The nuclear industry says it has everything under control and doesn’t need any pesky public oversight:
Citing a need to keep information from terrorists, regulators say the government will no longer reveal security gaps discovered at nuclear power plants or the subsequent enforcement actions taken against plant operators.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the change in policy on Wednesday during its first public meeting on power plant safety since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It drew barbs from critics who said the secrecy would erode public confidence in the agency.
Until now, the NRC has provided regular public updates on vulnerabilities its inspectors found at the country’s 103 nuclear power reactors, such as broken fences or weaknesses in training programs.Citing a need to keep information from terrorists, regulators say the government will no longer reveal security gaps discovered at nuclear power plants or the subsequent enforcement actions taken against plant operators.
It’s remarkable to me that the NRC hasn’t had a public meeting on safety in nearly three years. At any rate, I don’t understand why the NRC can’t at least make generic disclosures on security issues. If the public isn’t aware of problems, who is going to provide the pressure to fix them? And odds are that if terrorists really want to learn of security vulnerabilities, they will regardless.
Greetings,
I could not agree more. As I am a part of the nuclear industry, I know its woes all too well. The worst thing that can be done for the industry is secrecy. The public already mistrusts us, and has strong reservations about nuclear power. Feeding those fears by installing a veil of secrecy will only make matters worse, not better.
The best thing that could be done is to show the public that security and safety are high priorities and are being actively addressed. This absolutely requires openness….