nuclear-news

Need for probe on Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s dubious safety culture

U.S. Nuclear Agency Needs Independent Probe, Markey Says Bloomberg News, By Katarzyna Klimasinska  June 04, 2012 An independent investigation is needed of alleged lapses in the safety culture at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Representative Edward Markey said, citing worker concerns about a lack of management support.

Markey said NRC employees wrote him to say the agency failed to take appropriate steps to deal with safety issues at the Fort Calhoun plant operated by Omaha Public Power District, and DTE Energy Co. (DTE) (DTE)’s Fermi station on the shores of Lake Erie in southeast Michigan. Employees also told Markey that the NRC Office of Inspector General
has ignored safety issues, he said.

“Every individual who contacted my office expressed concerns that they
did not trust the NRC IG to resolve their concerns,” Markey said today
in a letter to NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko. “Suggestions were made
that the commission engage a firm such as Conger and Elsea or other
organization to conduct an independent investigation.”

U.S. lawmakers and safety advocates are putting the NRC under scrutiny
after Jaczko said May 21 that he is resigning ….. Calhoun Safety
Employees on the NRC’s Texas staff, writing anonymously, said in an
April 24 letter to Markey that Troy Pruett, deputy director of the
Division of Reactor Projects, rejected a recommendation to classify
failures at Fort Calhoun Station as having “high safety significance,”
saying his job would become more difficult……

June 6, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA