NC WARN continues to mislead the public

By Bob Duncan, VP Harris Nuclear Plant
Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007

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New Hill, NC - NC WARN, a local anti-nuclear organization continues to mislead the public on the level of safety at the Harris Nuclear Plant, particularly regarding our ability to protect the plant from fire.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the federal agency that oversees all aspects of plant operations, would not allow the plant to operate if there were issues that put public health and safety at risk. The NRC provides constant oversight, with two inspectors who work full-time at the Harris Plant to ensure we are meeting the agency's regulations.

The NRC regulates nuclear plant safety, and is constantly upgrading standards. And we constantly meet or exceed those standards. We continue to upgrade our programs, and expect our modifications to be complete in just over three years - not the nine years the anti-nuclear group claims.

Since the terrorist actions on September 11, 2001, security restrictions mandate a tighter control on who enters the plant boundary. However, in order to facilitate open communication about the Harris Plant's fire safety program, Progress Energy has invited key leaders and elected officials from the counties and municipalities around the plant to learn about our program first-hand. In the last six months, public officials from Holly Springs, Morrisville, Pittsboro, Chapel Hill, and Wake County have visited the plant and talked face-to-face with our employees.

As vice president of the Harris Plant, it is my responsibility to ensure that plant operations do not impact the health and safety of the public. I take that responsibility seriously. And so do the nearly 650 highly qualified and experienced plant employees who work here.

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This letter is in response to a March 20 article in the Chatham Journal titled "Squirming out of making Shearon Harris safe"