Epstein to appear on WITF Smart Talk Panel discussion, "How Japan Changes the Game for PA Energy" (March 24 at 8 pm)

Earlier this week, a top Nuclear Regulatory Commission official said Japan's nuclear crisis does not warrant immediate change in U.S. plants.  Bill Borchardt, the NRC's executive director for operations, noted that officials have "a high degree of confidence" that the 104 nuclear reactors operating in the U.S. are safe.  He asserted that inspectors at each of the plants are ensuring that efforts are in place to guard against safety breaches.  Eric Epstein, co-founder of the citizen-watchdog group Rock the Capital and chairman of TMI Alert, will join our panel discussion.  Epstein has grave concerns about whether American plants are designed to withstand whatever man-made or natural disaster strikes them.  He says our spent-fuel waste is kept in facilities never designed for long-term storage.  Congress has not been able to agree on a permanent site for America's highly radioactive waste.