US nuclear plant leaks fuel health concerns

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/nuclear_dc

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Years of radioactive waste water spills from Illinois nuclear power plants have fueled suspicions the industry covers up safety problems and sparked debate about the risks from exposure to low-level radiation.

The recent, belated disclosures of leaks of the fission byproduct tritium from Exelon Corp.'s Braidwood, Dresden, and Byron twin-reactor nuclear plants -- one as long ago as 1996 -- triggered worries among neighbors about whether it was safe to drink their water, or even stay.

"How'd you like to live next to that plant and every time you turn on the tap to take a drink you have to think about whether it's safe?" asked Joe Cosgrove, the head of parks in Godley, Illinois, a town adjacent to Braidwood.

Cosgrove and some scientists and anti-nuclear activists who monitor health issues related to nuclear power say the delay in reporting the spills is indicative of industry and regulatory obfuscation bordering on cover-up.

"We don't know what else has been leaked from that site. When they close ranks, you can't believe them," Cosgrove said, referring to the plant owner and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees safety at the nation's 103 commercial reactors, including 11 in Illinois.

the whole area around byron has been a chemical waste dump for years and was finally cleaned up a few years ago. now there is a concern about the byron plant although it is a low level pollution issue, it is still a big concern for the area. the high cost of energy

Think of how well your kids will do in the one-legged races!

Think of how easy it will be for them to scratch their back with that third arm!

the kids will be when the father turns up impotent...

:evilfrown:

nuke industry regulating themselves.

p.s. look at what dirt burners put into the communities they are in and they are not regulated AT ALL (more radiation is emitted from a coal plant than could ever be emitted from a nuke, and it is not monitored or regulated.) In short, there is no perfect form of energy generation.

....to make sure anything is followed by the book...this is just another example of them slacking on the regulations.

"regulated" industries. In this way, the head of the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil industry, was calling for the elimination of the severance tax, state-paid training for oil company employees, and a new tax break for oil companies in Texas of about 33% less than they make now.

The Public Utilities Commission, which regulates electric companies, allowed TXU to raise their residential rates from 10 cents per kwh to 14.8 cents since last October.

How's THAT for regulatin'???

Simply put, it pays to have the regulators on your side, and since you have many dollars and great employment opportunities for children of regulators (see Tom Craddick and his daughter and their own little electric company), then it's not that hard to get them on your side!


Public interest, quack quack.....

"I don't say that people don't have concerns, but any suggestion that we are in cahoots with the industry to suppress (information) is baseless," NRC spokesman Jan Strasma said. You know these f*ckers are in bed with them all the way.

Reading about the drinking water, I recalled the scene from the movie where Julia Robert's character tells the PG&E attorney that the water is from the wells near the contaminated facility. The lawyer turned several shades of pale and walked out. Might be a good idea to do the same in Illinois with plant officials and NRC.

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The USA's "nuke" budget has all been for weapons

The PNACers priority is WAR -

NOT the welfare of it's citizens

anyone gettin' it down there yet?

sheesh!

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