Re: Navy Nukes, TMI, and NRC

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Brian Rees stated:

> have an appreciation for nuclear safety. Nuclear power plants should not be 
> operated in the same manner as other commercial facilities, and THAT'S what 
> lead to TMI - $$$. If the short-term dollar was not pursued as strongly, 
> and the "big picture" had been kept, there'd be more, not fewer plants 
> today.   The controls and systems used at TMI would never be tolerated by 
> most "Canoe U" folks, and IMHO were the direct cause of the problems 
> experienced.  

The Root Causes of the TMI accident were:

1. Refusing to believe their instrumentation
2. Lack of or inadequate system's training, as well as general 
    overall training and competency reviews
3. Inattention to details
4. No "real" Emergency Plans or Procedures, nor, Emergency Plan 
    training.

All of these issues could have been mitigated with the necessary 
management attention. Of course in the 1980's, the edict was to keep 
the plants running and maximize profits. Overhead $$ were to be 
minimized. Training, while provided, was not detailed at all, and, 
Emergency Exercises, for all practical purposes, were a joke!

Many of these issues are observed again today ... maximize profits, 
minimize overhead $$ and reduce training requirements.

------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3111
  
sandyfl@earthlink.net
sperle@icnpharm.com

ICN Dosimetry Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com

Personal Homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -