Broken arrow: Can a nuclear weapon accident happen here?

This documentary is a continuation of an investigative report originally broadcast on KQED’s nightly newscast, proving that nuclear weapons are stored at the concord Naval Weapons Station in the San Francisco Bay Area.The program points out nuclear weapons accidents that have happened across the United States, most noteworthy of which was the fire at the Titan Missile Silo. One of the major weapons storage sites in the US is in concord California, and based on the Titan experience, reporter Stephen Talbot decided to find out if nuclear weapons were stored at concord, and what kind of safety precautions were in effect. The film proves for the first time that not just weapons, but nuclear weapons are stored in a a major population area; that handling and safest precautions are almost non-existent, and that no community evacuation programs have been formulated. The documentary explores weapons storage policy, community responsibility and the “right to know”, as well as the secrecy surrounding such military activities in the U.S. Interviews with Concord Base employees are included who pint out possible hazards at Concord. The paranoia surrounding secrecy of base activities is exemplified when the producing team was arrested and detailed by military authorities while filming near the base.It is a rare when television can reveal highly secret information, as this film does. The report was the result of months of investigation by Talbot and Dann, and disclosed previously unknown information. Talbot forced the Pentagon to disclose the full extent of weapons accidents (and the disclosure was twice what had been previously acknowledge); proved that the Titan missile contained a nuclear warhead; proved nuclear weapons storage in the San Francisco area (previously vehemently denied by the Pentagon); and showed that absolutely no emergency plans are in effect in communities surrounding the base. Public outcry following the documentary was explosive, especially in the town s neighboring the base (SEE ATTACHMENTS). In the process of filming the story, KQED was faced with a real First Amendment challenge when the crew was arrested and the film confiscated. Despite an agreement among lawyers NOT to touch the film until a judge could make a ruling, the FBI had the film processed and KQED was forced into court. All charges against KQED were later dropped, but the presence of the film crew served to both alert the community of the potential hazards in their back yard, as well as force the military to disclose information it would have preferred to keep secret. A classic example of the public’s right to know versus the right of other individuals to privacy.In this case, the public’s right to safety predominated.