What is happening in Hopkins could be happening anywhere – even here.

Neighbors and their elected officials were happy to have Westinghouse come to Hopkins in 1969, bringing 1,100 jobs and a big payroll. Little did they suspect they may be inviting a fox into the hen house.

Now state lawmakers and neighbors are asking why they weren’t notified of a new nuclear leak at the plant.

The leak could poison wells but should have no direct effect on Lexington County.

Some state lawmakers are looking into more state regulation. They question Westinghouse’s history, poor communications and future that is yet to be decided in bankruptcy court.

Westinghouse’s fuel fabrication plant in Hopkins provides uranium-based fuel for nuclear reactors like the two SC Electric & Gas and Santee Cooper abandoned last year.

In 2011, the plant reported a uranium leak to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission but it did not become publicly known for 3 years. Westinghouse promised to change how it communicated with its neighbors.

These were empty words.

This year’s leak was found in June but it wasn’t until a month later that residents learned of it in The State newspaper.

The Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth want federal officials to deny Westinghouse a license renewal to keep operating the plant another 40 years.

Westinghouse said the soil will not be cleaned up or contained until the plant is closed.

Uranium contamination can severely affect the kidneys, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

State health officials have 38 monitoring wells around the 1,000-acre property.

State Sen. Darrell Jackson who represents the area said more must to be done to ensure the neighbors’ safety. But not all lawmakers were alarmed.

Rep. Bill Sandifer, an early champion of what SCE&G wanted to do to its ratepayers, said he was unaware of leaks.

Nor did he seem to care.

– JerryBellune@yahoo.com