(14.0K) | © USA Today | John L. Smith | "Most all the guys are dead now. Cancer, kidneys, lung problems, you see a lot of that. I feel lucky to be alive, but I'm worried. It makes you bitter, them knowing about the risks and not telling. If I'd known, I would have quit." |
| The story at first seemed straightforward: A plant that had been processing fuel for nuclear weapons 50 years ago had not taken safety precautions and had endangered the lives of workers. But as Peter Eisler of USA Today dug into the files and spoke to people involved in the nuclear program, he found that scores of plants were involved and that thousands of workers had been exposed to radiation levels a hundred times greater than the acceptable limits. The workers, he learned, were not told of the risks in handling uranium, thorium and other hazardous materials. The areas in which these plants operated were dangerously contaminated as well. |