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“HONORING THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER'S ROCKY FLATS COORDINATOR MARY HARLOW” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1979 on Nov. 2, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER'S ROCKY FLATS COORDINATOR MARY HARLOW
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HON. MARK UDALL
of colorado
in the house of representatives
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the important work of Mary Harlow, the Rocky Flats Coordinator for the City of Westminster, Colorado.
Mary, known to her friends and colleagues as ``Mickey'', is leaving this post after nearly seven years of service to her community on the vast array of issues regarding Rocky Flats--the Department of Energy's former nuclear weapons production facility located just west of Westminster. I join with her friends and co-workers in wishing her well in her future endeavors, which I understand may involve retiring to North Carolina.
The site was originally used for processing plutonium and other materials to fashion triggers for nuclear weapons in a nearly 400 acre industrial complex surrounded by a 6,000 acre open buffer zone. That mission now is done, and DOE is working to clean up Rocky Flats so it can be closed. This is a complex, highly technical, and politically charged project--one of the more extensive cleanup efforts in Colorado and the nation, and one that poses unique and serious challenges. Mickey has met these challenges and developed a mastery of the issues and effective strategies to influence the decisions affecting the cleanup to ensure protection for the citizens of Westminster and people throughout the Front Range region.
She also has been very effective in building coalitions with other surrounding communities and citizen groups to address pressing issues. Many have relied on her to sift through the thick, technical documents and provide input. Her work has resulted in better plans and approaches to the cleanup and closure and enhanced citizen involvement at the site--not to mention the valuable advice she has provided to Westminster officials.
Mickey began her work on Rocky Flats for the city in 1994. Since then she has recorded many accomplishments. Among other things, she served as an official with the Rocky Flats Citizens Advisory Board, represented Westminster on a task force to determine potential future uses of the industrial area of the site, and helped create a focus group to evaluate the cleanup agreement governing the site. In addition, she co-chaired the oversight panel that evaluated the proper and safe level for the cleanup of radioactive contamination of the soil at the site. On the national level, she participated with representatives from other nuclear weapons sites to develop long-term stewardship of DOE nuclear weapons sites, examine the effects of low-
level radiation, and promote development and use of innovative cleanup technologies.
For all of this and more, especially her positive outlook and personable demeanor, Mickey has been a valuable asset in our efforts to ensure a thorough, effective and safe cleanup of Rocky Flats. Her legacy of service will help Colorado and the nation to transform Rocky Flats from a problem into an open space and wildlife asset for generations to come.
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