How We Lost Detroit: The Fermi Nuclear Disaster
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- 1960s detroit nuclear accident
Oct. 13, 1966
October 13, 1966
Johnson: Law and order have broken down in Detroit, Michigan
While the fire at Fermi has stopped, fires have spread across the city of Detroit. Since rioting broke out yesterday, many small businesses and homes have been looted and burned. Ten people have died in the rioting, and many more have been injured.
Mayor Cavanaugh made the following summary: “It is very disturbing to see the number of people on the street. For want of a better term, they have a carnival spirit. There is still sporadic looting.” [1] Black leaders, including Congressman John Conyers, have called for an end to the riots, but to no avail. Standing on the top of a car, Conyers told the crowd that had gathered to go home, but was met with insults and shouts of "Uncle Tom". [2]
Governor Romney has asked for 5,000 Regular Army troops to reinforce 7,000 National Guardsmen and 2,000 policemen in quelling the rioting. However, he conceded that even this would not be sufficient. “There is reasonable doubt that we can suppress the existing looting, arson, and sniping without the assistance of federal troops.” [3]
President Johnson has ordered federal troops airlifted to Selfridge Air Force Base to be available for riot duty in Detroit, pending further Presidential order. “The federal government should not intervene except in the most extraordinary circumstances,” Johnson said. “The fact of the matter, however, is that law and order have broken down in Detroit, Michigan…The federal government and circumstances here presented have no alternative but to respond.” [4]
But in the midst of all of this turmoil and despair, there was one glimmer of hope. The fire at the Fermi plant has finally gone out, leaving behind only a burnt containment chamber. Over the past few days, firefighters have sprayed an experimental chemical called ternary eutectic chloride (TEC) into the containment chamber [5]. TEC is a powdery substance that was developed to fight sodium fires in the presence of uranium [6]. It is hoped that the smoke emanating from the destroyed plant will finally subside by tomorrow night.
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Johnson: Law and order have broken down in Detroit, Michigan
While the fire at Fermi has stopped, fires have spread across the city of Detroit. Since rioting broke out yesterday, many small businesses and homes have been looted and burned. Ten people have died in the rioting, and many more have been injured.
Mayor Cavanaugh made the following summary: “It is very disturbing to see the number of people on the street. For want of a better term, they have a carnival spirit. There is still sporadic looting.” [1] Black leaders, including Congressman John Conyers, have called for an end to the riots, but to no avail. Standing on the top of a car, Conyers told the crowd that had gathered to go home, but was met with insults and shouts of "Uncle Tom". [2]
Governor Romney has asked for 5,000 Regular Army troops to reinforce 7,000 National Guardsmen and 2,000 policemen in quelling the rioting. However, he conceded that even this would not be sufficient. “There is reasonable doubt that we can suppress the existing looting, arson, and sniping without the assistance of federal troops.” [3]
President Johnson has ordered federal troops airlifted to Selfridge Air Force Base to be available for riot duty in Detroit, pending further Presidential order. “The federal government should not intervene except in the most extraordinary circumstances,” Johnson said. “The fact of the matter, however, is that law and order have broken down in Detroit, Michigan…The federal government and circumstances here presented have no alternative but to respond.” [4]
But in the midst of all of this turmoil and despair, there was one glimmer of hope. The fire at the Fermi plant has finally gone out, leaving behind only a burnt containment chamber. Over the past few days, firefighters have sprayed an experimental chemical called ternary eutectic chloride (TEC) into the containment chamber [5]. TEC is a powdery substance that was developed to fight sodium fires in the presence of uranium [6]. It is hoped that the smoke emanating from the destroyed plant will finally subside by tomorrow night.
