OAK HARBOR, Ohio -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said an energy company
provided false information about a potential danger at a nuclear plant six years
ago, but the agency waived a potential $55,000 fine. A nuclear industry watchdog group criticized the decision, saying the NRC was
too "cozy" with the companies it is supposed to regulate. James L. Caldwell, a regional administrator with the commission, told
FirstEnergy Corp. in a letter Friday the fact the company reported the problem
at its Davis-Besse plant was one reason the fine was waived. He also wrote that a five-year deadline for imposing a fine had expired
before the problem was reported. But David Lochbaum, a safety engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists,
said waiving the fine when there was a clear violation shows the commission did
not do its job. "We need to get an NRC that's not evil and not inept," he said.
"It's just unbelievable." The commission determined that plant officials incorrectly reported in 1998
that paint inside the room that houses the nuclear reactor was safe and unlikely
to come off in an accident. FirstEnergy has replaced the questionable paint with coatings that meet
standards.
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