US Nuclear Plants Fail to Report Safety Defects

Source: Wall Street Journal

Nuclear Plants Fail to Report Safety Defects
Industry Confusion Over Rules Could Keep Regulators From Spotting Troubling Trends at Facilities, Federal Study Finds


By TENNILLE TRACY

Nearly 30% of U.S. nuclear-power plants fail to report equipment defects that could pose substantial safety risks, a flaw in federal oversight that could make it harder for regulators to spot troublesome trends across the industry, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's inspector general said Thursday.

The Office of Inspector General said nuclear-plant operators were confused about what they were required to report to regulators about manufacturing defects. One section of federal law, known as Part 21, requires them to report defective equipment that could cause a safety risk, while another section calls for them to report only defects that compromise safety.

In what's been seen as a small victory for the American anti-nuclear lobby -- just ten days after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a federal judge has decided to focus on the operating license of America's most dilapidated reactor: Oyster Creek on the east coast. Courtesy AFP.

If the issue isn't resolved, "the margin of safety for operating reactors could be reduced," the inspector general said. That's because many nuclear plants use similar hardware, and a failure to report defects at one plant could mean that others aren't alerted to a potential problem, the report said.




Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704604704576220580502428622.html

unions, along with their commitment to professionalism, were more fully involved in ALL aspects of the development & implementation of nuclear energy from day one.