His father, also retired, was the vice president of nuclear operations at Detroit Edison, the public utility company.

Administration officials have insisted publicly that the 60-day deadline for freezing nuclear operations remain in place.

Additionally, the Department of Energy paid about $65 million to cover claims under liability for its own nuclear operations in the same period.

The company's previous management had become notorious for forcing out workers who raised questions about its nuclear operations.

He travels to an abandoned village just outside the zone to witness a nuclear clean-up operation.

The staff said corporate directors at some utilities needed to take a greater interest in nuclear operations.

The staff said nuclear operations at the 109 licensed plants around the country are generally getting safer.

As such, he said, they may have trouble meeting the challenges of nuclear operation.

The company is also settling lawsuits over its nuclear operations.

But all those arguments, he said, were based on the plant's higher value in nuclear operation, and now that value is gone.