Ohio House Bill (HB) 6 is a huge proposed bailout of two Chernobyl-in-progress Ohio nuclear power plants, plus two old coal burners. The bailout would go to Akron’s bankrupt FirstEnergy, whose two nuclear reactors sit on Lake Erie, threatening the drinking water of millions.
In 1986 the Perry reactor east of Cleveland became the first U.S. reactor to be damaged by an earthquake. Critical pipes and concrete were cracked, as were nearby roads and bridges. A top-level state study showed soon thereafter that evacuation amidst a major accident would be impossible.
FirstEnergy’s Davis-Besse, east of Toledo, is a 42-year-old Three Mile Island clone. In 2002, boric acid ate through its head, threatening a Chernobyl-scale accident irradiating Toledo, Cleveland, and the Great Lakes. At FirstEnergy’s request, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has exempted Davis-Besse from vital regulations for flooding, fire protection, earthquake vulnerability and security. Its radiation shield building is literally crumbling.
In 2003, when nearby power lines sagged onto tree limbs, FirstEnergy blacked out some 50 million people throughout the northeast and well into Canada.
