The Nation - News from Aug. 3, 1989

Workers at government nuclear weapons plants told a congressional panel they were deceived for decades by superiors on the health hazards of working with radioactive materials such as plutonium and uranium. “We were told the levels were too low to harm us,” said David Day, a worker and union official at the Fernald uranium processing plant in Ohio. He said superiors told him over the years that handling the radioactive materials “was like working with lead” and no more a risk than crossing the street. The Senate Government Affairs Committee chairman, Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio), said workers at Energy Department plant sites must be assured they are protected from health and safety dangers and be provided accurate information on health risks.