Update on defending Great Lakes against risky atomic reactors

Satellite photo of the Great Lakes: 20% of the planet's surface fresh water; drinking water supply for 40 million people in North America; and lifeblood of one of the world's biggest regional economiesThree weeks ago, we reported on Beyond Nuclear's efforts, in conjunction with environmental coalitions and concerned citizens, to shut down two especially risky atomic reactors on the Great Lakes shorelines that have been generating a lot of controversy recently: Palisades in southwest Michigan, and Davis-Besse in northwest Ohio.

A lot has happened since. NRC was forced to admit that Palisades has the most embrittled reactor pressure vessel in the U.S. NRC's repeated regulatory rollbacks have put it at risk of fracturing like a hot glass under cold water due to Pressurized Thermal Shock. And thanks to revelations by Congressman Dennis Kucinich, we've contended that Davis-Besse's containment cracking is so severe that its outer layer of steel reinforcement rebar is no longer performing its safety function. We joined Congressman Kucinich in challenging Davis-Besse's root cause report, which blames the cracking on the Blizzard of 1978, as a "snow job of convenience."

Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario is a coalition member in the intervention against Davis-Besse's license extension, as it is against the proposal to build a new reactor, Fermi 3, in Monroe, Michigan. A number of Canadian groups also joined the resistance to the Palisades' license extension several years ago. Great Lakes United, a coalition of 150 groups in 8 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces, and a large number of Native American/First Nations, has also passed a resolution against Fermi 3, and also opposed the license extension at Palisades. GLU's Nuclear-Free/Green Energy Task Force helps coordinate anti-nuclear efforts across the border throughout the Great Lakes. Read more.