Customer Reviews

Nuclear Nebraska: The Remarkable Story of Little County That Couldn't Be Bought

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I lived in Nuckolls County (one of the other proposed dump sites before Boyd County was chosen as the finalist) during the late 1980s and can vouch for Ms. Cragin's excellent work in capturing the anguish caused by US Ecology's efforts to site a dump in rural Nebraska. The book is worth reading for her scrupulous, sensitive documentation alone.

But if you think you're not interested in a now-settled controversy that attracted little notice outside the Cornhusker State's borders, I recommend the book to anyone seeking insight into current American politics. It's all here -- the political rise of Ben Nelson, at this writing poised to become one of the deciding votes on health-care reform; the radicalization of rural America and its roots not in genuine political theory but in Hollywood images of "taking our land back"; the opening chasm between those living in the Information Age and those who believe that guns, social rigidity, isolationism and talk radio are the key to America's future.

My review isn't meant to dismiss the great victory the anti-dump citizenry achieved in Boyd County -- though even Ms. Cragin focuses far more on the beer-drinking, gun-toting antics of vigilantes groups such as the "Young Turks" and "Magnificent Seven" (self-named for celluloid heroes, but mainly composed of young white men with grudges, too much free time, and easy access to ammo) that the intelligent, persistent research that truly saved the day. But read the scenes where the locals throw a noose over a crossbeam to "welcome" African American dump officials and researchers to town and ask yourself how far this sort of thing is from some of the rhetoric we've heard since the 2008 elections. I'm stirred by the story of the people of Boyd County, but I weep for my country when I see the future to which Ms Cragin's book points.

This true story, researched and told by Susan Cragin, is an amazing tale that is so captivating, I couldn't put it down. The author deserves great respect for digging out the complexities of a story spanning over 20 years. The book is especially interesting because it not only tells the story from the perspective of a group of people struggling to stop the powers-to-be from building a nuclear dump in their agricultural community, it includes the actions, motivations and insights from those supporting the dump. Getting both sides of the story makes this book special. The book is never a dry recounting of facts. It is a powerful read as it enlightens, inspires and entertains.

In 1989 five states and two multinational corporations schemed to locate a 'low level' nuclear waste dump in an isolated northern Nebraska county by offering them, $3 million a year for 40 years. The town officials agreed to host the site - but what evolved was unexpected on all sides: a fierce battle by Boyd county's farmers who fought corporations, the state and the federal government to prevent this from happening. Author Susan Cragin was asked to write this story by Greg Hayden, Nebraska's commissioner to the Compact charged with sitting the dump, who was opposed to the Boyd County selection process. Her eye-opening account is moving and revealing.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch