Reviewing Silkwood at 25: The Reel Impact on Environmental Policy

Abstract:     
The year 2008 will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of the film Silkwood, which depicted the events surrounding the apparent plutonium contamination and mysterious death of Kerr-McGee employee Karen Silkwood. The film featured the facts leading up to the case, but many would argue that the resulting lawsuit involved a legal battle worthy of a sequel. The Kerr-McGee Corporation may no longer exist, but the former company continues to impact our concepts of environmental policy, whistleblower protection, and damages awards through case law. This essay provides a comparative analysis of the case and its depiction in film and follows with a summary of how both continue to impact environmental policy.

Keywords: environmental law, Silkwood, toxic torts, film, whistleblower, Kerr-McGee, damages awards, plutonium

Accepted Paper Series