Air Force said its nuclear missile silos were safe, but dangers lurked
By Tara Copp, AP
Dec 29, 2023
WASHINGTON (AP) — A large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor. No fresh air. Computer displays that would overheat and ooze out a fishy-smelling gel that nauseated the crew. Asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards.
These are just some of the past toxic risks that were in the underground capsules and silos where Air Force nuclear missile crews have worked since the 1960s. Now many of those service members have cancer.
The toxic dangers were recorded in hundreds of pages of documents dating back to the 1980s that were obtained by The Associated Press through Freedom of Information Act requests. They tell a far different story from what Air Force leadership told the nuclear missile community decades ago, when the first reports of cancer among service members began to surface:
“The workplace is free of health hazards,” a Dec. 30, 2001, Air Force investigation found.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2023/12/29/air-force-said-its-nuclear-missile-silos-were-safe-but-dangers-lurked/
