Category Archives: Rocky Flats Plant

DOE Comments about “An Insider’s View of Rocky Flats”

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I’ve mentioned that a person who was a senior DOE official provided comments about the book after reading it on line at this web site. I’ll first mention for people who don’t like to read on a computer screen that the book is now available in paperback and can be ordered from both Amazon.com and CreateSpace.com. The book continues to be free at the book link on this web site.

The comments began with the sentence, “The mid to late 1980’s were a perfect storm of national and international events that affected the future of Rocky Flats.” The events mentioned included funding of the international anti-nuclear movement by the Soviet Union, major international accidents, DOE’s loss of a lawsuit on regulation of wastes, and a Congressional act that had a major impact on operation of DOE facilities. I’ll discuss the first three here.

The book, “An Insider’s View of Rocky Flats” discusses the declining reputation of Rocky Flats over time. There are several reviews about Soviet Espionage against the United States (Venona, Witness, Perjury, and Out of Bondage) in that link on this web site. However, I hadn’t considered the possibility of Soviet involvement in anti-nuclearprotests. A Wikipedia article, “Soviet influence on the peace movement,” discusses how the Soviets supported organizations such as the World Peace Council. That group received millions in funding from the Soviets, organized peace conferences, and refrained from criticizing the Soviets. There was a Congressional report in 1980 that listed six peace groups that received Soviet funding and were “closely connected” with the World Peace Council. I don’t doubt the anti-nuclear protests had a negative impact on the public’s perception of places such as Rocky Flats, because that was the intent of the protestors. I do doubt that most of the people participating in those protests knew or thought what they were doing was encouraged or was even funded by the Soviets. (I intend to do addtional research on this subject, and have requested references listed in the Wikipedia article.)

The commenter also provided an insightful analysis of how nuclear and industrial accidents affected the public’s acceptance of risk. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl strengthened the anti- nuclear movement. The Challenger explosion startled the nation, and the leak of a toxic gas in Bhopal, India that killed thousands was an international scandal. “When it became clear that the causes of these accidents had similar causes to the allegations that had been made about Rocky Flats, the public’s view toward Rocky Flats further hardened.”

I don’t intend to spend much time on the issue of DOE losing lawsuits in which they contended they weren’t required to comply with hazardous waste laws, since I gave that quite a bit of attention in the book. I’m working on writing a posting about how Congressional action created immense “unintended consequences” for DOE facilities.

Paperback Version of “An Insider’s View of Rocky Flats”

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Requests for a “book that can be held” in addition to the online and downloadable e-book (PDF) versions currently available on this website, have prompted me to produce a print version that I am happy to announce is now available through both Amazon and CreateSpace. You can read a short description of the book at those links.  Amazon offers free shipping for orders over $25, if you want to combine an order with other books you’ve been wanting. 

First and foremost, and to disprove that I have become a greedy Capitalist, electronic forms of the book will continue to be free to any and all who want to read it online or download it. I encourage you to scan the content to decide whether you want to own the paperback. I also encourage you to watch this blog over the next couple of weeks to see important information provided by people who wanted to share some valuable insights.

I’m pleased that a printed hardcopy book is now available and I intend to buy copies to give to family. To those who might want an autographed copy, I would also be happy to sign purchased copies, although you will have to hand or send me the book. Your choice will be whether you want my “business signature, Farrel D. Hobbs,” or my “personal signature, Farrel.”

Getting that out of the way, who should buy this book? I recommend it to former Rocky Flats workers who are conflicted about whether Rocky Flats delivered an overall positive or negative benefit to our nation. I recommend it to people who are interested in sorting out the factual history of Rocky Flats from the inaccurate and sensationalized urban myths.

I am pleased that an ardent critic of Rocky Flats has commented, “… his narrative is very even tempered …” and, “[h]is engaging account will be of interest to any who cares about the legacy of Rocky Flats … including peace and environmental critics.” I am also pleased that a DOE official who had some connection with Rocky Flats has referred to the “…valuable website,” which includes a link to electronic forms of this book.

The paperback version of the book is currently available at both Amazon.com and CreateSpace.com at the links given above for $9.95 + S&H.

