Friday, May 29, 2009

If I Only Had a Brain

I support nuclear power. It's usually very safe, it's usually very clean. Sure, there's that tiny bit of a really big problem when something goes wrong, and the waste it produces needs to go somewhere, but otherwise, it's one of the most efficient and safest ways of generating valuable power.

There is a nuclear power station in Maryland, not fifty miles from my parents' house. It's innovative, it's advanced. It was the first facility to be granted an extension on their operation license since the disaster at Three Mile Island in '79.

Apparently some genius in the company that owns the plant at Calvert Cliffs decided to make use of the vast, secured, forested land that is part of the grounds of the facility by opening - wait for it - a firing range. Firing. As in guns. With bullets. WTF with me in 3... 2... WTF?!?!?!?!

The Washington Post reported yesterday that five bullets were shot in the direction of the plant, which each hit a few buildings and someone's car. The article said that people "usually shoot away from the plant" but for some reason someone was...pointing the wrong way? Wait, what??

Granted, it would take a lot of bullets traveling through quite a few obstacles to be a problem for the reactors, but come on! What idiot thought that would be a good idea?! Seriously, just the potential for "oops" should be enough to make anyone with two neurons to rub together in their grey matter think it was a bad idea.

People. Really.

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