From: ww%nyxfer%igc.apc.org@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu (Workers World Service)
Subject: Rocky Flats:Pollution Conspiracy
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: NY Transfer News Collective
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 19:56:00 GMT


Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit


ROCKY FLATS POLLUTION CONSPIRACY REVEALED

By Lyn Neeley

Investigators from the House of Representatives have found the
Rockwell International-operated nuclear bomb plant at Rocky
Flats, Colo., the Department of Energy which owns the plant, and
the Justice Department which "quashed prosecution" of top
Rockwell executives all responsible for committing and covering
up horrendous environmental crimes.

The congressional action was taken after pressure from members of
a grand jury looking into the case. Then in November, the jurors
wrote to President-elect Clinton demanding an investigation of
the Justice Department's leniency in convictions against
Rockwell. The grand jury carried out its own year-long
investigation of the plant after being outraged at a plea bargain
that let Rockwell and DOE officials off with only 10 violations
and fines of $18.5 million. Does that sound like a lot of money?
It will cost taxpayers more than $1 billion--50 times as much--to
clean up Rocky Flats.

The grand jurors found that for 40 years Rockwell operated one of
the nation's most polluted sites, poisoning the environment with
massive doses of plutonium, tritium and other radioactive toxins.
They illegally stored, treated and disposed of hazardous
radioactive waste. The company dished out millions of dollars in
bonuses to government and corporate employees, carrying on a
secret campaign of coverups in the name of national security.

According to the House investigation, dozens of Justice
Department aides let Rockwell avoid "millions of dollars in fines
and additional convictions against the corporation and some
executives." Investigators reported the DOE "actively
participated in and directed a conscious and ongoing effort to
evade the application of certain environmental laws to the plant
... hiding behind the sovereign immunity of the U.S. government."

In the congressional report, the Justice Department was fingered
for blocking the release of the grand jury's investigation and
for covering up an agreement with the company that they would not
release any information if the jurors' investigation opened
Rockwell to civil suits.

Rep. Howard Wolpe (D-Mich.) said federal "prosecutors had
evidence that poisons were spread into drinking water, in
violation of the Clean Water Act, but stopped pursuing evidence
and making charges so as to not jeopardize a negotiated
settlement." The congressional investigation found that lead
prosecutor Kenneth Fimber told the department to anticipate "a
barrage of inquiries" because "terrible substances" were getting
into the drinking water.

To add insult to injury, Rockwell is billing the government for
$7.9 million in legal fees. Both it and the Justice Department
refuse to admit to any crimes.

                               -30-

Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if
source is cited. For more info contact Workers World, 46 West 21st
Street, New York, NY 10010; e-mail: ww%nyxfer@igc.apc.org or
workers@mcimail.com.



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