By Annette Cary
[…]
“It was shocking to me to come to B Reactor and see it open to the public as a prideful accomplishment,” he said. “Here the production of plutonium has only one purpose — to destroy human beings.”
[…]Moriguchi, who has spoken frequently in Japan and abroad about his experiences, was interested in visiting Hanford since he learned that was where plutonium for Fat Man was made.
A long journey
That’s how he came to be at B Reactor on Friday on a private tour, accompanied by two Chicago-area professors who acted as interpreters.
He had questions about how the reactor operated as former Richland Mayor John Fox, the president of the B Reactor Museum Association, showed him around.He sat, after some hesitation, in the chair at the controls of the reactor, and asked to have his photo taken.
But throughout the tour he kept his eye on a small radiation detector he carried with him, calling out readings. The Japanese visitors believed they were high enough to be of concern if a person were at the reactor 365 days a year.
Why were the media and others who accompanied him on the tour not wearing protective clothing? he asked. He wore protective coveralls, a hood, gloves and a mask.
He told a university student who came with him from Japan to skip the reactor tour, out of concern she could be exposed to radiation. A Japanese television crew, which shadowed Moriguchi for most of his visit, also skipped the tour.[…]
Read more.
