Jack Weaver began his 35-year career at Rocky Flats in 1961, doing outdoor physical labor and then quickly moving into chemical operations, where he advanced to foreman, and then shift manager, and then operations manager for building 771. He also worked in the Health and Safety Department. In this interview, Jack gives a narrative of his career, including descriptions of chemical processes, building construction and maintenance (both 771 and 371), infinity rooms, site deconstruction, and prospects for Rocky Flats{u2019} ultimate cleanup. He also talks about the Cold War, the buildup of nuclear weapons as a military deterrent, and his feelings about opposition to Rocky Flats. At the time of this oral history, Jack was working as a fixed-price contractor for Los Alamos Technical Associates, lending historic knowledge to the cleanup efforts.
Description of positions held at Rocky Flats ("labor gang," chemical operator, shift foreman, operations manager)
Description of chemical process for making plutonium button
Worker strikes at Rocky Flats (1962 strike [28-day strike], 1970 strike)
Worker safety at Rocky Flats
Building 371 (timeframe for construction, misconstruction, building shutdown, accounting for plutonium)
Infinity rooms (definition of infinity, design elements, consequences)
History of buildings at Rocky Flats (physical maintenance, building operations, timelines for construction)
Narrative of career (transitions between positions, job pressures, retirement, work as fixed-price contractor)
Feelings about opposition to Rocky Flats (activists, protestors, Cold War)
Current work at Rocky Flats (fixed-price contractor, sharing knowledge, educating staff, answering questions, tours, training)
Deconstruction and cleanup of Rocky Flats (endpoints, timeframe, criteria, scope and cost estimate, reality check, politics)
Rocky Flats historical knowledge (importance of, need for, relevance to cleanup)
Production of nuclear weapons at other national facilities
Feelings about nuclear weapons as a military deterrent