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Sam Provance, Joe & Valerie Wilson, and Ron Slater

By SusanUnPC on November 28, 2007 at 7:16 PM in Environment, Iraq, Joseph Wilson

Here at No Quarter, we are all familiar with the price that whisteblower Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame Wilson paid for speaking out on Bush’s false rationales for going to war.

Through Larry’s posts, we’ve met Sam Provance, who “exposed the torture in Abu Ghraib and as thanks had his career ruined, was threatened with prison, has had his wife leave him, and is now barely scraping by.” (See No Quarter posts: “Why the Pentagon Doesn’t Want Me to Testify About Abu Ghraib” and “Larry Johnson, Daniel Ellsberg, Robert Parry, Ray McGovern, Colleen Rowley, Sam Provance, and …” (all of them whistleblowers who urged a “hold the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey until he takes a clear position on the legality of waterboarding”).

But who is Ron Slater, another whistleblower who “lost his job, health and his ‘justice’ in court“?

From today’s Seattle P.I., “Duwamish whistle-blower paid a steep price“:

[NOTE FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SUPERFUND SITES near Seattle: The Duwamish River and Harbor Island are infamous for the staggering amounts of poisons dumped there for decades.]

… Slater and his crew began to suffer mysterious nosebleeds, headaches and fatigue as they unearthed spots on a construction site with rainbow-hued water, metal shavings and a powerful industrial stench.

Soon, one of his workers passed out mysteriously and had to be taken to the hospital.

Slater began to have deep doubts about his superiors at Morrison Knudsen Corp. when they had his crew drain contaminated water off Harbor Island, a Superfund site, into the Duwamish River.

Morrison Knudsen, one of the largest and best-known construction firms in the world, was clearing the decades-old industrial property owned by the Port of Seattle.

Slater’s breaking point came when a bulldozer ruptured an underground tank of diesel fuel. Slater called on the radio asking for help — only to have the project’s safety officer speed over in his truck and bark, “How many … times have I got to tell you — don’t get on the radio talking about fuel spills or calling 911.”

“After a number of these confrontations over testing, over contaminated waste … it was clear that if I didn’t get along and go along, I was going to be going down the highway,” Slater said.

Slater kept complaining anyway, and soon he was on his way down the road.

He contacted the state’s Department of Labor & Industries. He also called the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, launching a major investigation — and providing a cautionary tale for the Duwamish River Superfund site, next to Harbor Island.

The lesson from Slater: Unless cleanup contractors and everyone else involved are constantly and carefully watched, the job won’t get done right.

After investigating the allegations brought by Slater and his crew, the state in October 2000 issued 34 citations for violations, including failing to protect employees from hazardous substances. It imposed a $48,500 fine.

[...]

After he left Morrison Knudsen, Slater could never get work as a construction supervisor in Seattle. He says he was blackballed.

Slater got an attorney and sought a judgment against Morrison Knudsen, but his attorney gave up after the company’s corporate parent, Washington Group International, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

What followed for Slater were years of depression and bitter anger before he found peace. Recently, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and diabetes.

“I paid a heavy price,” Slater said. “It’s the price you pay when you go against the grain.”

[...]

The entire story deserves to be read in full. It’s the story of how going up against the “big boys” is not only risky and perilous for whisteblowers but often results in the “big boys” not paying much of a price, if any.

I just hope that someday the “big boys” responsible for the crimes that Sam Provance, Joe Wilson, and other whistleblowers had the courage to report will get their punishment.

It also is just basically unfair that whistleblowers pay such heavy prices for their courage. I know, I know. Life isn’t fair. But still …

How many potential whistleblowers read about what these others went through, and decide it’s wiser to just keep one’s mouth shut?

Who among us would have the courage of Joe Wilson, Sam Provance, and Ron Slater? Seriously.

  • PrchrLady

    Excellent post and article, Susan. I too wonder how many others have kept silent about things that are really important, because of the fear of having their lives destroyed, or perhaps physical harm to themseles or their family.

    I will share a personal experience, from my days in the Dept of Veteran Affairs. We downsized, and downsized, until there were only 3 registered nurses left for the floor. These nuses were at first replaced one for one with aides, and some LPN’s. Eventually these numbers also dwindled, and we hired agency nurses. It kept up, and when they told us that we needed to prioritize the care we gave, and decide who should recieve baths on any given day, the whole staff revolted. No changes came. Eventually, I found my self, and another nurse, not leaving work until 7 or 8 at night, just to finish the work that absolutely needed to be done. And there was no such thing as OT or comp time…

    The last straw for me was telling me that I had to pick one LPN and one aide, and get them to leave, either volutarilly, or to find something to use to make them leave. Finally, I too moved on, as my own family needed me as well, and maybe even more than the VA. I still miss all my friends and family there. How many others like me, as well????

