Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) accused the body responsible for nuclear energy safety of ignoring recommendations that sprung from 2011’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear meltdown.
In the 10th hearing she has held on the disaster caused by an earthquake and tsunami, Boxer, chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said regulators have not acted on any of the recommendations made after the disaster.
“The reality is that not a single one of the 12 key safety recommendations made by the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force has been implemented,” Boxer told the five members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
“There isn’t one of these that’s in place, not a single one,” she said as an aide held a chart of the recommendations behind her.
Senior staffers and engineers at NRC made the recommendations months Fukushima in an effort to reduce the chances of a similar meltdown at nuclear power plants in the United States, or to mitigate its effects if it did happen.
Staffers told regulators to ensure that nuclear plants reevaluate flooding and seismic risks, improve staffing and communications for evacuation procedures, take steps to mitigate blackout effects, and other tasks.
NRC commissioners defended their actions over the last three years.
“The NRC continues to make significant progress in implementing post-Fukushima safety enhancements,” said Allison MacFarlane, the commission’s chairwoman, who will step down soon.
Continue reading at Boxer: Nuclear regulators haven’t learned from Fukushima
