The Trump administration has secretly overhauled nuclear safety directives to fast-track the construction of a new generation of reactors, according to documents obtained by NPR. The Department of Energy, which is overseeing the Reactor Pilot Program to build at least three experimental commercial nuclear reactors by July 4, made the sweeping changes over the fall and winter.
Critics are warning that the move gambles with the public’s trust and compromises safety.
After comparing hundreds of pages of new rules with the old ones, NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel says he and a colleague found that there are some very important changes to the safety guidance. The new rules alter groundwater protections by replacing the strict requirement to protect water from radiological contamination. They now say that “consideration” must be given to avoid contamination. Similar language rollbacks were found for discharges into public sewers and the environment. Brumfiel says the changes could potentially impact everything from worker radiation exposure to reactor security.
