Frightening Turkey Point Nuclear Shutdown

The story broke just a few minutes ago: Turkey Point closed its number four reactor -- a nuclear unit.

If you've been in town for more than a few months, you know that FPL was recently nailed for allowing guards to sleep on the job at Turkey Point -- and that the two nukes briefly switched off after an accident at a substation and nearly shut down the power grid a few months ago. And if you've paid any attention to the presidential campaign,. you've heard both candidates talk about how safe nuclear power is. And finally, you know the utility has planned two more $9 billion reactors for the site. So now, all I can say is:

HELP!

This plant is located between two national treasures, Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park. Parts of it have received an extension to run past the time they should have been decommissioned.

We may learn that this shutdown is nothing. Or we may learn that it is a major meltdown. But whatever we learn, it should be a message to soon-to-be-anointed President Obama and that other short, grey twit not to speak so fast and loose on nuclear power. One mishap, boys, can cause untold problems.

-- Chuck Strouse