"Lessons from Fukushima: is Ohio next?" Antioch University Midwest, Yellow Springs, Ohio, Sat., April 21st

Beyond Nuclear is honored to take part in an Earth Day forum on Sat., April 21st at Antioch University Midwest in Yellow Springs, Ohio entitled "Lessons from Fukushima: is Ohio next?" A schedule for the forum, as well as a promotional flyer, are available. Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps has been invited to speak about "What really happened at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan?" While focusing on the cause of the nuclear power catastrophe, he will also provide an update on the ongoing dangerous state of what is left of the atomic reactors at Fukushima, and the relevance of "lessons learned" for the problem-plagued Davis-Besse and Perry atomic reactors in Ohio. Beyond Nuclear has, along with environmental coalition allies Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario, Don't Waste Michigan, and the Green Party of Ohio, officially intervened against FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company's proposed 20 year license extension at Davis-Besse near Toledo; FENOC's Perry plant near Cleveland is ranked by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as one of the five least safe reactors in the U.S.

Although Ohio doesn't host a GE BWR Mark I (identical to Fukushima Daiichi Units 1-4), it does have the largest one in the world right next door. Fermi 2 in southeast MI is nearly as big as Fukushima Daiichi Units 1 and 2 put together. In addition, Ohio has some very problem-plagued atomic reactors of its own. Although a pressurized water reactor of Babcock and Wilcox design (a twin to Three Mile Island Unit 2, actually!), Davis-Besse east of Toledo has perhaps had more close calls with disaster than any other single reactor in the U.S. And the GE BWR Mark III at Perry, east of Cleveland, has long had many problems of its own. Fermi 2, Davis-Besse, and Perry are all located along the Lake Erie shoreline, putting the drinking water supply for many millions downstream in the U.S. and Canada at risk.