![]() ![]() Johnson continued to build and, in 1981, he was fired from his job at the health department. He was preventing the construction of housing developments, such as Walnut Creek, near Rocky Flats and that meant fewer profits for construction companies and taxes for the government. Johnson had come under more intense criticism from federal, state and local governments. After the explosion at the site in 1957, however, cancer rates among children rose to twice the normal level.īy 1979, Dr. Rockwell International, the company running the plant, also suggested that there was no link between cancer and their employees handling plutonium. Johnson's research also showed that cancer rates among children had been below the normal level before Rocky Flats opened. It was also reported that the data released from Rocky Flats did not include all employee deaths and only included deaths of people who retired or died on the job. Johnson released a new report showing that cancer rates were higher among Rocky Flats employees. His research also found that birth defects in Arvada (the part of Jefferson County near the facility) were twice as high as those in the rest of the county. The results of his study, completed in 1977, showed high levels of radioactive cesium to the east and west of the plant. This led him to collect samples of soil near the plant to test for radioactive materials. Johnson became aware of horses in the area that had been contaminated with radioactive thorium. That same year, Dow Chemical was replaced by a company called Rockwell International which took over operation of the facility. In 1975, local land owners were granted a $9 million dollar settlement for contamination of their property. Johnson were becoming more aware of the dangers of the facility. The community and local officials like Dr. Also that year, Rocky Flats denied that any toxic waste was stored at the site. That same year, a release of radioactive tritium made its way into the supply of drinking water for Broomfield, Colorado. This made him responsible for doing as much as possible to protect the health of people living in the community. Carl Johnson became the public health director for Jefferson County, which is where Rocky Flats is located. ![]()
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