Free Republic

COLUMBIA, SC — The story of an accused arsonist’s employment at a South Carolina nuclear plant ended quietly when SCE&G learned more about the criminal charges and fired him. But while the man isn’t believed to have been a threat to safety at the V.C. Summer power plant, experts say his hiring underscores the need to thoroughly check prospective employees before putting them on the payroll and giving them access to atomic energy plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week cited SCE&G for not completely checking the worker’s background and allowing him “unescorted access” to the nuclear plant about 25...

A former manager at one of California's two nuclear power stations sued the facility's operators on Wednesday, claiming he was fired in retaliation for reporting safety concerns at the plant.

Pete Dietrich, chief nuclear officer at San Onofre, assured in a news conference this week that San Onofre is super safe. The twin reactors are encased in inner shells of steel that are 8 inches thick and outer shells of concrete that are 4 feet thick. However, there's an old saying in the news business: "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out." I've ridden my bicycle past the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station a dozen times. In my mind's eye, there are gaps in the wall around the plant. Could a massive tsunami circle around the...

Despite a 2003 commitment to fix the problem, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) still cannot assure that it is carrying out corrective actions to address nuclear warhead anomalies that may significantly affect the safety, security and reliability of the nation's stockpile, according to the Energy Department's inspector general. The findings follow two other recent reports by Inspector General Gregory Friedman reflecting internal allegations or disagreements among officials at DoE's Sandia National Laboratories over safety and quality assurance issues related to the nation's stockpile. In one case, the inspector general suggested top DoE officials had not been fully informed of...