REPORTING
WORK VIOLATIONS

Topics: Character; Circumstances and Faith; Convictions; Dishonesty; Dying to Self; Guidance; Honesty; Integrity; Persecution; Work

References: Psalm 41:12; Proverbs 11:3; Matthew 5:10; 16:24–26; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:7–17

George Galatis, an engineer at Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut, found several unsafe practices at his plant. Federal guidelines required the Millstone plant to store only one-third of spent fuel rods in holding pools, but Galatis found all of the hot fuel had been dumped into them. Also, fuel was unloaded just 65 hours after a shutdown, far sooner than the mandated period of 250 hours.

Supervisors winked at the routine violations, knowing they were saving millions through shortcuts.

Fearing the violations could threaten thousands of lives, Galatis told a colleague they should contact the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The friend warned him, “You do that and you’re dogmeat.”

Galatis urged plant managers to stop the hazardous practices, but they refused. Since many of his supervisors were churchgoers, he was baffled. “This was not splitting hairs,” Galatis says. “These were moral issues.” Galatis warned his supervisors what could happen: eventual shutdown, decommissioning of the plants, and criminal investigations. But after two years nothing had changed except other workers’ attitudes toward Galatis. When he sat down in the cafeteria, coworkers left. When he entered a meeting, the room fell silent. Rumors spread that he was an alcoholic. His performance evaluation took a hit.

Galatis searched for God’s guidance, rising every morning at 4:00 a.m. to pray and read Scripture. During lunch breaks, he drove to a secluded place to pray and search the Bible. During one of these prayer times Galatis believed God whispered to him, “Will you die for me?”

Though he feared for his safety, Galatis realized there were many ways of dying; his livelihood, his reputation, and his family could also be destroyed. Previous whistleblowers’ families had broken under intense emotional strain. Northeast Utilities, owner of the nuclear plants, would likely hire one of the nation’s top law firms to fight him.

Still, he pressed on. He contacted the NRC, asking the government agency to suspend Millstone’s license. As the petition became public, pressure at work increased. Coworkers confronted him, calling him a fool and troublemaker. He was harassed for months.

After four years of battling Millstone, Galatis finally got a severance agreement and left. The NRC never suspended Millstone’s license, but three reactors were shut down for repairs at a cost of over $1 billion. A criminal investigation was launched.

Galatis went on to graduate from seminary and is now a pastor.

—Adam Bowles, “A Cry in the Nuclear Wilderness,” Christianity Today (October 2, 2000)