Nuclear Waste?: The Last Part

After documenting the break-in at my office — with photographs, other eye-witnesses and a check by building security personnel — I tried to put together what I knew about the Patoka project. I started mailing story and book ideas to my then-agent. And about that time, my family began noticing other oddities, too. We went two weeks without receiving any mail at home, then one day a postman delivered a box containing what we should have received at home during that 14-day period.

It had all been opened of course. The guy who delivered the box had no explanation for it, but inside was a letter that apologized for the delay and said it was the result of a mechanical problem. A two-week mechanical problem?

We had a break-in at the house, too. Desks and file-cabinets were opened, but nothing was taken. (Remember, I'd placed all the really valuable Patoka records with a friend, who passed them along to someone else so I could truthfully say, if officially asked, that I didn't know where they were.)

Copies were available, of course, and I used them in preparing to tell the story.

As previously reported here, I'd enlisted the aid of my local congressman to approach various federal agencies with questions about the Patoka Project. The answers were all the same, as I've said. No one had any "record nor recollection" of a nuclear waste project at the site.

But there was evidence of Continental Drilling's presence. There was evidence of an increase in cancer-related death and illness in the seven counties surrounding the lake. And though the project was supposed to center on flood control, municipalities and agencies in the area of the lake began using it as a water source shortly after it was completed in 1980. There was also evidence of missing money; there was the story of the fish being captured and gutted — and the entrails saved — by the guys with no markings on their uniforms. There was the disappearing data from an alleged cancer study done by Indiana Department of Health officials, and there were the mysterious visits to area farms by the men who had a "National Uranium Research Institute" card in their car.

I put all this circumstantial evidence together, first in the form of a book, then later in what's called a "treatment" meant to be read by potential movie makers. There was some interest from Robert Redford's Wildwood Enterprises, Inc., but it waned. One letter I received from Wildwood said the Patoka story wasn't right "based in part on the upcoming release of 'A Civil Action,' a story of many similarities."

I made one more run at finding a smoking gun for this story in 2000 when I ran the details by a friend with D.C. connections. In fact, he'd worked for a branch of the National Security Agency (and after 9-11 went back to work with Central Intelligence) though apparently he is now retired. I asked him to see if he could turn up any information about the project, the break-in at my office — and all of the things I've detailed in previous segments of this story.

Months went by before I received a telephone call which turned out to be the last contact I've had with this gentleman, a man I'd known since the early 1970s. He said. "I have only two things to tell you. First, don't ever ask me about this again. Second, remember that these people will do anything."

That was it. The phone went dead and efforts to reach him since have been futile.

As for the truth of the matter, I have strong suspicions but no proof. I know what Secretary O'Leary said is true — the government has stored 327.6 metric tons of weapons grade material. I know that producing the material also results in around 50 pounds of highly radioactive waste for every pound of warhead material produced.

Somebody has to know where this waste is going; somebody has to know where it is. But nobody's saying a word.

Glenn

Comments

[Ramona]

Glenn,

Thank you for sharing this story. I've been eagerly awaiting each installment, and I'm sorry that it's come to an end. I'm grateful there are people like you out there, willing to ask the questions and search for the truth when our government doesn't have our best interests at heart - as so often seems to be the case.

[Glenn Rutherford]

Thanks, Ramona, for your kind words. I'm hopeful that having this story floating around on the Internet will prove fruitful. Perhaps someone will stumble onto it and want to help find an answer.

[r@d@r]

glenn,

so, just to be vague and hypothetical about things..... supposing i have an "acquaintance with connections" - would it be advisable or inadvisable for me to pass this story on to him just to see what he says? or do you think i'd get a similar answer, or worse?

[Glenn Rutherford]

r@d@r:

Hypothetically speaking, I'd love for you to pass along these stories, and I'd love for you to tell me if you received any response. I'd love to get to the bottom of all of this, one way or the other. If the stuff isn't there, then I could forget about it and go on my merry way. If it is, that opens quite a Pandora's box, I think. Use your best judgment.