San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant – shut since Jan 2012, and now – indefinitely!
Feds again delay San Onofre nuclear plant restart decision 89.3 KPCC, AP | May 20th, 2013, Federal regulators have indefinitely delayed a decision on the proposed restart of the offline San Onofre nuclear power plant in Southern California, raising new questions Monday about whether the twin reactors will produce electricity again.
The plant, on the seaside border of San Diego and Orange counties, has been dark since January 2012, after a small radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.
Operator Southern California Edison wants permission to restart the Unit 2 reactor and run it at reduced power in hopes of stopping vibration and friction that was blamed for damaging tubing.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission delayed several earlier target dates for a ruling, with officials recently projecting a June announcement. But its website on Monday listed no date for a restart decision – only “to be determined.”
Agency spokesman Victor Dricks had no comment. Last week, the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board sided with environmentalists who have called for lengthy hearings on the restart plan after concluding that firing up the plant would allow Edison “to operate beyond the scope of its existing license.”…. http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/20/37332/feds-again-delay-san-onofre-nuclear-plant-restart/
Iran reiterates its opposition to nuclear bombs
Iran strongly opposes nuclear weapons: MP, Press TV 20 May 13 A senior Iranian lawmaker says all signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have the right to peaceful nuclear know-how, expressing Iran’s strong opposition to nuclear weapons.
“Iran seriously opposes nuclear bombs and believes that all nuclear weapons in the world should be eliminated,” Chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.
He made the remarks in a meeting with a member of Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of South Korea’s Parliament Chung Moon-hun in Tehran on Monday. …..http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/20/304504/iran-strongly-opposes-nuclear-weapons/
200 firefighters doused fire on ship loaded with radioactive material
Hamburg ‘avoids radiation disaster’ as ship loaded with fissile material, explosives burns (VIDEO) RT May 18, 2013 The German city of Hamburg likely avoided a major technological disaster on May 1, when a freighter ship caught fire. It had several tons of radioactive material and explosives among its cargo, it was revealed.
It took 200 firefighters working for several hours to douse the fires on the Atlantic Cartier. The ship’s most visible cargo was some 70 cars, 30 of which were damaged in the incident. But now it was revealed that the vessel also had highly dangerous substances on board as well, which posed the threat of radioactive contamination to the area……. http://rt.com/news/hamburg-radioactive-ship-fire-464/
Hunt for Bin Laden could have led to nuclear war
Noam Chomsky: Obama was willing to start nuclear war to kill bin Laden Raw Story, By Eric W. Dolan, May 18, 2013 MIT professor Noam Chomsky criticized the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Friday, saying President Barack Obama could have provoked a nuclear war.
“We were very close to war with Pakistan, which easily could have turned into a nuclear war, which could have destroyed all of us,” he told Jason Liosatos of Global Peace Radio. “The Obama administration was willing to take that chance, though there were other ways of finding and apprehending bin Laden.”….. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/18/noam-chomsky-obama-willing-to-start-nuclear-war-to-kill-bin-laden/
Safety problems led to banning nuclear submarines from two Scottish lochs
Nuclear subs temporarily banned from two Scottish lochs, BBC News, 16 May 13 Royal Navy nuclear submarines have been temporarily banned from two Scots lochs after failing training assessments.
Problems with safety procedures were identified during simulated submarine accident exercises in March and April.
The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator has banned submarines from Loch Goil, near Faslane, and Loch Ewe in Wester Ross, while the issues are addressed……http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22556949
Crack in North Carolina nuclear reactor – reactor shut down
North Carolina nuclear plant shut down after crack discovered Fox News May 16, 2013 Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. – A nuclear plant near North Carolina’s capital city was shut down after operators reviewing ultrasonic tests from last year found the results showed tiny marks of corrosion and cracking that need repair, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said….http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/16/north-carolina-nuclear-plant-shut-down-after-crack-discovered/#ixzz2TazTGNuR
Unplanned nuclear shutdowns happening more often now in USA
Unplanned shutdowns’ at Turkey Point nuclear plant lead to more oversight By Marcia Heroux Pounds, Sun Sentinel May 17, 2013
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday it is increasing oversight of theTurkey Point Unit 3 nuclear power plant after three “unplanned shutdowns.”
But the commission said that the Florida Power & Light Co. plant near Homestead is “operating safely.”
Unplanned shutdowns are not common. And when they happen frequently they can signal broader issues, the NRC said…… The NRC said it will conduct an additional inspection to ensure that causes of the shutdowns are understood, to identify the extent of condition, and to make sure that FPL’s corrective actions are sufficient….. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-fpl-turkey-point-oversight-20130517,0,4825698.story
NRC wants to change the rules on radioactive transport
Nuclear watchdog seeks to change rules on transporting radioactive material THE HILL, By Julian Hattem - 05/15/13 The nation’s nuclear watchdog wants to issue new rules on transporting radioactive material to bring the United States in line with international standards.
