March 21, 2000

To the United States Government

Testimony of Lynn Cox

RE:  Senate Hearing on Oak Ridge Illnesses

My work history includes:

1972‑1975:      Anderson County Ambulance Service ‑

Emergency Medical Technician

1975‑1976       Kress' Department Store ‑ Store Manager

1976‑1996       K‑25 Plant ‑ Security

(my brother, dad and uncle also worked there)

My job at K‑25 started as a security inspector (guard) which required me to go into every building in the plant for security checks and clock‑keys, etc.  Two of the buildings that I went into  ‑ K‑1420 which was a decontamination facility and known as one of the "hottest" radiological buildings in the plant and K‑25 (known as the "U").  Both of these buildings were entered numerous times during the shift without any protective equipment whatsoever.  Supervision assured us that there was nothing there to hurt us.  K‑1420 was checked with radiological meters and the meters pegged to the highest levels in the areas we were required to go.  The K‑25 building contained several vaults that had materials "unknown" to us stored in them.  We were required to go to the back of these vaults where dripping material, powdered material and other materials we had no knowledge of what it was to check for security reasons.  We also went into these buildings without any protective clothing or equipment.  Sometimes, we even went in with our personal (street) shoes and nothing more than a uniform and clock.  I went into these buildings for approximately fifteen years with no protective equipment or information from management that there was any harm present requiring such in these buildings.  I know that we were exposed to mercury, nickel powder, technetium, uranium hexaflouride, and yellow‑cake powder was abundant.  When we walked through the areas, we stirred up the dust and breathed the different chemicals and metals in these areas.  Supervision reminded us often that "there is nothing here that will hurt you.  You can even eat the yellow‑cake and no harm will come to you." 

I also was privy to the destruction of barrels and cylinders that were hung over a pond area and then shot by high‑powered rifles to puncture and release whatever chemical was in the drum.  Nobody knew exactly what was in these barrels or cylinders at the time we were shooting them to destroy them.  The barrels were then dropped into the pond area and several colors emitted from the barrels indicating the probability that several chemicals were emptying into the pond area.  The plant management told us that this material could not go into Poplar Creek, which runs beside K‑25.  During heavy rain seasons, the pond would overflow and the chemicals that were in the pond, flowed into Poplar Creek which, in turn, flowed into the Clinch River and on into the Tennessee River.  It is known today that heavy sediment is in the water supply, as far down as Watts Bar, is contaminated with materials from K‑25, Y‑12 and ORNL.  It has been proven by state tests that heavy metals are indeed settled in the water supply in this area.

I am also aware of "supposedly" DOE audits and to my knowledge, no audits were ever a surprise because we were informed days beforehand to be ready for the audit.  We were instructed to move things so that DOE couldn't see and to show them only certain areas.  On several occasions, DOE Orders were ignored or falsified just to pass the audit and get a higher rating to increase their monetary reward. 

I worked on several "special projects" concerning proposals on how to get certain contracts from DOE.  My immediate supervisor tried to give me a "Excellent" performance rating. Since he was the one who knew the work I had done, should have had the final word.  But, upper management informed him that I was not to get the "Excellent" rating for my performance appraisal, which would have increased my pay, and they never gave a reason why.  On several occasions, we informed the contractor that they were not going to meet the DOE regulations and their reply was "Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it."  When the audit was performed no mention of the possible violations was made. 

I eventually was promoted to Lieutenant in my department and then to Captain, with the responsibilities of writing procedures for the Security Department to coincide with DOE Orders.  One of DOE's stringent orders was resolving the absentee program.  I was assigned the task of working this project and was told by supervision that I was doing an excellent job.  I know for a fact that documents were altered to meet DOE requirements.  On several occasions we were required to respond to releases (UF6 venting from the system), often times without any protective equipment.  We were required to set up road blocks and direct traffic even though the wind may be blowing the release in our direction.  Several of these releases were never recorded or documented because of fear of getting a poor performance report from DOE.

The K‑25 building was entered three to four times a shift without protective equipment and now requires "Tyvek" suits, shoe scuffs, respirators, and personnel monitoring devices.  While this same building we entered without protective equipment now requires head‑to‑toe protection, why were we not warned of the hazards when we were doing our security checks without protection?

I am also aware of a burial ground that highly radioactive items were buried and the drainage ran through areas of the plant when heavy rains came.  The plant did nothing to stop the runoff of contamination from this.

My wife found high cyanide levels in her system and became involved with a group of people with similar testing results.  The plant denied any knowledge of cyanide on the worksite.  She became vocal and was on television to state what she believed had happened to her and others.  She was a supervisor in the Laundry and Maintenance Departments as well as being a Compliance Officer for her department.  Her responsibility was making sure contaminated waste was being disposed of properly. While she was a Laundry Supervisor, she was instructed to pour hazardous chemicals down the drain because of a pending audit. 

After 20 years of giving my life and the best that I could do, I started to go on vacation and jokingly reremarked to my immediate supervisor that "I might not ought to go because I may not have a job when I come back."  His reply to me was, "You've got 20 years of service and you've done a good job.  You have nothing to worry about."  I returned from vacation and the first day back was told to meet my immediate supervisor in the Division Head's office.  There I received my lay‑off slip with four levels of management at the meeting.  They admitted this many levels of management had never been involved in a lay‑off procedure but could not give a satisfactory answer as to why it was done this time.  They said my job was no longer required.  However, a Lieutenant took over my job and continued to do it for quite some time. 

In approximately 1995, I noticed that my ability to focus, recall and remembering things began to become very troublesome.  I have sleep apnea, periods of panic attacks.  Many times, I will go from one room of the house to the other and forget why I went there.  I have no energy level.  I cannot do anything or any projects like I used to be able to seven or eight years ago.  I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and toxic levels of heavy metals ‑ including nickel.  These metals do not belong in my body and cannot be obtained at my house!  I have a thyroid problem and testosterone level that is lower than, according to the doctor, anything she has seen and have to take shots for it every two weeks.  My testosterone level is continually low.  I take prescription drugs for my thyroid.  I have to take something to help me sleep at night because without it, I would not be able to sleep.

The only explanation I have for what has happened to me is the exposures I have had at the worksite.  I would like to have my old life back in order to be the person I think I should be and used to be.   To do the things that need to be done around the house, I cannot perform normal duties without being completely exhausted and hurting for two to three days afterwards if I do them. 

The strange thing about it was, my wife and myself received our lay‑off slips the very same day.  This put a fear factor in the workforce at the plant ‑ as it was meant to ‑ because several people made the comment "You see what happened to Lynn and Linda.  I am not going to say anything to anyone."  They knew what they were doing when they laid us off.  They knew folks who could support our allegations might talk public about it and this prevented them from coming forth. I would like to have continued medical care to resolve the health problems that I have.  My energy level being at zero, drive and desire being at zero. 

Most of all I would like to see some relief for my wife because it hurts me deeply to see her in the situation she is in.  She can be fine one minute and completely lifeless within the next ten minutes.

We cannot get any help from anyone in the position to do the right thing.  You can do the right thing by providing monies for medical treatment and helping us to become healthy again.

Sincerely,

Lynn Cox

500 Melton Hill Drive

Clinton, TN 37716

865‑463‑0270