There is relatively little information available on social and psychological consequences of the Windscale accident. This likely reflects a lower level of awareness, both in the public and in scientists and decision makers, of these issues at the time. A great deal of secrecy surrounded the Windscale plant and accusations have been made of a ‘‘cover-up’’ of the accident consequences by the operators and authorities.13 The fact that Wolff5 noted that the con­taminated milk from the accident ‘‘…could have been used for manufacturing purposes or the feeding of livestock but, because of public apprehension, it was decided not to salvage the milk’’ suggests significant public concern over the contamination, and official awareness of that concern. An article in Scientific American a few months after the accident stated that ‘‘The accident produced something approaching panic among the local population’’.14