Reed is an engineer at a uranium-enrichment plant. Despite his father's tragic death at the plant, Reed stays on, proud of his work. As for radioactive incidents he's endured, Reed prefers to think about other things. His casual attitude toward danger infuriates his girlfriend, Julia, a biologist. So when news reports evidence of radioactive pollution at the plant, Reed and Julia face an unprecedented challenge.

In Plutopia, Kate Brown draws on official records and dozens of interviews to tell the extraordinary stories of Richland, Washington, and Ozersk, Russia-the first two cities in the world to produce plutonium. To contain secrets, American and Soviet leaders created plutopias-communities of nuclear families living in highly subsidized, limited-access atomic cities. Fully employed and medically monitored, the residents of Richland and Ozersk enjoyed...

While working at a nuclear power plant, Timofey is exposed to a deadly dose of radiation while trying to avert a plant disaster. Instead of rewarding Timofey for his efforts, the plant treats him as a scapegoat, offering no compensation to him or his family. Desperate to provide security for his wife and son, Timofey steals a small amount of PU-239 - weapons-grade- plutonium - and heads to Moscow to sell it on the black market. Timofey struggles to...