Davis-Besse "red photo," showing boric acid crystal/rust "lava" flowing from dangerously corroded reactor lid.Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps has written a fully referenced overview of major near-misses that have occurred over the decades at FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse atomic reactor near Toledo in light of its recent application for a 20 year license extension. These near misses include a 1977 Three Mile Island precursor, a 1985 steam generator dryout that blocked cooling to the core, a 1998 tornado direct hit and dicey electricity supply for safety critical cooling systems, a 2002 "hole-in-the-head" (see photo to left), a 2010 beginning of a new "hole-in-the-head," and numerous additional incidents.

Beyond Nuclear warns of accidents waiting to happen at Palisades atomic reactor on Lake Michigan shore

In light of the forced shut downs of two Entergy Nuclear reactors -- Indian Point 2 near New York City, and Vermont Yankee -- in the space of one hour on Sunday evening due to a transformer explosion and yet another radioactive water leak, respectively, Beyond Nuclear issued a media release warning that Entergy Nuclear's indefinitely postponed major safety repairs -- replacement of steam generators, replacement of the reactor lid, upgrade on the sump, and addressing the highly embrittled reactor pressure vessel -- risk radioactive Russian roulette on the Great Lakes shoreline.

Ohio Sierra Club speaks out against 20 year license extension at risky Davis-Besse atomic reactor near Toledo

At a recent environmental scoping public meeting, Patricia Marida, Chair of the Nuclear Issues Committee of the Ohio Sierra Club, made a powerful statement against FirstEnergy's application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a 20 year license extension at its problem-plagued Davis-Besse atomic reactor near Toledo.