The ambushed grand jury is the true story of four citizen investigators who uncover the justice departments coverup of deadly radioactive contamination at rocky flats nuclear weapons plant deceived by the justice departments coverup, relying on false. A narrative report by a woman who grew up near the rocky flats nuclear weapons facility describes the secrets that dominated her childhood, the strange cancers that afflicted her neighbors, her brief employment at rocky flats, and the efforts of residents to achieve legal justice. Rocky flats used to be a nuclear weapons plant in northern colorado. Rebecca skloot, author of the immortal life of henrietta lacks what a surprise. New rocky flats soil tests show radioactivity below. Grazing and development around the plant left rocky flats as the best habitat in the area. Full body burden book arapahoe libraries bibliocommons.
A new wildlife refuge on the grounds around an old nuclear. The 6,500acre rocky flats, 16 miles northwest of denver, opened in 1952 to manufacture plutonium triggers for the nations nuclear arsenal. It is also a story about the destructive power of secrets family secrets and government secrets and the cost of deception. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats, is in part a memoir about her troubled family, and also an investigation into the decadeslong environmental scandal involving nuclear contamination in and around rocky flats. Rocky flats oversight rocky flats is a former nuclear weapons facility located west of the city of westminster and standley lake, a key drinking water source for westminster, thornton and northglenn. Full body burden is kristen iversens story of growing up in a small colorado town in the shadow of rocky flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant. Rocky flats national wildlife refuge sits on land surrounding the famous rocky flats nuclear reservation that produced nuclear weapons during the cold war. June 12, 2012 kristen iversen spent her childhood in the 1960s in colorado near the rocky flats nuclear weapons factory, playing. Full body burden book columbus metropolitan library.
Donate your car, truck, or motorcycle to support cpr. There was always wildlife in the buffer zone around the plants industrial core. The title of the book, an insiders view of rocky flats. Just five books have been named finalists for the 2020 aspen words literary prize. Contractors included kaiserhill company 1995present. Her fathers hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in. Under the nuclear shadow of colorados rocky flats news.
Home construction begins bordering rocky flats site credit. Iversen is a seasoned speaker on the secret plant that was designated the most contaminated site in america by the department of energy and the consequences of prioritizing the bottom line over the publics health. On the move posted by leonard gill on by leonard gill on. No additional hot spots detected in soil at edge of rocky flats where elevated plutonium reading was found by john aguilar published. A new wildlife refuge on the grounds around an old. Weapons production ended there after fbi agents raided the plant in 1989. If you are skeptical that you need to read any more after seeing that title, you should know the governor of colorado was quoted as saying that the raid resulted in false allegations of wrongdoing that needlessly damaged.
Rocky flats needs to be part of the same nuclear discussion as three mile island, chernobyl, and fukushima. Rocky flats is home to an endangered mouse, and the state of colorado wanted to place stateendangered birds on the property. Kristen iversens full body burdengrowing up in the shadow of rocky flats, shows what it was like to live near a nuclear weapons facility. Its also a book about the destructive power of secrets both family secrets and government secrets. Its the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the cold war, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and. He held a variety of positions at the plant but says he made his largest contribution in environmental management.
From 1952 to 1989 there were many fires, leaks, and. Rocky flats national wildlife refuge sits on land surrounding the famous rocky flats nuclear reservation that. A presentation by randy stafford during the april 25, 2018 rocky flats right to know meeting. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats, is in part a memoir about her troubled family, and. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats, spoke eloquently on npr s fresh air about what led her to write the book. The contamination primarily resulted from releases from the 903 pad drum storage area windblown plutonium that leaked from barrels of radioactive waste. Working with others, the refuge conserves the unique biotic communities and sustains wildlife populations at the interface of mountains and prairies on colorados front range. Colorado has 900 bee species and only a few them are black and yellow. Sargent complains that the recent article concerning land use near the rocky flats site failed to contain references to dr. Full body burden growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats book. The plant had a long history of leaks, fires and environmental violations. This narrative report by a woman who grew up near the rocky flats nuclear weapon facility describes the dark secrets that dominated her childhood, the strange cancers that afflicted her neighbors, her brief employment at rocky flats and the efforts of residents to achieve legal justice.
Its the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the cold war, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful andunknown to those who. What was the purpose and mission of the rocky flats site. He held a variety of positions at the plant but made his largest contribution in environmental management. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats author. Urban myths debunked, gives a hint about my perspective. For an interesting look at the rocky flats site, we commend you to kristen iversens book. Full body burden is kristen iversens story of growing up in a small colorado town close to rocky flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant. But when that refuge is on the site of the security buffer zone of a former nuclear weapons facility, it gets complicated quickly. Heres what you should know about radiation at rocky flats.
