Byron was nothing -- the horrifying "there but for the grace of God" was at Davis-Besse in Ohio, where an unspotted leak of highly alkaline coolant had corroded a pressure vessel closure seal down to 6 mm -- think total unisolable loss of coolant.

Nukes can be run safely. Plenty of sailors know that.

Or they can be run profitably.

But they cannot be run both safely and profitably, as safety requires an absolute willingness to see reality as it is, rather than as the plant operator wants it to be. As soon as decisions are in the hands of executives responsible for earnings, safety goes to the end of the line.

As with all cases of regulatory capture, the NRC has no more interest in doing its job than the racetrack vet has in protecting the horses or the mine owner has in protecting the miners.

NRC = "Not Really Checking."

Meanwhile in Germany, no more nuke power by 2022.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/05/30/germany.nuclear.plants/index.html