Health Risks of Plutonium Part II

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I’ve received comments about what I’ve written on risks from low levels of plutonium in the environment and that I would be comfortable visiting the wildlife refuge at the former Rocky Flats site with my family. One worrisome assertion was that plutonium “was designed to kill.” Plutonium was generated in large quantities in a natural underground “reactor” in Africa that was dubbed the “Oklo Phenomenon“ a bit under two billion years ago. I agree that plutonium and other elements (i.e., arsenic) are toxic at some exposure level, but I can’t think that Mother Nature designed them to kill.

Another commenter referred to “Mortality Among Plutonium and Other Radiation Workers at a Plutonium Weapons Facility” by Gregg S. Wilkinson, et al. (The copyrighted article is online in the February 1987 edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology.) The responder points out Rocky Flats workers with higher levels of occupational plutonium exposure had a somewhat higher incidence of a few types of cancers than were experienced by the general population. My primary focus was on the abstract of the report that says, “Mortality among 5413 white males who were employed at least two years…(at Rocky Flats) was investigated to measure risks from exposures to low levels of plutonium and external radiation. When compared with US death rates, fewer deaths than expected were found for all causes of death (and) all cancers…”  That remarkable result was reached despite the fact that 26 percent of the workers had body burdens of plutonium from occupational exposure.

I don’t read the report to be a basis for some of the dire warnings being issued about the risks to people who chose to spend a few hours visiting the refuge, since the average person working in the industrial area for at least two years was not at increased risk.  In fact, people visiting the area west of the former industrial area will be exposed to about the same amounts of plutonium as is in their back yards from worldwide fallout. Anyone wanting to minimize their exposure to plutonium should avoid mountains where snow washed out higher levels of fallout.

I will post dissenting comments if they are civil, to the point, and factual. Other than that, I intend to move on to subjects that are more enjoyable.

New Rocky Flats Links

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There have been two sites added to links. The first is for Homesteaders, which is a nonprofit organization of Rocky Flats employees. The organization is active in issues of importance to past employees, publishes a monthly newsletter, and hosts several social events.

The second new link is to a LeRoy Moore’s blog.  He provided an extensive review of the book about Rocky Flats,  and we exchanged several emails discussing his comments.  The entire lenghty exchange is on the left colum of his blog complete with misspellings and typos. 

The discussions include:

  • Risks from exposure to low levels of plutonium
  • Plutonium contamination downwind of Rocky Flats
  • The Grand Jury, the plea bargain, and the Congressional hearings
  • The firing of Rockwell by DOE
  • Contention that the raid and Grand Jury were part of a cover up to thwart Sierra Club lawsuits against DOE
  • Concerns there are 65 boxes of documents sealed by Grand Jury proceedings
  • My incorrect presumption that activists were paid

There are polite disagreements, but I believe they add value.

FBI Spy Plane Video

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The Energy Employees Claims Assistance Project had sent out a link to the video of the spy plane night time flyover of Rocky Flats that the FBI thought proved the Building 771 incinerator was operating illegally. I provided the link in the book about Rocky Flats on this site at the end of Chapter 14. The link is no longer active, and I’m asking for anyone who has an active link to email it to me at fdsmhobbs@aol.com.

For those who have not yet read the book, there was no proof found to support the allegations of illegal incineration, and it was not mentioned in plea bargain with Rockwell.  An expert reviewing the video told the investigators the heat from the stack was probably from the building heating systems.  The video is an important part of the story about the infamous raid on Rocky Flats, and I hope to find a copy to post. 

 
 
 

 

About RockyFlatsFacts.com

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I began this blog primarily to share a book I’ve written about the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado.  I watched the reputation of the site decay from the early days when it was  thought to be an important part of national defense to be considered a blight.  I watched the workers at the site strive to do everything in their power to safely and responsibly complete the mission assigned by our nation’s leaders in compliance with all laws.  Our neighbors were reading and watching stories that gave a very different impression.

I’ve always been interested in history, and this blog is dedicated to expanding awareness of why the nation believed Rocky Flats was necessary to maintain its freedom.  Many of the reviews I intend to post are about the threats that existed when the decisions were made that the plant needed and continued to operate through the Cold War.  Some of the content will also deal with other history and historical figures.

I welcome your comments.  I know there are many divergent views, and I hope we can learn from each other in a constructive and civil manner.