Undark and the Radium Girls (2006)

One part of the saga of “why didn't anyone do anything?” is that this was a state's rights problem originally:

> In New Jersey, reformers won their fight for a law allowing compensation for “radium necrosis.” State labor and health agencies were able to halt lip pointing, but their power over industry was sometimes limited. For example, the New Jersey Labor Department issued to U.S. Radium Corporation an order to tighten safety for its dial painters — “comply or close.” It closed and moved elsewhere. Federal agencies mostly deferred to state authority over radium. [1]

If you have never seen the ads, they are a head trip too. People telling you how drinking radioactive water will give you “natural energy” and so forth. [2]

The craziest part is that it didn't stop due to lawsuits or regulations, it stopped because nuclear energy plants proliferated and gave us many other isotopes to work with, most of them without the 1000+ year half life of radium. The feds didn't get really involved until fricking 9/11, if you can believe it. [3]

1. https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students/history-10...

2. https://flashbak.com/vintage-produce-of-the-day-cure-all-rad...

3. https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students/history-10...

If you read almost any literature taking place the first half of the 20th century, you'll see that a lot of industries were highly abusive of workers, not just radium industry. I'm sure it's even worse pre-20th century.

For example:

- coal mining (read: "The Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam) - tons of coal mining injury, death, and chronic illness (black lung). Stakeholders were aware of the causes of black lung but put profit over people.

- horse racing (read: "Seabiscuit" by Laura Hillenbrand) - tons of jockey injury and death (not to mention the pressure jockeys were under to engage in bulimia and other unhealthy practices). Super high jockey suicide rates. Stakeholders were aware but put profit over people.

Well, we've known about the dangers of lead for an awfully long time:

> https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0960327117737146

One of the principals died from complications caused by radiation, according to Wikipedia; am not able to find any significant names via a search. It may have been a somewhat profitable but eventually insignificant company.

I mean, it absolutely would give you natural energy. It's just the format that leaves a bit to be desired.