nuclear-news

Downwinder Nuclear Legacy and Loss Can Lead to Fracking GMO Lessons Today

Added by Heather Pilkinton on March 29, 2014.
Saved under Heather Pilkinton, Nevada, Opinion, U.S.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/downwinder-nuclear-legacy-and-loss-can-lead-to-fracking-gmo-lessons-today/

Thomas Pilkinton was a five-year old boy in Ely, NV, when the first nuclear test took place in the Nevada desert. Like many who lived in the small town nestled in the Nevada mountains, he gave little thought to the tests that would ultimately turn him, and the majority of his family, into what became known as Downwinders. While Pilkinton would not feel the effects of Downwinder Syndrome for many years, the devastating results of the testing on his relatives were almost immediate. Thomas Henry “Daddy Tom” O’Neil, Pilkinton’s great-grandfather and namesake, had always been known for his bad temper and robust health, but suddenly became ill in March 1952. On April 22 of that same year, Daddy Tom died of a rare, aggressive form of cancer. Pilkinton’s grandmother, Ethel Fields, died less than a month later, at 52, from an unknown blood infection. Prior to their deaths, Daddy Tom’s wife, Alice “Mumsey” O’Neil, lost her battle with “black lung,” now known as emphysema, in 1951.

While some may argue that the deaths of these three may not be related to the nuclear testing, the fact remains that none of the three was ever seriously ill until that testing took place.

Soon, more evidence of Downwinder Syndrome began to materialize in Pilkinton’s family and friends. His mother, Evelyn Pilkinton, became seriously ill with a thyroid disorder, another common manifestation of the syndrome, which required lifelong medication. His father, Ray Pilkinton, suffered from emphysema and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Ray died in 1991, and Evelyn died in 1996; neither lived to see 72. Pilkinton’s sister, Gail Pilkinton, died from lung cancer in 2005, at age 55.

Again, it could be debatable whether their deaths were directly related to Downwinders; both of the senior Pilkintons had been smokers, although neither had smoked for nearly 20 years prior to their deaths. They had both worked as welders in the shipyards during World War II. Pilkinton’s sister had fought a lifelong battle with drug and alcohol addiction, and she did not die from the lung cancer, but from a massive drug overdose.

However, in his early 60s, Pilkinton began to suffer from severe lethargy and unexplained weight gain, which began a downhill slide. This was a man who had never smoked, never done anything that would be considered a cancer risk. He was a Vietnam War veteran and successful businessman who enjoyed a wide range of friendships and travels. He lived his life and raised his niece, whom he had adopted, and then later became a surrogate grandfather to his grand nieces. Unlike his parents and sister, the reasons behind his health issues were not readily apparent, nor easily explained.

He began to suffer debilitating headaches, which led to the discovery of a brain aneurysm. But this did not explain the weight gain. His thyroid was tested, and found to be defective, which meant a regimen of medicine similar to that of his mother’s. However, no amount of maintenance or lifestyle changes could alter his ballooning weight or blood pressure, and his health steadily declined. In 2009, a bout of swine flu triggered an autoimmune disorder called Guillain Barre Syndrome. It took a CAT scan to determine the cause of the continuing weakness after the diagnosis of Guillain Barre that led to another disheartening discovery: thyroid cancer. Pilkinton had surgery to remove the right lobe of his thyroid in 2010, but almost died from that surgery due to a sudden upshot in his blood pressure. His health would not allow for further treatment beyond the surgery. When cancer was discovered in the left lobe, it was determined nothing more could be done. He died in July 2011, with his partner of 16 years, Frank Dominguez, by his side. His fight ended just 20 days after his 66th birthday.

Prior to his death, Pilkinton started looking into what could have caused him, and possibly his family, to become so ill. He discovered that he, his family and some of his friends were all Downwinders. He started asking questions about the death of his uncle, Charles “Babe” Fields, another Ely native who had died of thyroid cancer in 1991. What he learned was that the Ely Cemetery possessed the graves of many Downwinders victims, including those of nearly his entire family. The only member of his family not affected by Downwinders was his niece, who was born well past the testing dates, and had never lived in Ely.

