Reactor Watchdog Project
“The failure of the U.S. nuclear power program ranks as the largest managerial disaster in business history, a disaster on a monumental scale. The utility industry has already invested $125 billion in nuclear power, with an additional $140 billion to come before the decade is out, and only the blind, or the biased, can now think that the money has been well spent. It is a defeat for the U.S. consumer and for the competitiveness of U.S. industry, for the utilities that undertook the program and for the private enterprise system that made it possible.”
“Nuclear Follies,” Forbes, February 14, 1985
Despite its historical failure to meet the market test, the nuclear power industry is poised to drag U.S. energy policy backwards in time. A deteriorating and fallible nuclear power industry driven as much by containing colossal cost as the containment of catastrophic amounts of radiation threatens present and future generations with timeless contamination.
The Reactor Watchdog Project is dedicated to the prompt and permanent halt to current commercial reactor operations and new atomic power development. The project is rooted in the principle that nuclear power is dangerous to all living creatures and the natural environment. Nuclear power, by its nature, is designed to centralize energy, resources and profits into the hands of a powerful few. Its devastating potential unharnessed by accident or act of sabotage not only threatens life but also security and civil liberty.
The Reactor Watchdog Project monitors the nuclear industry and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal oversight agency and seeks to educate and empower the public to the many known hazards and emerging safety threats arising out of the ongoing operation of nuclear power reactors and efforts toward industry expansion.
Currently available documents and resources can be accessed by clicking on links per atomic reactor topic located in upper left margin of this page.
Latest Updates
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Video of today's NIRS webinar, Chernobyl +30: A Look from the Inside, with Lucas Hixson. Mr. Hixson recently traveled to Ukraine and visited the Chernobyl site. He takes us from the moment reactor Unit 4 failed on April 26, the aftermath, and the ongoing mitigation work, up to his own recent experiences living with today’s workers at the site of one of the largest man-made radioactive releases on the planet. Slides only from presentation.
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NIRS webinar on investigation of reactor pressure vessel bolts at New York's Indian Point reactors, which revealed numerous deficiencies and failures. The webinar examines those failures and explores the implications for reactors across the U.S. and world. Full video/audio of webinar. Slides only from presentation by David Lochbaum of Union of Concerned Scientists.
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New report from Green Cross: The Financial Costs of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Disaster: A Review of the Literature
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Audio file (mp3) of NIRS’ telebriefing featuring Fairewind Associates’ Arnie Gundersen and NIRS’ Mary Olson discussing their recent five-week trip to Japan on the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
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Fairewinds Associates has posted the NRC assessment referred to in yesterday’s New York Times (see April 6 update below). Well worth reading. This assessment warned of possible new damage from further aftershocks.
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Video and statement by Green Action's Aileen Mioko Smith at march/rally celebrating the shutdown of two Takahama reactors by citizens who took the issue to court.
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New PSR/IPPNW Report: 10,000 cancers expected in Japan as a result of Fukushima meltdowns, ongoing radiation exposure.
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TORCH 2016. Update of 2006's The Other Report on Chernobyl, detailing the ongoing health effects of that nuclear disaster nearing its 30th anniversary. From Global 2000/Friends of the Earth, Austria.
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Citizens Nuclear Information Center (Tokyo) newsletter, including status of Fukshima accident and decommissioning activities five years later.
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Replacing FitzPatrick: How the Closure of a Nuclear Reactor Can Reduce Greenhouse Gasses and Radioactive Waste, while Creating Jobs and Supporting the Local Community
(more…)
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Important new report from the UK's highy-respected think tank Chatham House: Cyber Security at Civil Nuclear Facilities: Understanding the Risks. Nuclear reactors are not adequately protected from hackers and cyberwarfare.
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Summing up the health effects of the Fukushima disaster. A brief, but extremely useful summary of the health effects, both physical and mental, from British scientist Dr. Ian Fairlie.
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New York City Council enters debate over Indian Point reactors; resolution introduced to close and decommission reactors 35 miles from Manhattan. Press release from NIRS and three other organizations.
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Informal English translation of April 14 Japanese court decision barring restart of Takahama nuclear reactors. Decision challenges Japan's entire nuclear regulatory scheme, finding it inadequate to assure public safety. Prepared by Green Action in Japan.
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Booklet from Japan's Peace Boat: 10 lessons from Fukushima: Reducing Risks and Protecting Communities from Nuclear Disasters.
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Report from Japan’s Citizen Nuclear Information Center (CNIC): The State of Affairs and Ongoing Challenges of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: a Civil Society Response Towards Recovery.
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SimplyInfo.org has released a new, 33-page report on the accident at Unit 2 at Fukushima Daiichi that began on March 11, 2011. Very worthwhile.
