First Energy to pay $28 million fine for lying & almost blowing up Ohio

[Marleyb]

Aren't these guys worse than the terrorists? sheesh....

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The owners of an Ohio nuclear power plant, acknowledging that employees covered up serious damage at the facility, agreed to pay $28 million in fines, restitution and community service projects, the U.S. Justice Department announced yesterday.
Inspectors found an acid leak in 2002 that nearly ate through a 6-inch steel cap on the reactor vessel at the Davis-Besse plant owned by FirstEnergy Corp. Officials said it was the most extensive corrosion ever seen at a U.S. nuclear reactor.
Company and Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigations concluded that the rust hole had been growing for at least four years and that Davis-Besse's managers had ignored the evidence because they were focused on profits rather than safety at the plant, which sits on the Lake Erie shore about 30 miles east of Toledo, Ohio.
http://www.washtimes.com/business/20060120-103703-8083r.htm

of course Dennis Kucinich had something to say about this...
“The alleged criminal acts by employees and a contactor of First Energy put the health and well being of millions of people in Northern Ohio at grave risk.

“The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called the near catastrophic event at the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Plant, ‘the most serious safety issue confronting the nation’s commercial nuclear power industry since Three Mile Island’....

“Let’s be clear. The near fatal incident at the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Plant is not the fault of a ‘few bad apples’ but, the failure of an entire company and those responsible for running it.

“These indictments serve only to reinforce my call to revoke First Energy’s license to run a nuclear power plant. Even with these indictments, the root problem remains. First Energy has cultivated a culture of corner-cutting and reckless endangerment of public safety instead of a culture of safety.

“No one is above the law. I will continue to pursue this issue until all of those responsible for this near fatal disaster are held responsible and brought to justice.”
http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0119-11.htm

While Bush is off chasing the terrorists that he has created, this is going on in our own backyard...unbelievable...

[ellie]

1. I was just

out near Davis Besse yesterday to visit a couple of the wetlands in the area. My DH and I were wondering, has Davis Besse ever run properly? It seems there has always been problems with it.

[sickinohio]

5. I don't think so. It seems like they are always on

shut down for some reason or another. Allot of times it's suppose to be a normal shut down for clean up or other reasons, but, I don't think they are to be trusted!!

[Hugin]

2. Wasn't FirstEnergy also involved in the massive blackouts a few years ago?

The name sounds familiar.

[sickinohio]

4. Yes they're one and the same.

[sickinohio]

3. I knew this was serious - but wow!

We were really close to being radiated!! I have Davis Besse 5 miles to the north of me, and to add to that, there's Brush Wellman around the corner with it's Beryllium. Wish I could relocate somewhere, but that's out of the question. First, all of my children and grandchildren are around here; Second, no money to relocate; Third, too old (not that I am old, just that I'm in 50's)to find another job with decent pay and health benefits. The only thing to do is "trust the government" in this crooked state to make sure these two companies keep their plants safe for us living nearby - That's a laugh, isn't it??

[Marleyb]

7. ACK!

OMG

These greedy irresponsible bastards are definately worse than terrorists

[farmbo]

6. BS alert: First Energy's CEO Tony Alexander is a Bush Pioneer

http://www.tpj.org/docs/pioneers/pioneers_view.jsp?id=189

Because of his Pioneer status, we have to ask why criminal charges weren't pursued. Intentionally covering up or misreporting conditions at a nuclear plant is a felony.

This civil fine was a slap on the wrist. First Energy's profits approach $300 million annually.