Published September 1961 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the Office of UNITED STATES SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD Room 342, Old Senate Office Building, Washington 25, D. C. Volume I --Number 36 9-8-61 BYRD'S EYE VIEW A Public Service Column by SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD WEST VIRGINIA HILLS OFFER INDUSTRY BEST ATOM BOMB SECURITY Our scientists tell us that the estimated fatal flash area of the newer type nuclear bomb is from 20 to 40 miles in diameter from the point of ground contact. Thus, the old saying, "A miss is as good as a mile," may be true insofar as a bullet is concerned, but not when it comes to a nuclear bomb. In such an instance, a miss can be as deadly effective as a direct hit -- especially if the topography of the target area is flat. This fact can hurry the turning wheel of West Virginia's fortune, for the hills and valleys of our State offer the Nation more than gratifying beauty. They offer industrial security as well. Today, the intercontinental ballistic missile in the arsenal of our potential enemy has a range in excess of 6,000 miles. In this long flight, the smallest fraction of deviation is more possible thani1 not. For this reason, all claims made for fired missiles (including those made by our country) is that they “have hit within the target area” -- meaning, of course, that they have hit close enough so that the aimed-for target would have been covered by the fatal nuclear flash. Only in a mountainous area like West Virginia could a bomb miss of more than a mile result in almost no blast damage to an industry which may be on the other side of a mountain, or two mountains removed from the bomb's impact area. There would, of course, still be the deadly nuclear “fall out” to contend with, but not the shattering, burning blast of the bomb itself. The natural shield of mountains would absorb and deflect most of the shock and flame. Even fallout contamination would be short-lived in West Virginia because of the unusually good drainage which Nature has afforded our hills and. valleys. In all of the State there is little or no swampland to be found. The rains would flush out any contamination and carry it off to the sea, leaving our mountain sand hollows "clean" for continuing industrial effort. Moreover, our mountains can provide natural aid raid shelters, in that level "drifts" can be excavated, with the natural limestone overburden sufficiently thick to prevent bomb damage. In the event of a war, the victory of our Nation may hinge upon the security of our industry. If our industrial might can be protected from injury, the eventual defeat of an enemy is certain. While much thought has been given to the protection of our civilian population, in the event of war, little thought has been given to the protection of our industries. But time is running out on us. The specter of war becomes more stark with each passing day_ The time for doing something about this situation is now. The businessmen and industrialists of this Nation must assume the responsibility of seeking the best possible means for protecting our production facilities. The hills and valleys of West Virginia offer such protection. Their silent strength can prove mightier than the most fearsome weapon devised by man. -- 30 --