*** Media Alert ***
“Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point” documents years of unnecessary exposure of more than 1,000 veterans and civilians at a San Francisco Navy science laboratory
Contact: Michael Stoll, senior editor and co-founder, San Francisco Public Press, (415) 846-3983 or [email protected].
SAN FRANCISCO (Nov. 25, 2024) — The San Francisco Public Press is publishing “Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point,” a six-part investigative series examining a dark chapter in American military history: Between the 1940s and 1960s, at least 1,073 service members, civilian workers and lab staff were exposed to potentially harmful levels of radiation at the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, headquartered at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco.
The investigation draws on rarely seen government documents and survivor accounts to reveal a little-known aspect of the Cold War: scientists conducting ethically dubious and hazardous experiments that left a legacy of health, environmental and social harms persisting for decades. The San Francisco Public Press team unearthed and analyzed thousands of pages of records, uncovering safety lapses, long-term health risks and the Navy’s reluctance to address these practices publicly or fully recognize their impact.
The project begins rolling out Monday, Nov. 25, in partnership with The Guardian, which is republishing Part 1. Parts 2 through 6 will be released over the following two weeks.
Beyond the print series by Chris Roberts, the project includes a two-episode podcast by Rebecca Bowe, giving listeners a broader and deeper understanding through personal stories and the historical significance of these experiments. It is available for rebroadcast through the Public Radio Exchange and will air on several stations, including KALW Public Radio 91.7 FM and KSFP-LP 102.5 FM in San Francisco.
Readers and listeners can explore all the stories at sfpublicpress.org/exposed, where they can access primary source documents, photographs, embedded audio and other multimedia elements.
“Exposed” underscores the long-lasting environmental and health concerns in Bayview-Hunters Point. The former shipyard, now a Superfund cleanup site, anchors one of San Francisco’s largest real estate developments, despite lingering contamination concerns. Through this series, the Public Press sheds light on environmental justice issues, scientific ethics and the government’s ongoing responsibilities to protect veterans, workers and community residents.
The San Francisco Public Press is offering interview opportunities with reporter Chris Roberts and some reporting sources. For media inquiries, or information about republication or broadcast rights, please contact: Michael Stoll, senior editor and co-founder of the San Francisco Public Press, (415) 846-3983 or [email protected].
“Exposed” series home page: http://sfpublicpress.org/exposed
Stories online now:
- Part 1. OVERVIEW: How a San Francisco Navy Lab Became a Hub for Human Radiation Experiments
- 🎧 Podcast Episode 1: A Community of Color Contends With the Navy’s Toxic Legacy
- 🎧 Podcast Episode 2: Why the Navy Conducted Radiation Experiments on Humans
Upcoming stories:
- 12/2 — Part 2. THE DECISION-MAKERS: After Atomic Test Blunder, Government Authorized Study of Radiation in Humans
- 12/4 — Part 3. THE STUDIES: Human Radiation Studies Included Mock Combat, Skin Tests and a Plan to Inject 49ers
- 12/6 — Part 4. ETHICS: Cold War Scientists Pushed Ethical Boundaries With Radiation Experiments
- 12/9 — Part 5. FADING HISTORY: Destroyed Records, Dying Witnesses Consign San Francisco Radiation Lab to Obscurity
- 12/11 — Part 6. PERPETUAL EXPERIMENT: Shuttered Radiation Lab Poses Ongoing Health Risks for Growing Neighborhood
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