Health & Safety

News articles and stories regarding health and safety issues surrounding the whole nuclear chain - from uranium mining to radioactive waste disposal.

Emergency Planning

Reports, news items and documents regarding Emergency Planning around nuclear power plants

Health Issues

 

TMI's owner is now paying attention

The company that operates the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said it has investigated five incidents of inattentive employees in the past two years, including two reports in December.

Documents show Exelon took steps to keep leak hidden

Public documents show that Exelon Corp. officials tried to keep the public in the dark about radioactive tritium spills at a nuclear power plant near the Kankakee River, according to a published report.

Hours and fatigue dog TMI guards

Officers told new hires where to 'nap,' memo says

U.S. orders nuke plant inspections

Inquiry in Illinois to follow leaks, alarm at LaSalle

New rules would rest N-plant workers

Fatigue complaints drive NRC proposal

Japan's Second-Largest Nuclear Reactor Is Ordered Shut by Court

. . .group of citizens filed suit against Hokuriku Electric in May 2005 to demand the shutdown, claiming the area is near a fault in the earth's crust and subject to earthquake.

San Onofre shuts down reactors; backup-tank gaskets faulty

The nuclear power plant shut down its nuclear reactors this week after discovering faulty gaskets in some of its backup water tanks used to cool reactors in an emergency.

Palo Verde water spills investigated

Feds probe tritium levels at nuclear plants - Prompted by a string of accidental radioactive discharges, federal monitors said Wednesday that they have formed a task force to investigate the spills at several power plants across the country, including one at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Wintersburg.

Indian Point finds radiation leak

Owners of the Indian Point nuclear power station feel certain they have found the source of a strontium 90 leak that is contaminating ground water beneath the plant.

Firstenergy Admits to Nuclear Power Plant Cover-Up

FirstEnergy Corp. Friday admitted that some of its employees made false statements to US regulators about safety violations at one of its nuclear plants and said it had reached a deal with the US Department of Justice to avoid indictment of the utility.

Obama still to press spill bill despite nuclear industry plan

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) vowed Tuesday to press ahead with a bill to mandate reporting of unplanned radioactive releases, such as recent tritium leaks in Will County, saying a self-regulation initiative by the nuclear power industry is inadequate.

Ameren shuts down nuclear plant after high vibrations in turbine

Ameren Corp. shut down its Callaway nuclear plant early Friday morning after unusually high vibrations were detected in the facility's power turbines.

DOE predicts nuke reactions in casks - Nevadans worry about danger at Yucca

The Energy Department predicts up to 60 uncontrolled nuclear reactions would take place inside nuclear waste casks stored at power plant sites should the casks corrode, according to a department study obtained by Nevada officials.

Radiation barrier may fail in accident

If there were a major reactor accident at the Oyster Creek nuclear plant, chances are its most critical radiation barrier would fail.

Radiation overexposure at Indian Point

Indian Point officials are looking into how a contract worker was overexposed to radiation during a scheduled reactor refueling earlier this month.

Minn. Nuclear Workers Exposed to Radiation

An accidental release of radioactive gas at a nuclear plant in southeastern Minnesota exposed about 100 workers to low levels of radiation last week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.

Radioactive water found at Palo Verde

Arizona Public Service Co. discovered radioactive water near a maze of underground pipes at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station this week and plans more tests to ensure that the tainted water hasn't leaked into the area's water supply.

US nuclear plant leaks fuel health concerns

Years of radioactive waste water spills from Illinois nuclear power plants have fuelled suspicions the industry covers up safety problems and sparked debate about the risks from exposure to low-level radiation.

Radioactive isotope found in third well at Indian Point plant

Radioactive strontium 90 has spread to a third well at Indian Point and has been found at levels three times the amount allowed in drinking water -- within 150 feet of the Hudson River.

Nuclear plants inspecting for radioactive water leaks

After finding radioactive water leaks at five nuclear plants in three states, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear power industry met Wednesday to find ways detect and stop the problem.

Nuclear industry adopts new detection, disclosure policy on radioactive releases into groundwater

The nuclear industry said Tuesday it will more closely monitor and keep local and state officials informed about releases of radioactive water into groundwater from power plants, though it said such releases have not posed a health risk.

NRC vetoes lone commissioner’s safety concerns

Four of the nation’s top five nuclear regulators have overruled a move to stay the Vermont Yankee (VY) power boost until appeals about its safety are resolved — action that could have altered the way the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews some power uprates.

Nuclear industry runs aging plants harder, raising concerns

Critics questioning whether it's safe to boost energy output at aging nuclear plants are pointing to an incident four years ago at Exelon's Quad Cities plant in northwestern Illinois, according to a published report.

Aging nuclear plants pushed to the limit

Increased power output raises safety concerns - (a quite long but very informative article)

Fatigue issues vex nuclear industry - Overtime on rise as worker pool shrinks

The nuclear power industry is so shorthanded that workers often put in numbingly long hours on the job, with critics warning that safety at nuclear plants could be endangered by employee fatigue.

Here Today, There Tomorrow: Commercial Nuclear Reactor Sites as Terrorist Targets

The September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center the Pentagon call into serious question the capability of existing or proposed nuclear reactors to resist such assaults without major releases of radiation to the environment and exposures to the public. This report fully examines these concerns.

Nuclear plant aircraft hazard

Information provided by David Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists

Impact of a Meltdown at Nuclear Plant - Consequences of Reactor Accident (CRAC-2) Report

Follow the link to an alphabetical listing of every commercial nuclear power plant in the US, extant, or under construction at the time this report was published in 1982. The 4 categories listed are: Peak Early Fatalities, Peak Early Injuries, Peak Cancer Deaths, and Property Damage. The numbers given are in case of a class-9, or worse case scenario meltdown, and are based on 1982 population data and on 1982 dollars. This report was mandated by the Nuclear regulatory Commission and carried out by the Sandia Labs of New Mexico. The Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences (CRAC-2) report was published by Congress November 1, 1982. It was also printed by the Washington Post the same day. Other major media, including the New York Times published it shortly thereafter. Some experts claim that the assessment of the dangers inherent in any and all commercial nuclear power plants has several faults. Among the faults -- any accident can spread to the spent fuel pool where huge amounts of radioactive waste are stored. The authors of the Reactor Safety Study concluded that changing some of the criteria for data gathering would actually increase the number of early fatalities by a factor of 3 to 4 depending upon circumstances [NUREG-0340].

Anti-nuclear crowd questions plant safety from airliner attack

A recent letter calling for new nuclear plants to be designed with potential attacks from commercial airliners in mind has caused the anti-nuclear activist community to ask fresh questions about the safety of the nation's 101 existing nuclear plants, including the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station north of Oceanside.

Minnesota accident prompts alert to other nuclear plants

Federal officials have alerted the owners of four nuclear power plants about a potential safety problem that caused an automatic shutdown last week at Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear plant in Minnesota.

NRC VOTES AGAINST REQUIRING REACTORS TO BE PROTECTED FROM AIR ATTACKS OR A LARGE NUMBER OF ATTACKERS - MOVE JEOPARDIZES SAFETY OF MILLIONS, PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS SAY

"It is vital that our state understand that once PG&E and SCE are no longer generating electricity from Diablo Canyon and San Onofre, high-level radioactive waste will be left on our coast vulnerable to attack. No longer will it be a matter of 'We need the power so the risk is worth it.' The utility - the jobs, property taxes and donations to the community will be gone. Only the risk will remain for our children and grandchildren. " - Rochelle Becker, Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility

RESIDUAL RISK - An Account of Events in Nuclear Power Plants Since the Chernobyl Accident in 1986

The Greens in the European Parliament have released a study of accidents that have taken place in nuclear reactors since Chernobyl. Researchers at the Union of Concerned Scientists, and institutes in Germany and Austria carried out the study which was coordinated by Mycle Schneider in France. Schneider states that "In the course of the last twenty years, the world has lived with the illusion that it is possible to make nuclear reactors safe. In reality, every day, countless incidents occur in nuclear reactors, and, since Chernobyl, catastrophe has, on several occasions, only narrowly been avoided." It can be found in English at http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/181/181995.residual_risk@fr.pdf

Tritiated water leaves basin (Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant)

Wednesday's high winds caused contaminated water to lap over the sides of a concrete lined retention basin at the Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant.

Answers sought on Alabama plant shutdown

An overloaded computer network shut down a nuclear reactor in Alabama last year, and even nine months later, regulators cannot pinpoint the source of the failure.

San Onofre reactor shuts down for repairs

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station shut down this weekend to fix a leaking valve, according to officials at Southern California Edison and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Nuclear Safety Reports Called Into Question - Gaps in Global Database. Blamed on Regulators. A Scare in Bulgaria

To inform the public about nuclear-plant mishaps, a United Nations agency in 1989 helped create a Richter-like scale rating them from zero to seven. Chernobyl was pegged as a seven. Three Mile Island rated five. How many mishaps have occurred over the years - and is the rate getting better or worse? It`s hard to know. That`s because every day, the U.N.`s International Atomic Energy Agency deletes from its Web site any rated incident that`s more than six months old. The agency says it doesn`t want to penalize more-forthcoming countries by making it look like they have poor safety records.

N-plant fires stoke nuclear power debate

Fires in power stations are not unusual, but when they strike nuclear plants, they reignite the debate over whether they should be shut down for good.

