ML21264A175
| ML21264A175 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A175 (1) | |
Text
Th e M y stery o f th e Tro wel - So l v e d
Uncovering t he real s t ory of J oe B all s t rowel required res ea rch a t t he D epa rt ment of Energ y s a rchives, where I c ould g e t mor e infor ma t ion a bout t he A E C s move fr om Wa s hing t on, D. C., t o G e r ma nt ow n, M d., in 1 9 5 7. T he A E C s move w a s pr e c ipit a t e d by t he Sovie t U nion de ve lopme nt of t he r monuc le a r w e a pons. T o s ur vive a 20 me g a t on bla s t over t he capit al mall, AEC offices needed t o be at leas t 20 miles a wa y. Germa nt own wa s s elect ed over 50 ot her s it es.
T his C old-Wa r move c oinc ide d w it h ne w init ia t ive s by t he AE C to pr omot e c ivilia n nuc le a r pow e r pla nt c ons t r uc t ion. T hus, t he de dic a t ion c e r e mony be c a me a c ha nc e t o hig hlig ht t he a t om s c ont r ibut ion t o na t iona l de fe ns e a nd it s pot e nt ia l pe a c e ful a pplic a t ions.
The AEC creat ed a ceremony heavy in s ymbolis m. Elect ricit y fr om ba t t e r ie s c ha r g e d by e ig ht milit a r y a nd c ivilia n pow e r r e a c t or s lift e d a c ur t a in on a c omme mor a t ive pla que in t he ne w building lobby. A t ime c a ps ule w a s pla c e d be hind t he c or ne r s t one pa c ke d w it h milit a r y a nd c ivilia n a r t ifa c t s, s uc h a s pic t ur e s of t he N a ut ilus a nd s c r a ps of line n w r a pping s for t he D e a d Se a s c r olls da t e d by r a dioc a r bon t e c hnique s.
A s I found out fr om t he D OE a r c hive s, A E C C ha ir ma n L e w is St r a us s w a nt e d e ve n mor e s ymbols for t he de dic a t ion c e r e mony. H e a s ke d for a t r ow e l w it h s ome his t or ic a l s ig nific a nc e a nd A r g onne N a t iona l L a bor a t or y oblig e d, inc luding, a s me nt ione d in Pa r t I, c r e a t ing a bla de ma de fr om ur a nium. AE C offic ia ls pla nne d on g iving s pe e c he s a bout it s s ymbolis m t o loc a l g r oups.B ut t he r e w a s a pr oble m.
T he ur a nium me t a l ha d been reus ed for ma ny yea rs in ot her experiment a l rea ct ors, mos t likely in t he CP-2. T he ur a nium w a s s t ill r a dioa c t ive, e noug h t ha t a n Ar g onne offic ia l t old t he AE C t o us e only t he ha ndle a nd not t ouc h t he bla de. H oping t o pr e c lude obje c t ions fr om t he Whit e Hous e, t he A E C me dic a l s t a ff r e a s s ur e d t he Se c r e t Se r vic e t ha t t he t r ow e l w a s a unique oppor t unit y for E is e nhow e r t o de mons t r a t e unde r c omple t e ly s a fe c ondit ions t he pr ope r w a y t o pe r for m a n ope r a t ion involving r a dioa c t ive ma t e r ia l.
A E C a s s ur a nc e s didnt w or k. I ke s s t a ff r e fus e d t o a llow t he pr e s ide nt t o t ouc h a nyt hing r a dioa c t ive.
St ymie d, t he A E C s ubs t it ut e d t hr e e s ilve r-pla t e d t r ow e ls. T he ur a nium t r ow e l w a s dr oppe d fr om t he c e r e mony a nd t he s ilve r-pla t e d t r ow e ls t ha t his t or y r e c or ds w e r e us e d ins t e ad. T he fa t e of t he s ymbolic t r ow e ls - of which t here were eit her t wo or t hree - w e r e mos t ly los t t o his t or y, w it h one s pe nding de c a de s in s t or a g e a t E is e nhow e r C olle g e s old c a mpus.
J oe B a ll s unus ua l a uc t ion w in find r e minds us w hy w e love a r t ifa c t s t he ir s t or ie s a r e fun. T he y t e a c h us a bout t he s oc ie t y t ha t ma de t he m. T he C P-1 t r ow e l w a s bor n out of a n opt imis m in t he pos s ibilit ie s of t he a t omic a g e, but e ve n in t he 1950s r a dia t ion c onc e r ns pr ove d pow e r ful. T oda y mos t pe ople like ly s ympa t hiz e w it h t he Whit e H ous e s fe a r of r a dia t ion, a nd t he t r ow e l pr oba bly s e e ms like a que s t iona ble us e of r a dioa c t ive ma t er ia l. And s o Ar g onne s c r e a t ion r e minds us how t he na t ion ha d c ha ng e d in t he la s t ha lf c e nt ur y in s hift ing t o a mor e s obe r a t t it ude t ow a r d nuc le a r ha z a r ds. (T he t r ow e l is now dis pla ye d in t he N R C H Q lobby. )
B y Thoma s Welloc k, NR C H is t or ia n