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In an article written by Aaron Curtis, of The Palladium Times of Oswego, New York, “Nuke plant personnel offer a glimpse into daily operations”, published Tuesday, August 25, 2009, it was reported that Constellation Energy opened the doors for media plant tours of its two nuclear power plants, Nine Mile Units 1 and 2, in Oswego for the first time in several years.
The media plant tours were hosted by Constellation Energy as a way to educate and build relationships with the company’s’ main constituents. The tour included a walk through the reactor building, turbine building and control room, and these tours may become a regular occurrence in the future. The tours that Constellation Energy provided to members of the media are beneficial for the nuclear power industry as it strives to educate and enhance communications for relationship building with the general public.
Security of a nuclear power plant is a real concern to the general public and security issues and misconceptions of heavily fortified nuclear power plants have led to the taboo image that the industry is trying to re-invent. At the Nine Mile Point power plants, guests, and daily employees, go through a series of security checkpoints on their way to the plants facilities. Plant tours can provide the public a glimpse of the heavily armed security guards that are trained for potential attacks on plants, especially one that provides power to more than 1 million homes in New York State.
The nuclear power industry can benefit greatly from Constellation Energy’s media tour example, if it follows suit. The industry can highlight and correct misconceptions that the public may have of the security of nuclear power plants. Tours of plants can displace rumors by informing the public and by building trustworthy relationships with its consumers. Residents of the plants’ communities can feel better knowing that they saw first-hand the great lengths taken to provide security in and around the plant and the surrounding community.
