NRC hearing raises questions about safety at nuclear plants
From the Christian Science Monitor:
A Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing offered fresh findings in the runup to a final 90-day safety review report on the US nuclear fleet due next month.
A safety task force staff told the five-member commission that America's nuclear plants were safe, but noted that:
• In many cases, older "vintage" plants that undergo relicensing examinations to operate an added 20 years are not required to bring those plants fully up to current safety standards
• NRC regulations have never formally recognized the possibility of an extreme event – like an earthquake or tornado – simultaneously knocking out both on-site and off-site power at a nuclear plant, as happened at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan.
• The nation's nuclear plants have "different licensing bases and associated safety margins," with variations among the plants depending upon their age.
- Log in to post comments
