TRANSPARENCY: After Chu misspeaks, Y-12 goes mum; what’s the reality about Lake Reality?

You wouldn’t think you’d have to go to the state of Tennessee to get factual information about operations at the federal Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, but that’s the situation — especially as regards the environmental activities.

Info is always tough to come by at Y-12, in part because of high security and classification issues, but that’s multiplied in an election year. Or so it seems.

Earlier this year I asked the Y-12 public affairs folks about the operation of Lake Reality, which was constructied in the 1980s to help stem pollutant releases into East Fork Poplar Creek, and I got stony silence in return. There was apparently a complete lockdown on information because Energy Secretary Steven Chu misspoke during a Senate hearing. Nobody would say a word.

Well, it is an election year.