BR 1-03 THE DEATH OF KAREN SILKWOOD

[The accident]
It was dark and nobody saw the accident. The small white car was found onits side by the bridge. Inside the car was a dead woman, Karen Silkwood, twenty-eight years old. There was nothing wrong with the car. The police thought it was the ordinary accident. On the night, three people were waiting her. They are her boyfriend, newspaper journalist and Union official. Karen was bringing them some very important papers and photographs in a big brown envelope. The man looked for the brown envelope everywhere, but nobody ever found it.

[The new job]
1972, Karen took a new job at a nuclear factory. Before that, she worked as a secretary, but she was really tired. On her first day at the factory, Mr.Baily, the manager of the factory, told her a lot about the factory. For example the staff's special clothes, identity card and so on. But Karen doesn't like him because she felt that Mr.Baily think her stupid. After that, Mrs.Phillips took her round the factory and show the laboratory. Mrs.Phillips was about forty years old and a little fat, friendly woman. Karen began to call her Susan. They entered to their laboratory. Karen saw six or seven people, everyone wearing white gloves and their hands were inside a big glass box. The box was fuel rods. Their job was putting uranium into the fuel rods. Susan added "And when you leave the laboratory, always remember to take off you gloves and check your hands in front of the scanner." The scanner judges whether there's any radioactive dust on one's hands or not. If the scanner senses any radioactive dust, the alarm rings all over the factory. "And you can take off all your clothes and have a swim with lots of water." said one man. Next Susan said "He means they wash you in a shower, but it doesn't happen very often."

[Karen and Drew]
At first, Karen liked her new job. A few days after she started the job, she met one man, Drew. He liked Karen, also Karen liked him. They spent a lot oh time together. Her life was going well.

[The shower]
One evening in the summer of 1974, Karen and Susan were leaving the laboratory. Karen went through the scanner check smoothly, but Susan couldn't. The siren began to screaming and two men in white coats ran in and took Susan by the arms. They took her somewhere. Karen ran after them, she entered to the room. Susan with nothing on were showered from head to foot - in her eyes, inside her ears, everywhere. The water pressure was terrific. After that, Susan was took to the medical tests. Karen couldn't protect or help Susan.

[The new union official]
One evening, after the shower, Susan said Karen "We really must leave the factory." Because the alarm screams at frequent intervals more and more often. But Karen has decided to change things in the factory. Karen was going to appeal to the Union Committee for importance of safety. A week later, when the workers had to vote for the new Committee, most workers voted for Karen. So, Karen was new an official on the factory's Union Committee.

[The meeting in Washington]
In September 1974 the Union Committee had a meeting. The Committee decided to ask for help to the Union leaders in Washington. So, Karen went to Washington. Then Karen told the leaders the state of the factory. But they didn't believe what she told. Because if it's true, the government must close the factory, and will get a lot of publicity in the media. After the meeting, one of the leaders stopped Karen outside in the corridor. And he requested Karen to steal some negatives in the photographic laboratory. This request was so serious, so Karen had to perform everyone alone. People mustn't know it. Finally, Karen was given the calling card by the leader. His name was Pete.

[The brown envelope]
During the month of Octorber 1974, Karen told nobody about her secret. She began to work at nights because there were fewer people working, and so it was easier to get into the photographic laboratory. She stole negatives smoothly. She put them in a brown envelope and put it in a secret hole in the wall of her house. Nobody knew it was there, but the managers watched her all the time. So, it was more and more difficult to get into the photographic laboratory. But in the last week of October, Karen had nearly all the proof necessary. Pete told her "I'll take you to meet an important man from the New York Times. We'll give the story to the newspapers." But Karen answered "Give me just a little more time."

[A 'hot' home]
Drew decided to leave his job, and wanted Karen to leave too. But she wanted to stay until the meeting with the New York Times. On the evening of November 6th, she passed the scanner on her way out of the laboratory. The alarm sounded. She had to have the shower. After the shower, she was very tired and unhappy. But the next morning, the alarm screamed again on the way into her laboratory she passed the scanner. After another shower, someone pushed Karen into a big white car. It was full of more men in white. They drove to Karen's home and opened the door with Karen's key. And they put all Karen's things in bags, everything. Karen couldn't stay quiet, but they didn't hear. They drove away with all the bags. Now, there was nothing in her home - only a brown envelope in a hole in the wall.

[Where to go?]
Three hours later, Drew found her there. She was still sitting on the ground. Drew tried to cheer for her, but she gave up all hope. She thought that perhaps I'm dying . She told him radioactive was still in her body, but he didn't care. He helped her to his car, and took her home.

[Karen explains to Drew]
That night, Karen told everything to Drew. He really worried about her and told "Perhaps someone does want to kill you. So I'll be with you all the time." Next morning, Karen telephoned Pete in Washington and the Union Committee at the factory. She told what's happened to her. Pete got angry and worried. Pete said her "The factory's managers are trying to sack you. We'll speak to them that we know what's happened to you. You must have medical tests." In the evening, the phone ring. It was Mr.Bailey. He said Karen, Drew and her friend Paula to go to Los Alamos for tests.

[The night drive]
Karen, Paula and Drew went to Los Alamos and had the tests. The doctor said that Karen's body was still a little radioactive, but Drew and Paula were all right. They told Karen that she was in no danger now. After that, Paula, Drew and Karen had a party in a little restaurant. Karen and Drew still had a future toghther. The next day morning, they arrived at Oklahoma. Early in the evening, Karen drove to her house alone. After, she went to the Union meeting at the factory. That night at the meeting, Karen had a big brown envelope in her bag. She looked very happy and well. Every workers felt better. It was dark when Karen left the factory. She smiled at all her friends and got into her small white car and drove away. But Karen never arrived at her meeting. A few miles from the nuclear factory, she had an accident by a wall near a river. Nobody found the brown envelope.