There is a sense here in the U.S. that the nuclear crisis at Fukushima is a “Japanese problem,” a misapprehension that makes it all too convenient to turn our attention away.
But the culture of regulatory laxness with regard to nuclear power that enabled the colossal failure at Fukushima was pretty much exported from our own shores, together with the technology that launched that industry; and it continues to threaten the reliability and safety of nuclear plants worldwide.
It is with this systemic achilles heel in mind that, Fairewinds Associates’ Arnie Gundersen revisits the history of intimacy between the NRC and the industry it is entrusted to regulate.
In Fairewind’s latest video, he takes us back to the days before 1974, when the Atomic Energy Commission was charged both with promotion and regulation of the budding nuclear industry.
One can well imagine that the obvious fox-and-henhouse nature of this arrangement couldn’t escape the concerned notice of Congress indefinitely; and so it was that the two functions were separated, creating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy.
In theory, the newly created Dept. of Energy would promote the industry, while the newly created NRC would regulate it. But in reality, that separation did not extend much beyond the name changes, because the same original team was represented in both entities.
It stands to reason that the old promotional priorities continued to handicap effective regulation.
By 1987, the US Congressional Subcommittee on general Oversight and Investigation was moved to investigate the NRC.
The Subcommittee titled its report: “NRC Coziness with Industry,” concluding that
“the Nuclear Regulatory Agency fails to maintain an arms length relationship with the nuclear industry.”
Nuclear Oversight Lacking Worldwide from Fairewinds Associates on Vimeo.
From that report, Arnie highlights three key findings that still effectively capture the nature of the persistent dysfunction:
“NRC staff interfered with and undermined an investigation of licensee wrongdoing at the Fermi 2 plant in Michigan, conducted by the NRC office of investigations.”
“Commissioner Thomas M. Roberts engaged in behavior that constitutes a malfeasance and reflects a continuing closeness with the nuclear industry.”
“Despite the fact of an adequate administrative record demonstrating that a problem was in need of a solution, the commission issued a rule that severely restricted the ability of its own staff to require safety improvements at existing nuclear facilities.”
In the 1990’s, Arnie himself contributed to a report from the Inspector General of the NRC that highlighted the flawed relationship between regulators and their subjects.
That report became the subject of a congressional hearing, at which it was once again asserted that regulators should spend a lot less time listening to industry insiders, and a lot more, listening to people with legitimate concerns..
Nevertheless, the culture of coziness persists to this day; and without correction, all the pieces are in place to enable a Fukushima-scale disaster of our own.
Sounds a lot like the corruption in financial industry regulation.
due to the fact that there is no true regulation anywhwere in the world. All regulatory agencies exist to promote the industry since the livelihood of all connected are reliant upon the industry itself & therefore parasytical in nature.
The nuclear industry doesn’t stand on its own, we the taxpayer or citizens own all risks & associated costs including loss. Wherever they are located the residents are on the hook for whatever it takes to maintain this extravagent, inherently dangerous, risky, as well as prohibitively costly gambit to create nuclear power.
If it were truly an asset, conformed to safety standards designed to minimize catastrophic risk to the public it would be insurable as are all other private business enterprises as well as a reliable investment. These factors alone destroy the profitability.
The industry, which has been propped up for well over 40 years through exorbitant taxpayer subsidies since its inception, include the interconnected matrix of so-called regulation (NRC) & all associated promotional groups (NEI) as well as ‘scientific support’ for their slanted ‘studies’ (ORNL). The careers of aforementioned including those who own nuclear power plants & employees form a very long taxpayer-funded gravy train. Without the endless amounts of public financial support pumped into & afforded this industry it would cease to exist in its present form.
The only good thing in any of this is the power of the people in the US. Education of the public to all of these issues is a huge factor in limiting the growth & proliferation of nuclear power plants, which make the work of our many citizen groups here in VT such as VCAN, VYDA, Safe & Green, VPIRG, NECPN & many others including Arnie, Maggie & those behind the scenes at Fairewinds crucial. It is videos such as this which serve inform the public that it is an unnecessary risk since the interests of the public is never a priority.
No NPP since TMI & Chernobyl have been built in the US primarily due to the awakening of the public to its inherent risk as well as the insidiousness of the entire industry. In 2009-2010 the nuclear power industry in US failed in getting any state to host a new NPP. While there is some activity, it’s very small.
There have been rumors of building a plant on the same site in Vernon. Hopefully after the misery VT has been through residents & lawmakers are now aware of the danger to our sovereignty placing our state under federal jurisdiction which a new NPP would bring as well as the likelihood of merely mothballing VY as well as increasing the waste storage which NRC has claimed can be safely stored for 60 years or more therfore leaving their mess to future generations. We can only hope other states sit up & take notice, rejecting these wolves in sheeps clothing.