problems at Salem and Hope Creek
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02/25/2005
Letter to NRC complaining about untimely investigation of whistleblower allegations (PDF)
The NRC has never, ever missed a schedule deadline for approving license renewal applications, yet it routinely lollygags when investigating whether companies retaliated against workers who raised safety concerns. UCS specifically complained to the Commission that the agency’s foot-dragging in the case of Dr. Kymn Harvin, a former worker at Salem and Hope Creek, had gone on far too long. 11/18/2004
Letter to PSEG about a vibrating recirculation pump at Hope Creek (PDF)
UCS provided the Chief Nuclear Officer at PSEG with our perspective on the pressing need to replace the bent shaft on the “B” recirculation pump at Hope Creek. UCS explained that PSEG was at a crossroads and could either select the route taken by the owner of Davis-Besse and apply “nuclear bandaids” to safety problems or select the route taken by the owner of the South Texas Project and thoroughly resolve safety problems. 10/13/2004
Backgrounder on broken steam pipe accident at Hope Creek
UCS used graphics and plain English to translate the NRC’s jargon-rich and context-sparse account of an accident at the Hope Creek nuclear plant. 06/25/2004
Letter to NRC about PSEG’s recycled promises (PDF)
UCS reminded the NRC that PSEG’s current promises about fixing equipment problems and improving safety performance at Salem were merely recycled, and unfulfilled, promises made by PSEG – including many of the same people – to the NRC back in December 1995. 06/21/2004
Letter to NRC about PSEG’s broken promises (PDF)
UCS reminded the NRC that the safety problems that PSEG promised to have fixed in 1998 to get NRC’s permission to restart Salem are the very same problems plaguing Salem, and Hope Creek, now. 06/09/2004
Letter to NRC about right way to restore safety levels at Salem and Hope Creek
Letter to NRC providing our perspective on three recent safety audits by independent teams that all showed safety levels at Salem and Hope Creek to be dangerously low. UCS urged the NRC to take steps to protect the public from this very real hazard. 03/28/2004
Statement at UNPLUG Salem event on Three Mile Island’s anniversary (PDF)
UCS spoke about the unlearned lesson from the Three Mile Island accident; namely, that the human part of the safety equation was equally important to the equipment side. UCS talked about how essential a good safety culture is for a nuclear plant to be safe and cited the evidence demonstrating that Salem and Hope Creek lack a good safety culture. 02/02/2004
Letter to NRC commending the agency for taking action at Salem and Hope Creek (PDF)
NRC Region I took the unprecedented, but warranted, step of writing to the Chairman of the Board for PSEG and insisting he initiate measures to evaluate numerous signs of safety culture problems at Salem and Hope Creek. UCS acknowledged this commendable step and volunteered to assist the agency develop criteria to determine when such steps are needed in the future. | 
