Wednesday, December 17, 2008
environment / North Carolina Regulators green-light Shearon Harris--for another 38 years
Posted by Lisa Sorg @lisasorg on Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Those of you within striking distance of the Shearon Harris nuke plant, don't toss those potassium iodide pills. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved Progress Energy’s request to extend the plant's operating license of through 2046, according to the Triangle Business Journal.
The Indy has long reported on the problems at Shearon Harris, from fire safety violations to security guards who cheated on qualifying tests. Nonetheless, the NRC inexplicably has given the plant glowing reviews.despite studies that show there's no safe level of radiation that comes out of nuke plants.
Read more on the fire issues, the guard training and legal action take by environmental watchdogs.
Update: NC WARN, a longtime opponent of Shearon Harris, has issued a statement:
"Regarding today's announcement by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granting the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant a 20-year license extension is no surprise: It was a classic rubber stamp operation.
Perhaps there is no better indicator that the NRC remains under the industry's thumb than the granting of a license extension while the plant remains -- for 16 years now -- in blatant violation of regulations involving fire, the risk factor for nuclear meltdown which dwarfs all others.
The NRC licensing board refused to even allowing debate over the fire noncompliance, claiming that enforcement is the responsibility of another part of the agency."
Jim Warren
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