For those who may not have heard about this...I only live about 30 miles northeast of here. We take so much for granted...like assuming our power plants are safe. There have been too many close calls. Incidents like this also makes us aware that if one of our nuclear power plants were hit by terrorists...well, it makes me a bit nervous to think about it.
By Hal Dardick
Tribune staff reporter
Published February 21, 2006
US Orders Nuke Plant Inspections
Inquiry in Illinois to follow leaks, alarm at LaSalle
After ordering an investigation of a rare emergency Monday at Exelon's LaSalle County nuclear plant, federal regulators said they would inspect all Illinois nuclear power plants because of the company's recent disclosures about radioactive leaks.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission action came just hours after Exelon Nuclear declared the first "site-area emergency" in the nation since 1991 at LaSalle County Generating Station, about 75 miles southwest of Chicago
"If more than one control rod couldn't be properly inserted, nuclear fuel could have escaped into the cooling water, Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists said. That would have required a clean-up operation and brought radioactivity one barrier closer to the public", he said.
Full story: Chicago Tribune
5 comments:
Wow, that is freaking scary!! I hadn't heard about this. Obviously, I'm glad everything is ok.
I shortened this up because I have the link to the story.
It IS scary...we also have Dresden and Braidwood to worry about! There is a high cancer rate in Braidwood and surrounding communities...a town called Wilmington is supposedly a toxic waste dumping around...illegaly but who is monitoring this crap?
That is scary - especially because the Bush administration has demonstrated complete incompetence in dealing with disasters. Clearly, this is a story worth following.
I live near a nuclear plant as well. Some say it's no longer operational, some say it's only partially operational, but who really knows?
I agree with vjack. Keep an eye on 'em!
We're surrounded by them here in Chicagoland and probably the same for folks who live in highly populated areas. It's too easy to take for granted where our power comes from and we get so caught up in our daily lives we don't pay attention to who is watching out for our safety or if these facilities are being properly inspected. I would like to know how secure these nuclear power facilities are too.
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