Tests in Utah in the early 1950s drew criticism from the public and from then New Mexico Sen. Clinton Anderson, head of the congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy.

Several Nevada tests were cancelled due to weather patterns and conditions. And under concern that tests would be sent back to the Pacific if not successfully administered in the Nevada desert, the topic was raised at a meeting of the Atomic Energy commissioners in February and March 1955, and documented in a book, "Killing Our Own," by Harvey Wasserman and Norman Solomon.

AEC Commissioner Willard F. Libby fumed that moving tests back to the Pacific would "set the weapons program back a lot." But disregarding weather conditions in Nevada would bring more fallout to the St. George area — "which they apparently always plaster," according to AEC Chairman Lewis L. Strauss in the minutes.

Strauss said he had "forgotten the number of people at St. George." Informed that 4,500 people were living there at the time, Strauss said, "so you can't evacuate them."

"St. George is hypertensified. It is not a question of health or safety with St. George, but a question of public relations," commented AEC fallout expert John C. Bugher.

"You remember the uproar at St. George last series." After the experience with the last set of bomb tests, Bugher recollected, "We regarded southern Utah as a forbidden zone for future fallout in this series."

But the AEC apparently decided the people of Utah were less important than the atomic testing schedule. And Former Rear Admiral Strauss advocated to "get on with the test," according to commission meeting minutes at the time.

"I don't think we can change them at this stage of the game," said Strauss, referring to Nevada testing criteria.

The following conversation is excerpted from minutes of the Atomic Energy commissioners meeting of March 14, 1955:

"People have got to learn to live with the facts of life, and part of the facts of life are fallout." — Willard F. Libby, AEC commissioner

"It is certainly all right they say if you don't live next door to it." — Lewis L. Strauss, AEC chairman

"Or live under it." — K.D. Nichols, AEC commissioner

"We must not let anything interfere with this series of tests — nothing." —Thomas Murray, AEC commissioner