Obama Presses Nuclear Regulatory commission

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) Thursday strongly urged members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to support legislation he has introduced that would require nuclear companies to inform state and local officials if there is an accidental or unintentional leak of a radioactive substance.

"My constituents deserve to be notified immediately and comprehensively when these substances are released into the groundwater," said Senator Obama. "That's why I introduced a bill to require nuclear companies to inform not just the NRC, but also state and local officials if there is an accidental or unintentional leak of a radioactive substance. This is a simple common-sense bill. It's good for public safety, it's good for the public's right to know, and it's ultimately good for the nuclear power industry."