Nuclear industry self-review panel called ‘laughable’
For Immediate Release
June 9, 2011
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, [email protected]
Nick Berning, 202-222-0748, [email protected]
Nuclear industry self-review panel called ‘laughable’
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nuclear industry promotion groups announced today that they are forming a panel to conduct a self-review of safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, which Japanese nuclear officials recently conceded released more than twice as much radiation as previously reported.
“This panel is like the tobacco industry convening a taskforce to create healthier cigarettes. It’s just laughable,” said Damon Moglen, a nuclear expert who is climate and energy project director at Friends of the Earth. “The nuclear industry owns an alarming track record of ignoring safety flaws and downplaying lapses, and it does not deserve the trust of regulators or the public.”
The industry’s self-review panel was announced as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission continues a 90-day review of safety risks at U.S. reactors. Experts have warned that the NRC review period is far too short and have also questioned whether the NRC, which is known for catering to industry interests, is capable of a serious and independent assessment.
“The scale and severity of the Fukushima disaster is still coming to light, and responders are at a minimum months away from getting the crippled reactors under control. The more than 150 million Americans who live within an hour’s drive of a nuclear reactor deserve nothing short of a thorough, independent analysis of what went wrong in Fukushima and the threats posed by reactors in their backyards,” added Moglen.
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