Re: Why nuclear is a "no-win" in the USA -Reply -Reply

[RON L. SHEPHERD <SHEPHRL@GWSMTP.NU.COM>]

Charles:
We better be careful what we wish for!  The news media is fairly ignorant
reguarding Nuclear Stuff and really not to agressive in reporting it except on
a local scale or a grand scale.  But if they wanted to they could bury us with
a daily barrage of incidents that are published by the NRC on their Web Site
under press releases.  A lot of these "mistakes" are violations of very BASIC
principles of operation.
I've watched this thread with interest and would like to submit the following:
Electricity too cheap to meter.......Actually quite expensive electricity
A meltdown is next to impossible.......TMI happened two weeks later
Reactors are so safe that even with a meltdown no release will
occur...Chernobyl happens

The first statement is one made by one of our SPOKESMEN....next is what
happened later
This list could be much longer but I think you get the picture.  The plain
truth is that the public has been lied to by the Nuclear speakers.  And to make
matters even worse the antis speak up right after one of these outrageous
statements are made and do their chicken little thing and lo and behold some
bonehead goes out and  PROVES THEM RIGHT!  So just who do you think the public
is going to believe?

The only way we are going to regain the trust and credibility of the public is
to EARN it.
I really don't think that talking alone is the answer.  We need to make a more
concerted effort at policing ourselves.  We need to stop allowing Management to
place radiological controls on the back burner for any reason.  We need to
change our mindset and divorce ourselves from the monitary and operational
concerns I have noticed on this and start doing our jobs.  We need to raise the
level of professionalism and diligence toward our main purpose in life and that
is protecting the health and safety of the public and the workers that we
monitor.  Our definition of safety is not important---it is the publics
definition of safety that counts.  When they see a situation such as what
happened at BNL their next thought is " if they had a leak that went on
undiscovered like that....what else is going on that they don't know about?"  

The bottom line is that there is no excuse for an unplanned, unmonitored and
uncontrolled leak to the environment..PERIOD! 

Ron Shepherd
SHEPHRL@GWSMTP.NU.COM

My opinions only.       Actions speak louder than words.