Cleaning Up Hydrogen Bomb Accident May Have Sickened These Airmen, But Proof Is Elusive
In 1966, the Air Force sent men in to clean up an accident site that may have been contaminated. Decades later, many of those men believe contamination led to a multitude of illnesses, but the Air Force continues to deny it. “They told us it was safe, and we were dumb enough, I guess, to believe them," says Frank B. Thompson.
The New York Times:
Decades Later, Sickness Among Airmen After A Hydrogen Bomb Accident
It was a late winter night in 1966 and a fully loaded B-52 bomber on a Cold War nuclear patrol had collided with a refueling jet high over the Spanish coast, freeing four hydrogen bombs that went tumbling toward a farming village called Palomares, a patchwork of small fields and tile-roofed white houses in an out-of-the-way corner of Spain’s rugged southern coast that had changed little since Roman times. It was one of the biggest nuclear accidents in history, and the United States wanted it cleaned up quickly and quietly. But if the men getting onto buses were told anything about the Air Force’s plan for them to clean up spilled radioactive material, it was usually, “Don’t worry.” (Philipps, 6/19)
In other news, the VA is adjusting its position on firing executives in an expedited manner following the Justice Department's decision on the provision and lawmakers are pushing to lift an IVF ban for veterans —
The Associated Press:
VA Won't Use Law That Allows Expedited Firing Of Executives
The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer use its authority to fire senior executives in an expedited manner — dropping a key portion of a law Congress passed two years ago in response to a nationwide scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking medical care. Deputy VA Secretary Sloan Gibson said the agency was forced to abandon the new authority after the Justice Department said it would no longer defend the provision in court. (Daly, 6/17)
The Associated Press:
Lawmakers Seek To Lift Ban On IVF Treatments For Veterans
Veterans whose injuries have left them unable to conceive children may soon be getting long-sought help as congressional negotiations on legislation funding the Department of Veterans Affairs near a close. At issue is a Senate-passed measure that would lift a 1992 law that prohibits the VA from paying for infertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilization. The measure, by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., enjoys bipartisan support but there appears to be lingering resistance from anti-abortion forces who are opposed because IVF treatments result in the destruction of fertilized embryos. (Taylor, 6/17)
