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Show Volume I , Issue IX Page 23 The Ogden Valley News June 1999 SHEEP (cont.) from page 22 City and Parowan, blood covered herdsmen would be reeling under the piles of dead sheep and lambs. Lambs born with hearts beating outside their naked bodies and with skin so transparent that internal organs could be seen. Adult sheep perished with muzzles and ears covered with large scabby sores. Pliable hooves had turned rock hard. Wool easily slid from their bodies. By the end of the lambing season, over 4,390 carcasses littered the landscape. Researchers, commissioned by the AEC, arrived weeks later to survey the few remaining decayed bodies and the weakened survivors. Many of the fallout fission products had already decayed and radiation readings would likely not reveal the full amount of radiation to which the sheep had been exposed. External radiation borne by the wool and internal radiation absorbed by the various organs had been diminished by time. Any radiation damage to the sheep was denied and suppressed by the Atomic Energy Commission. The herdsmen knew better. They were never to recover their losses. The death of the sheep stood as a silent omen foretelling Wright’s Getaway Lodge the suffering soon to be experienced by the children and people of southern Utah. All through the years of testing infants, children and others living nearest the Nevada Test Site innocently continued to drink milk from backyard cows or local dairies, to consume garden or local vegetables and fruits, and to drink the water. They breathed in the air. That which nourished their bodies or filled their lungs carried inside the same hazardous particles, or radionuclides, which had ultimately destroyed the sheep. Externally, they too were continuously sprinkled with fallout — fallout in excessive concentrations seldom experienced by others in Utah and the rest of the country. Albert Schweitzer, the great humanitarian, had warned of the potent snowballing effect of radiation as it traveled along the food chain. Emphasis continued, however, to be placed upon the measurement of external radiation — readings which paled to the tremendous increase of radioactivity once radiation had been internalized. The internal effects were suppressed. The United States chose to ignore Dr. Schweitzer’s concern for the human race placed in great danger by nuclear testing. The tests continued. An Artist’s rendering of the Wright’s Getaway Lodge, located in Nordic Valley. The death records in southwestern Utah documented an excessive number of leukemia deaths in the years of 1950 to 1964. Thyroid nodules were discovered in 70 St. George school children in 1965. By the mid 1960’s, two researchers, Harold Knapp and Edward Weiss, had challenged the integrity of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). AEC researcher Harold Knapp had strongly criticized the AEC for the failure to adequately study the milk and fresh produce near the Nevada Test Site for deadly internal emitters such as Barium 140, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90. Only the tip of the iceberg had been revealed by the AEC concerning Iodine-131. When internalized, these fission products hit not only the thyroid, but also bone, bone marrow, muscle and numerous other organs. An uncompromising Harold Knapp wanted this information revealed. The AEC was furious. Concentrating on Iodine-131, Edward Weiss, of the U.S. Public Health Service, began a study which examined surgically treated thyroid conditions among the youth of Utah. This study included the years of 1948 up to 1962. In Utah, thyroiditis had increased twofold and thyroid cancer had climbed almost fourfold. There was cause for alarm. His leukemia draft report indicated that further studies were needed. An excessive number of leukemia deaths had been found in the Cedar City and St. George area. This damaging information represented another blow to the AEC acclaimed “safe” nuclear weapons testing. By 1966, the public weakly began CONTINUED on page 24 FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP OF COMPANIES CLAIR C. BEASLEY Agent 5402 E 2200 N, EDEN UT 84310 745-3021 Farmers Homeowners Plus. The all-new way to keep your home running smoothly! HOME SYSTEMS & APPLIANCE REPAIR INSURANCE Complete Coverage: Whether your refrigerator is acting up or your plumbing system needs some attention, FARMERS has it covered. No matter how old the item or complicated the repair; no matter who made it or where you bought it, we can help. Basic Coverage Includes: Plumbing System Heating System Electrical System Water Heater Refrigerator Washer & Dryer Built-in Dishwasher Oven/Range/Cooktop Built-in Microwave Other Optional Items Total Peace of Mind: Services are performed by Sears National Network. 14,000 trained specialists who are committed to making sure your home is in top working order. Simple activation: No inspection, just a 30-day waiting period after policy effective date! |
