FORTY-EIGHT HOURS {48 HOURS}: NIGHTMARE NEXT DOOR (TV)
Summary
One in this series of news documentary programs, hosted by Dan Rather, which focus on a specific topic for forty-eight hours.
This episode examines concerns about the safety and health risks stemming from nuclear weapons plants throughout the United States. Bernard Goldberg reports from Fernald, Ohio for the first segment, "Neighbors." Fernald is a peaceful-looking small town just outside of Cincinnati, but a nuclear bomb factory just outside of town has raised concern from its citizens. Recently the United States government has admitted that the plant has been leaking radiation to the surrounding area for years, and the outraged citizens of Fernald have formed FRESH, Fernald Residents for Environmental Safety and Health, to voice their grievances and spur officials into some sort of action. FRESH is led by Lisa Crawford, who lived across the factory for five years before her family was told that their drinking water was contaminated with uranium. At a FRESH meeting with several doctors from Cincinnati, the community expresses its outrage and feelings of betrayal towards the government. Crawford filed a $300 million lawsuit against National Lead of Ohio, the plant's operators, in 1985 when the radiation leakage became public knowledge. However, the United States Department of Energy stepped in to block the lawsuit, claiming that National Lead could not be sued since it was acting under the Department of Energy's direction, and that the Department itself also could not be prosecuted due to federal law. Congressman Tom Luken of Ohio, speaking at a FRESH meeting, is similarly outraged at the government's lies and their seemingly brazen admission of wrongdoing, knowing that no legal action can be taken against them.
In the next segment, entitled "Don't Touch Anything," Bob McNamara inspects the plant itself along with Dr. Richard Shank, Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Shank has been permitted to test radiation levels, but cannot force the government to clean up any radioactive waste. In the plant's extensive nuclear waste storage facility, Dr. Shank points out instances of improper labeling, making it impossible to distinguish between different kinds of hazardous nuclear waste. The workers of the plant are on strike due to dangerous conditions, and demand proper health insurance from their employers. The plant puts out various kinds of radioactive waste, including 13 million tons of solid or liquid waste on the premises and tons of uranium dust expelled into the air. Several silos containing nuclear waste dating back to the early days of atomic testing are in particular disrepair; cracks in the domes surrounding them allow radon gas to be leaked into the surrounding area. The Department of Energy refuses to answer charges made against the plant, and many workers feel betrayed since the company downplayed the severity of the hazards they regularly experienced.
Betsy Aaron, in the segment "Trapped," interviews Fernald residents living in close proximity to the plant. Recent years have seen a number of cancer-related deaths in such areas, and many of the residents are too poor to simply move away. Even more affluent people such as Jim and Shirley Pierce, who live in a large house, cannot sell their home; tests by independent agencies show that their drinking water has been poisoned due to radiation. Bill and Greta MacFarlane live on a seven-acre property about a thousand feet from the plant's fence line. They once raised cattle and melons there, but the soil is too contaminated for them to so any longer. In addition, Bill is suffering from colon cancer. They talk about their anger and despair at the situation they find themselves in.
Terence Smith reports from the Savannah River Plant outside of Aiken, South Carolina for the segment "Sense of Security."The plant claims to be the safest nuclear production facility in the world and prides itself on its good reputation. It is the sole source of tritium, an essential component in hydrogen bomb detonation, in the United States. However, recent security concerns at the Savannah site have led to the shutdown of all five of its reactors. The plant's workers, such as Fran and Neal Davis, believe that the plant is totally safe, even in high-radiation areas. Others, such as Greenpeace employee Michael Lau, disagree with this assessment. He has had difficulty getting testimonials from the plant's workers, as he feels they have been "indoctrinated" by the plant to believe its reputation for safety, and are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak out against it. David Ward, a reactor engineer for DuPont, who runs the plant for the government, reinforces the plant's claims of security and safety. He points out that there have been no accidents and believes that the recent news of unsafe conditions is a ploy by the government to get the plant more funding for its new reactor design. Although there have been no fatalities at the Savannah plant, government records indicate there have been thousands of incidents at the plant, thirty of which were labeled "serious." In addition, the government cites inadequate training and an attitude of complacency at the plant. The plant has hired contractors to help dispose of some of their nuclear waste, and next month they plan to restart one of their reactors, which Ward insists is an operation with a minimum of risk.
In the segment "The Investigators," Goldberg speaks with Dexter Peach and Keith Fultz, investigators for the General Accounting Office. They talk about their report, citing serious safety problems with the Savannah facility, including one reactor which had to be shut down due to cracks in the reactor wall. Peach and Fultz have testified before Congress several times, citing the Savannah plant as having irradiated the surrounding soil and plant life. All of this damage has been documented by the Department of Energy. Since 1981, Peach and Fultz have submitted fifty reports to Congress about similar nuclear safety concerns. They believe that nuclear waste management must happen sooner rather than later, and that it could cost the government over $100 billion. Energy Secretary John Herrington refused to speak to 48 Hours, and also prevented them from speaking to any of the employees of the Department of Energy.
