Nuclear Regulatory Commission finds April Fool's Day joke unfunny

Last week, we reported on the some shenanigans that occurred while reporting on a story about chemical emissions in Chicago.

I tried to find out more details from one company listed in an EPA report. The company, Temtco, a North Side steel manufacturer, is listed as one of the top 100 chemical emitters in the country. I called the company's Chicago office, and a man identifying himself as CFO Ron Carey said the company had radioactive materials.

To make a long story short, they don't, and Ron Carey doesn't exist.

The head of Temtco's Chicago office called a few days later and said he takes the false statement very seriously.

In the meantime, I had asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Temtco had radioactive materials. Their response follows:

The NRC takes any claim about the misuse of nuclear materials very seriously.

NRC staffers looked into the details you provided us and determined Temtco does not have a license for nuclear materials. Illinois is an agreement state, which means they are responsible for administering the licenses, we checked with them and they too do not have Temtco as a license holder.