At the same time we're reading about the Fukushima nightmare, the U.S. is endangering all of us by

[tpsbmam]

weakening and failing to enforce nuclear safety standards for our own nuclear industry.

Federal regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to keep the nation's aging reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards, or simply failing to enforce them, an investigation by The Associated Press has found.

Time after time, officials at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission have decided that original regulations were too strict, arguing that safety margins could be eased without peril, according to records and interviews.

The result? Rising fears that these accommodations by the NRC are significantly undermining safety — and inching the reactors closer to an accident that could harm the public and jeopardize the future of nuclear power in the United States.

Examples abound. When valves leaked, more leakage was allowed — up to 20 times the original limit. When rampant cracking caused radioactive leaks from steam generator tubing, an easier test of the tubes was devised, so plants could meet standards.

This is a must-read, in my opinion. There's scary shit in the AP's year-long investigation. They documented thousands of problems associated with aging nuclear plants, problems that have been allowed to continue as the Feds relax laws & standards, calling them too conservative. That's when they're not totally ignoring rules or bending them to keep all of these aging nuclear reactors functioning.

The long article can be found here: AP IMPACT: US nuke regulators weaken safety rules

[liberal N proud]

1. 2 Nuclear plants currently under threat of flooding

http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2011/06/two-nebraska-nuclear-plants-partially-submerged-by-missouri-floodwaters/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XzzjquE1_eg

[aquart]

2. Yes. Aren't we clever?

[FiveGoodMen]

3. It's almost like our elected leaders don't care about us at all!

[Blecht]

5. Good one

I LOL'ed.

[ergot]

7. That explains why they've issued all those new construction permits the last 25 years.

I see.

[Octafish]

4. What could possibly go wrong that our leaders haven't planned for alreade?

And it isn't just the GOP who loves nukedom.

EXELON was very good to Axelrod, Emanuel and Friends.

[tpsbmam]

6. Sadly it's far from just the GOP.....

From Obama on down we've been seeing more and more Democrats hopping on the nuclear energy bandwagon...I hope there's more push back from Americans who after Japan's experience. I doubt it though -- most aren't paying any attention and the M$M is doing a fine job of ignoring it.


:grr: