Karen Silkwood was a chemical technician at the Kerr-McGee nuclear power plant in Oklahoma. Her job was to make plutonium pellets for nuclear reactor fuel rods; however she discovered that her fellow workers were being exposed to contamination alongside numerous other health violations.

She took action against the company and discovered that she was also heavily contaminated with plutonium. Silkwood created an extensive case for her claims and had secured a contact with the New York Times to publicise her story.

However, as she set off in her car with the documents beside her to meet the journalist, she was killed in a car crash. While written off as an accident, evidence has suggested it was murder especially as the files were nowhere in sight. Her story formed the basis of 'Silkwood' starring Meryl Streep as the activist.