I have written several commentaries about the event titled “Rocky Flats Then and Now:  25 years After the Raid.” This one will be posted earlier because it is about the panel discussion titled “Secrecy and Its Fallout,” and I was originally listed as a panelist. (See the commentary posted June 4^th for an explanation.) Nat Miullo, listed as “Former Environmental Protection Agency Inspector at Rocky Flats” was on this panel, and he gave an engaging and personable introduction about how he arrived at that position. He said his father, and he spoke of him in admirable terms, had worked in the military in positions that required secrecy and had discouraged him from accepting the position overseeing Rocky Flats. Mr. Miullo had, as I understood him, worked on waste issues at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and his father said Rocky Flats would be more difficult.  He went against his father’s advice and accepted the Rocky Flats assignment. He commented that security requirements were carefully followed at Rocky Flats and none of the people working there were going to break those laws. He discussed how he filed the application for a security clearance and was frustrated at how long it took for the investigation to be completed. Mr. Miullo described that he was prevented from seeing some operations at Rocky Flats even after he received his clearance, but explained that there were strict “need to know requirements.” He did not dismiss the logic of those requirements, and I recall he even said workers with clearances were not allowed to see what was going on outside their buildings unless they had “a need to know.” He said that he was led into some areas blindfolded because there were operations that he did not need to see to do his job, but “Over time that was overcome.” What I learned from this discussion is that my characterization on pages 64-65 of the paperback version of my book is incorrect. I wrote that the regulator chose to “…not have the security background check required to obtain a clearance.” I believed the discussion in the book was correct when I wrote it, but am happy to correct an important error. The most important thing I learned was from the audience. They gave encouraging responses to people who spoke about Rocky Flats in negative terms. Former FBI agent Jon Lipsky did an artful job of presenting his views that the site was not “morally justified.” He said the site took “actions against people.” “Award fees were given to contractors for production over safety.” “Workers were exposed to illness and death.” “Plutonium is the most toxic element on earth.” The people from Rocky Flats who presented truthful descriptions (Jack Weaver and Ken Frieberg, who served on panels, and Phil Saba from the audience) received very little encouragement from the audience. It was obvious that those expressing suspicions of conspiracy by an uncaring government assisted by willing accomplices  were accepted as credible. I learned people’s emotionally-based beliefs are unlikely to be swayed, and that is especially true when there are passionate leaders such as several of the participants at the Arvada Center event. However, I intend to continue to present the facts as I understand them regardless of their popularity. Picture me as an insignificant Rocky Flats Don Quixote jousting against emotional windmills. I assure you the people of Rocky Flats accomplished what the nation asked them to do while establishing a remarkable record of protecting their families and their neighbors from the dangerous materials involved in their work. There will be more commentaries mid-next week with book reviews and expressions on hold.