Lottia digitalis Point on the California coast, "L. digitalis" coexists with the similar species, "Lottia scabra", but each occupies a slightly different habitat. "L. digitalis" tends to occupy vertical rock faces or overhangs and certain horizontal ones clothed by algae and barnacles. "L. digitalis" clump together more often, prefer wave-exposed areas, occupy sites further up the shore and are seldom found in rock pools. Both species move about freely when the tide is up but "L. digitalis" settles in a different location at each low tide whereas "L. scabra" tends to home to the same spot. "L. scabra" has a more rugged
Radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant of substantial contamination from the 1957 plutonium fire until after the highly visible 1969 fire, when civilian monitoring teams confronted government officials with measurements made outside the plant of radioactive contamination suspected to be from the 1969 fire, which consumed hundreds of pounds of plutonium (850 kg). The 1969 fire raised public awareness of potential hazards posed by the plant and led to years of increasing citizen protests and demands for plant closure. Releases from previous years had not been reported publicly prior to the fire; airborne-become-groundborne radioactive contamination extending well beyond the Rocky Flats plant was not publicly reported