NRC ISSUES A "YELLOW" FINDING TO FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT FOR VALVE TEST FAILURES

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has determined that an inspection finding at the Farley nuclear power plant related to valves associated with the Unit 2 residual heat removal system containment suction supply is "yellow," meaning the issue has substantial safety significance and will result in additional NRC inspections and potentially other NRC actions. The Farley plant, operated by Southern Nuclear Operating Company, is located in southern Ala. near Dothan.

Congo authorities find 17 tons of dumped radioactive material

About 17 tons of unidentified radioactive material have been found dumped in a river in southern Congo's mining region, officials said Thursday.

TEPCO: Active fault found in seabed off nuclear plant

Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Wednesday said it found a 23-kilometer-long active fault in the Sea of Japan off the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, which was damaged in the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake in July.

Serious Safety and Security Risks Undercut Nuclear Power's Role in Minimizing Global Warming, New Report Finds

Science Group Recommends Stronger Federal Oversight, Safer Designs, U.S. Ban on Reprocessing - An expansion of nuclear power capacity in the United States could help reduce global warming pollution, but could also increase threats to public safety and national security, according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Those risks include a massive radiation release from a power plant meltdown or terrorist attack, and the death of hundreds of thousands from the detonation of a nuclear weapon made with materials obtained from civilian nuclear facilities.

Nuclear safety lessons from Japan's summer earthquake

On July 16, 2007, an earthquake with a magnitude of somewhere between 6.6 and 6.8 struck Japan. Its epicenter was about 16 kilometers north of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), the biggest such plant in the world. The known results of the earthquake include a fire and leaks of radioactivity. However, news of damage to the reactors continues to emerge, the most recent being the discovery of a jammed control rod in Unit-7. Though there was no major release of radioactivity, the many failures and unanticipated events that occurred at the reactor after the earthquake have important implications for nuclear safety worldwide.

Video of Sleeping Guards Shakes Nuclear Industry - Sight of Guards Asleep Shakes Industry

Kerry Beal was taken aback when he discovered last March that many of his fellow security guards at the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania were taking regular naps in what they called "the ready room."

Fire watch specialist skipped rounds, falsified records at nuclear plant - Regulatory agency orders changes to address 'safety culture' issues

A worker trained to watch for fires at the San Onofre nuclear power plant falsified records and skipped hourly rounds on "numerous occasions" for more than five years, federal regulators said Monday.

San Onofre safety lapses disclosed

Two security failures were among the mostly low-level breaches and willful misconduct at the nuclear power plant in San Diego County, which serves 2.75 million households.

NRC PROPOSES $208,000 FINE AGAINST FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff Tuesday proposed a $208,000 fine against Florida Power & Light Co., for security violations at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant.

A nuclear brain drain - A wave of retirements will leave nuclear plants scrambling

A casual observer at a nuclear power plant these days might notice a peculiar phenomenon: lots of receding hairlines and graying temples at the controls. Within the next decade, most of the nation's highly skilled nuclear specialists - engineers, plant operators, maintenance technicians, radiation chemists and fuel assembly designers - will become pensioners.

NRC will not order 8 reactors to shut early

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will allow eight reactors to continue to operate until they shut for upcoming spring refueling outages rather than forcing them to shut early to repair potential weld problems, an agency spokesman said on Friday.

Report: Next-Generation Nuclear Fuel May Be Unstable

New high-efficiency nuclear fuel meant to burn longer and stronger may prove unstable in an emergency and hard to dispose of, according experts cited in a report published Wednesday.

Critical Safety Issues Set To Escalate As U.S. Commercial Reactors Extend Their Life Cycles - NRC Must Increase Oversight and Enforcement to Deal with Nuclear Reactor Aging

The Union of Concerned Scientists released a report showing that the country's 103 aging commercial nuclear reactors are entering the most dangerous phase of their life cycle. The report, U.S. Nuclear Plants in the 21st Century: The Risk of a Lifetime, analyzes the unprecedented risks of reactors entering the wear-out phase and demonstrates that the combination of aging reactors and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) indifferent approach to safety enforcement will seriously jeopardize public health for years to come.

PG&E will cooperate with federal investigators over retaliation claims at Diablo, spokeswoman says

PG&E will cooperate with federal investigators over retaliation claims at Diablo, spokeswoman says.

Comments of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, Nuclear Watch South and Pilgrim Watch (RIN 3150-AG63) Supplement Rule CFR 50.54

The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility (A4NR), Nuclear Watch South (NWS), and Pilgrim Watch (PW), submit the following comments for the NRC consideration Under 50.54 Conditions of licenses

NRC Found Lax in Oversight of Fire Safety Regulations at Reactors

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that reviewed the performance of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in regulating federally-mandated fire protection standards at U.S. nuclear reactors was released this week. The report confirmed that the NRC has for three decades consistently mishandled fire protection violations at the country’s nuclear power plants.