Navy’s nuclear fleet has never had a radiation accident

Re “San Diego bids farewell to USS Nimitz as ‘coolest’ carrier in the Navy ends 50 years of service” (Dec. 7) and “State needs nuclear energy to reach climate goals” (Dec. 9): In reading these recent articles, obviously, safety comes to mind.

The U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet has operated for three-quarters of a century without a single radiation accident harming people or the environment. While submarines have been lost due to mechanical or operational failures, their reactors remained contained. This reflects both engineering design and a culture of uncompromising safety.

I had the privilege of working on the Navy’s nuclear prototype submarines and destroyers in the 1960s. I witnessed firsthand the implementation of Adm. Hyman Rickover’s stringent requirement for safety and redundancy. The Navy’s record is remarkable and shows what can be accomplished with leadership and rigid discipline.

— Harvey Levine, Rancho Bernardo