Years ago they blew the whistle on the government and its contractors for poisoning thousands of atomic workers. Construction of the nuclear plant began in 1951. By the following year, it was enriching uranium for atomic bombs and the Navy’s nuclear fleet. The people on the ground were like family—fiercely loyal to one another and to the plant they called the Atomic City. Fowler knew that any leak, spill, or accident at the Paducah plant could damage kidneys and lungs, irritate skin, and increase cancer risk.