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New report from Clean Water Action examines the failures of the Safe Drinking Water Act--and its enforcement--to protect critical clean water supplies from oil and gas development, and from uranium mining activities.
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Sens. Boxer and Markey blast NRC for U.S.collaboration with Russia to gut international post-Fukushima nuclear safety rules.
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New video from Fairewinds: Whose Fault? An examination of earthquake issues at Diablo Canyon reactors.
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Green Action blasts Sendai restart approval: Governor of Kagoshima fails Fukushima lessons: ignores science, safety and public opinion.
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On August 20, 2014, the NRC staff released a memo on its review of the NRC’s FOCD (foreign ownership, control or domination) provisions and its recommendation for changes to those provisions to the NRC Commissioners. As of this date, the NRC Commissioners have not taken action on this memo.
The documents include:
- The Staff Requirements Memo pdf
- A paper showing who commented, and summarizing what they said pdf
- The NRC staff's version of the legislative history of the FOCD provision pdf
- An overview of relevant case law and negation action plans summarized by NRC staff. pdf
- A discussion of the issues the NRC staff addressed. pdf
- A discussion of the options the NRC staff considered pdf
- Other U.S. government and foreign governments provisions on foreign ownership pdf
- For legal eagles, a list of all case and statutory references pdf
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On August 20, 2014, the NRC staff released a memo on its review of the NRC’s FOCD (foreign ownership, control or domination) provisions and its recommendation for changes to those provisions to the NRC Commissioners. As of this date, the NRC Commissioners have not taken action on this memo.The documents include:
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34 organizations, including NIRS, urge NRC to delay tentatively scheduled August 26 vote on new radioactive waste rule that would allow resumption of NRC licensing activities until after Commissioner Magwood’s August 31 departure from the agency. Groups earlier called for Magwood’s resignation over conflict of interest charges.
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34 organizations, including NIRS, urge NRC to delay tentatively scheduled August 26 vote on new radioactive waste rule that would allow resumption of NRC licensing activities until after Commissioner Magwood’s August 31 departure from the agency. Groups earlier called for Magwood’s resignation over conflict of interest charges. Press release.
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, 34 groups send letter to NRC Inspector General Hubert Bell asking for investigation into conflict of interest caused by Commissioner William Magwood’s acceptance of a position with nuclear promotional agency in Europe and his refusal to resign NRC position promptly. Groups also send letter to President Obama asking him to request Magwood’s immediate resignation. Press release.
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Statement from seven Japanese organizations challenging Nuclear Regulatory Authority’s draft approval of restart of Sendai reactors.
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NRC Commissioner William Magwood refuses to resign or recuse himself from agency decisionmaking despite accepting position with European agency that promotes nuclear power. 34 groups, including NIRS, had called for his resignation June 18.
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Letter from attorney Diane Curran on behalf of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to NRC Chair Allison Macfarlane urging her to act to ensure that TVA completes post-Fukushima seismic and flooding studies, with full NRC review, before agency considers licensing of Watts Bar-2 reactor.
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34 organizations demand NRC Commissioner William Magwood resign immediately and retroactively recuse himself from Commission votes over conflict of interest. Magwood has accepted a position with Europe’s Nuclear Energy Agency, which promotes nuclear power–contrary to NRC’s charter. Press release. Letter.
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Important new critique from IPPNW and PSR: Critical Analysis of the UNSCEAR Report "Levels and effects of radiation exposure due to the nuclear accident after the 2011 Great East-Japan Earthquake and tsunami."
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New report from Vermont Law School’s Dr. Mark Cooper finds large-scale deployment of "small modular reactors" would cost $90 Billion; choke off funding for renewables.
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NRC cannot provide documentation of its claim in denying NIRS EPZ petition that "majority" of emergency exercises include natural disaster as initiating or concurrent event. Emergency workers remain ill-trained to respond to nuclear accident and natural disaster. E-mail exchange between NIRS and NRC available here. (pdf) Press release.
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"The NRC has failed the American people." NRC denies petition from NIRS, 37 co-petitioners for modest improvements in emergency planning regulations. Press release. Link to NRC decision.
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Statement of Green Action, . Third anniversary of the 3.11 great East Japan earthquake: those responsible for the Fukushima accident not held accountable; Japanese government pushing for restart of nuclear power.
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Democracy Now video interview with former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the Fukushima accident and why he now opposes nuclear power.
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A major report from Greenpeace International: Lifetime extension of aging nuclear power plants: Entering a new era of risk. It focuses on European reactors, but applies everywhere. (pdf)
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Major new study commissioned by Washington/Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility finds that closing Washington's Columbia reactor would save ratepayers nearly $2 billion dollars.
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