nuclear-news

 Greg Mello told Press TV’s U.S. Desk on Wednesday that even though Congressman Edward Markey “has done a terrific job in trying to improve the record of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and get some new safety standards passed … there’s a lot of resistance from some of the members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”

 The head of the citizen-led nuclear disarmament group believes “over the years, the safety standards at U.S. nuclear power plants have been gradually eroded as the plants have aged. It’s been very important to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow plants to be relicensed and not to put requirements in or to enforce existing requirements that would shut down nuclear plants for expensive upgrades or repairs.”

 Mello pointed out that most of America’s nuclear power plants are old and “in a weaker position to withstand events of all kinds” including natural hazards like earthquakes.

 He also pointed out that “the possibility of multiple problems at the reactors is always a concern.”

 Following Tuesday’s earthquake that caused the automatic shutdown of a nuclear power plant just a few miles from the temblor’s epicenter, Representative Markey (D-Mass.), Congress’ leading voice for nuclear safety, called on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to implement stronger safety standards to prevent a nuclear accident. .. http://www.presstv.com/usdetail/195696.html