Now It Can Be Told 6 Flash

1991

In this episode of Now It Can Be Told, Geraldo and team start with a little-known radioactive disaster right here in the United States: a scrapyard in Phoenix Arizona. Gail Anderson reports from the field. Maintenance worker Vicente Sotelo is asked to clean out garbage from the storage room in Juarez, Mexico. The doctor who asked Vicente to clean out the area failed to mention that it contained a dangerous cancer treatment machine, which included about 6000 radioactive pellets in a cylinder. Vicente eventually scraps the garbage, cancer treatment machine and pellets included, at a yard in Phoenix Arizona. The metal is broken down and remade into table stands and other hardware, before being shipped all across the country. The incident leads to the death of at least one person, Benjamin De LaRosa a worker at the Phoenix scrapyard, as well as untold illnesses. No one is charged except Vicente, the maintenance worker who was asked to remove the equipment. Lawrence Nickey, of the El Paso City-County Health District and David Locker, Chief of the Bureau of Radiation Control, Texas Health Department, are interviewed. An attorney also comes on to talk about the unsuccesful suit brought by many of the victims. In the next segment, field correspondent Krista Bradford reports on musical piracy, revealing that more Bob Dylan music is available on bootleg than through official releases. Several high profile rock 'n roll stars are taking steps to combat this scourge, including Frank Zappa, Paul McCartney, and Fleetwood Mac. Mick Fleetwood talks about the situation and we hear from Peter Howard of the Ice newsletter, as well as undercover agents. Finally, Roberta Baskin takes us to Strasburg North Dakota, birthplace of Lawrence Welk, to talk about a new museum being built in his honor -- with taxpayer money. NOW asks citizens across the country what they think of $500,000 in government funding going to a museum most will probably never visit.

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