NRC Waives Enforcement of Fire Rules at Nuclear Plants

[ensho]

http://www.propublica.org/article/nrc-waives-enforcement-of-fire-rules-at-nuclear-plants


-snip-

The policy, the result of a series of little-noticed decisions in recent years, is meant to encourage nuclear companies to remedy longstanding fire safety problems. But critics say it is leaving decades-old fire hazards in place as the NRC fails to enforce its own rules.

Fires present a special risk to nuclear plants because they can knock out cables that control-room operators need to safely cool down a reactor. The explosions and fires at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant have shown what can happen when operators can't activate pumps, valves and other equipment needed to prevent damage to the radioactive core.

At the Browns Ferry plant in Alabama, where a devastating cable fire 36 years ago prompted the NRC to adopt tough new fire rules, the plant still doesn't comply with the requirements to protect cables.

Hazards at other plants include unprotected equipment, inadequate fire doors and missing alarms and sprinklers. To compensate for being out of compliance with the rules, Browns Ferry and other plants are relying on temporary measures such as stationing workers on a fire watch.

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there have been 153 fires since 1995

George Mulley, Chief Investigator says "The agency takes full credit for the grace of God," that nothing serious has happened.

I feel so relieved

[bananas]

1. "The agency takes full credit for the grace of God"

Maybe I'll crosspost into the Religion/Theology forum.

[ensho]

2. yeah, could be interesting

nt