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[1] Detroit News, Jul. 24, 1967, 1-A
[2] http://time.com/4879023/detroit-1967-conyers/
[3] https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n.../blind-pig-raid-lit-fire-scar-city/103813436/
[4] http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=28364
[5] According to Wikipedia, TEC was invented in 1959, so it would have been available in 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher#Class_D_dry_powder_and_other_agents_for_metal_fires
[6] https://patents.google.com/patent/US3095372
[2] http://time.com/4879023/detroit-1967-conyers/
[3] https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n.../blind-pig-raid-lit-fire-scar-city/103813436/
[4] http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=28364
[5] According to Wikipedia, TEC was invented in 1959, so it would have been available in 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_extinguisher#Class_D_dry_powder_and_other_agents_for_metal_fires
[6] https://patents.google.com/patent/US3095372
Oct. 14, 1966
October 14, 1966
Romney criticizes Johnson for Detroit riot response
Rioting continues into its third day in Detroit. Looting and arson have been reported in nearly every neighborhood, as far north as 8 Mile and as far west as Greenfield Road, with most incidents occurring along the Woodward, Grand River, and Gratiot corridors. Police and National Guardsmen have been deployed to counter snipers, who are terrorizing innocent civilians across the city. They will soon be joined in this effort by federal troops, who are expected to arrive tonight to restore order. And above all that, the air is filled with plumes of contaminated smoke, as fires burn buildings coated with radioactive soot. [1]
A fight of a different sort is brewing between the President of the United States and the Governor of Michigan. In his televised address to the nation yesterday, President Johnson said that his decision to send federal troops to Detroit was justified because of the inability of state and local officials to quell the rioting. “I am sure the American people will realize that I take this action with the greatest regret--and only because of the clear, unmistakable, and undisputed evidence that Governor Romney of Michigan and the local officials in Detroit have been unable to bring the situation under control,” Johnson said. [2]
Governor Romney disputed the President’s account of events, and said that he was "taking advantage of the situation politically," referring to the upcoming election [3]. Romney accused the President of giving the country "an inaccurate version" of events leading to the sending of federal troops into Detroit. Romney, speaking with restraint, said that Mr. Johnson had implied that Michigan had been vacillating about asking for federal troops. Romney said there was no hesitation and that he declined to declare a state of insurrection only because every home and business that was burned out in the rioting would have lost its insurance. [4]
Speaking with reporters this morning, Johnson declined to comment on Romney’s statement, but quipped that he had heard enough bad news for one day. [5]
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Romney criticizes Johnson for Detroit riot response
Rioting continues into its third day in Detroit. Looting and arson have been reported in nearly every neighborhood, as far north as 8 Mile and as far west as Greenfield Road, with most incidents occurring along the Woodward, Grand River, and Gratiot corridors. Police and National Guardsmen have been deployed to counter snipers, who are terrorizing innocent civilians across the city. They will soon be joined in this effort by federal troops, who are expected to arrive tonight to restore order. And above all that, the air is filled with plumes of contaminated smoke, as fires burn buildings coated with radioactive soot. [1]
A fight of a different sort is brewing between the President of the United States and the Governor of Michigan. In his televised address to the nation yesterday, President Johnson said that his decision to send federal troops to Detroit was justified because of the inability of state and local officials to quell the rioting. “I am sure the American people will realize that I take this action with the greatest regret--and only because of the clear, unmistakable, and undisputed evidence that Governor Romney of Michigan and the local officials in Detroit have been unable to bring the situation under control,” Johnson said. [2]
Governor Romney disputed the President’s account of events, and said that he was "taking advantage of the situation politically," referring to the upcoming election [3]. Romney accused the President of giving the country "an inaccurate version" of events leading to the sending of federal troops into Detroit. Romney, speaking with restraint, said that Mr. Johnson had implied that Michigan had been vacillating about asking for federal troops. Romney said there was no hesitation and that he declined to declare a state of insurrection only because every home and business that was burned out in the rioting would have lost its insurance. [4]
Speaking with reporters this morning, Johnson declined to comment on Romney’s statement, but quipped that he had heard enough bad news for one day. [5]
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[1] https://www.freep.com/pages/interactives/1967-detroit-riot/
[2] As he said in OTL during the ’67 riot: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=28364
[3] Or to quote Romney himself from an interview in 1988: “I felt that President Johnson was taking advantage of the situation politically. And, uh, I knew that he must have known that, uh, the local police and the state police and the National Guard, they're not trained to deal with riots of that intensity, and that he had troops here who could deal with it because they were trained to deal with it. So I was convinced that, uh, he was undertaking to, uh, shift the blame from any blame from himself to me.”
