Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: NRC: New Nuclear Plant Safety Measures Not Premature But Final Decision Pending

Monday, March 11, 2013

NRC: New Nuclear Plant Safety Measures Not Premature But Final Decision Pending

A tower at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not yet decided whether to require that filtered vents be installed on U.S. atomic plants to reduce radiation released during an act of terrorism or accident (AP Photo/Steven Senne).

By Douglas P. Guarino
Global Security Newswire
WASHINGTON – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected the notion that it is not ready to decide whether aging atomic power plants need to make upgrades intended to limit radiation releases during a major crisis, but its ultimate action on the matter is not yet clear.
In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdowns in Japan, the commission has identified a host of potential ways to improve the security and safety of U.S. reactors. It has divided those potential measures into tiers, identifying some as requiring action sooner and others further down the road.http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/nrc-new-nuclear-plant-safety-measures-not-premature-final-decision-pending/