March 6, 2008

* Pennsylvania - Energy Independence Strategy progress - March 2008

February 27, 2007

Pennsylvania's emergency preparedness shown lacking by folks stranded for 24 hours on I-78 during ice storm

Eric Epstein of TMI-Alert wrote an op ed a few days ago titled "Snow storm and nuclear emergency plan". He asks "If we can't get people off a highway for more than 24 hours due to snow and ice, how are we going to evacuate an entire population living in the 10 mile Emergency Planning Zone around a nuclear power plant?" He also expresses disdain for the continued failure to include Pennsylvania's preschool children and nursery schoolers in nuclear emergency plans: "Governor Rendell, PEMA, and the nuclear industry continue to argue that it is not their responsibility to help these kids get out of harm's way. Playing a nuclear shell game with children is not emergency planning." Mr. Epstein emailed a copy of his op ed to NRC. The email, dated February 24, 2007, is available as ADAMS ACN ML070570480.

October 22, 2004

Pennsylvania highways will host 20% of Yucca-bound spent fuel

An Environmental Working Group (a Washington, D.C.-based research organization) study tracks truck and train routes from nuclear-waste sites to Yucca Mountain. The group estimates that 20 percent of the nation's nuclear shipments would pass through Pennsylvania en route to Nevada. In Lancaster County, waste would be shipped on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

[Source: Rebecca J. Ritzell, "Study: Nuke waste site inadequate; Yucca too little, too late, group claims", Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster PA), October 22, 2004]

March 15, 2004

* Pennsylvania - FBI HazMat van robbed; 10 mCi N-63 source (Trevose)

March 5, 2004

* Susquehanna - RCIC steam supply failed LLRT

December 12, 2003

* Philadelphia PA - hospital sent 1 mCi sulfur-35 vial to landfill

August 28, 2003

Should private institutions, like day care, be required to have emergency evacuation plan?

A parent of a child enrolled in a private nursery school near TMI was surprised to learn that private day care centers and schools aren't required to have evacuation plans in the event of a nuclear plant emergency. He and a non-governmental organization have petitioned the NRC to require such facilities within ten miles of a nuclear plant be included in the emergency planning process. NRC expects to issue a decision on the petition by November 1. The state of Pennsylvania opposes the petition, because it believes it inappropriate to mandate such action by private institutions. There's nothing that prohibits private facilities from participating in the emergency planning process, and parents are free to choose the schools and day care centers that provide the level of preparedness that parents feel is appropriate for their situation.

The state is taking steps to encourage day care centers to have emergency planning for the range of hazards faced, not just nuclear plant emergencies. [Source: Martha Raffaele (AP writer), "Federal mandate sought for preschool evacuation plans", The Associated Press, August 28, 2003 12:05 AM Eastern Time]

July 24, 2003

Pennsylvania intends to become an NRC "Agreement State"

NRC has penciled in an expectation that the state's application will be submitted in November 2005. If the submittal is of high enough quality to avoid multiple rounds of NRC questions ("RAIs" - Requests for Additional Information), the application could be approved after nine months of NRC review process.

July 21, 2003

* Pennsylvania - prostrate cancer therapy misadministration - many implanted seeds out of place

April 25, 2003

Wind energy growth in Pennsylvania