| The United States is desperately in need of | | | | The NRC has a history of weak oversight. For |
| new plants. Every nuclear power plant in the | | | | example, as part of a GAO investigation, a |
| United States is rapidly approaching its end | | | | fake company bought nuclear materials with |
| of life. While there are many solutions to | | | | the approval of the NRC based on a paper |
| this problem, the most obvious solution is to | | | | application which contained a post office box |
| build more nuclear plants. Nuclear power is a | | | | as its listed address. The company was not |
| proven resource. The United States has an | | | | investigated in any way by the NRC Bogus |
| ample supply of uranium. Nuclear power does | | | | Company Gets Nuke License. While the NRC |
| not create any carbon-based pollution which | | | | debated the damage that could have been done, |
| supposedly contributes to the green house | | | | they updated the policy which left the |
| effect. | | | | responsibility of investigating companies |
| | | | requesting this particular type of license up |
| What is the problem? | | | | to the individual analyst. If an analyst did |
| | | | not want to perform the additional task of |
| The Nuclear Power Industry is regulated by | | | | investigating a company applying for the |
| the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The | | | | right to purchase nuclear materials license - |
| NRC has only received one application to | | | | the analyst was not required to do so. The |
| build a nuclear power plant since the Three | | | | policy has been changed. Currently, if a |
| Mile Island accident in 1979. With the 103 | | | | nuclear power plant fails to meet security |
| U.S. approaching their end of life, the NRC | | | | standards, there is no fine. The penalty is a |
| needs a new generation of nuclear plants to | | | | terse entry on a website buried amongst |
| be built in order to stay relevant. Without | | | | hundreds of security results for every other |
| nuclear power plants, the NRC's other roles | | | | nuclear power plants. In the case of the |
| of regulating nuclear medicine, nuclear | | | | sleeping guards at the Peach Bottom plant in |
| waste, and nuclear weapons are either handled | | | | Pennsylvania, the NRC on site representative |
| by other agencies or could be. The NRC relies | | | | was notified months in advance that guards |
| on the Nuclear Power Industry for its | | | | were sleeping at critical areas within the |
| existence. | | | | plant. Nothing was done until a video of |
| | | | guards sleeping was made public. |
| When a huge bureaucracy relies on the group | | | | |
| that it regulates for its existence, is the | | | | The question is not whether nuclear power is |
| bureaucracy effective? Some would say, like | | | | the energy source for the future. The |
| the Atomic Energy Commission, the NRC is too | | | | question is do you feel safe? Do you feel |
| large to be easily disbanded and without | | | | safe with guards sleeping at plants? Do you |
| Nuclear Power Plants the NRC would still | | | | feel safe with the level of oversight the NRC |
| survive. Regardless of whether the NRC would | | | | is providing? Would you feel safer if the NRC |
| truly disappear if nuclear power plants the | | | | had to regulate the construction of large |
| real question remains - is the NRC effective | | | | numbers of new nuclear plants constructed to |
| in their oversight? | | | | meet the energy needs of the United States |
| | | | for the next twenty years. |