The Leak

How the discovery of a harmless leak of radiation sparked a media firestorm, political grandstanding, and fearmongering that closed a vital scientific facility.

In 1997, scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory found a small leak of radioactive water near their research reactor. Brookhaven was—and is—a world-class, Nobel Prize–winning lab, and its reactor was the cornerstone of US materials science and one of the world’s finest research facilities. The leak, harmless to health, came from a storage pool rather than the reactor. But its discovery triggered a media and political firestorm that resulted in the reactor’s shutdown, and even attempts to close the entire laboratory.
 
A quarter century later, the episode reveals the dynamics of today’s controversies in which fears and the dismissal of science disrupt serious discussion and research of vital issues such as vaccines, climate change, and toxic chemicals. This story has all the elements of a thriller, with vivid characters and dramatic twists and turns. Key players include congressmen and scientists; journalists and university presidents; actors, supermodels, and anti-nuclear activists, all interacting and teaming up in surprising ways. The authors, each with insider knowledge of and access to confidential documents and the key players, reveal how a fact of no health significance could be portrayed as a Chernobyl-like disaster. This compelling exposé reveals the gaps between scientists, politicians, media, and the public that have only gotten more dangerous since 1997.
 
Peter Bond is a retired physicist who worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory for 43 years in a wide variety of roles, including interim laboratory director during much of the period covered by this book.Prologue 1
1 The Leak Discovered 3
2 Sacked 37
3 Chaotic Summer 85
4 Blowin' in the Wind 127
5 Competition for the New Contract 147
6 End of a Turbulent Year 169
7 No Respite 201
8 Scrammed 225
Retrospectives 243
Aftermath 249
Glossary of Acronyms 253
Acknowledgments 255
Notes 259
Index 299"This is a must read especially for science writers, public relations people, and laboratory bureaucrats."
—CHOICE

"Seven Nobel prizes have been awarded for work at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. Yet a leak of radioactive water from the facility turned its 50th anniversary in 1997 into a year of “chaos rather than celebration”, write philosopher of science Robert Crease — author of a history of the lab — and former Brookhaven physicist Peter Bond. Although the incident posed no health hazard, according to federal, state and local officials, it sparked a “firestorm” of activism and politics, captured in this vivid first-hand account."
—Nature

“A fascinating, thought-provoking, and relevant study given the continuing ill-informed attacks on science and the resultant resistance to the use of science in determining public policy.”
— Midwest Book Review

“The book is well documented, with more than 500 references. If you have an open mind and an interest in science and public affairs, I'd say read it and draw your own conclusions.”
— The East Hampton Star
“Anyone who wants to understand why more than 1,000,000 Americans have died of Covid should read this brilliant book. It dramatically describes a titanic clash between world class science, dishonest activists and celebrities, amoral politicians, and the federal bureaucracy.”
—Robert Birgeneau, former Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
 
“This true story illustrates how science (and society) lose out when misdirected activism mixes with misguided politics. If you think that social media is necessary for misinformation to win the day, think again.”
—Marcia McNutt, President, National Academy of Sciences
 
“The Leak is a fascinating first-hand account—and ominous warning—of how an innocuous event can be exploited by politicians, environmental activists, and celebrities to frighten the public and kill science.”
—Neal Lane, Science Advisor to President Bill Clinton
 
“I found The Leak gripping reading—a sober reminder of how badly some government decisions can go.”   
—Cherry Murray, Professor of Physics, University of Arizona
 
“The Leak recounts popular outrage, political intrigue, science misinformation, abused officials, and more. This great read reveals events that presaged the contested boundaries of science and civil society today.”
—S. James Gates, Jr, 2021 American Physical Society President; Clark Leadership Chair in Science, University of Maryland
 
“The success of our national laboratories relies on trust between the public, politicians, government agencies, scientists and the laboratories. The authors carefully document how ‘the leak’ and its aftermath undermined that delicate partnership.”
—Barry C. Barish, Ronald and Maxine Linde Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Caltech; 2017 Nobel Laureate
 
“This is an extraordinary book describing the precarious relations of science, politics, media, and the public.”
—Alan Schriesheim, former director, Argonne National LaboratoryRobert P. Crease is Professor in and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University, where he has taught for more than three decades. He is the author of The Great Equations, The Prism and the Pendulum, and other books. A contributor of op-eds, articles, and reviews to publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, he writes a monthly column for Physics World.
 
Peter Bond is a retired physicist who worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory for 43 years in a wide variety of roles, including interim laboratory director during much of the period covered by this book.