MSNBC: 'Culture of Cover-up' - Whistleblower Suit Filed Against Calif. Nuclear Plant
A former manager at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, one of the two nuclear power plants in California, filed a whistleblower lawsuit yesterday against the facility’s operators.
The whistleblower claims that he was fired for raising safety concerns, including chronic fatigue among workers and "shortcuts on testing new generators, unreported safety violations, falsifying records and promoting a culture of cover-up."
Related Article: Reuters
Reuters: Jimmy John's Franchise Fires Union Workers After Sick-Day Campaign
Six workers at the sandwich chain Jimmy John's were fired for putting up posters in support of paid sick days. The signs suggested that customer health was at risk when eating at the restaurant because employees are forced to work while sick. This comes after a vote last year failed to unionize the fast food workers, even though voting results were nullified in January due to unfair practices by the franchise owners to sabotage the vote.
The New York Times: Low Levels of Radiation Found in American Milk
Levels of radioactive iodine -- below that of public health concern -- have been found in milk samples from Washington state, according to the EPA. It is confirmed that the iodine is from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan.
ProPublica: While Nuclear Waste Piles up in U.S., Billions in Fund to Handle It Sit Unused
This article looks at the handling of nuclear waste at U.S. power plants, stating that although a $24 billion “nuclear waste fund” does exist, the federal government has yet to approve a plan for treatment of the waste. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that stipulations attached to the fund require the money to be used for a long-term solution only. This condition prevents funding for temporary solutions, such as encasing spent fuel in concrete and steel, which many believe would be effective in the interim.
GAP has a long history of monitoring problems regarding waste management at the Hanford Nuclear Facility in Washington state, including leaking storage tanks that contaminated surrounding soil and groundwater.
Lindsay Bigda is Communications Fellow for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower advocacy organization.
