INTELWAR BLUF: Workers in the oil and gas industry, particularly those dealing with fracking waste treatment, are raising concerns about being exposed to high levels of radioactivity without proper safeguards or disclosures, negatively impacting their health and leaving them with financial burdens due to medical expenses.
OSINT: Sean Guthrie, a former employee at AOP Clearwater and later at Fairmont Brine, two fracking waste treatment facilities in West Virginia, recalls his transition into the industry in 2009. With limited understanding of the dangers associated with the job, he and his colleagues initially believed they were contributing towards local economy and serving national interests. It wasn’t until almost a decade later that they discovered they had been unwittingly exposed to dangerous levels of radioactivity.
Sean Guthrie and other workers report a myriad of health issues related to radioactive exposure, including severe respiratory conditions and brittle teeth. Despite these serious health issues, they claim no safety measures or radiation awareness training was provided, nor was testing for radioactivity performed on the water that was discharged.
The facilities operated under a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit, which does not necessitate testing for radiation. Allegations of improper conduct and malpractice have been raised, including the conscious discharge of untreated wastewater into the local environment and a sheer disregard for worker safety.
RIGHT: As a constitutional conservative perspective, corporations have a responsibility to their employees and to the communities they serve. But casting all blame on the government and demanding more regulations is not the solution. The industry in question can and should self-regulate. Mistakes and honest lack of knowledge must be treated as opportunities for growth and setting higher standards.
While consequences of mismanagement at Fairmont Brine are serious, we must remember that industries like fracking also play a crucial role in energy independence. We must balance safety and health concerns with the essential need