Pallone Calls on Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Protect New Jersey's Nuclear Power Plants from Terrorist Attacks

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), a senior Democratic member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, today called on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to take immediate action to improve security of nuclear waste facilities at New Jersey's nuclear power plants. The New Jersey congressman's request follows a report released yesterday by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that showed that facilities used to cool nuclear waste, called spent fuel pools, are highly vulnerable to terrorist attack.

The NAS report raises serious concerns that a terrorist attack no more difficult than the September 11th attacks could easily cause a fire resulting in a radiation release with serious public health consequences. Many of the spent fuel pools at existing nuclear reactors are designed to withstand natural disasters such as earthquakes but were not built to anticipate a well-coordinated assault carried out by a group determined to cause public harm and fear.

In a letter to NRC Chairman Nils J. Diaz, Pallone urged the NRC to immediately implement the steps to improve safety and security at nuclear facilities recommended in the NAS report. Pallone called on the NRC to conduct a careful plant-by-plant analysis of the vulnerabilities of spent fuel pools, to take immediate steps to ensure that nuclear plants improve their pool design, and to ensure that the transfer of waste from pools is done more quickly and effectively to minimize the threat posed to the public from an attack.

"My state of New Jersey is home to four nuclear reactors, and New Jersey residents are often quite concerned about the safety of nuclear plants in their communities," Pallone wrote in the letter. "By taking quick action to act on the recommendations contained in the National Academy's report, you will go a long way towards restoring public confidence in the safety of our nation's nuclear plants."

The New Jersey congressman also expressed his concern regarding the commission's attitude toward the safety and security of spent fuel pools. The NRC has incorrectly indicated in the past that the pools are as safe as the "dry cask" storage system used to hold spent fuel after it has cooled sufficiently.

"You have made comments indicating that you believe fuel pools are as safe as dry casks, but the findings of the experts at the National Academy of Sciences clearly disagree with your position," Pallone wrote in the letter. "This raises serious questions about the Commission's commitment to ensuring the highest level of protection for members of the public."

Pallone is also announced that he will cosponsor and work to pass an amendment sponsored by U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) that will enact the NAS recommendations. The amendment will be offered to the Bush Administration's energy bill, titled the Energy Policy Act of 2005, is currently under consideration by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.