Harkin upset over revelation of nuke sites in Iowa

A study of newly declassified documents finds the federal government MAY have built or tested nuclear weapons at two sites in the Quad City-area decades ago. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’s shocked and angered by the findings, published in U-S-A Today.The report says there may be up to 150 “forgotten factories” across the U-S from back in the 1940s and ’50s, although the basic nuclear production information is still classified. Harkin is calling for Congressional hearings on the issue and is sending a list of demands to President Clinton.Harkin wants prompt, full disclosure of the history of the facilities, examination of environmental contamination and human exposure, identification of former workers and appropriate medical monitoring. He says workers who were harmed should also be entitled to compensation. Harkin says thousands of workers were exposed to dangerous radiation and were never informed of the risks. He calls this cover-up a “national disgrace” and says the sun needs to be allowed to shine in. Harkin says the two Quad City-area sites were identified in the published report.One facility was in Davenport — Bendix Aviation/Pioneer Division — where decontamination techniques were tested on 20 uranium storage drums. The other facility was in East Moline, Illinois — American Machine and Metals.