Re: Dateline NBC TMI story - A different evaluation

["Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>]

I wonder whether the problems at TMI might have been caused or aggravated by

"regulatory mentality". In other words, when faced with an unanticipated

unusual and serious situation was the first impulse to seek a solution

consistent with regulatory guidance, as opposed to just finding what went

wrong and fixing it? Is it possible that strict regulation might, to some

extent,  displace  sound technological and engineering thinking. Could this

have affected the events at TMI ?







> Sandy-

>

> During the days following the pressurizer valve failure at TMI there was

> much information available to media and anti's that was either ignored due

> to the fact that it was from nuclear industry sources that were viewed

with

> a jaundiced eye, or was misconstrued or twisted to matched preconceived

> notions or agendas.  I too was highly involved in assisting utilities to

> develop approaches to compliance with a steadily evolving ("ratcheting")

> plethora of regulations and guides in the years prior to the TMI incident.

I

> do not think that anyone involved would dispute many of the shortcomings

> that were cited in regards to communications, emergency planning and

> instrumentation to monitor parameters of significance in an accident

> scenario.





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