Feds find "substantial'' safety issue at SC nuclear plant
This is why many, including myself, are against nuclear power.<p>They have an engineered lifespan and things start falling apart and becoming dangerous when you exceed that.
Many should never have been extended. They&#x27;ve had to change safety tests and infrastructure tests so the order plans would pass inspection.<p>This has always been my concern with nuclear. Yes we can make it safe, but the human greed factor is always the weak point. Regulations weakened, automated systems bypassed, skimping on design decisions, etc.<p>This first link makes me absolutely furious. There&#x27;s too much to quote from here, but here&#x27;s just one excerpt. The post has numerous examples of very concerning issues.<p>&gt; When valves leaked, more leakage was allowed — up to 20 times the original limit. When rampant cracking caused radioactive leaks from steam generator tubing, an easier test of the tubes was devised, so plants could meet standards.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nbcnews.com&#x2F;id&#x2F;wbna43455859" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nbcnews.com&#x2F;id&#x2F;wbna43455859</a><p>&gt; The proposal comes as most of the nation’s nuclear power plants, which were designed and built in the 1960s or 1970s, are reaching the end of their original 40- to 50-year operating licenses. Many plant operators have sought licenses to extend the operating life of their plants past the original deadlines, even as experts have warned that aging plants come with heightened concerns about safety.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2019&#x2F;07&#x2F;17&#x2F;climate&#x2F;nrc-nuclear-inspection-weakening.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2019&#x2F;07&#x2F;17&#x2F;climate&#x2F;nrc-nuclear-inspe...</a><p>&gt; The nuclear industry is also pushing the NRC to cut down on safety inspections and rely instead on plants to police themselves. The NRC “is listening” to this advice, the Associated Press reported last month. “Annie Caputo, a former nuclear-energy lobbyist now serving as one of four board members appointed or reappointed by President Donald Trump, told an industry meeting this week that she was ‘open to self-assessments’ by nuclear plant operators, who are proposing that self-reporting by operators take the place of some NRC inspections.”<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;newrepublic.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;153465&#x2F;its-not-just-pork-trump-also-letting-nuclear-plants-regulate-safety" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;newrepublic.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;153465&#x2F;its-not-just-pork-tru...</a>