Full Body Burden

Iversen meditates on what it takes to build a culture of silence: “enforced by implication and innuendo, looks and glances, hints of dark consequence” (300). Children learn silence from parents teaching them morality and the importance of privacy. She also remarks that silence takes a heavy toll. 

Iversen continues seeing doctors who cannot diagnose the unusual condition also shared by her siblings. One doctor dismisses the idea that living near Rocky Flats correlates with her health problems. Iversen is not sure if there is a connection but does believe that “[g]overnments aren’t supposed to poison their own people” (301). 

Iversen makes the acquaintance of Ann White, a local activist who protested Rocky Flats for many years. The two discuss the proposed cleanup of the plant, which the DOE stated would last until 2065 and cost $36 billion (301). Ann says Mark Silverman discussed with protesters the necessity of covering plutonium waste with cement and winding down operations at the plant by 2010. Iversen thinks about the legendary and extraordinarily radioactive Infinity Rooms at the plant, which workers could only access with extensive safety equipment. Likewise, Rocky Flats’ “‘Pac-Man’ rooms” (302) store radioactive equipment.