The NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2012

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that in 2012, the NRC oversaw 14 'near-misses'—events increasing core meltdown risk by at least 10-fold—at U.S. nuclear plants. The report argues that the NRC frequently fails to enforce existing regulations, such as allowing the Palisades Nuclear Plant to operate for nearly a month despite cooling water leaks that required shutdown within six hours. It also highlights a significant perception gap between NRC senior management and staff regarding the agency's internal safety culture, where half of the workforce reported negative reactions from supervisors after raising safety concerns.

• In 2012, the NRC reported 14 "near-misses" at nuclear plants, defined as events that increase the chance of core meltdown by at least a factor of 10.
• Between 2010 and 2012, 40 of the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors experienced one or more near-misses, averaging more than one per month.
• The NRC has failed to enforce fire protection regulations at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant, which may operate out of compliance for 35 years following a 1975 fire.
• The Palisades Nuclear Plant operated for nearly a month with reactor coolant pressure boundary leaks, despite an operating license requiring shutdown within six hours.
• A 2012 safety culture survey revealed that approximately 50% of the NRC workforce heard of co-workers receiving negative reactions from supervisors after raising concerns.
• There is a significant perception gap between NRC senior managers and the general workforce regarding the agency's safety culture, with executives rating processes significantly higher than the average staff.
• The NRC's internal safety culture survey results were discussed in a meeting closed to the public, which the report cites as an indicator of a poor safety culture.
• The NRC has a history of failing to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regarding its Waste Confidence Decisions on onsite spent fuel storage.
• The NRC misled the U.S. Senate and the public regarding flooding risks at the Oconee Nuclear Station, where analysts estimated a nearly 100% chance of damage to three reactors if the Jocassee Dam failed.
• The NRC's process for Requests for Additional Information (RAI) fails to formally evaluate whether plant owners have violated regulations requiring information to be complete and accurate.
• The NRC demonstrated positive oversight by implementing an action plan to combat counterfeit, fraudulent and suspect items (CFSI) and hosting an international conference on nuclear security.

APA

LOCHBAUM, D. (2013). The NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2012. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/NRC-nuclear-safety-2012-report.pdf

Chicago

LOCHBAUM, DAVID. The NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2012. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/NRC-nuclear-safety-2012-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=LOCHBAUM |first1=DAVID |title=The NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2012 |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=March 2013 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/NRC-nuclear-safety-2012-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lochbaum2013nrc, author = {LOCHBAUM, DAVID}, title = {{The NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2012}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/NRC-nuclear-safety-2012-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }