06-23-2024, 07:00 AM
"Do I think they are safe? Absolutely."
I agree 1000000%
I just don't think that expecting a "renaissance" period of nuclear power is a currently feasible alternative to fossil fuels considering the costs and time involved. Much less here in Hawaii. I can just imagine the protesters if that was ever proposed!
But I can't agree more about today's nuke plant safety - it really is as safe as one can expect.
My Brother-in-Law (BIL) used to work for Commonwealth Edison in Illinois at the Byron Nuclear Plant. He was a maintenance supervisor who primarily oversaw contractors brought in for various maintenance items - but only limited to the steam generation, its related piping and the turbines and generators. They NEVER were near the nuclear side in any way.
He retired when Commonwealth Edison sold off its nuke generation facilities back in 2003. One of his last projects before he retired and during a planned shutdown of one of the units, one of dozens of sub-contractors that were brought in for the project performed thermal insulation services of the steam piping and turbines and was "low bid" and hired to perform the work needed. At that time, Commonwealth Edison had what was called an Owners Controlled Insurance Program or OCIP for short. In effect Commonwealth Edison becomes all of the sub-contractors on this project's insurance company and insures the sub-contractors for General Liability and Workers Compensation.
So, during the project, my BIL had reprimanded and even suspended for a few days this one subcontractor for violation of plant rules as well as unsafe work practices.
He was almost at the point of throwing them off the jobsite, but due to several Commonwealth Edison procedures allowed this contractor a "one more time" excuse.
That is until his boss calls him and hands him a report from Commonwealth Edison's OCIP Insurance Company, who, unbeknownst to only a select few people in very high-ranking capacity, performed an audit of all of the sub-contractors involved in this project.
The report showed the findings of the audit in great detail for each sub-contractor listing multiple paragraphs of all things good and a few things of recommend correction.
Until they got to this one insulation sub-contractor causing my BIL all these problems and all the report said:
"UNFIT FOR HUMAN LIFE"
And that was it.
My BIL escorted them to the gate 15 minutes later. He has that one page from that report framed and on his wall in his "man cave" to this day!
I agree 1000000%
I just don't think that expecting a "renaissance" period of nuclear power is a currently feasible alternative to fossil fuels considering the costs and time involved. Much less here in Hawaii. I can just imagine the protesters if that was ever proposed!
But I can't agree more about today's nuke plant safety - it really is as safe as one can expect.
My Brother-in-Law (BIL) used to work for Commonwealth Edison in Illinois at the Byron Nuclear Plant. He was a maintenance supervisor who primarily oversaw contractors brought in for various maintenance items - but only limited to the steam generation, its related piping and the turbines and generators. They NEVER were near the nuclear side in any way.
He retired when Commonwealth Edison sold off its nuke generation facilities back in 2003. One of his last projects before he retired and during a planned shutdown of one of the units, one of dozens of sub-contractors that were brought in for the project performed thermal insulation services of the steam piping and turbines and was "low bid" and hired to perform the work needed. At that time, Commonwealth Edison had what was called an Owners Controlled Insurance Program or OCIP for short. In effect Commonwealth Edison becomes all of the sub-contractors on this project's insurance company and insures the sub-contractors for General Liability and Workers Compensation.
So, during the project, my BIL had reprimanded and even suspended for a few days this one subcontractor for violation of plant rules as well as unsafe work practices.
He was almost at the point of throwing them off the jobsite, but due to several Commonwealth Edison procedures allowed this contractor a "one more time" excuse.
That is until his boss calls him and hands him a report from Commonwealth Edison's OCIP Insurance Company, who, unbeknownst to only a select few people in very high-ranking capacity, performed an audit of all of the sub-contractors involved in this project.
The report showed the findings of the audit in great detail for each sub-contractor listing multiple paragraphs of all things good and a few things of recommend correction.
Until they got to this one insulation sub-contractor causing my BIL all these problems and all the report said:
"UNFIT FOR HUMAN LIFE"
And that was it.
My BIL escorted them to the gate 15 minutes later. He has that one page from that report framed and on his wall in his "man cave" to this day!