http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eii/eiiweb/rom5427.0379.138georgeromney.html
[4] DN, Jul. 26, 1967
[5] Not an actual quote, but this is what he is referring to: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v04/d268
[2] As he said in OTL during the ’67 riot: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=28364
[3] Or to quote Romney himself from an interview in 1988: “I felt that President Johnson was taking advantage of the situation politically. And, uh, I knew that he must have known that, uh, the local police and the state police and the National Guard, they're not trained to deal with riots of that intensity, and that he had troops here who could deal with it because they were trained to deal with it. So I was convinced that, uh, he was undertaking to, uh, shift the blame from any blame from himself to me.”
http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eii/eiiweb/rom5427.0379.138georgeromney.html
[4] DN, Jul. 26, 1967
[5] Not an actual quote, but this is what he is referring to: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v04/d268
Any reactions to World Health Organization or is any possibility of evolution of an earlier anti-nuclear power movement?
I’m loving this timeline, keep it going. But it’s kind of sad, as Hamtramcks right inside Detroit 
.
.To address some comments/questions:
In some ways, it's not quite as bad as the OTL 1967 riots. The evacuation of Detroit leads to slightly fewer deaths. However, the fires are worse because many firefighters from Detroit FD were sent to Monroe to fight the fires there. Many of them are now suffering from varying degrees of radiation sickness, leaving fire stations short-handed.
I'll be covering the anti-nuclear power movement in future posts. In OTL, the movement started in the early 70s, at the same time as other environmental movements. ITTL, it will begin in earnest in 1967 and will be more prominent in OTL due to the severe accident at Fermi.
In some ways, it's not quite as bad as the OTL 1967 riots. The evacuation of Detroit leads to slightly fewer deaths. However, the fires are worse because many firefighters from Detroit FD were sent to Monroe to fight the fires there. Many of them are now suffering from varying degrees of radiation sickness, leaving fire stations short-handed.
I'll be covering the anti-nuclear power movement in future posts. In OTL, the movement started in the early 70s, at the same time as other environmental movements. ITTL, it will begin in earnest in 1967 and will be more prominent in OTL due to the severe accident at Fermi.
Oct. 15, 1966
October 15, 1966
Riots quelled in Detroit
After three days of rioting marred the city in the wake of the nuclear disaster, Detroit is finally at peace. Police and the National Guard, along with federal troops, have taken control of the city. But the cost of the rioting is high: dozens are dead (most of whom were suspected looters), hundreds are injured, and thousands of buildings have been destroyed [1]. In some places, entire blocks have been leveled by flames.
Morton Sterling [2], chief of air pollution control for the Detroit/Wayne County Health Department, has determined that the threat of additional radioactive contamination from the Fermi plant is over. The evacuation order in Detroit has ended, and many people are beginning to return home from other cities. But residents returning home may find nothing more than a charred husk.
Riots quelled in Detroit
After three days of rioting marred the city in the wake of the nuclear disaster, Detroit is finally at peace. Police and the National Guard, along with federal troops, have taken control of the city. But the cost of the rioting is high: dozens are dead (most of whom were suspected looters), hundreds are injured, and thousands of buildings have been destroyed [1]. In some places, entire blocks have been leveled by flames.
Morton Sterling [2], chief of air pollution control for the Detroit/Wayne County Health Department, has determined that the threat of additional radioactive contamination from the Fermi plant is over. The evacuation order in Detroit has ended, and many people are beginning to return home from other cities. But residents returning home may find nothing more than a charred husk.
[1] As OTL, analogous to July 25: https://www.freep.com/pages/interactives/1967-detroit-riot/
[2] Detroit News, November 20, 1966, p. 20-A
[2] Detroit News, November 20, 1966, p. 20-A
I would say that the state wouldn't do this last part, however I'm from the area and they let people drink lead water for over 3 years. how much radiation do we have in Detroit? because letting people back in would be a serious law suit waiting to happen
As someone who might be characterized as pro-nuclear I think an earlier nuclear disaster would be good for the planet. Why? With Fermi accident harming nuclear construction of late 60's I think 1980's and 1990's would be ready for a nuclear revival - this time with new safety standards and computer aided design. Thus we might see a boom of nuclear construction worldwide in recent years, greatly aiding in fight against global warming.
