Bookwoman recommends

"Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats" by Kristen Iversen

Kristen Iversen, her three siblings and her parents live in a world of denial, as do their neighbors and friends in the Arvada suburb of Bridledale. They can see the towers of the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant from their home, which is north of Standley Lake. But despite years of rumors and investigations, they never quite believe there is any danger from radioactive fallout from the plant.

Why was the Rocky Flats location chosen despite government site criteria stating that "winds passing over the plant should not blow toward a major population center?"

Because the winds examined before construction were measured at Stapleton Airport (where the records were kept) rather than at the site. Stapleton winds were southern, while those at Rocky Flats blow from the northwest.

Iversen traces Rocky Flats' controversial history from the plant's inception in the 1960s to the present day. She intersperses the scientific and regulatory details of the plant with her own personal history. This makes the story readable and human, rather than simply a collection of facts and figures.

"I can't tell the story of the plant without telling the story of my family. It all seems connected."

She also follows the careers of several long-term plant employees and the lives of some of the activists who protested at the plant, thus giving diverse viewpoints about the controversial site. We hear from Gov. Dick Lamm, Congressman Tim Wirth, Daniel Ellsberg and the Rocky Flats Truth Force, the owner of the Church Ranch (which ran cattle in the area), plus lesser-known scientists and legal experts, who weighed in either for or against Rocky Flats.

Why did people work at the plant despite widespread rumors of radiation? 1.) The dangers were kept secret and employees were assured it was a safe place to work. 2.) The pay was much higher than the minimum wage. 3.) Employees felt they were doing something patriotic. "Plutonium was supposed to ... save us from the enemy." 4.) There was a strong feeling of camaraderie and "family" associated with working at the plant.

In 1994, Iverson takes a secretarial job at Rocky Flats to make ends meet. She is now a single mother with two young sons. Her family has self-destructed, and she is struggling with health issues, but she is unwilling to connect the cause to Rocky Flats. The plant is now run by E G & G, a private management firm, which took over from Rockwell International, plant manager for many years. She began keeping a daily journal of what she observed at work -- both the people and the deplorable conditions at the site. This book eventually grew out of her past history and those journals. It is a disturbing, detailed document that provides much for local readers to ponder.
