NRC Names the two new resident inspectors for new reactors in GA.

[Statistical]

The federal government has named its first inspectors in Georgia to monitor the construction of the first nuclear plant to break ground in about three decades.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Friday it has selected Justin Fuller and Coleman Abbott as resident inspectors of its new construction office at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Waynesboro. The plant is about 26 miles southeast of Atlanta.

The NRC oversees safety at all nuclear power plants across the country. It expects to open its new construction office in Waynesboro later this summer.

The Southern Nuclear Operating Co. requested permission in 2008 to build two additional reactors at its existing plant. It is allowed to dig and do other preliminary work while federal regulators weigh the plan.

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12250965





For those that don't know the NRC resident inspector program assigns an inspector to each reactor in the country. That inspector works onsite and lives within 20 miles of the plant. Of course the anti-science, anti-nukkers would have you believe NRC allows unsafe reactors to operate because they are wholly owned by the all powerful nuclear industry.

I mean it makes so much sense! These guys will allow themselves and their families to be exposed to lethal radiation just so other people can make a lot of profits. Wouldn't anyone?

The reality is the NRC is made up of people like the two here. People with scientific knowledge who want to keep nuclear energy safe. To avoid conflicts of interest (or rubber stamping) the NRC has resident inspectors work on-site at the plant and live nearby (many with their families as average assignment is 7 years). Strange that nuclear power is so lethal yet inspector and operators who happen to have advanced degrees in physics and engineering are willing to work and live so close to it.

[kristopher]

1. Yes those banking regulators protected their personal investments so very well...

One problem associated with that structure is "group-think".

Another is "peer pressure" from industry friends.

Another is good old fashioned corruption.

There is nothing that immunizes the NRC against ANY of those problems and a whole host of others. It always cracks me up when you crow about how oversite of the NRC and the industry has been eliminated with new regulations while at the same time cackling about the operational record that resulted from those same avenues of scrutiny.

[NNadir]

3. You're kidding? We have a "solar and wind will save us" type complaining about "group think?"

That's yet another case of the pot calling the kettle "black," although truth be known, the soot associated with dangerous fossil fuels has not been released because of the 50 year history of nuclear power, producing on a level of more than 30 exajoules worldwide, but rather because of the anti-nuke mentality, which has engaged in a not too bright "group think" fantasy about solar and wind, while lung tissue fills with soot around the world.

When was the last time that the DFFRC, the dangerous fossil fuel regulatory commission showed up on the grounds of a coal plant to see that the soot releases were harmless and killed zero people?

Never?

How come there aren't stupid little anti-nuke twirps complaining that there is no dangerous fossil fuel regulatory commission?

Oh I forgot. Stupid little anti-nuke twirps couldn't care less about dangerous fossil fuels and how many people they kill.

They'd rather cut and paste stupid text from equally stupid websites about how wind can do everything, although after decades of such bull, wind can't even produce 1% of US energy.

[joshcryer]

2. Statistical, I ask that you not use the term "anti-nukker."

Or the more obvious variant "anti-nukkker." Some here will not stop lying about people who are pro or neutral about nuclear power, the least we can do is show that we're not as low as they are.