To clarify: in the City of Detroit, there is not much radiation because it's 25-35 miles north of the plant. Areas closer to Fermi are still under evacuation orders. This includes the eastern part of Monroe County, along with Detroit's southern suburbs (known as Downriver).
gotcha.. would still think that it would be prudent to keep people out if at all possible. seems to be enough problems in the city as is, adding people to the mess could and should only make it worse. its like katrina in some ways.
Agreed. But the city and state and the Big 3 have motivation to let people back in as soon as possible. If people aren't at their jobs, they aren't paying taxes and the businesses aren't making money. And this was the 60s, when nuclear radiation wasn't taken very seriously. Consider all the atomic testing that went on in the southwestern US during this time. Or the disposal of nuclear waste at the Hanford site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanford_Site
At the time, it was generally assumed that if radiation was under a certain amount, it was safe. This was called the threshold model. But scientists were beginning to understand the effects of long-term, but low-dose radiation exposure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_no-threshold_model
This is gonna have a huge impact on both Ontario and Quebec. Monroe sits at the head of Lake Erie, so Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, Trois Rivières, & Quebec will all have contaminated drinking water
Plus as you mentioned the wind was blowing east, which means that also effects all the cities and towns near Lake Erie's north shore (London, St Thomas, Welland, Fort Erie) as well as Buffalo and probably Cleveland if I'm being honest
Plus as you mentioned the wind was blowing east, which means that also effects all the cities and towns near Lake Erie's north shore (London, St Thomas, Welland, Fort Erie) as well as Buffalo and probably Cleveland if I'm being honest
My guess is not much different from OTL. It's 200 miles south of the Fermi plant, and winds are mostly westerly, meaning that very little radioactive fallout is spreading southward. Dayton is one of the places where evacuees from Fermi are going.
Yep, it's gonna be bad for southern Ontario and Quebec, as well as northern Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, and western New York. This will have a considerable impact on Expo '67, as I will explain later. I'm working on a map to show how much radioactive contamination would likely have fallen on the Great Lakes region, and where.
Oct. 16, 1966
October 16, 1966
Johnson reaches out to Detroit: ‘I’ll be there’ [1]
Eleven days after the meltdown at the Fermi Nuclear Generating Station, President Johnson has pledged to go to Detroit to monitor recovery efforts in the city. Johnson will visit the city just 30 miles from the Fermi plant in an attempt to reassure a panicked public about the safety of nuclear power. He plans to meet with Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh and with former Governor Soapy Williams, who is running for a Senate seat. Conspicuously absent from his tour is Michigan Governor George Romney, whose handling of the disaster and subsequent riots has been criticized by President Johnson.
State visits to New Zealand and Australia [2] on October 19-22 have been cancelled in order for the President to “observe the situation” in southeastern Michigan. Johnson said that he still intends to attend the summit conference in Manila on the Vietnam conflict on October 23. In response, Prime Ministers Holyoake and Holt have issued official statements expressing their sympathy for the victims of the nuclear disaster.
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Johnson reaches out to Detroit: ‘I’ll be there’ [1]
Eleven days after the meltdown at the Fermi Nuclear Generating Station, President Johnson has pledged to go to Detroit to monitor recovery efforts in the city. Johnson will visit the city just 30 miles from the Fermi plant in an attempt to reassure a panicked public about the safety of nuclear power. He plans to meet with Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh and with former Governor Soapy Williams, who is running for a Senate seat. Conspicuously absent from his tour is Michigan Governor George Romney, whose handling of the disaster and subsequent riots has been criticized by President Johnson.
State visits to New Zealand and Australia [2] on October 19-22 have been cancelled in order for the President to “observe the situation” in southeastern Michigan. Johnson said that he still intends to attend the summit conference in Manila on the Vietnam conflict on October 23. In response, Prime Ministers Holyoake and Holt have issued official statements expressing their sympathy for the victims of the nuclear disaster.
