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Investigative Report on
the Nuclear Reactor at Fort Greely—
A Legacy of Secrecy
A Fact Sheet from
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
June 2003
At the
request of community members in Delta who are concerned
about possible health effects from radioactive and chemical
contamination at Fort Greely, Alaska Community Action on
Toxics (ACAT) conducted an investigation of the Army’s
nuclear reactor. This fact sheet summarizes the report,
The Nuclear Reactor at Fort Greely—the full report is
available upon request or on our website at
www.akaction.net. The
report is timely in light of recent developments with the
missile defense system at Fort Greely because it raises
questions about the health and safety of workers and local
residents.
For ten
years (1962-1972), the Army operated a nuclear reactor at
Fort Greely, the SM-1A (Stationary Medium Power
Reactor—first field installation and prototype). Some
residents of Delta Junction suspect that there is a
relationship between the reactor and high cancer rates in
the community. Researchers from ACAT and physicist Norm
Buske of Nuclear-Weapons-Free America and researchers from
ACAT worked to analyze military documents and conduct a
10-day field investigation.
Key
Findings
Our
research shows that the U.S. Army at Fort Greely is
responsible for extensive radioactive contamination through:
1) control rod accident—a near melt-down event in 1967
exposed workers to harmful levels of radiation; 2)
radioactive steam heat to the post; 3) liquid radioactive
waste discharged to groundwater and Jarvis Creek; 4)
radioactive fallout; 5) solid radioactive waste disposal;
and 6) long-lived radioactivity in the reactor still
remaining on Fort Greely.
Perhaps
the most significant finding of the report is that the U.S.
Army disguised the true mission of the nuclear reactor at
Fort Greely. Rather than a plant to provide heating and
electricity to the base, the reactor was covertly designed
and operated as a pilot plant to produce special nuclear
materials suitable for use in battlefield weapons. Although
it is small, the Greely reactor was and is capable of
causing great harm to workers and local residents.
Key
Recommendations
The
following recommendations are necessary to hold the
Department of Defense accountable:
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Department of Defense must declassify and provide
factual information about the covert reactor mission,
operations, and accidents that may have caused harm to
human health and the environment.
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Designate Fort Greely as a National Priorities Site
(Superfund) to provide greater oversight and funding for
cleanup of radioactive and chemical contamination.
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Conduct independent investigation of the extent of
groundwater contamination, consequences of radioactive
fallout event, and solid radioactive waste.
- Use
safe methods to clean up contaminated heating system on
base.
-
Develop protocol for long-term monitoring and removal of
radioactivity in containment structure.
-
Sponsor worker and resident health assessment conducted
by independent researchers.
-
Ensure responsible cleanup of radioactive and chemical
contamination on Fort Greely.
For more
information or to obtain the full report, call Alaska
Community Action on Toxics at (907) 222-7714.
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