency services, according to the City of Lakewood…