January 30, 2008

This is from the front page of today's The Sanford Herald, of North Carolina.

October 25, 2006

* Duke: Critics mistaken on nuclear costs
Charlotte Business Journal

February 1, 2006

* North Carolina - lost LKS Model 1214 Liquid Scintillation Counter (with 10 uCi radium-226 source)

August 16, 2004

* Brunswick - one of 36 evacuation sirens inadvertently alarmed for about 48 minutes

* Brunswick - 25 of 36 emergency sirens were disabled by Hurricane Charley due to loss of AC power; all but six restored by about 6 pm

* Brunswick - Hurricane Charley warning prompted e-plan Unusual Event

June 3, 2004

* Catawba MOX fuel use - ASLB invites oral public comment (June 15)

March 12, 2004

* North Carolina - radiographer's trailer stolen from parking lot (Raleigh)

August 6, 2003

* Harris - contaminated incoming spent fuel transport cask prompts Public Citizen and NCWARN to urge State AG investigation

July 1, 2003

* North Carolina - work van ran over density gauge on highway paving project in Chapel Hill

April 4, 2003

"Progress Energy exists because the state of North Carolina granted it a corporate charter. Being chartered to do business in our state is a privilege, not a right. The state Constitution in Article VIII plainly says the General Assembly has the power to amend, and even revoke, all charters. The General Assembly has delegated the policing power over corporations to our attorney general.

"He has the power and duty to take to court any corporation that 'exceeds or abuses' its charter to stop such conduct. But we all know it is one thing to haul into court some small corporation that needlessly endangers the public, yet quite another to do so with a huge Enron-like energy company that gives away millions of dollars every year in philanthropic and campaign contributions.

"Attorney General Cooper signed the letter to Congress, along with 26 other attorneys generals, so he recognizes the 'very real' risk and 'incalculable' consequences of an attack on the vulnerable waste pools. Citizens across the state are urging him to use his power to have Progress Energy's charter amended to halt its reckless conduct. Cooper is not being asked to revoke Progress Energy's corporate charter or to seek a criminal indictment. But he claims he has no power to act because 'federal law and the NRC pre-empt specific state legal action in this matter.'

"Quite to the contrary, the United States Supreme Court in 1937 affirmed a state's right to police corporate charters it has issued, saying: 'How long and upon what terms a state-created corporation may continue to exist is a matter exclusively of state power.' Moreover, as far back as 1877 our state Supreme Court said: 'it is not in the power of the legislature to either give or sell out for a consideration the public power of the state' to police corporate charters for the 'good of the people.' How interesting that the court, in a case about a corporate charter that long ago, felt obliged to remind us that elected officials do not have the power to 'sell out for a consideration the public power of the state.'"

[Source: Lewis Pitts (guest columnist, attorney, NC-WARN Advisory Board member), "Nuclear energy puts us at risk", Durham Herald-Sun, April 4, 2003, p. A13]

Dec 14, 2002

"... citizens across North Carolina - and local governments - are calling on Attorney General Roy Cooper to stop CP&L's waste transports, and require hardened, protected storage at nuclear plants. Cooper has explicit authority under the state Constitution to 'amend or modify' corporate practices that unnecessarily jeopardize public safety."

[Source: Jim Warren (executive director, N.C. Waste Awareness & Reduction Network), "Edwards' Bill Does Not Go Far Enough", [letter to editor] Greensboro News & Record, December 14, 2002, p. A12]

Oct 10, 2002 - Spent fuel transshipments to Harris travel via vulnerable rail route, sez Special Forces vet