Criminal nuclear scandals involving financial boons to the economically collapsing nuclear power industry rocked three states last week. Beyond Nuclear reported on the most dramatic of the three -- in Ohio -- on Beyond Nuclear International. This week, we have a front-page story on Counterpunch detailing all three schemes. The Counterpunch article begins:
It would be tempting to describe last week’s nuclear scandals — in three states — as something out of the Wild West. But Al Capone’s Chicago would be a more accurate analogy.
While no actual shots were fired, some pretty powerful metaphorical ones were, warnings that engaging in criminal racketeering and fraud to fleece ratepayers over failing nuclear plants would not go unpunished.
Over the course of just a single week, politicians, lobbyists and nuclear industry executives in Illinois, Ohio and South Carolina were reeled in and, in some cases, charged with high crimes for covering up illegal schemes that bought power, votes, legislation and huge bailouts for foundering nuclear power plants while squeezing ratepayers for the bill. Read the full story. (Photo of Davis-Besse reactor, OH/Wikipedia)