Nuclear weapons plants: A case of deadly deception

Scan page 8

No1 WE LIKE TO 3 SOCIALIST ACTION OCTOBER 1989 Beginning in December of last year, the American mass media reported a series of stunning events, centering on the 17 nuclearweapons factories located in the United States. Despite the fact that neighborhood groups and environmental organizations have been complaining for many years, these reports were the first revelations of a deadly deceit.

The American public has been bombarded by media and government propaganda since the early days of the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, N.M. Nuclear energy was introduced as a source of "unlimited amounts of almost cost-free energy."

The media has largely ignored the link between nuclear energy and the production of nuclear bombs. Coverups of accidents and near catastrophes have happened too many times.

Nuclear-weapons factories handle plutonium-the most deadly substance known. Just 6/10 of one-millionth of a gram is lethal. Once in our systems, it concentrates in the bones, thus restricting the production of red blood cells. It can take up to 20 years for effects to be detected. Roughly 41 pounds of this material evenly distributed around the planet could kill all human life.

Contaminated water supplies

A report released in early December by the Department of Energy (DOE) listed 155 instances of contamination at 16 weapons plants and laboratories.

Though it neglects to mention some major accidents, the report does shed light on the inner workings of these facilities and on the widespread contamination they've caused. Chemicals mentioned in the report are plutonium, lesium, strontium, PCB, chromium, arsenic, mercury, and a variety of solvents. All of these compounds are known to cause cancer and other chronic diseases.

In Piketon, Ohio, 30 to 40 pounds of chromium was released in water wapor. It traveled many miles before it settled in water, crops, and soil. Amarillo, Texas, gets its water from an aquifer contaminated by thousands of gallons of solvents.

Eastern Idaho receives its water from an On Sept. 5, in Berkeley, Calif., Lillian Willis died of lung cancer. She was 77 years old. Her parents, Russian-Jewish radicals (family name, Bender), came to America shortly after the 1905 Russian Revolution. Lillian was born in 1912 in Revere, Mass.

Much of Lillian's youth was spent in New York City and Chicago, where in the 1930s she participated in the first major strike of restaurant workers, rebelling against the gangster "labor fakers" who controlled the union. The strike, led by the late Sidney Lens, was won and set off a series of battles that established the present International Ho tel and Restaurant Employees Union. From then on, Lillian was continually active in trade-union and radical politics.

U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685).

1A. Title of publication: Socialist Action. 1B. Publication no. 721090. 2. Date of filing: Oct. 1, 1989. 3. Frequency of issue: Monthly. A) No. of issues published annually: 12. B) Annual subscription price: $8.00.

4. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.

5. Complete mailing address of the headquarters of general business offices of the publisher: Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.

6. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor, and managing editor. Publisher: Socialist Action lota HOT TUB Nuclear Facility aquifer that was also contaminated by billions of gallons of radioactive waste water. Farmers are already complaining of widespread death and deformities in livestock and animals.

The Savannah River Plant in South Carolina, employing 15,000 workers, produces tritium and plutonium. It appears some luck has been on the side of the plant, as a major disaster has so far been averted. But ongoing problems include inadequate warning signs in contaminated areas, weak radiation monitoring of workers, and poor training of the onsite health inspectors.

"National sacrifice zones"

Several accidents occurred last year that were caused by human error. All this brought attention to an inadequate cooling system and the fact that no containment wall existed like those found in commercial reactors. DOE officials are overlooking these problems in the name of "national security"—a line which has been echoed many times before.

She held membership not only in the union she helped to organize, but also in San Francisco in the Newspaper Guild.

Lillian and her husband, Allen Willis, came to San Francisco in 1946. Allen joined the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in 1947. Lillian did not become a member but pitched in—like the veteran she was.

Allen left the SWP in 1951, but he and Lillian were there-playing key roles in the major political struggles of the 1950s and 1960s: the struggle for racial equality, the defense of the Cuban Revolution (Fair Play for Cuba Committee), and the anti-Vietnam War movement.

She was a fine speaker and organizer and a generous and warm friend. She will be sorely missed.

A memorial meeting is planned for Oct. 21, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Savo Island Community Center, 2017 Stuart Street, Berkeley. For information and messages, Allen Willis may be reached at (415) 841-3610.

Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543. Editor. Alan Benjamin, 3435 Army St, Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543. Managing Editor: Kathy Sands, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.

7. Owner (if owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each individual must be given. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, its name and address must be stated.): Socialist Action Publishing Association (unincorporated), 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110, Nat Weinstein and Carl Finamore, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110.

Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security THINK OF IT AS A BREAKTHROUGH IN OUR NEW PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN!

In January, Senator John Glenn (R-Ohio) wrote an editorial titled "The Mini-Hiroshima Near Cincinnati." Glenn pointed out that the nuclear-production center in Fernald, Ohiorun by the DOE-stores 390,000 cubic feet of radioactive waste that emits deadly radon gas. Once again, large amounts of uranium and other hazardous chemicals have found their way into the public's drinking water.

Several officials have called the Fernald, Ohio, area one of many "national sacrifice zones." The question is, what is being sacrificed? This is double speak for the creation of a deliberate public health disaster. In May 1989, experts accused the government of "fabrications" and "inherently deceptive data" concerning the release of uranium dust.

One of the original sites involved with the first bomb and many bombs since is the Hanford Reservation in the state of Washington. A study by the Center for Disease Control claims that in the 1940s and '50s, 30,000 children in the region were exposed to more Ken Shilman, a leader of the Socialist Workers Party for many years, died Sept. 7 of cancer at the age of 47. The following statement was sent by SoOcialist Action co-National Secretary Jeff Mackler to a memorial meeting for Shilman held on Oct. I in Oakland.

Dear comrades, I first met Ken in 1962 in New York City. He had been a party member for a short time but had energetically devoted himself to mastering the fundamentals of the revolutionary socialist positions of the Socialist Workers Party. Ken had a wonderful ability to explain these ideas to newcomers in clear and concise terms. He was more interested in the essence of the idea than in high-sounding holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities (if there are none, so state: None 9. For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at special rates (Section 423.12 DMM only): Does not apply.

10. Extent and nature of circulation. Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months. A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 2,875. B. Paid and/or requested circulation (1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales: 1409. (2) Mail subscriptions (Paid and/or requested: 978. C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (sum of 10B1 and 10B2): 2387. D. Free distribution by mail, carrier or other means, samples, complimentary, and other free copies: 31. E. total distribution (Sum of C and D): 2418. F. Copies not distributed (1) Office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: 429. (2) Return from news agents: 28. G. Total (Sum of E, Fl, and 2should equal net press run shown in A): 2,875. of the Chernobyl accident.

The most spectacular incident so far was when 70 FBI agents raided the nuclear plant at Rocky Flats, Colo. The plant is used to process plutonium; it has handled over 260,000 pounds of the deadly material. At the time of the raid, agents also descended on the DOE office in New Mexico which oversees operations in Colorado.

This type of raid was unprecedented and was done for fear that documents would be destroyed. Agents found faked federal documents attempting to conceal the illegal discharge of toxic materials.

Rocky Flats is managed by Rockwell International and has been fined many times before. Since they are a government contractor, tax dollars pay their fines. Rockwell's slogan is "where science gets down to business."

Accidents are not new at Rocky Flats. In 1954, a plutonium fire broke out which sent a cloud over Denver. Two weeks later, when the stacks were monitored, they had 16,000 times the permissible amount of radioactivity allowed at the time. Since then, several workers have died of brain cancer. Workers at the site continue to have five times the rate of cancer than in the rest of Colorado.

Today, most people remain in the dark as to the depth of the problems regarding nuclear sites. Major media-but for a few excep: tions-has paid little attention to this subject. Articles constantly quote DOE officials, who leave inaccurate impressions with readers.

The newspaper, television, and radio-station owners and corporate boards are major stock holders in nuclear companies. It is only natural they will serve their own business interests in "reporting" the news.

It is estimated that it will take $100 billion to clean up these sites. Usually, these estimates are well below the actual costs. But there is a strong chance that these sites cannot be cleaned. Contamination has now entered huge amounts of water, large areas of land, and the food chain.

Patrick Dugan, the director of bioprocessing at one of these sites, states, "Nothing like this can be made to go away—only handled better." This opinion is echoed by many in the government. Even 100 miles downstream from the Savannah Plant, large concentrations have been found. Yet the DOE takes a waitand-see attitude. Do they have 10,000 years to allow it to be neutralized?

When one speaks of a national tragedy, it hardly conveys the suffering at hand. Monopolies of wealth and power are the only "winners." Such a system has to be replaced.

presentations.

Ken's courageous participation in the Southern civil rights movement was similar to so many of the best youthful fighters of his time. But when the struggle ebbed, Ken found another way to fight for his ideals. He signed on for life with the socialist movement.

Ken demonstrated the capacity to act on his growing understanding that the most enduring gains for the working-class movement could be won through active and dedicated participation in the revolutionary party.

I remember Ken most for his gentle way and patience with all of us young hotshots who believed that our first year in the party was sufficient training for all time. Like so many of the talented comrades of his generation, Ken joined the party because he was inspired with the mighty vision of the socialist future.

He could not have spent his life in a better cause.

Comradely, Jeff Mackler Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date. A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 3,000. B. Paid and/or requested circulation (1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales: 1377. (2) Mail subscription (Paid and/or requested): 864. C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (Sum of 10B1 and 10B2): 2241. D. Free distribution by mail, carrier or other means, samples, complimentary, and other free copies: 27. E. Total distribution (Sum of C and D) 2268. F. copies not distributed (1) Office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: 715. (2) Retum from news agents: 17. G. Total (Sum of E, Fl and 2-should equal net press run shown in A): 3.000.

11. I certify that the statements correct and complete.

(signed)

Kathy Sands Business Manager

----- pull-quotes -----

Lillian Willis, a partisa of the working class

Ken Shilman: Fighter for socialist future