Karen Silkwood

Karen Silkwood was an American chemical technician and labor activist at a plutonium-processing plant in Oklahoma. Her contamination allegations and 1974 death in a car crash became the subject of a landmark legal case and public controversy.

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Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee: A 1984 U.S. Supreme Court case allowing a state-law punitive-damages award against a federally licensed nuclear company. The lawsuit brought by Silkwood’s estate turned her contamination claims into a landmark dispute over nuclear regulation.
Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union: A labor union that represented workers in oil, chemical, and atomic industries in the United States. Silkwood was a union member and helped organize workers at the Cimarron plant.
Plutonium: A radioactive metallic chemical element used in nuclear weapons and some nuclear reactors. Silkwood’s work involved plutonium, the material at the center of her contamination reports.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: The U.S. federal agency that licenses and regulates civilian nuclear materials and facilities. Its oversight of the plant framed questions about whether federal regulation adequately protected workers.
Silkwood (film): A 1983 biographical drama directed by Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood. The film brought Silkwood’s life and the disputed circumstances of her death to a broad audience.
David Burnham: An American journalist and investigative reporter for The New York Times. Burnham reported on Silkwood’s safety allegations and helped bring them to national attention.
Radiation contamination: The unintended presence of radioactive material on or inside people, objects, or environments. Silkwood and her home were found contaminated, prompting questions about how exposure occurred.
Nuclear workers' rights: Legal and workplace protections concerning the safety, organizing, and treatment of people employed in the nuclear industry. Silkwood’s union activity and allegations made worker protection a central public issue.
Oklahoma City forensic investigation: The post-crash examination and investigation of Karen Silkwood’s death in 1974. Its findings became central to disputes over whether the crash was accidental or involved foul play.
Richard B. Ogilvie: An American lawyer who represented Karen Silkwood’s estate in its case against Kerr-McGee. Ogilvie led the legal effort that produced the punitive-damages award.