Back in Fernald, McNamara reports for the segment "At Risk," where he speaks with plant workers affected by ailments brought on by radiation. Marian Curry accidentally came into contact with plutonium during waste disposal, and insisted that she be screened for radiation poisoning. She relates that the company seemed to brush off her concerns, believing her to be exaggerating the danger to her health. She is especially concerned since she and her husband Lin have five children from previous marriages, and she may be pregnant with a sixth. In light of recent events, they no longer trust the company's word. Herb Kelley, a man who worked in the plant for thirty years, had to quit several years ago due to a number of ailments brought on by radiation, including lung cancer. He remarks that the company seems insensitive to his plight and has offered him no support. His wife Corilla works to pay for his medical bills. He says that the plant ignored his concerns about the faulty dust collectors which failed to prevent uranium dust from being pumped into the atmosphere. The plant refused to speak to 48 Hours about Herb's case, or any others. Nell Stevens is a widow who's husband Dillard worked in the plant for many years. Last year he died from lung cancer, and Mrs. Stevens feels "confused and hurt" that the government knew of the dangers the plant posed but told no one until very recently.
In Aiken, South Carolina, Smith reports for the segment "At Peace," where he interviews the town's citizens. They are not concerned about the nearby nuclear plant, and believe it is responsible for the town's economic prosperity. Aiken is a popular retirement spot due to its golf courses and peaceful surroundings. Some refuse to believe that the plant could be dangerous, and others prefer not to ask too many questions about it. The Department of Energy's reports about the plant's dangers are either ignored or dismissed, as citizens do not see any physical evidence of nuclear contamination in their surroundings.
Aaron reports from Fernald for the segment "Nightmare Next Door," focusing on the Zincer family, living near the plant. Their young sons Sam and Lewis recently were diagnosed with leukemia and cancer respectively. Lewis's leg had such a high concentration of radiation that it necessitated a partial amputation, and he now wears a prosthetic leg. They believe this is linked to the presence of a high level of enriched uranium-235 in the soil surrounding their property, which is more hazardous than non-enriched uranium. The Zincer family now makes frequent television appearances, in part to try to educate the public about the dangers of radiation poisoning and nuclear facilities. At a seminar held at the Fernald plant, the plant's managers deny any responsibility for the illnesses of the Zincer boys. The episode closes with observations about congressional investigations into nuclear facilities and what that could mean for affected citizens. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 17, 1988 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:32
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:17089
- GENRE: Public affairs/documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/documentaries; Nuclear weapons
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1988-
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CREDITS
- Andrew Heyward … Executive Producer
- Catherine Lasiewicz … Senior Producer
- Al Baiganti … Senior Producer
- Steve Glauber … Senior Producer
- Lyne Bowens … Producer
- David Schneider … Producer
- George Osterkamp … Producer
- Stefan Moore … Producer
- Brett Alexander … Producer
- Nancy Duffy … Producer
- Jeffrey Fager … Producer
- Lance Heflin … Producer
- Jonathan Klein … Producer
- Denise Schreiner … Producer
- Nancy Solomon … Producer
- Ira Sutow … Producer
- Andrew Tkach … Producer
- Barbara Baylor … Associate Producer
- Linda Martin … Associate Producer
- Tim Clifford … Associate Producer
- Mary Claude Foster … Associate Producer
- Kathleen O'Connell … Associate Producer
- Michael Weitzner … Associate Producer
- Eric Shapiro … Director
- Gary Brickman … Researcher
- Brian O'Keefe … Researcher
- Thomas Flynn … Writer
- Edd Kalehoff … Music by
- Dan Rather … Host
- Bernard Goldberg … Reporter
- Betsy Aaron … Reporter
- Bob McNamara … Reporter
- Terence Smith … Reporter
- Lisa Crawford (audio id only) … Guest
- Tom Luken … Guest
- Richard Shank … Guest
- Barbara Roysden (audio id only) … Guest
- Jim Pierce (audio id only) … Guest
- Shirley Pierce (audio id only) … Guest
- Bill MacFarlane (audio id only) … Guest
- Gerta MacFarlane (audio id only) … Guest
- Fran Davis (audio id only) … Guest
- Neal Davis (audio id only) … Guest
- Michael Lau (audio id only) … Guest
- David Ward (audio id only) … Guest
- Chuck Travis (audio id only) … Guest
- Dexter Peach (audio id only) … Guest
- Keith Fultz (audio id only) … Guest
- Marian Curry (audio id only) … Guest
- Lin Curry (audio id only) … Guest
- Herb Kelley (audio id only) … Guest
- Corilla Kelley (audio id only) … Guest
- Nell Stevens (audio id only) … Guest
- George Farlan (audio id only) … Guest
- Cop Campbell (audio id only) … Guest
- Linda Zincer (audio id only) … Guest
- Lewis Zincer (audio id only) … Guest
- Charles Zincer (audio id only) … Guest
- Sam Zincer (audio id only) … Guest
- John Herrington
- Dillard Stevens (audio id only)