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SUMMARY: When Chairman Gregory Jaczko resigned from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week, reports suggested it was linked to battles within the commission over safety requirements. In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Miles O'Brien reports on how government regulators in the U.S. set the safety bar for nuclear plants.
JEFFREY BROWN (Newshour): In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, how should government regulators here set the safety bar for nuclear power plants in the U.S.?
This week, the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced his resignation, and news reports suggest that battles within the commission over safety requirements may partially account for his departure.
NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien has been looking into these bigger questions well before the latest news.
His report was produced in partnership with ProPublica.
COMMENT: Looking at this video I am struck by the site having a backup generator as the last ditch defense against meltdowns JUST OUTSIDE the plant IN THE OPEN!
At the very least, these generators should be underground or in bunkers. In the case of terrorist attack, generators in the open could be wiped out or an actual secondary target to ensure the primary is succeeds.
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MILES O'BRIEN: Among the recommendations (UCS Report)? A requirement that plants have vents designed to prevent buildup of explosive gas, that operators plan for outages at more than one reactor simultaneously, and, most important, the installation of extra generators like this one at River Bend that would allow a nuclear plant to endure a long blackout of at least eight hours without losing the ability to keep cooling water flowing over the hot nuclear fuel rods.
Come ON, they have to even think about this?! Assuming the commissioners have brains.
Union of Concerned Scientist (UCS)
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