In a letter sent today to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regional administrator overseeing
Peach Bottom power plant, David Lochbaum, Nuclear Safety Project Director at
the Union of Concerned Scientists, derides what the administrator had referred
to as "prompt compensatory measures and immediate actions" on the
part of Peach Bottom operator Exelon to address the sleeping security guards
controversy. Lochbaum then details a timeline of Exelon's consistent refusal to
even acknowledge that a problem exists.
POGO has been actively involved with highlighting security concerns at the Peach Bottom facility and has pointed to a plant
culture that overworks security employees and punishes anyone that attempts to
correct security problems. This culture is evidenced by the recent Exelon firing
of employee Kerry Beal, who had videotaped sleeping guards and brought the
issue to management's attention. As for the NRC, the agency has reacted by
investigating Beal and seizing his computer.
As Lochbaum stresses, the actions we've seen so far have been anything but
"immediate" and have failed to correct Peach Bottom's underlying
security and management problems.
-- John Pruett
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