12/14/2000
Code of silence now a hindrance
http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln14126.html
-- Mike Augspurger

Loose lips about their work might sink ships, employees at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown once were routinely told by their bosses.

Now, government officials say it's OK for former IAAP workers to talk to doctors and health investigators about health issues that might be related to working conditions at the plant.

The newly formed local citizens group has been formed to help University of Iowa researchers find and evaluate possible health problems of IAAP workers.

Workers at the plant labored for more than 25 years producing nuclear weapons for the Atomic Energy Commission, until its operations moved to Texas in the mid-1970s.

The Department of Energy, which took over nuclear weapons operations from the AEC, has acknowledged that many workers likely were exposed to radiation and other dangerous materials.

Congress has approved a compensation package for thousands of former nuclear workers across the country, but details of that package won't be worked out until next year. The U of I study, however, is not involved with deciding the compensation package.

Dr. Laurence Fuortes, the U of I project director, believes their work may last three to five years, or even up to 10 years.

The project seeks to identify former workers, determine what substances and occupational hazards they were exposed to, identify those health concerns and develop a plan for further medical screenings.

Board member Marge Foster, who worked as a bargaining agent for one of the plant's unions for several years, made a strong point at a recent meeting: many former workers continue to feel compromised when talking about their jobs.

Workers during war times and in the Cold War were sworn to vows of secrecy about what they did, what they saw and what type of chemicals they may have handled.

A $288 billion defense funding bill signed by President Clinton earlier this year includes provisions urging the Defense Department to relax its secrecy lid on former nuclear weapons operations at the Middletown munitions plant.

The secrecy wording, placed in the bill by Sen. Tom Harkin, calls on the Defense Department to "make sure that former and current workers at (the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant) can discuss exposures to radioactive and hazardous substances with their health care providers and others."

The Hawk Eye has published more than 80 stories and editorials since the IAAP issue began last fall. Many of the articles have been about unearthed secrets as to what went on at the plant as well as the personal stories of people who have suffered health problems and their relatives.

The newspaper has printed stories about creeks running blood red because of contamination. The stories have been about people who turned yellow, or died slow, agonizing deaths. Many relatives believe their mothers or fathers died at early ages because they were exposed to dangerous chemicals.

Some former workers, however, continue to be reluctant to discuss plant-related issues with anyone. Fuortes told a story about two 80-year-old people who were in near tears, debating whether to discuss anything about the plant with him.

Fuortes estimates out of the 40,000 or so people who worked at the plant, at least 4,000 worked on Line 1.

But to accomplish the goal of the project, U of I officials need as much personal information from former workers as possible. The officials are looking for trends and patterns of health problems of those who worked in certain areas.

Credibility is a major component of the project and its advisory board. Fuortes said the plan is not to further any class-action lawsuits, but rather to find information for the agencies involved in health-related investigations.

"Credibility is gained by merciless truthfulness," Fuortes said.