This book is a thrilling, devastating, and haunting look into the demise of one of the most beautiful areas on earth. Full body burden is a haunting work of narrative nonfiction about a young woman, kristen iversen, growing up in a small colorado town close to rocky flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated the most contaminated site in america. Carl johnsons socalled studies of cancer rates near the plant and kristen iversens growing up radiated memoir. More than twenty years later, the deadly coverup continues. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats by kristen iversen. Former rocky flats worker website cold war patriots. Theres a bee species that lives in the white rocks nature preserve between valmont and lookout roads northwest of louisville, and rumor has it that the bee lives only in that area of colorado. Started by two grandmothers from arvada, rocky flats right to know believes people have a right to know that rocky flats was a nuclear weapons plant. The novel coronavirus disease continues to affect colorado residents, families, businesses, and schools. This 5,237acre refuge has striking vistas of the front range of the rocky mountains and rolling prairie grasslands, woodlands and wetlands.
Us cant find 60 boxes of files at center of court battle over. Eeoicpa compensation for rocky flats workers stephens. What is the current configuration and management at the rocky flats site. This book s author worked at rocky flats from 1969 until plant closure in 2005, except for an interlude of about seven years. Npr s brings you news about books and authors along with our picks for great reads. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats, is in part a memoir about her troubled family, and also an. Posted by admin on jul 17, 2012 in personal rocky flats, personal stories comments off i remember an all night vigil in the cold winter wind along the highway entrance to rocky flats. Frequently asked questions about rocky flats department. Kristen iversen grew up close to rocky flats, a nuclear weapons plant once designated the most contaminated site in america. Unless a federal court intervenes, a visitor center will open at the rocky flats wildlife refuge in golden in the summer of 2018. When kristen iversen was a child, she and her family moved to a small subdivision just outside of denver. Now, parts of the site that used to be a security perimeter around the plant have been turned into a wildlife refuge the former plant itself remains closed to the public. Rocky flats national wildlife is an expanse of grasslands, shrublands and wetlands, including rare xeric tallgrass prairie, where natural processes support a broad range of native wildlife.
Cbs cbs4s special report about rocky flats aired in june 2017. The rocky flats national wildlife refuge refuge was established in 2007 and is managed by the u. Fuel the music and radio programs you love and the journalism you rely on. Remember when the fbi raided rocky flats nuclear weapons plant in 1989. Radioactive contamination from the rocky flats plant.
A profoundly sad read about the greed, deception, and destruction surrounding cold war era rocky flats nuclear production facility near denver, co. Kristen iversen, author of the new book, full body burden. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats, iversen tells a powerful tale of the effects of the cold wars culture of secrecya time when the weapons industry haunted american life from the inside out. Through interviews, sifting through thousands of records some remain sealed and even a stint as a rocky flats receptionist, she uncovers decades of governmental deception. In 1989, after an fbi raid, rocky flats was closed down. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats 9780307955654. Part memoir and also an investigation, the book examines the decadeslong environmental scandal involving nuclear contamination in and around rocky flats, a nuclear. Under the nuclear shadow of colorados rocky flats fresh air. Cleanup and closure of the site were completed in 2006, and. Website operated by and for former rocky flats workers. Kristen iversen is the author of full body burden, a true story from a woman who grew up next to the rocky flats nuclear weapons production facility in colorado. Growing up in the nuclear shadow of rocky flats is a 2012 memoir fusing iversens personal story of growing up in cold war america with the history of the former rocky flats nuclear plant near denver, colorado, once called by the department of energy the most contaminated site in america. Dow operated the plant until 1975, when rockwell took.
Exchange with author of new rocky flats book leroymoore. Land around the shuttered weapons production facility in colorado known as rocky flats is slated to reopen today as a wildlife refuge. Rocky flats and the nuclear west, says these caveats dont change the. A place to hear from those that have spread to the four corners of the country. Its an essential and unforgettable book that should be talked about in schools and book clubs, online and in the white house. Journalist and university of colorado professor len ackland, the author of the 1999 book making a real killing. Full body burden is both an engrossing memoir and a powerful piece of investigative journalism. Parts of this post originally appeared on book riot. Full body burden goodreads meet your next favorite book. Full body burden a feature length documentary from haveypro cinema based on the book by kristen iversen.
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