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Following is an updated list of radiological
weapons tests that occurred in Utah at Dugway Proving Ground - all of
which were secret until congressional and Deseret News probes began
revealing them last year.
New documents released Friday by Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, revealed
three more heretofore unknown tests were planned - which may have
released 11 times more radiation than all other known tests combined.
One occurred on Nov. 7-8, 1951, and the other two were planned for May
23, 1953.
The documents also included some new totals for radiation released in
other tests, which are included in the list:
Oct. 22, 1949 - A 2,000-pound cluster bomb full of radioactive
tantalum-182 contaminated 0.6 square miles at Dugway Proving Ground.
It had a total of 260 curies of radiation. A curie is a unit used to
measure radioactivity.
Nov. 30, 1949 - Another 2,000-pound cluster bomb contaminated 0.8
square miles. It had a total of 1,506 curies of tantalum-182.
Aug. 4, 1950 - A cluster bomb with tan-talum was exploded 1,450 feet
above the ground, releasing 480 curies of radiation and contaminating
1.7 square miles on the test grid. Sixty-nine percent of radiation
released was not accounted for by grid monitors and may have spread
downwind.
Aug. 6, 1950 - A cluster bomb with tantalum was dropped but on the
wrong target by error of a bombadier. It was supposed to explode in
the air but did on the ground. It contaminated 0.89 square miles on
the test grid - but some contamination might have spread
"indefinitely" in some directions. It used 480 curies of radioactive
material.
Aug. 11, 1950 - Four tests exploded different shapes of radioactive
munitions on 50-foot poles to see which would best spread
contamination. They each had 26 curies of radiation.
Sept. 5, 1950 - A cluster bomb filled with tantalum exploded at a
height of 1,680 feet, releasing 930 curies and contaminating two
square miles of the test grid. Sixty-two percent of expected radiation
was not accounted for by monitors on grid.
Sept. 7, 1950 - A cluster bomb filled with tantalum was exploded at a
height of 2,000 feet, releasing 3,900 curies and contaminating 3.2
square miles on the grid. Seventy-five percent of expected radiation
was not accounted for by grid monitors.
Sept. 13, 1950 - Fifteen tests occurred of small "dust generators" -
something like radioactive-dust grenades. Some used radioactive
tantalum, and some used radioactive "Agent RA." Each was filled with
1.1 curies of radiation. Most dust fell within 120 yards of munition,
"and very little agent left the area in cloud form."
November 1950 - Plans called for a "heat transfer" study to explode
30,000 curies of tantalum in a cluster bomb to study "the problem
involved in the dissipation of the heat generated in an RW (radiation
weapon) munition." Documents do not say whether it actually occurred.
Sometime in 1951 - Documents called for a test of a system to spread
radioactive pellets from hoppers in high-altitude aircraft, but
documents do not show if it actually happened.
May 29, 1951 - Four tests exploded different shapes of radioactive
munitions on 50-foot poles to see which would best spread
contamination. How much radiation was released in each experiment is
unknown.
Nov. 3-4, 1951 - Nine tests were conducted with spherical radioactive
dust generators dropped from airplanes, exploding as high as 5,760
feet above ground in winds of up to 38 miles an hour. Each sphere
released between 7.4 and 17.8 curies, according to different
documents.
Nov. 7-8, 1951 - Two cluster bombs were tested. One on Nov. 7 was
exploded at 1,700 feet above ground, releasing 612 curies and
contaminating 1.05 square miles on the grid. Twenty-six percent of
expected radiation was accounted for by grid monitors. One on Nov. 8
exploded at 1,050 feet above ground, releasing 756 curies and
contaminating 1.22 square miles on the grid.
Nov. 7-8, 1951 - Documents released this week say four tests exploded
different shapes of radioactive munitions to see which would spread
radiation the farthest. The four munitions used had between 275 and
403 curies of radiation.
May 20, 1952 - Four tests exploded different shapes of radioactive
munitions on 50-foot poles. They each released between 337 and 421
curies, according to different documents, and contaminated up to 0.33
square miles on the grid.
May 21-27, 1952 - Sixteen tests were conducted of "dust generator"
spheres dropped from airplanes. Nine may have been duds and three were
never located. New documents say the tests released a total of 38.9 to
40 curies of radiation.
Sept. 23, 1952 - Five munitions in different shapes were tested on
50-foot poles. New documents say that the four munitions that
functioned deposit radiation in the amounts of 626.9, 571.3, 359.4 and
607 curies in four areas.
November 1952 - A radiological weapons test of unknown type occurred,
according to some documents.
May 23, 1953 - New documents say two large large tests were planned
for this date or near it. One was to deposit 100,000 curies of
radioactive tantalum over 4 square miles. The second test was to
spread 10,000 curies over 1 square mile area.
Documents do not show whether the test actually occurred, or give any
further details. However, the Army conducted tests a year earlier in
Arizona to ensure the tests would not present an airborne
radioactivity hazard. The Army also assumed the test occurred when it
later figured what radiation threat may exist in the area. |