By the time Pilkinton made his discovery, the fallout of the nuclear testing was already well established, and the government was distributing reparations to the victims. However, the whole ordeal led many to question whether the government knew the risks when the nuclear tests were taking place, or if this was another instance of “full steam ahead” without realizing how badly the tests were endangering not only the population of Ely, but also other parts of Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho.

During the nuclear testing of the 1950s and early 1960s, citizens were repeatedly assured there would not be any severe aftermath from the tests, and that most of the radiation would remain near the testing sites. But soon children who lived in areas blanketed by the “harmless” radiation clouds started showing high instances of leukemia, and many more residents developed well-known thyroid issues. Children born during the testing suffered higher rates of birth defects and mental retardation. People who had never smoked or drank, like many in the LDS dominated town of St. George, UT, were dying of rare and aggressive forms of cancer. Some of the victims were Native Americans who lived in valleys downwind of the testing sites.

Most residents of St. George and Ely believed the government knew full well the risks, but suppressed the knowledge for the “greater good” in developing the energy. One common lamentation around St. George was that the tests were never conducted when the wind was blowing from the west; this diminished the chance of radioactive clouds blowing toward Los Angeles. An investigation in 1979 revealed that many of the scientists were indeed aware of the dangers of nuclear testing to not only humans, but also to livestock, but they hid the information in order to conduct the tests.

The damage was not only caused by the lingering radiation in the air, but also by infected ground. One study linked the increase in thyroid conditions to one single factor: milk. While everyone knows the commercials about how “milk does a body good,” for Downwinders, the opposite was true. The reason was because the ground was infected with radiation, which meant the grass that grew from the ground was also infected with radiation. When cows ate the radiation-tainted grass, their milk and meat also became tainted with radiation, which, in turn, put radiation into the bodies of children who consumed the milk and, to a lesser extent, the meat of the infected animals.

Another Ely family who felt the devastation of Downwinder Syndrome was the Rice clan. Nora (Rice) Hiatt, 85 and an ovarian cancer survivor, is the only remaining child of John and Ora Rice. Considering her age, this may not seem surprising; however, the details regarding the deaths of many of her siblings brings the reality of Downwinder Syndrome to light. Of the five sisters, four had cancer; aside from Hiatt, sister June had breast cancer, sister Lena had lung cancer and sister Nellie had breast and kidney cancer. Her nephew, Ted Stoddart, a friend of Pilkinton’s, developed an aggressive stomach cancer in 1992, and nieces Pat and Connie also had breast cancer, with Connie also suffering from cancer in her leg and in her brain.

Of the group, Nora, who still lives in Ely, is the only one who can claim the title of survivor.

Finally, in 1990, the government began offering settlements to the victims of Downwinder Syndrome, in the amount of $50,000. For those who suffered from cancer or other diseases brought on by the radiation, or who had lost loved ones for those reasons, the settlement was paltry and fell far short. Those who were part of the Downwinders population were finally honored with their own day, but that does not change the damage already done.

The story of the Downwinders is not a new one, but it does serve as a cautionary reminder in today’s times, when certain actions and products, such as fracking and genetically modified foods, are on the radar. People have repeatedly been told both are “safe,” but when looking at the results of “safe” in the Downwinders, “safe” is a word that needs a whole lot of consideration.

Meanwhile, the Downwinders legacy of Thomas Pilkinton and his family, the Rice family, and many others still living and long gone, serve as a reminder of a time when a group of government scientists gave little regard to the lives of thousands under the auspices of “saving” the lives of millions. Despite the $50,000 compensation that many, including Pilkinton, received, most agree the cost to health and life just was not worth it.

The author is the niece of Thom Pilkinton (1945-2011).

Opinion by Heather Pilkinton

Sources:

Interview with Nora Hiatt
Common Dreams
CTBTO
Cold War Survivors
KPBS
Los Angeles Times
Utah Division of State History

March 30, 2014 - Posted by arclight2011part2 | Uncategorized