The Intricate Clean Up of a Radioactive Nuclear Disaster Site, 44 Years On

MIDDLETOWN, Penn.—On March 28, 1979, Ken Klinepeter was 21 and his wife was expecting a baby any day. He worked at an auto parts store in downtown Middletown, Pennsylvania. “I remember a guy running down the street on the sidewalk with his coat over his head. And I could hear this loudspeaker. As it got closer, it was a fire truck going past the store telling everybody to stay inside and keep your doors and windows shut,” said Mr. Klinepeter, now 65 and Middletown Borough manager. They decided to close the store and go home. His brother, a Middletown police officer, asked the family to gather at their father’s house so he could talk with them....