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[1] A reference to the Motown hit that topped the charts this week: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_1966
[2] https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/october-6-1966-press-conference and https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/johnson-lyndon-b
[2] https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/october-6-1966-press-conference and https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/johnson-lyndon-b
Oct. 17, 1966
October 17, 1966
Martin Luther King’s Detroit address
Just days after riots tore apart the city, civil rights crusader Martin Luther King paid a visit to Detroit yesterday to give a speech at the annual men's day dinner at New Bethel Baptist Church [1]. While the speech was intended to discuss inadequate housing and housing segregation in the city, the recent meltdown and unrest were key topics. King urged for the development of tenant councils and the use of community pressure to break down racial barriers in all-white neighborhoods and suburbs. In Detroit, civil rights groups have failed to organize tenant councils and there are widespread complaints of inadequate housing, due partly to racial discrimination. King said the techniques could be utilized locally without his leadership. "My presence is not necessary. If communities are waiting for me, we'll be another hundred years waiting for freedom."
Speaking of the recent riot, King said, “I’m absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt…But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society…And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.” [2]
Despite his call for non-violent action, King said he was not interested in purging militant civil rights groups, like the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee. Instead, he wanted to bring these people back “to the great principles”, saying “I am not interested in purging anyone but carrying (people) to higher goals.” [1]
King said that the Black community is outraged at the success enjoyed by some racist politicians such as Lester Maddox, the Georgia gubernatorial candidate. "Maddox is a symbol of hatred and man's inhumanity to man," King said. "Every revolution has its counter-revolution. But we are not going to despair. I don't think Maddox represents the wave of the future.” [1] [3]
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Martin Luther King’s Detroit address
Just days after riots tore apart the city, civil rights crusader Martin Luther King paid a visit to Detroit yesterday to give a speech at the annual men's day dinner at New Bethel Baptist Church [1]. While the speech was intended to discuss inadequate housing and housing segregation in the city, the recent meltdown and unrest were key topics. King urged for the development of tenant councils and the use of community pressure to break down racial barriers in all-white neighborhoods and suburbs. In Detroit, civil rights groups have failed to organize tenant councils and there are widespread complaints of inadequate housing, due partly to racial discrimination. King said the techniques could be utilized locally without his leadership. "My presence is not necessary. If communities are waiting for me, we'll be another hundred years waiting for freedom."
Speaking of the recent riot, King said, “I’m absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt…But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society…And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.” [2]
Despite his call for non-violent action, King said he was not interested in purging militant civil rights groups, like the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee. Instead, he wanted to bring these people back “to the great principles”, saying “I am not interested in purging anyone but carrying (people) to higher goals.” [1]
King said that the Black community is outraged at the success enjoyed by some racist politicians such as Lester Maddox, the Georgia gubernatorial candidate. "Maddox is a symbol of hatred and man's inhumanity to man," King said. "Every revolution has its counter-revolution. But we are not going to despair. I don't think Maddox represents the wave of the future.” [1] [3]
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[1] From a speech in Detroit on the same day as OTL: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10160866/king_lists_cures_for_citys_ills/
[2] From a speech Dr. King gave in the (wealthy White) suburb of Grosse Pointe shortly before his death: https://blogpublic.lib.msu.edu/red-...1968-martin-luther-king-speaks-grosse-pointe/ and http://www.gphistorical.org/mlk/mlkspeech/mlk-gp-speech.pdf
[3] I couldn’t find anything on Dr. King’s position on atomic power plants, as it wasn’t a major issue in the mid-1960s. That said: https://blogs.cdc.gov/yourhealthyou...ronmental-justice-a-leader-ahead-of-his-time/
[2] From a speech Dr. King gave in the (wealthy White) suburb of Grosse Pointe shortly before his death: https://blogpublic.lib.msu.edu/red-...1968-martin-luther-king-speaks-grosse-pointe/ and http://www.gphistorical.org/mlk/mlkspeech/mlk-gp-speech.pdf
[3] I couldn’t find anything on Dr. King’s position on atomic power plants, as it wasn’t a major issue in the mid-1960s. That said: https://blogs.cdc.gov/yourhealthyou...ronmental-justice-a-leader-ahead-of-his-time/