nuclear-news

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission – lax oversight of nuclear power safety

the NRC’s Generic Issues Program….“does not clearly assign ownership for each issue to a particular NRC office and is not transparent to NRC senior management or the Commission.” Also, the safety issues were not always “well-tracked.”…..

Watchdog: Nuclear Regulators’ Action on Safety Issues Is Too Slow, Not Well-Tracked By NICK SCHWELLENBACH, POGO 19 May 11,  As the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster in Japan continues to unfold, POGO, like many others, is concerned about the effectiveness of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) oversight of nuclear power here. The NRC’s internal watchdog, the NRC Office of Inspector General (OIG), has questioned the aggressiveness of the NRC’s oversight as well. Continue reading →

May 20, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

USA Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s safety claims are not convincing

the initial round of (inadequate) Nuclear Regulatory Commission safety assessments found enormous levels of risk at U.S. plants — particularly the backup systems that caused the problems in Japan. While the NRC’s summary blandly assured that “all the reactors would be kept safe, even in the event their regular safety systems were affected by these events,” the detailed reports by the inspection teams made it clear that these bromides were anything but reassuring.

Why They Don’t — and Can’t — Get It Right HUFFINGTON POST< Carl Pope,  05/17/11 Well, now we know that not one but three of Japan’s Fukushima reactors suffered core meltdowns within hours of the earthquake and tsunami that cut off their diesel-generated backup power. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants anti terrorism plans for reactors

NRC seeks nuke anti-terror plans |Security Info Watch Nuclear plant operators required to submit plans by June 10, Brattleboro Reformer (Vermont) 05-18-2011 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is demanding that operators of the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors submit detailed information about plans to respond to a possible terrorist attack.

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko said Wednesday that operators must submit by June 10 details about plans, equipment and personnel in place to respond to a terrorist attack. The agency has required nuclear power plants to prove their ability to respond to terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington…….NRC seeks nuke anti-terror plans |

May 19, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Complacent About Safety of US Nuclear Reactors

Eric Leeds, director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, said, “Our inspectors found all reactors would be kept safe ..”

Florida nuclear reactors pass inspection in wake of Japan disaster By Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post , May 16, 2011,The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed inspections of the nation’s 104 nuclear reactors, including those in Florida, to examine the plants’ abilities to deal with power losses or other issues following extreme events, such as floods, fires or terrorist attacks. Continue reading →

May 17, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | 1 Comment

Poor safety record of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant

How safe is the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant? , Richard W. Jobe,  17 May 11, A Nuke hazard?Reading Brian Lawson’s excellent article in The Times on May 11, I asked: Could Brown’s Ferry Nuclear Plant have a meltdown like Fukushima in Japan? Judge for yourself with these facts: Continue reading →

May 17, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

With nuclear safety concerns, why extend Vermont Yankee’s license?

the too frequent appearance that the NRC is in bed with the industry it regulates, there’s no reason to assume that every plant should get added years. This is where concerns about Vermont Yankee’s record of operation, radioactive leaks included, kick in, and where the NRC needs to do a much better job of explaining why Vermont Yankee should keep running past 2012

The 40-year license for nuclear power plants – New Hampshire, SentinelSource.com: Editorial, 15 May 11, “……….When the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 was being debated, the drafters felt it necessary to put an expiration date on licenses, after which renewals could be considered. However, at the time no one had any experience with nuclear power plants, so the drafters essentially lifted the 40-year provision from federal licenses then in use for hydroelectric power plants. The decision wasn’t based on science and safety; it was based mainly on investment considerations, such as how long it would take for a huge investment to make financial sense.

But, as the unfolding Fukushima disaster tells us, nuclear plants are about more than investments. To bring that point home, the NRC reports that it is finding that many nuclear power plants in this country are vulnerable to big natural disasters; the finding was based on a review ordered up after the Japanese crisis began. Continue reading →

May 16, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Safety problems, spent fuel worries, at US nuclear plants

Inspectors Found Preparedness Issues at U.S. Nuclear Plants,  NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD May 12, 2011 ROCKVILLE, Md. — Despite repeated assurances that American nuclear reactors are better equipped to deal with natural disasters than their counterparts in Japan, regulators said Thursday that recent inspections found serious problems with some emergency equipment that would have made it unusable in an accident.
In addition, the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission acknowledged that the agency’s current regulations and disaster plans did not give enough consideration to two factors that had greatly contributed to the continuing Fukushima Daiichi crisis in Japan: simultaneous problems at more than one reactor at the same site and a natural disaster that disrupts roads, electricity and other infrastructure surrounding a plant…….
The Fukushima accident has cast new attention on spent fuel pools; the reason the United States government recommended that Americans stay 50 miles from the plant was damage to the spent fuel pool of Fukushima’s Unit 4, a reactor that had been shut down at the time of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami…….Inspectors Found Preparedness Issues at U.S. Nuclear Plants – NYTimes.com

May 13, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Dangers of fire and other threats to US nuclear reactors

On other fronts, the NRC has acquired a reputation for being lenient and too close to industry. For instance, despite compelling evidence after September 11, 2001, that reactors could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, the NRC still allowed many security gaps. And the NRC has allowed reactors to continue operating despite known design problems and deteriorating equipment that could lead to a loss of coolant and fuel damage. At some two dozen of the nation’s reactors, spent fuel sits in unsecured, above-ground storage pools — a radiological threat underscored by recent events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The potentially lethal waste in those pools far exceeds the stored rods in Japan….

A more likely nuclear nightmare HUFFINGTON POST, By Susan Q. Stranahan, 11 May 11“……..Fires regularly occur at the 104 U.S. nuclear plants, nearly 10 times a year on average. Continue reading →

May 12, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Entergy Nuclear Company – Nonchalant About Safety

It’s frightening that Entergy has such a cavalier attitude toward the safety of their nuclear power plants.  Especially, given the fact that Indian Point and Pilgrim rank as the top two reactors with the highest risk of an earthquake causing core damage.  What would it mean to have a Chernobyl or Fukushima scale accident at Indian Point? 

VIDEO Will Entergy learn anything from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan?   Greenpeace USA by Jarred Cobb – May 6, 2011 Entergy, the company trying to continue running dangerous old nuclear plants like Vermont Yankee, Indian Point in New York, and Pilgrim in Massachsusetts, is holding their annual shareholder meeting today. We sent them a letter highlighting the risks of these old plants, and questioning if the company has learned anything from the nuclear disaster in Japan. Continue reading →

May 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment