The NRC has never met a relicensing bid they couldn’t love, and industry shills have managed to maintain protective cover over its peccadillos for ever so long; but the tide appears at last to be turning.
In the wake of an AP investigation that effectively demonstrates how weakening NRC safety standards have enabled the continued operation of failing nuclear plants, it is nice to see members of Congress finally sitting up and taking notice.
Our own Bernie Sanders is one of three senators who are pressing this issue on behalf of the American people. The other two are Barbara Boxer of California and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
If you wonder why more congress-folk aren’t lining up with them to storm the NRC barricades, consider how powerful the nuclear lobby…or any energy lobby…is in this country. With 2012 shaping up to be a real bone-shaker of an election, we are unlikely to see a lot of heroics among the incumbents.
Too bad.
It sounds as if a congressional investigation into safety standards and federal oversight at the NRC, such as Bernie and friends are calling for, could potentially bring to light evidence not only of dereliction of duty but also of criminal conspiracy.
Spending is up for the Nuclear Energy Institute by 26.7% and the American Nuclear Society is up by 25%.
http://www.opensecrets.org/new…
That’s even more than the prison industry spends (about $900k/yr).
http://www.justicepolicy.org/u…
in the war of the nuke industry’s fight for survival.
As a small army risks their lives to continue cleaning the mess this industry has made, Fukushima fuel pools continue to boil & will for the forseeable future, spewing radioactivity around the globe. Nothing has changed except there are new threats. Despite the failure of US MSM to inform, it’s still far from over due to the fact that what they have caused they cannot fix as the technology doesn’t exist.
Several investigative reports tell the story of ticking time bombs-spent fuel pools overfilled nationwide. VY is storing more than the the #1-#3 stricken Fukushima reactors.
AP has reported what those following these issues already know. Widespread corruption & an alliance between nuclear power plant owners & NRC after a year-long investigation. US lawmakers requesting a probe should be another wakeup call, again Bernie is doing what is necessary to prevent more tragedy & expose the NRC for what they are, mere lapdogs.
Many if not most citizens in the US have no idea what this bunch is up to nor the truth about NRC involvement & support for the nuclear power plant owners which has widely discredited them as a true safety & regulatory arm of the nuclear industry. As VT continues to stay in the news hopefully these other issues will also remain in the forefront.
The fact that in 2009-2010 nuclear power was rejected 13-13 shows their standing in the US is shaky. These latest developments can’t be good.