Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Family found dead in Ohio home
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Robbers order bar patrons to empty pockets
Sex-toy study at Duke University raises some eyebrows
Akron man turns himself in after authorities turn up heat
Man appears alive at own funeral
Take comfort in knowing Browns could be bigger losers
Blogs:
Pets:
Not 101 Dalmations…but close!
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your perusal
Akron Zips:
No. 1 UA soccer remains perfect, Zips football defeats rival Flashes
Tribe Matters:
Tribe makes roster moves
Cleveland Browns:
Lewis doesn't like boycott
Kent State Sports:
Kent State falls to Akron, 20-28
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Knicks
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Wrestling, bowling teams prepare for season
All Da King's Men:
If It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Dems Message To Women: Don't Enjoy The Sex
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (62) The Stupak Amendment
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Perfect Weather for an Autumn Drive
Let's Talk Real Estate:
RUMORS: Downtown Restaurant Explosion
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
Jury finds ex-nuclear engineer concealed damage of corrosion at FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse plant
By John Seewer
Associated Press
Published on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008
TOLEDO: Jurors on Tuesday convicted a former nuclear plant engineer of hiding information from government regulators about the worst corrosion ever found at a U.S. reactor.
Prosecutors said Andrew Siemaszko and two other workers lied in 2001 so the Davis-Besse plant along Lake Erie could delay a shutdown for a safety inspection. Months later, inspectors found an acid leak that nearly ate through the reactor's 6-inch-thick steel cap.
Siemaszko covered up the damage to the plant's reactor vessel head and lied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal jury said.
It's not clear how close the plant, midway between Toledo and Cleveland, was to an accident.
Siemaszko faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. He was convicted on three of five counts, including concealing material information from the government. The jury cleared him on two counts of making false statements.
After the discovery of the leak, the NRC beefed up inspections and training and began requiring detailed records of its discussions with plant operators.
Siemaszko's attorneys said the plant's owner set him up as a scapegoat because he spoke out about safety concerns. They will consider an appeal.
''I'm disappointed,'' Siemaszko said. When asked what message the verdict sends, he said: ''Do not go against a big company.''
Siemaszko was responsible for making sure the reactor vessel head was cleaned and inspected. He said he was wrongly fired and that he had told supervisors the reactor needed to be cleaned. He said managers rejected his requests.
Defense attorney Billie Pirner Garde said nuclear workers will be less likely to raise concerns about safety. ''This makes the nuclear industry less safe,'' she said.
The plant's operator, Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., said Siemaszko deserved to be fired and should have caught the damage.
FirstEnergy paid a record $28 million in fines a year ago while avoiding federal charges. It also spent $600 million making repairs and buying replacement power while the plant was closed from early 2002 until 2004.
None of the company's senior leaders was charged in the investigation.
Another former worker at the Davis-Besse plant was sentenced to three years' probation in May for concealing information from the government. A private contractor was acquitted.
TOLEDO: Jurors on Tuesday convicted a former nuclear plant engineer of hiding information from government regulators about the worst corrosion ever found at a U.S. reactor.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
