West Lake

Nuclear Nightmare: “Safe Side of the Fence” screens in Idaho

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From the Boise Weekly

April 25, 7 p.m., presented by Snake River Alliance

By

The Safe Side of the Fence screens Monday, April 25, 7 p.m., at The Flicks

Courtesy of the film “Safe Side of the Fence”

The Safe Side of the Fence screens Monday, April 25, 7 p.m., at The Flicks

Since 2000, more than 3,500 workers at Idaho nuclear facilities have been paid over $250 million in compensation through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Nationwide, those numbers are much higher, but may be a fraction of the nuclear program’s true costs to America’s “Cold War vets.” In many cases, illnesses or injuries were suffered on account of poor workplace safety and failure to properly inform workers of the risks of handling radioactive materials.

“I don’t think we can be overly complacent because we’re still having exposures,” said Snake River Alliance Nuclear Program Director Beatrice Brailsford. “We are much more able to provide protection than we used to, but … any mistake can have serious consequences.”

As recently as April 17, reports of a sizeable leak in a nuclear waste storage tank at the Hanford Site on the Columbia River caused emergency crews to respond to what some described as a “catastrophic” incident.

When the United States nuclear program was in its infancy in the 1940s and ’50s, problems of workplace safety and treatment of laborers were more acute. This is evident at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis, Mo.­–one of the first uranium refineries in the world and the subject of The Safe Side of the Fence.

“Those workers were some of the most contaminated workers in history,” said director Tony West, who will travel to Boise as a guest of the Snake River Alliance for the film’s screening at The Flicks.

The Mallinckrodt workers refined uranium used at the University of Chicago Pile-1 and the Manhattan Project. Later, the West Lake Landfill, where waste was illegally deposited, became a Superfund site. Its workers suffer disproportionately from contamination-related illnesses.

The compensation program itself is 16 years old, but only a few of the people who worked at the plant have received money through it. West made the plant’s lasting impact on St. Louis and learning why compensation has been elusive for its workers the thrust of his documentary.

“The story’s about these workers, but it’s also about waste,” he said.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/nuclear-nightmare-safe-side-of-the-fence-screens-at-the-flicks/Content?oid=3770766

[Editor: This is where the jobs were during the Depression. In addition, there was lots of flag-waving. It was considered unpatriotic to question. People believe what they want to believe, especially if it pays the bills and puts food on the table.]

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Knock, knock, is anyone home at the EPA?

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The Bridgeton/West Lake Superfund site is a radioactive disaster adjoining St. Louis, Missouri.

From Center for Health, Environment & Justice

February 15, 2016

EPA has gone dark. McCarthy is awaiting the end of her term and no one is protecting the American citizens or our environment.

It is outrageous that Administrator Gina McCarthy refuses to acknowledge the citizens living near the Bridgeton/West Lake Superfund site. What is wrong with her? Just Moms STL wrote a letter requesting a meeting in May of 2015 and never even received an acknowledgement that they asked for a meeting. They traveled to Washington, DC anyway in hopes of seeing McCarthy after their federal delegation of senators and congress representatives sent a letter to encourage McCarthy to meet with them. The community received nothing from the office of the Administrator. Not a call, a letter or even an e-mail saying she had a prior commitment or was on travel.

A second letter was sent this past fall to say the community leaders are planning to travel to Washington, D.C. in February and would she please meet with them to discuss the Superfund site which has been mismanaged by her regional staff. Again there was silence. I personally called every day but one in the month of January and February leading up to the date that local people were traveling to D.C. On many occasions when I called, all I received was a voice mail message that asked me to leave a message and someone would get back to me. I left message after message and no one, not a single person from the agency returned my call.

On a few occasions I actually talked to a woman who answered the phone. She was courteous and respectful and always promised to deliver the message to scheduling department. “Someone will call you back soon.” But no one ever called. The citizens living around the site began a telephone campaign to McCarthy’s office. It was only a week until they travel to D.C. and no one provided an answer if McCarthy would meet or not. The community sold cupcakes, brownies, t-shirts, and worked hard to raise the funds to visit D.C. and meet with the Administrator to explain what was going on from their perspective.

With a slim chance of meeting with McCarthy, now two years since their first request for a meeting was made, they climbed on a plane and came to D.C. While there they met with their congressional delegation, allies in the field but never had a meeting with McCarthy. Also they were never denied a meeting; it was deafeningly silent. My goodness if the answer is “NO” then say so. To say nothing is irresponsible, inexcusable and further victimizing the victims.

I stood outside of McCarthy’s office at 9 a.m. the last day of the groups visit. From the sidewalk I called her office and explained that local leaders are downstairs and waiting for a response from McCarthy before they need to leave for the airport. The public relations office sent down a two young people to receive the letter the community had for McCarthy, outlining their concerns. They apologized that McCarthy wasn’t available to meet. She couldn’t have told the citizens before they left St. Louis that she couldn’t meet? It is not a big request to ask for a simple yes or no of availability.

My take away . . . fire McCarthy. My tax dollars should not be spent on someone who works in government and ignores the citizens of the United States. All she had to do on both occasions is say I’m sorry I’ve got a previous engagement. Common courtesy should be a requirement of federal employment.

http://chej.org/2016/02/knock-knock-is-anyone-home-at-epa/