(13 of 13)
FOR GALATIS, THE ENDGAME SHOULD HAVE been sweet. On Dec. 20, a Millstone technical manager fired off a frank piece of E-mail warning his colleagues that "the acceptance criteria are changing. Being outside the proper regulatory framework, even if technically justifiable, will be met with resistance by the NRC. Expect no regulatory relief." DeBarba put 100 engineers on a global evaluation of the plant, and they turned up more than 5,000 "items" to be addressed before the plant could go back online. The company announced a reorganization of its nuclear division in which DeBarba and Miller were both promoted. Miller, who told TIME that "complacency" was to blame for the utility's troubles, was put in charge of safety at Northeast's five nuclear plants. On Jan. 29, the NRC, citing chronic safety concerns, employee harassment "and historic emphasis on cost savings vs. performance," enshrined all three Millstone plants in the agency's hall of shame: the high-scrutiny "watch list" of troublesome reactors. Northeast announced that Millstone would stay down at least through June, at a cost of $75 million. And Standard & Poor's downgraded Northeast's debt rating from stable to negative.
"A hell of an impact," says Betancourt, but "I'm going to lose my job."
"If I had it to do over again," says Galatis, "I wouldn't." He believes his nuclear career is over. (Though still employed by Northeast, he knows that whistle blowers are routinely shut out by the industry.) He's thinking about entering divinity school.
In January, Northeast laid off 100 employees. To qualify for their severance money, the workers had to sign elaborate release forms pledging not to sue the utility for harassment. Four engineers say they were fired in retaliation for their testimony to the NRC four years ago on behalf of whistle blower Blanch. The company denies any connection between the layoffs and Blanch's case. That makes Blanch chuckle. "The two Georges had better watch their backs," he says. "Up at Northeast, they've got long memories."
In the end, Galatis believes, the NRC's recent flurry of activity is little more than window dressing. "If they wanted to enforce the law," he says, "they could have acted when it counted--before granting the license amendment. Whatever wrist slap they serve up now is beside the point."
"I believe in nuclear power," he says, "but after seeing the NRC in action, I'm convinced a serious accident is not just likely but inevitable. This is a dangerous road. They're asleep at the wheel. And I'm road-kill."