Reactors Archives · Page 25 of 32

February 1, 2005

NIRS FACT SHEET, Nuclear waste storage casks at reactor sites demonstrated to be vulnerable to terrorist attack.

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January 24, 2005

NIRS comments on PRM-73-12, Combined Comments of Office of Attorneys General,

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January 1, 2005

Environmental Justice Under Attack In Bid To Expand Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Port Gibson, Mississippi. See photographs here. NIRS learned in after publishing these photographs that Bald Hill Road is under repair.

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December 24, 2004

“Gambling with safety: NRC downgrades quality assurance of reactor parts”, Nuclear Monitor Article, In a move controversial even with its own staff, NRC released its Final Rule affecting how reactor operators purchase safety-related parts to ensure that safety-related systems, structures and components will perform vital functions during operation or an accident.

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December 13, 2004

NIRS’ comments in response to U.S. Health and Human Service’s issuance of inadequate draft federal guidelines dated November 08, 2004 for distributing potassium iodide (KI) as a thyroid blocking agent in the event of a nuclear accident or an act of radiological sabotage.

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November 22, 2004

Contrary to GAO recommendations made in 1990 for NRC to take “enforcement action” against nuclear utilities in violation of maintaining Quality Assurance and Quality Control standards for “nuclear grade” safety-related reactor components, , the Nuclear Regulatory Commission published in Federal Register Notice a Final Rule creating a classification of “safety-related” parts which can now use lower grade “commercial grade” industrial parts. While the rule change promises to save the nuclear industry hundreds of millions of dollars in the procurement of nuclear safety-related equipment NRC staff have filed Differing Professional Opinions (DPO) on Commission amendments contained in the Final Rule identifying that the relaxation “raises serious safety concerns” which will allow nuclear power station operators to install inferior grade equipment in safety-related functions without adequate confidence that the parts will perform their required safety function.” To see the NRC Final Rule on special treatment requirements for structures, systems and components in nuclear power stations see the Federal Register Notice.

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November 8, 2004

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) draft guidelines for Section 127 of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 outlining a federal strategy for the distribution of potassium iodide (KI) issued for limited comment.

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November 1, 2004

NIRS Fact Sheet focused on the how natural phenomenon (tornadoes, floods, etc.) can play a role in the risks from nuclear power.

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September 1, 2004

This U.S. Government Accountability Office congressional testimony () is critical of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s oversight of revised Design Basis Threat validation of reactor security compliance.

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August 10, 2004

NIRS in concert with a national coalition petitioned NRC for emergency enforcement action on BWR structural vulnerabilities to terrorism. 32 of the nation’s 104 licensed nuclear power stations are fatally designed and constructed so that irradiated fuel storage ponds are located literally on the roof of the reactor building in structures that NRC has identified in a pre-9/11 study as vulnerable to aircraft penetration. The same study identified that the resulting nuclear waste fire involving hundreds of tons of irradiated nuclear fuel would cause tens of thousands of fatalities out to 500 miles. An international coalition (US and Canada) has filed an emergency enforcement petition to NRC to address the structural vulnerabilities of these reactors or force their closure. Click here for Petition and Annex to the Petition. List of Affected Reactors.

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