Bay Area nuclear industry under scrutiny

ST. PETERSBURG - A crack found in the Crystal River plant's 40-inch thick containment building during installation of new equipment has kept the reactor off line for the last 18 months.

But now, as soon as next month, Progress Energy hopes to restart the reactor as soon as next month. Spokeswoman Suzanne Grant says safety concerns slowed repairs.

"That should give people some comfort that we take our time, we don't rush things," she said.

But some say what's happening in Japan changes everything, including the need to bring Crystal River back online, says anti-nuclear activist Cara Campbell.

"No, I certainly don't want them to restart," she said.

Campbell's Ecology Party of Florida has won legal standing from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. For two years, she's worked to oppose Progress' license to build two new reactors eight miles north of Crystal River in southern Levy County on environmental grounds.

"Now people will have a graphic illustration of just how terrible nuclear power can be, and that will give them some reason not to believe the propaganda that all the supporters, including Obama, who wants to give them 54-billion dollars of our taxpayer money," Campbell said. "Maybe they'll get a second thought out of this."

Progress says the Levy reactors would be much safer with modern shut down and cooling equipment that makes accidents like what is happening in Japan unlikely.

She also says Crystal River is a newer design than the Japanese plants.

"In Crystal River, any steam released, would not be contaminated with radiation because the water never touches the fuel rods," Grant said.

Steve Cothron's union Millwrights, who spend most of their time in power plants and airports, are looking forward to five to seven years of work building the new Levy reactors. He expects 2,500 jobs for his union, thousands more for others.

Cothron also says he's convinced safety is job one in American nuclear plants.

"I've got a lot of members that work in these nuclear plants, and I hear it from them all the time, the constraints on getting anything done because you've gotta make doggone sure everything's safe," he said.

The battle over Crystal River's restart begins next week, with a Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing set for Tuesday in Crystal River. Campbell says she's hoping folks who live around the plant will turn out in opposition and in big numbers.