Fallout: An American Nuclear Tragedy

What Fradkin ( California: The Gold Coast , etc.) terms ``ultimate'' fallout refers not to the death or injuries suffered by radiation victims in the Southwest from the 1950s nuclear tests, but to the betrayal of these citizens by government, from local monitors to presidents and Supreme Court justices operating behind the screen of national security. This well-re searched expose attests to the negligence, ignorance and corruption of authorities, and violation of the Nuclear Test Ban treaty. Starting with the initial 1978 suit by fallout victims against the Department of Energy, the author relentlessly traces futile legal actions which culminated in the reversal by the appellate courts of a 1984 award for damages to 10 claimants. The Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal supports his contention that the judiciary consistently upheld the government's policy of denial, placing national security above human health. (Mar.)