Testing nuclear power in Alaska: the reactor at Fort Greely

Abstract

Since WWII Alaska not only has been a major player in the defensive strategy of the United States, but it also has been considered an important military testing ground. This paper will advance the thesis that military operations are often detrimental and, indeed, hazardous to the resident population. Specifically, the SM-1A, a nuclear reactor the Army built at Fort Greely, Alaska in 1962, will be examined with emphasis on the fact that it was used to test nuclear energy production. Additionally, because of the discharge of low level radioactive waste into Jarvis Creek, which runs through Delta, there may be an abnormally high incidence of cancer within the nearby community. Furthermore, this is not an isolated case and other examples of nuclear tests will be presented as evidence.