FBB # 8 Chad Renner

            One question which has plagued me throughout the memoir was who exactly is to blame for the debacle which is Rocky Flats. Of course the government, or specifically the Department of Energy, is to be immediately reproached for their extreme incompetence and negligence. However, as Kristen says, “Where does the fault lie? Atomic secrecy, the Cold War culture, bureaucratic indifference, corporate greed, a complacent citizenry, a failed democracy? What is a culture but a group of individuals acting on the basis of shared values” (339)? This quote seems to encapsulate the convoluted atmosphere of Rocky Flats. Numerous times after reading certain chapters, I would attempt to ascertain who was precisely at fault in this entire fiasco. However there is no definitive answer to this quandary, and perhaps, as Iversen suggests no one entity is at fault in this particular situation. Perhaps we as a collective society should be considered culpable, and through a kind of introspection examine our own values and ideals which, incidentally, facilitated this catastrophe. Indeed, this is certainly quite a difficult concept to grasp and probably one we wish to avoid. Often times it is simply easier to castigate others, then to admit that you wrong. Unfortunately the government has not heeded any of the protestations of those adversely affected by Rocky Flats, and decides to dismantle the plant and convert it into a wildlife refuge open to the public. This of course was not due to reduced levels of plutonium in the soil which would render the land habitable, but because of financial expedience. This is why I found this book so engrossing, the controversy over Rocky Flats has scarcely diminished and with continued prevarication from the government I am sure it will still be for years to come