NUCLEAR PLATITUDES

Reader Brad Westbrook in the March 21 edition of the Austin American-Statesman, which can't seem to get its act together well enough to have the letters online the day the print edition appears on the news stands.

Here's what I keep hoping to hear from a U.S. offical about nuclear power plants here: "We are completely terrified by the events unfolding in Japan. The worst case scenario, becoming more and more likely, is the catastrophe that sends everyone in the nuclear energy industry to their knees in fear and dread..."

Well, the reason you're not hearing it is that it's simply not true. The events in Japan are a disaster, certainly, but not a nuclear disaster.

Continuing with Westbrook's letter:

"We have convened emergency meetings of all those with administrative control over nuclear power plants, along with boots-on-the-ground workers, to determine what we can do to prevent such a scenario here. Nothing is fool-proof. But we intend to implement immediately any lessons learned that we posssibly can."

Umm, usually lessons-learned follow a post-mortem, which is usually well after the event. What Westbrook is suggesting is more in line with implementing lessons unlearned.

Instead, we get platitudes about how things aren't so bad, that the radioactive vapor can't possibly get to the U.S., that our nuclear reactors are perfectly safe.

Again, not true. There haven been multitudinous news reports, citing government officials, that (a) it's bad; (b) radioactive emissions did occur and were in fact measured (though with very sensitive instruments) in the continental United States, and (c) whether Westbrook likes it or not, our nuclear reactors are quite safe.

Insert expletive-laced snort of disbelief here.

I would advise against snorting in the future; Mr. Westbrook can ill-afford to lose any more brain tissue.