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Loading...U.S. Regulators Help Nuclear Power Plants Meet Safety Standards by Weakening Standards
A very cozy relationship exists between the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear power industry in the United States according to an Associated Press investigative report that found “proof that aging reactors have been allowed to run less safely to prolong operation.”
Most U.S. reactors were designed with the expectation that after 40 years, they would be replaced with better, newer technology. Instead, reactor owners simply request an extension to their license to operate the aging plant, something the NRC seems happy to provide even when the power plant is out of compliance with safety standards.
“Records show a recurring pattern: Reactor parts or systems fall out of compliance with the rules. Studies are conducted by the industry and government, and all agree that existing standards are ‘unnecessarily conservative.’”
Regulations are loosened, and the reactors are back in compliance,” wrote the AP journalist Jeff Dunn.
The nuclear power industry responded claiming that by the time a license is up for renewal, nearly every part of a power plant has been replaced during routine maintenance. But the AP investigation revealed many safety problems that seem to contradict industry claims. Inspectors were finding all sorts of age-related safety problems, including “failed cables, busted seals, broken nozzles, clogged screens, cracked concrete, dented containers, corroded metals and rusty underground pipes.”
According to former NRC head, Ivan Selin, replacing parts is kind of beside the point. He was quoted by the Associated Press explaining: “It’s as if we were all driving Model T’s today and trying to bring them up to current mileage standards.”
Interestingly, some coal supporters are jumping all over this study. West Virginia Congressman David McKinnley claims the data uncovered by the AP reveals a dangerous pro-nuclear bias in the Obama administration.
There’s no doubt that the Obama administration has been very supportive of nuclear power, but the issues the journalist uncovered and the pattern of changing standards to meet conditions existed before our current president’s term in office. It’s also noteworthy that AP’s investigation began more than a year ago, pre-dating the crisis at Fukishima and the subsequent scrutiny of the nuclear power industry’s safety record.
What do you think? Fair criticism of Obama?
Is this getting enough attention? Can you imagine the outrage if this kind of thing happened in, say, public schools: If standardized test makers changed tests to get failing schools into compliance with No Child Left Behind? Can you think of other outrageous examples? If so, please share them in the comments.
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"Aid " funded by our tax dollars is just "bribery". Spend our tax dollars at home on our own.
I don't get the whole stupid thing.I wouldn't be caught dead there.
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+ add your ownLOVELY. I feel so safe. But never mind -- profits are being made, and that's what's important in America.
While nuclear power is not abominable in my eyes (although I'd certainly prefer renewables) this kind of acting is truly irresponsible.
Right from the beginning Atoms for Peace was propaganda to try to salve our conscience after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I would rather trust the U S Navy to inspect the civilian nuclear power plants, repair the ones that are repairable, and replace (with the standard U S Navy design) the ones that need to be replaced. I would also rather have the U S Navy reprocess the spent fuel rods to salvage what U235 is left in them to make new fuel rods from the salvage and safely dispose of the depleted uranium (almost entirely U238) than have private mining firms dig up the landscape mining virgin uranium ore. I would hope that by the time we have used up all the salvageable U235 in spent nuclear fuel rods, we can have managed between efficiency and renewable energy sources, to replace the generating capacity of those old nuclear power plants. Until then, nuclear is probably at least a lesser evil than coal with its greenhouse gases and mercury in the fly ash.
We need to remove stop signs from intersections, also! Too much regulation!
It will probably take at least one horrible nuclear accident here before the US govt. even begins to think about shutting down all our plants. And even then, it will take years and years to make the needed switch to alternative energy since the dirty energy companies have bought and paid for most of the members of Congress - fascism sucks!
Ah, the old fox guarding the henhouse routine, oh, ok I get it...
WTF??? These people must be suicidal does anyone realize that the reactors in Japan are still leaking radiation? it is REALLY BAD over there but the news is NOT reporting what is still happening. Gee I wonder is it because people would freak out or is it the Nuclear plants that paid someone off??? I wonder.
No surprise- regulators and industry in bed together. Wait til it goes BOOM!
thanks for sharing.
The long term security requirements of waste are so serious that it is irresponsible to saddle future generations for thousands of years with having to look after the waste. For this reason alone we ought not to take the risks of Chernoble , Fukushima Daiichi and any other possible melt down likely in the future.
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