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      What a terrible story, PrchrLady. Have you stayed in touch? Has staffing improved at the hospital?

  • Teaeopy

    It’s easy to look at whistleblowing as simply a matter of deciding to do the right thing; looking back on it, there are complexities, and the consequences of blowing the whistle may well not affect the whistleblower only.

    Complexities? Yes. Whether to use your name or not. Whether to file a formal grievance or not. Whether to involve news media. And trying to anticipate what the powers that be might do in response, and whether the worst case response would outweigh any good that might come.

    In a case I know something about, which mainly concerned an exposed, deteriorating asbestos ceiling coating in a state agency print shop, the agency response was not what one would hope for. The decision was made to remove the asbestos without closing the print shop and without following standardized asbestos abatement protocols. It was literally an “in your face” response, and risk of inhaling or ingesting airborne asbestos presumably became much higher.

    Risks to oneself—physically, emotionally, financially—should be enough to weigh when trying to decide whether to do what you believe should be done. It shouldn’t be necessary to consider what risks to others might result from a botched or even vengeful response to a whistleblower complaint.

    • Teaeopy

      It might be getting time to change my identity.

  • Centrocitta

    Back in the 70′s when I was a young girl, I often spent all my cash over the weekend. No problem. When I get to work on Monday, I’ll just go to the bank on my lunch hour. But on this Monday morning, I tripped on a carpet strip that was not properly nailed down — in of all places, the US Treasury Building on 14th Street in Washington, DC., where I was working. I severely sprained my ankle and could not walk. And there was no-one in the building that could help me because at the time, I was just a Temp. Instead of calling an ambulance (this might prove negligence), someone in authority called a cab, but I had no money to pay the driver, could not get to the bank AND the United States Treasury would NOT cash my check. All this while I writhed in pain in front of a US official. Was it absolutely unreasonable that the United States Treasury could not cash a check for an American citizen who was just a Temp or am I just being difficult? Thank goodness for the neighbor who drove into DC from Virginia to take me to the hospital. The Treasury did pay my emergency room bill when I submitted it to them — but not one penny more. This was BEFORE the days of whistle blowing. I have problems with that ankle to this very day. Yes, give your service to your country and then watch your country treat you like shit.

  • Centrocitta

    …..After he left Morrison Knudsen, Slater could never get work as a construction supervisor in Seattle. He says he was blackballed. What followed for Slater were years of depression and bitter anger before he found peace…..

    I feel bad for what happened to Slater. He does, however, sound like a “Melting Pot Believer”. These are people who can’t start over somewhere else because they are AMERICAN only. The new immigrants should keep this in mind and not let their bloodlines become diluted. They should marry other immigrants with the same origins. This way if they run into any trouble with the big boys, they can always say, “Adios Amigos”.

  • http://www.food4humanity.org HoosierHoops

    Slater:
    Slater’s breaking point came when a bulldozer ruptured an underground tank of diesel fuel. Slater called on the radio asking for help — only to have the project’s safety officer speed over in his truck and bark, “How many … times have I got to tell you — don’t get on the radio talking about fuel spills or calling 911.”

    You know, It’s difficult to understand this…
    Here is what the hoopster would do…
    When the project safety officer sped up and tried to shut this down…
    I would have said, ” Hey Pal..Federal law requires us to report ANY spill over 50 gallons..period.. You want to go to jail?”
    The proper and legal procedure is to immediately dial 911 on any spill over 50 gallons.. I find it hard to believe a safety officer wouldn’t know that.
    But who knows? I can think of dozens of cases where environmental laws were broken.. But to carry that thought further.. To be Blackballed in the private industry is a serious charge.. Most companies these days are looking for highly qualified hazmat/construction/labor/management people with experience in containing and/or reporting spills that count more of a plus on the resume than a negative towards employment…
    Anything is possible i suppose..

  • Kathleen

    Ron Slater sounds like an incredibly brave individual. Whistle Blowers/truth tellers have to unite for protection.

    To think how many people have been knocked off by associates of this administration or within the military. Terrifying. The more they can get their stories into the press….the more the protection they seem to have.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/blog/ Leslie

      Yeah, you beat me to the punch! That was going to be my next thought: We need stronger whistleblower protections and support groups.

      For example: Provance sounds incredibly brave! But he hasn’t been as successful as the Wilsons in gathering a support group around him. Wish there was something we could do for him?

      Ditto Slater! The $48,000 fine was a joke.

      • Kathleen

        You are spreading the word. I will keep linking to other sites.

  • J

    Samuel did what he did in an attempt to get back at his leadership for removing him from his position of leadership months before he was involved at ABU G. I was there Provance was a lunatic with that believed he is the reincarnate CAESAR, shown by a tattoo he has on the back of his neck which simply says “CAESAR”. He also held Caligula (Do some research) in high regard.

    • WeLoveYouSam

      Both Sam and his testimony has held true through thick and thin, everything corroborated and himself given the respect he’s due. He took it to the highest levels of our government–while still in uniform. He has more credibility and bravery than anyone I heard of. As for your sensational comments, I am sure even if there was any truth to it, you are taking it completely out of context (for your character assassinating purposes, of course). Looks like you need to be the one doing research, Ft. Huachuca ;)

      • Please

        Exactly. Sam is The Man. If he or anything he said was false, we wouldn’t be discussing him right now. He’s bulletproof and has proved it over and over and over and over. What guts! He took Rumsfeld down. Hallelujah!

  • http://www.food4humanity.org HoosierHoops

    yes i understand leslie..But still.. the way that i am..and it’s just me.. I’d be calling 911 on my cell while quietly nodding to the safety guy..then go..” mmm you were saying?”
    And then when the guy started screaming..I’d be like ” wait a sec..let me get the police on line also.”
    The hoopster isn’t very smart.. But I’m also not afraid of threats either..
    I love it when the little guy stands up and makes a difference..What was that movie with Julie Roberts..aaron brockovich or something..where she stood up to PG&E? I love that stuff.
    Of course in the movies everything works out great..nobody loses thier job or family and the bad guys get thrown in prison..
    Guess..I’m just a dreamer..

  • http://www.food4humanity.org HoosierHoops

    Sorry Leslie.. you must have gone through Hell.

  • PrchrLady

    Leslie, my friend, I believe that you, have experienced hell on earth. What a terrible thing to do to another person. I am so happy that you do not ever have to go back there to work again… You are a very strong person.

  • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

    This summer, when AMC aired its first-ever dramatic series, “Mad Men,” I watched the first episode and realized that this was great drama — almost as great as “The Sopranos” for its writing, directing, and acting.

    But the fact that it was a great show wasn’t why I called my daughter and DEMANDED that she watch it.

    She is too young to have lived through the pervasive, overt sexism of ALL American workplaces that I had directly experienced and endured until, eventually, laws were passed that made men nervous about sexist remarks and also made women realize that they were not primarily sexual objects, even in the workplace.

    She is too young to know how confined, stigmatized and stereotyped were women who didn’t work and were housewives and mothers.

    “Mad Men” depicted all of that — the permissibility of overt sexism in the workplace and the social expectations and constraints on housewives/mothers.

    My daughter fell in love with the series because of its drama and its great characters. She was also DUMBFOUNDED by the sexism of the time (1960 — and earlier).

    We’d talk about each incidence of sexism, and I’d impress on her that that is how it was. I really needed her to know that that was the atmosphere in which I was raised and spent my young adult years in the workforce.

    I had many examples to give her. In college, I showed one of my short stories to a male writer who complimented me, but said, “You write like a woman.”

    I won’t get into all the examples I shared with her about comments made to me — Leslie’s experience says it best.

    We have come a long way. But I know that, just like racism remains alive but is these days less overt, sexism also remains alive albeit less overt. It shows in polls for the current presidential race, with white adult men favoring the male candidates over the first female candidate to ever run for the presidency. And in the white middle-aged male commentators on television who bristle vociferously whenever there’s any accusation of sexism … they’re old enough to have been part of the culture of rampant sexism and also to have been forced, by the changing laws and culture, to change their habits and their language, and I sense that somewhere deep inside they resent the changes forced on them.

    P.S. Because AMC enjoyed such success with “Mad Men,” they are producing several more original series, and I can’t wait. Curiously enough, one of the creators of “Mad Men” was on HBO’s “Sopranos” team, and gave the script to HBO, which turned it down — every TV critic is astonished that HBO, which has no great original series airing now, would turn down such a great drama. What’s great, though, is that more people can see it on AMC than would have ever seen it on HBO.

  • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

    I hope you’re not hard on yourself for your reticence. All of your instincts at the time must have told you that that was the wisest way to be and that the best course was to get out of there as soon as you could … just sorry it took you so many months.