Groups petition NRC over Fermi 2 repair

Petition alleges mishandling of maintenance

As reported by the Monroe (Michigan) News.

See the Beyond Nuclear and Don't Waste Michigan press release, here.

Fermi 2 Reactor Compromised by Torus Debris: Risking Failure of Pressure Suppression Chamber and Meltdown

NEWS FROM BEYOND NUCLEAR & DON'T WASTE MICHIGAN

For immediate release: April 16, 2020

Fermi 2 Reactor Compromised by Torus Debris

Risking Failure of Pressure Suppression Chamber and Meltdown

MONROE, MI & WASHINGTON, DC -- Don’t Waste Michigan in conjunction with Beyond Nuclear filed a formal 2.206 Petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding the Fermi 2 nuclear reactor near Monroe, MI. The 2.206 Petition calls on the NRC to take Enforcement Action and prove why the Fermi 2 should be allowed to restart and operate given the severely compromised Pressure Suppression Chamber, risking reactor core-melt damage. Of particular concern is that loose paint chips/coating chips in the drains could make it difficult for vital reactor coolant pumps to move water in the event of an emergency. The 2.206 Petition compels the NRC to follow their own Inspections and Confirmatory Action Letter (October 4, 2019) which required torus repair. See the full press release, here.

U.S.'s Nuclear Reactors Imperiled by Slashed Safety Regulations Amid COVID-19 Personnel Crunch

Instead of hiring additional staff to inspect and maintain the nation’s nuclear power plants as more workers catch the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the plants it supervises are pushing healthy workers harder than ever, or just dropping necessary inspections altogether, a watchdog told Sputnik.

Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joined Radio Sputnik’s Loud & Clear Wednesday to discuss how the NRC is approving exemptions and waivers for nuclear safety regulations, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse.

Listen to the half-hour interview, and read the rest of the article, here.

Nuclear Hotseat #457 – CoVid19/Nuclear Nightmare Begins: NRC’s Inadequate Conference Call – Paul Gunter, Eric Epstein, Kevin Kamps

Eric Epstein, Chairman of TMIA, introduces Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps and Paul Gunter, at the PA State Capital Rotunda in Harrisburg, Oct. 2018.Listen here to the full episode, brought to you by Libbe HaLevy, Host and Producer.

This Week’s Covid19/Nuclear Features and Interviews:

• A news roundup of nuclear facilities already being impacted by the novel corona virus pandemic
  
• Paul Gunter of Beyond Nuclear provides follow-up commentary to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) public conference call of March 20, 2020, that was meant to calm our fears… and most certainly did not.
• Eric Epstein of Three Mile Island Alert, who was on the NRC call and did not have his question answered, talks about how CoVid19 creates new complications in the decommissioning and spent fuel storage problems at TMI.
• Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear was also on the call, and though he asked perceptive questions, the NRC did its best to “foof” him along, including a complete audio blackout after he made a particularly pointed observation.
• And for those of you who want to hear the NRC for yourself, here’s a LINK to the full conference call.

[Beyond Nuclear stood with Three Mile Island Alert in Oct. 2018 at the PA State Capital Rotunda in Harrisburg, on the eve of the 40th annual commemoration of the TMI-2 meltdown. See photo, above left. March 28, 2020 marks the 41st anniversary observation of the TMI-2 meltdown. See Beyond Nuclear's TMI Truth website section.]

3/25/20: Beyond Nuclear on Radio Sputnik's "Loud & Clear"

Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

Listen to the 30 minute discussion -- largely focused on the intersect between the Covid-19 global pandemic/national emergency and nuclear power -- here.