The peaceful aim of Project Rulison was to determine if natural gas could be easily liberated from underground regions.

This site remains under active monitoring by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management.

A January 2005 report by the DOE stated that radioactivity levels were normal at the surface and in groundwater, though a later report due in 2007 was expected to more fully explore if there was subsurface contamination and whether or not radioactivity was still spreading outward from the blast site itself.

As of June 2005, the Houston, Texas-based company Presco was seeking to drill for natural gas within the buffer zone, putting in as many as four wells.

The company had initially received approval to drill one well, but the county dropped its support when more extensive plans were revealed.