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n2doc

(47,953 posts)
Thu May 1, 2014, 07:00 AM May 2014

Our Nuclear Infrastructure Is a Radioactive Time Bomb

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has had a busy few weeks. Last month, thanks to Freedom of Information Act queries filed by numerous organizations, the Commission was forced to disclose a dossier of emails showing the lengths it had gone to in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima disaster to downplay the risk of a similar catastrophe happening in the US. The correspondence showed a startling lack of preparedness.

In one example, NRC public affairs officer David McIntyre offered his opinion on what Energy Secretary Steven Chu should have done when asked by CNN whether American nuclear plants could withstand a force 9.0 earthquake: “He should just say, ‘Yes, it can.’ Worry about being wrong when it doesn't. Sorry if I sound cynical."

The documents also show a background briefing for then NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko and other commissioners that split intelligence into “public answer" and "additional technical, non-public information." In some cases the NRC withheld crucial details and misdirected the media.

It's been 35 years since an American nuclear plant has malfunctioned. At 4 AM on March 28, 1979, a relief valve failed to close at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania,  severely damaging the reactor's core. Two days later gas was released from the facility, but only exposed local residents to background doses of radiation. Some are concerned the next accident could be disastrous.

more

http://www.vice.com/read/americas-nuclear-plants-are-dry-heaving-and-waiting-to-barf-all-over-us?utm_source=vicefbus

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Our Nuclear Infrastructure Is a Radioactive Time Bomb (Original Post) n2doc May 2014 OP
A long history of lies and misinformation... chervilant May 2014 #1
same story with other postwar boom stuff--all the stuff built 40s-60s (from housing projects MisterP May 2014 #2
They are getting older everyday. That alone should worry us. jwirr May 2014 #3

chervilant

(8,267 posts)
1. A long history of lies and misinformation...
Thu May 1, 2014, 07:09 AM
May 2014

And countless tons of nuclear waste--that's the legacy of the nuclear sycophants. (Because, splitting atoms is so much sexier than solar energy!)

MisterP

(23,730 posts)
2. same story with other postwar boom stuff--all the stuff built 40s-60s (from housing projects
Thu May 1, 2014, 04:22 PM
May 2014

to the TWA Terminal at JFK) all hit the "visible rot" part of their lifecycles in the 70s, all at once; combined with OPEC, Vietnam (and a lack of good design, when you think about it--) gave the 70s their bad reputation and paved the way for the post-1980 swing to the hard right that's badly crippled not just the US

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