Asleep at the Wheel: State of Kansas Leaves Nuclear Power Plant Safety Monitoring Unstaffed

Jonathan Shorman of the Topeka Capital Journal yesterday delivered a bit of shocking news: KDHE, a department which has recently went through staff shuffling, doesn't provide any means by which to test in case of contamination at the state's longstanding nuclear treatment facility.

http://cjonline.com/...

The agency confirmed Thursday the lab hasn’t been testing samples since late September and that the lab hasn’t been staffed since Sept. 22. Routine samples have instead been sent to the Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory (ISHL) for testing.

Beyond routine testing, KDHE’s own website outlines the role its Radiochemistry Section would play in the event of a disaster at Kansas’ only nuclear power plant near Burlington, south of Topeka. According to KDHE, the lab would be “called upon to analyze samples which would determine extent of resulting contamination.”

Russel Stukey, the Coffey County emergency management coordinator, said the lack of staffing at the lab is concerning. He said he found out the lab had no staff within the past couple of weeks.

“It’s probably not horrible, but it is not the way you would prefer to have it,” Stukey said.

For many, the idea of a nuclear facility being "Probably not horrible" isn't a comforting analysis of a significant energy provider that has had a history of concerns regarding practice.