A massive release of misinformation and self-interested propaganda coming from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute threatens to engulf rational discourse about the nuclear emergency unfolding in Japan. RPI, which is headed by former Nuclear Regulatory Commission chair Shirley Ann Jackson, has deep ties to the civilian and defense nuclear industries including a revolving door between its board of directors and General Electric.

Dr. Yaron Danon, a professor in RPI's Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, appeared on NY Capital Region television stations and was quoted saying, "even if there is partial or full meltdown of the core, which might be possible if they lose the cooling, radioactivity will not be released from these sites.”

Students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, such as members of the student chapter of the American Nuclear Society, are similarly sanguine about the catastrophe. The group says, "Even the most seriously damaged of Japan’s 54 reactors have not released radiation at levels that would harm the public. This is a testament to the nuclear engineering philosophy of defense in-depth, excellent designs, high standards of construction, conduct of operations, and most important the effectiveness of employees in following emergency preparedness planning," according to an on-campus blog.

Another RPI professor, geophysicist Steve Roecker, suggests there is no reason for concern about a recently-announced proposal to build a commercial nuclear power plant near the campus. "Safe design, construction and adherence to strict building codes should be sufficient to allow nuclear reactor construction in upstate New York," says an account of his views in the Troy Record.

As investigative journalist Greg Palast notes in truth-out.org, the problems with the nuclear industry are systemic rather than than seismic.

He writes about the notorious Shoreham nuclear plant in New York:

"Back in the day, when we checked the emergency backup diesels in America, a mind-blowing number flunked. At the New York nuclear plant, for example, the builders swore under oath that their three diesel engines were ready for an emergency. They'd been tested. The tests were faked; the diesels run for just a short time at low speed. When the diesels were put through a real test under emergency-like conditions, the crankshaft on the first one snapped in about an hour, then the second and third. We nicknamed the diesels, 'Snap, Crackle and Pop.'"

In the meantime, the NY Times reports that "The chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave a far bleaker appraisal on Wednesday of the threat posed by Japan’s nuclear crisis than the Japanese government has offered, saying that American officials believe the damage to at least one crippled reactor was much more serious than Tokyo has acknowledged, and advising Americans to stay much farther away from the plant than the perimeter established by Japanese authorities."

So, will Americans be OK if the effects of this most recent nuclear disaster can be limited to Japan?

According to Greg Palast, "If we turned to America's own nuclear contractors, would we be safe? Well, two of the melting Japanese reactors, including the one whose building blew sky high, were built by General Electric of the Good Old US of A."

And, more than likely, at least some of the employees involved were graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Think about that the next time you see one of them quoted in the news.