Kirk, Durbin vow tough questions at nuclear forum
Illinois Sens. Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin say they'll ask a panel of experts some tough questions about the safety of the state's nuclear plants during a forum in Chicago on Friday.
Kirk says the forum he and Durbin are hosting will be run like a congressional hearing.
The pair says they want to know if there are lessons Illinois can learn from Japan — especially at the four Illinois reactors that are nearly identical to those involved in Japan's crisis. They also want to discuss whether spent fuel rods can be safely stored at Illinois reactors.
The forum will include panelists from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Argonne National Laboratory and Exelon Corp., which operates Illinois' 11 nuclear reactors.
Exelon says its plants are safe.