RE: the RADSAFE tantrum re Lochbaum/NPR/UCS

["Thomas, Elyse" <ThomasE@orau.gov>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Mokrzycki [mailto:Michael_Mokrzycki@ap.org]
Sent: Friday, October 08, 1999 10:49 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: the RADSAFE tantrum re Lochbaum/NPR/UCS


I am compelled to chime in here with a "bravo" to Jim Dukelow, and the
observation that as a practical matter, the radiation-safety community might
have a tough time persuading the general public that someone with nearly two
decades of experience working in the nuclear industry (i.e. someone who
appears
to be fundamentally "pro-nuclear") isn't credible when he makes remarks
critical
of the industry. I also think few laypersons will understand or much care
that
there's a difference between a nuclear engineer and a health physicist (as
Jim
aptly notes, if he doesn't understand nuclear safety, why was he working in
the
industry for 17 years?). And the argument that Lochbaum is not a
"stakeholder"
in nuclear issues is worse than a non-starter -- to me that implies that
only
people who make a living in the nuclear industry have a right to be
concerned
about safety.

I have no interest in defending or knocking UCS but I would note that as a
journalist, my personal experience is that UCS is careful not to sound
alarms
unduly. I interviewed Lochbaum last year for a story on a tornado hitting
the
Davis-Besse plant and after reviewing the evidence, he concluded the staff
there
handled the incident very well -- and I quoted him saying so. And going back
to
the 80s when I was covering Seabrook, Lochbaum's predecessor at UCS, Robert
Pollard, also would be quick to say (gruffly, I'd add) if an issue didn't
have
safety significance, no matter what other "anti-nuclear" groups were
claiming.

For what it's worth, I'd also note that the NRC appears to find UCS
considerably
more credible than most other intervenors.



Strictly my opinions only.

Mike Mokrzycki, Associated Press

mmokrzycki@ap.org











I was catching up on some back digests of RADSAFE and had the experience of
reading all at once the four day tantrum over NPR's decision to interview
David
Lochbaum, a  Nuclear Safety Engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists.
That leaves me in the position of defending UCS, an organization with whom I
hardly ever agree on nuclear issues, and NPR, which I listen to almost every
day, and with whose coverage on various issues I frequently disagree.

I took me 10 minutes on the Internet to verify that UCS, although clearly a
political and an advocacy organization (indeed, that is their purpose for
being), has rather substantial scientific credentials.

[snip]

The staff, as opposed to the board, has the variety of backgrounds that are
needed to run an organization like UCS.  Several of them have significant
academic credentials and/or work experience.  I would include Lochbaum in
that
group, on the basis of the brief bio on the UCS web site and the detailed
resume
eventually posted on RADSAFE.  The fact that he was a reactor operator and a
shift technical advisor and had a 17 year career in the nuclear industry,
including several utilities, a reactor vendor, and a couple of different
consultant organizations, suggests that he is competent to speak on nuclear
safety issues (the obvious question being, If not, what was he doing working
in
that area in the industry for 17 years?).

All of this doesn't mean that UCS and its staff are right on the issues we
are
interested in, but I think it does mean that we should respond to their
arguments with our arguments, not with childish and, in some cases,
offensive
name-calling.

[snip]





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