Regulators will stop revealing nuclear plant safety lapses

[Judi Lynn]

Regulators will stop revealing nuclear plant safety lapses


By MALIA RULON
The Associated Press
8/4/04 3:44 PM


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government will no longer reveal security gaps discovered at nuclear power plants, hoping to prevent terrorists from using the information, regulators said Wednesday.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the change in policy during its first public meeting on power plant safety since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Until now, the NRC has provided regular public updates on vulnerabilities its inspectors found at the country's 103 nuclear power reactors, such as broken fences or weaknesses in training programs.

"We need to blacken some of our processes so that our adversaries won't have that information," said Roy Zimmerman, director of the commission's Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, which was created after the attacks.
(snip/...)

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0220_BC_NuclearSecurity&&news&newsflash-financial

[havocmom]

1. Like many policy changes, looks like action to fight terrorism

and works as a gimme to big energy. So now we won't know when they are not taking safety seriously? :wtf:

[tlcandie]

2. Or when OUR lives are in jeopardy or how often...

How the hell do problems and their happenings being reported allow terrorists a come uppance anyway?

Pretty soon we won't know a damned thing about anything even if we wanted to!! These are just the things they are telling us about and there is NO discussion ONLY decisions!!!

[latebloomer]

3. Uh huh

But everyone in the world can know that we're guarding the Prudential Building in Newark!

[tlcandie]

6. EXACTLY!!!! eom

[tom_paine]

4. Once again the synergy of al-Qaeda and their freinds, the Bushes,

is quite clear.

Once again, "Terra" has given the Busheviks an excuse to help out their friends, the Energy Princes.

[tlcandie]

7. Right yet again! eom

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. What BULLSHIT

how about promptly FIXING these problems and holding the corps that run them accountable??? Whatever happened to personal responsility? Does it not apply to CEO's that run these things?

[havocmom]

8. Personal responsibility - funny thing , that. See, corporations have

personhood only when it gives them Contsitutional rights. They are person-less when responsibility is looking for a place to hang its hat.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. There was a big push in the 90's

to allow certain nuclear power plants to "self-regulate" even after it was proven that they did not follow correct procedures to promptly and accurately report unintended radiation leaks and other problems. And this was when NRC officials were on site daily overseeing operations. It did not go over well with the general public who lived in the vicinity of these plants.

This is total bullshit. It's deregulation under the guise of fighting terrorism.

[Rose Siding]

10. No more pesky public pressure

Sell more plastic sheeting!

[Q]

11. The Bush* admin. made the same 'rule' for chemical plants...

...and now those plants don't have to report what kind of toxic waste they're spewing into the cities.

- This is simply one more step toward corporations unaccountable to the people OR the government.

[Kool Kitty]

21. Fuck these bastards.

The owners of these plants (chemical and nuclear) and the politicians that think not reporting accidents, etc. to the public is a good idea should have to move themselves and each and every relative that they have to homes right next to said plants. Let them and their loved ones live next to that shit, and see how they like it. They are afraid of terrorism? Hah. If they were, they would make sure that these plants are safe and guarded. They are neither.

[DBoon]

12. Anti Nuke Activists are considered terrorists

Didn't you know that? And so are unions protecting the safety of workers in nuclear plants.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. Kick for the Hanford radiation story

[PATRICK]

14. Is this a good sign?

Extreme cynicism and satire alert.

After drawing diagrams, shouting dismay at detailed insecurities, even drawing maps and pictures of defense procedures and possible terrorist attacks in Newsweek, nothing has happened!

Apparently this scenario, no one bit, is out so now we can tighten security where it is not needed and coincidentally put a cloak over the nuclear industry.

Our ports are still laid bare- deliberately for one reason or another along with other things where our fantastic investigative press thought it important to highlight the weaknesses and holes while ignoring all rights abuses and crony contracts.

The LAST desperate attempt of terrorists usually is the isolated suicide bomber- which would actually mean our security is so good that is their only way to strike. Sometimes the chicken little chickenhawks look like they are pleading for some teeny act of terrorism because all their bluff and bluster is petering out without the pretext.

[truth2power]

15. "hoping to prevent terrorists from using the information"

The terrorists, of course, are the American people who would just like to be apprised of how they're being poisoned.

The people in this administration are the sickest bastards I have ever seen!!!

And I'm sick of hearing this "terra terra terra" shit being appended to every single utterance, whether in print or on TV. Enough already!! :mad: :mad:

[Beetwasher]

16. How Comforting

I feel safer already...:eyes:

[merh]

17. Does anyone know where I can get some really think lead sheets?

I live within 200 miles of a plant - guess I need to get the sheeting and a personal detector!!

Plastic sheeting and duck tape ain't gonna help this one. :scared:

[jeff5]

25. Get a Weather Map and a Fast Car

If the prevailing winds in your area put you downwind, be prepared to run like hell, and know which way to run, crosswind.

If you are 200 miles upwind you have little to worry about.

[KoKo]

18. And here's a link to the Hanford Radiation Release...workers iexposed...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x729862

[struggle4progress]

19. kick

:kick:

[renegade000]

20. very dangerous...

Nuclear power can only be operated safely with very strict regulatory oversight!

[Gyre]

22. Better get some potassium iodide pills now if you have kids

The games that this "administration"s playing is so fraught with danger at so many levels. Not only waging a war of aggression against a large percentage of the Arab world and in so doing strengthening our enemies resolve and alienating our allies, but also perpetuating global warming, not to mention opening us up to an American Chernobyl. Man it's getting tougher to get out of bed in the morning!

Gyre

[truthisfreedom]

23. potassium ioDATE is better. little kids won't chew the iodide pills

because they are intensely bitter.

[unpsyops]

24. Unknown problem throws D-B off line

I live 5 miles away from Davis Besse. The local paper had an article about this in their home edition but not on their website. Wonder why?
This is from another area paper..
Unknown problem throws D-B off line
Restart expected soon


OAK HARBOR -- The Davis-Besse nuclear power plant reactor unexpectedly shut down Wednesday during testing, marking the first problem for the plant since it resumed generating electricity at full capacity in April after being shut down for two years.

No workers were in danger, and two U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors were present when the "automatic" shutdown occurred at 10:24 a.m., said NRC spokesman Jan Strasma.

Todd Schneider, spokesman for FirstEnergy Corp., which owns the plant, said the cause of the shutdown was unknown.

"It's looking like it could be related to some routine testing that was being conducted at the time," he said.

http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20040805/localnews/986146.html

[0007]

26. Everyday I say to myself, it can't get any worse

....and everyday I see that this administration has reached new heights of stupidity.

A weak and leaky valve will go unreported in a nuke plant while a financially center will be armed to the max and every news agency carrying the story.

Oh my God! They killed Kenny!!

?