No excuse for nuclear safety lapse

Published: November 30, 2009

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Nuclear power is poised for a revival in the United States for very good reasons. While alternative sources of power such as wind and solar generation should and will grow, nuclear generation is the only way to meet vastly increasing power demands without producing greenhouse gas emissions.

Several bills are pending Congress to provide the loan guarantees that are needed to jump-start a wave of nuclear plant construction, including at PPL's nuclear plant near Berwick.

Given the need for power and the boost that plant construction could provide for the economy, it is dismaying that Exelon Corp., the nation's largest power generator, dropped the ball recently on a crucial aspect of the nuclear industry's revival - public confidence in safety.

Exelon operates Three Mile Island, the nuclear plant near Harrisburg where a reactor underwent a near-meltdown in 1979.

Gov. Ed Rendell was quite properly angry a week ago, when Exelon took five hours to notify state emergency management officials about a minor radiation leak at Three Mile Island.

Exelon officials say ventilation fans probably caused a minor radiation leak inside the plant and that no radiation was found outside. Federal inspectors since have agreed that the incident posed no threat to the public.

The slow notification of state authorities did not violate federal standards. But public confidence in nuclear power - especially when the words "Three Mile Island" are involved - requires an effort beyond those minimum standards.

After the issue was resolved, Exelon officials took 13 hours to inform state officials of a false radiation alarm.

The industry needs to devise a faster, more comprehensive notification model if it hopes to win public support for its expansion.

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