August 10, 2004

Goodman Calls for Public Scrutiny of Nuclear Safety

With the news that four people were killed yesterday by a defect at a nuclear power plant in Japan, Lee Goodman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress (10th Dist. IL) called for the Bush administration to rescind its recently announced plan to withhold information about nuclear plant safety. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the plan last week. The change was immediately criticized by groups that work for public safety.

Goodman said the policy change was not in the public interest. “The nuclear industry has a very spotty record of being forthcoming about safety and security problems. This new rule allows nuclear plants to operate without public scrutiny. It doesn’t promote safety; it allows unsafe conditions to go undetected and uncorrected.”

Goodman was also critical of the NRC’s claim that the change was needed in order to deter terrorism. “There seems to be no limit to what the Bush administration will try to justify in the name of the War on Terrorism. It’s getting worse than the red scare of the McCarthy era. One government abuse after another is permitted. Congress has been far too docile in challenging the administration, and the entire country is suffering as a result."

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