Paul Blanch, Nuclear Industry Whistle Blower, Money over Safety in Nuclear Industry, Corrosive Pipes, Lack of Oversight
We discuss Japan and the U.S. What concerns do we share? What facts should be know?
From this interview, "One thing to know is that Indian Point is the world’s most dangerous nuclear plant with probably the highest level of on site radiation,".says Paul Blanch. He also discusses the threat posed by increasing levels of radioactive particles from spent fuel rods at U.S. nuclear plants.
TRT: 29:00
Produced by Dori Smith, in Storrs, CT, syndicated with Pacifica Network
Music by Fritz Heede
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Free download via this link: http://ia700603.us.archive.org/32/items/PaulBlanchNuclearIndustryWhistleBlowerMoneyOverSafetyInNuclear/2011-05-12-TalkNationRadio-Paul-Blanch-Nuclear-Ind-Whistle-blower.mp3
Paul Blanch recently filed a formal petition with the NRC which they rapidly rejected. He is sharply critical of the agency and cites their prime concerns as money, corporate successes, more so than safety.
We take a closer look at safety measures at US nuclear plants. Our guest, Paul Blanch, is a registered professional engineer with a degree in electrical engineering. He trained as a nuclear reactor operator instructor in the U.S. Navy 45 year ago, after which he worked for Northeast Utilities for 27 years in the nuclear field. “I guess I was a whistle blower” he explains. He also worked for Maine Yankee, Entergy, Consolidated Edison, and has done contract work for Nuclear Energy Institute, Electric Power Research Institute, and he is currently an expert witness for license renewal for Indian Point, working for the New York Attorney General, and an expert witness on license renewal for Seabrook nuclear plant. He has been involved in license renewal for Vermont Yankee and power upgrade as well as license renewal for the Pilgrim Nuclear plant. He was an expert witness on the Three Mile Island disaster.
There are also some insidious indications of corrosive materials within transport pipes at a New England nuke plant. That he says could cause a nightmare scenario here in the U.S. to rival Fukushima. We take a close look at the meaning of the Fukushima explosions, the types of radiation releases, and discuss information provided at one Connecticut event featuring a nuclear expert from the state DEP. Also, an overview of the use and distribution of Potassium Iodine to prevent uptake of radioactive iodines. CT supposedly offers Potassium Iodine for people living in a 10 mile radius of Millstone. We look at the reality of what distribution would be like in the event of an accident here. In short, it would be impossible for many reasons primarily lack of advance preparation, storage, and method of providing this compound. ("You might as well bend over and kiss your butt good bye", he says.)
UPDATE: After broadcast aired, TEPCO and Japanese officials released information about their actual meltdown, and core damage which they now believed provoked release of radioactive water into the ocean. Just yesterday the company came under harsh criticism for failing to remove radiation from water before intentionally releasing it. See this article here at the Telegraph…May 12, 2011
