Irradiated, an article on the “hidden legacy of atomic weaponry”

“We didn’t know it was hazardous.”

The McClatchy Washington Bureau recently published an article on the devastating effects the U.S. nuclear weapons industry has had on its workers, and the imperative of compensating these workers for their work and sacrifice. The article tells the stories of individuals who worked at nuclear plants around the country and have become sick due to their toxic exposure. These are stories of workers like Evelyn Babb and Jean Pope, sisters who both worked as “calutron girls” at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and contracted illnesses.  Some workers have received compensation through the EEOICPA program, but certainly not all. To read the article, click here.

This article was written by Rob Hotakainen, Lindsay Wise, Frank Matt and Samantha Ehlinger of the McClatchy Washington Bureau.