WP: Nuclear Plants Not Keeping Track of Waste (radioactive rods missing?)

Why did this story not make Page One?


Nuclear Plants Not Keeping Track of Waste
GAO Study Faults Federal Government for Failing to Implement Safeguards

By Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 12, 2005; Page A19


Pervasive problems plague the control of radioactive waste at the nation's nuclear power plants, in part because the federal government has been sluggish in instituting and enforcing safeguards, according to a federal report issued yesterday.

The Government Accountability Office's indictment of the nuclear facilities and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the most comprehensive reckoning to date of problems that have begun to emerge at a number of plants in recent years.

Inadequate oversight and gaps in safety procedures have left several plants unsure about the whereabouts of all their spent fuel, the GAO said, and problems in tracking the materials suggest that radioactive rods could be missing from more than the three plants that are widely known to have problems.

"NRC inspectors often could not confirm that containers that were designated as containing loose fuel rods in fact contained the fuel rods," the report said. "The containers, in some cases, were closed or sealed and, in other cases, the contents were not visible when looking into the spent fuel pool. Thus, spent fuel may be missing or unaccounted for at still other plants."

The commission said it agreed with the GAO's findings of "uneven" control of spent nuclear fuel. NRC spokeswoman Beth Hayden said the agency had been forced to prioritize safety concerns after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that this had caused delays in implementing security measures to safeguard the spent fuel rods....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44916-2005Apr11.html

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when the opposite is true. These people don't govern; they promote an agenda, and themselves, their cronies, supporters, enablers.

Administratons safety crap is such a joke. Distract with emotional bs and don't touch anything serious. Again, I feel I am living in the wrong country when so many people believe that Mr.bush and his evil minions are doing such a good job (I know, not the majority, but enough feel this way).

Face it, our government can't find its way out of a paper bag, let alone handle radioactive waste.

BWAAAAHHHH HAAA HAAA HAAA !

Let`s be real and call it what is - INCOMPETENCE

GET READY FOR A NEW TERROR ALERT.