Oral history interview, Alfonso Cardenas, 2004 (video and transcript)
Credits:
Boulder County Latino History Project, Maria Rogers Oral History Program, and Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, Boulder Public Library. Click on the above link to access complete bibliographic information.
Detailed Summary:
Work at Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant from 1957 to 1978; job as chemical operator at Rocky Flats; cleaning up of Building 771 after 1957 fire; sheet metal work with beryllium and plutonium; beryllium and berylliosis (contamination from airborne beryllium oxide; inadequate protection for workers; beryllium handling compared to plutonium handling; beryllium in buildings 883 and 44; lawsuit for compensation for berylliosis; amount of compensation for berylliosis; medical expenses for berylliosis; Workmen's Compensation; diagnosis of berylliosis; living with berylliosis; berylliosis program at National Jewish Hospital; discrimination against Hispanics and Blacks at Rocky Flats, in Longmont and elsewhere; radioactive contamination at Rocky Flats; decontamination procedures; 1969 fire in Building 776; his feeling about the union at Rocky Flats; safety at Rocky Flats; asbestos at Rocky Flats; lead at Rocky Flat;, high pay at Rocky Flats; extreme weather at Rocky Flats; attitude about the Cold War; impact of illness on interviewee and family
ID:
BCLHP-MKM-094
Location:
Boulder; Longmont; Denver
Colo; Rocky Flats
Date:
2004
Time Period:
1950s-1965
1966-1970s
2000-2013
People Shown or Mentioned:
Alfonso Cardenas; Richard B. Stuart (Rocky Flats worker with berylliosis and asbestosis); Dr. Lee Newman of National Jewish Hospital
Location of Original:
Maria Rogers Oral History Program at Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, Boulder Public Library