Dangerous Mind-Set

Sloppiness may be a habit at nuclear-weapons plants

For 40 years the nation's nuclear weaponry has provided enough security to allow Americans to sleep better at night. But there is now chilling evidence that the custodians of the nation's atomic arsenal have all the while also kept their eyes closed -- not in sleep but in egregious disregard for safety. Drawing on three years of investigations, the oversight subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week disclosed patterns of sloppy operation, arrogant indifference and willful deception in the management of the country's 17 major nuclear-weapons facilities. The result of years of mismanagement plus the estimated $130 billion...

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