The
cooling systems of two nuclear power plants in Nebraska are
threatened by flooding on the Missouri River, fueling fears of
possible meltdowns and releases of radioactivity similar to the
Fukushima disaster in Japan.
The
Fukushima meltdowns, initially denied by both the Japanese government
and utility owner, occurred after massive flooding caused by a
gigantic tsunami last March knocked out the cooling systems and
emergency generators at the nuclear complex.
The
Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, located some 20 miles north of Omaha,
has been shut down since April, partially due to the floodwaters that
now completely surround the power plant. However, the reactor core
and spent fuel pool of the plant still require cooling, and it was
reported June 26 that an emergency “aqua berm” installed to hold
back floodwaters had collapsed.
Cooper
Nuclear Station, about 75 miles south of Omaha, is close to shutting
down its reactor due to rising floodwaters. As of June 27, floodwater
was seeping into the turbine building.
The
Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station in particular has a spotty record when
it comes to preparing for a disaster such as it now faces. Last year,
the station was one of only two plants rated as inadequately prepared
for floods. On June 7, an electrical fire disrupted the cooling
systems of the plant for 90 minutes. Despite this, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission has stated that concern regarding the two
stations is overblown.
Widespread
distrust and Internet rumors have sprung up in the meantime. A report
by Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency indicates that the
incidents at the two Nebraskan power plants are serious, and that the
fire at Fort Calhoun is potentially one of the worst accidents in
U.S. history. This claim is something that both the company that runs
the plant and the NRC deny. The NRC has even set up a blog devoted to
fighting rumors about the two plants.
This
kind of collusion between the NRC and private industry is not
surprising. Victor Gilinsky, a commission member during the
Three-Mile Island incident, described the NRC to Rolling Stone
journalist Matt Taibbi as “a wholly-owned subsidiary of the nuclear
power industry.” Even President Obama, a staunch supporter of
nuclear power, called the NRC a “moribund agency” during the 2008
campaign. Membership in the Commission and the industry it regulates
constitutes a revolving door.
This
cozy relationship between regulators and industry is typical of
monopoly capitalism and
can have disastrous consequences. In nearly every sector of the
economy, monopoly capital has worked to undermine and co-opt agencies
meant to regulate private industry for the public good. This has led
to catastrophes of several types, from the Fukushima disaster in
Japan to outbreaks of disease caused by contaminated food.
Capitalism
puts private profit above all other concerns. That is why efforts to
force industry to abide by rules designed to ensure safety and public
health and protect the environment inevitably fall short. Cut-throat
competition and the powerful profit drive that guide capitalists’
actions undermine enforcement. This means that nothing can avert
capitalism’s recurring crises short of a fundamental change of the
system.
The
latest looming threats in Nebraska show once again: We must step up
the fight for socialism.
