IBEW Statement on Japanese Nuclear Power Plant SituationMarch 18, 2011
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) salutes the crews at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima Daiichi facility who are risking their lives to contain the damage to the reactors caused by the once-in-a-millennium catastrophe that has befallen Japan.
We believe that the courage and determination shown by the TEPCO workers reflect the high standards of service and professionalism to which the American nuclear work force adheres. We take pride in working in close coordination with utility management and government agencies to ensure that the United States nuclear facilities remain a prime source of safe, reliable electricity for millions of customers. We believe that situation in Japan must be kept in perspective. Safety procedures, including disaster scenario simulations, are part and parcel of the training and preparation that nuclear plants undertake on a regular basis. Our facilities have emergency backup systems to cope with the potential loss of both primary and secondary power sources. The tragedy in Japan does not equate to the nuclear industry in America and attempts to draw correlations between the two constitute a disservice to the public and to the reasoned consideration of energy policy for the future. We continue to believe that nuclear power must play a key role as American tackles the energy and environmental issues of the 21st century. The IBEW represents 725,000 workers in North America, including 15,000 at 42 nuclear facilities. Photo used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user DigitalGlobel-Imagry.
|