The changes to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) rules would meet 2009 revisions to regulations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear energy organization, as well as 2011 regulations from the Department of Transportation. http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/300017-nuclear-agency-seeks-to-change-rules-on-transporting-nuclear-material#ixzz2TVXVzRAd
Check on USA nuclear reactors’ performance with activist toolkit
Nuclear Energy Activist Toolkit #6: Reactor Daily Power Levels Dave Lochbaum, director, Nuclear Safety Project All Things Nuclear, May 14, 2013 When something happens at a U.S. nuclear power reactor like an unplanned shut down or problem that prevents operation at full power, it can be helpful to place that incident in context. One means of providing that context is to examine that reactors’ operating performance. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission posts information online that can help. Each work day, the NRC posts a data setcontaining the daily power levels reported for each nuclear power reactor in the country during the past year.
Each entry in the data set contains a date, the reactor’s name (e.g, Indian Point 2) and the percentage of rated power (i.e., 0 to 100).
The data set can be easily downloaded as a text file and imported into a spreadsheet program like Excel to allow the data to be examined. Those steps for Excel are:……http://allthingsnuclear.org/nuclear-energy-activist-toolkit-6-reactor-daily-power-levels/
Middle East: Why should Israel alone be allowed to have nuclear weapons?
Israel should give up nuclear weapons http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/may/14/letter-israel-should-give-nuclear-weapons/ E.L. Hamilton
Why does the United States insist that Israel be the only nation in
the Middle East with nuclear weapons? With Israel’s record, it should
be the last nation on Earth to have nuclear weapons.
At 2 p.m. on Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt attacked the Israelis across the Suez
Canal. The Israelis were caught off guard, and the Egyptians destroyed
their forces. As the situation deteriorated, Israeli Prime Minister
Golda Meir ordered the French-built Mirage planes loaded with nuclear
bombs. The nuclear missiles were also loaded on their launchers. One
plane was loaded on the runway ready for takeoff. Fortunately, the
planes were not launched.
Israel will never give up the West Bank or the Golan Heights. It needs
it for expansion. If it reaches this goal, it can then annex territory
from neighboring countries with no opposition for future expansion.
Either Israel should be forced to give up its nuclear weapons or
another Middle Eastern country should be permitted to have them as a
counterbalance to Israel.
Israel should be forced to give up the West Bank and the Golan Heights
even if it takes military force. This action would have to be taken by
some nation other than the United States, which is controlled by
Israel.ed May 14, 2013
New Mexico uranium mine project – deadline for comment is extended
Public Has More Time To Comment On New Uranium Mine Proposal http://kunm.org/post/public-has-more-time-comment-new-uranium-mine-proposal By CARRIE JUNG, 13 May 13, T
The proposed Roca Honda uranium mine, located next to San Mateo Mesa, is a joint venture of Strathmore Minerals and a Japanese nuclear utility company. John Dejoia, Senior Vice President of New Mexico Operations for Strathmore Minerals says only minor disturbances such as roads and vent shafts would be located in the culturally sensitive areas of the project.
But Gregg Shutiva, Governor of Acoma Pueblo, says even minor disturbances on cultural property is are considered highly offensive by members of the tribe. “Even a road,” Governor Shutiva says, “that is established by taking a grater and removing the first top foot of dirt, that may disturb cultural sites. It would be like plowing down the Vatican.”
The US Forest Service released the draft environmental impact statement for the Roca Honda Uranium mine in February. The agency is accepting public comment through mid-June and is expected to make a final decision on the proposal by December.
We ignore the growing global nuclear arsenal at our peril
Who Will Drop the Next Nuclear Bomb? We ignore the ever-growing global arsenal of nuclear weapons at our peril. The Nation, Nick Turse May 13, 2013 “…….Rattling Sabers and Nuclear Denial Frederick Burkle points out that, today, discussions about nuclear weapons in the Middle East almost exclusively center on whether or not Iran will produce an atomic bomb instead of “focusing on ensuring that there are options for them to embrace an alternate sense of security.” He warns that the repercussions may be grave. “The longer this goes on the more we empower that singular thinking both within Iran and Israel.”
Even if Iran were someday to build several small nuclear weapons, their utility would be limited. After all, analysts note that Israel would be capable of launching a post-attack response which would simply devastate Iran. Right now, Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East. Yet a preemptive Israeli nuclear strike against Iran also seems an unlikely prospect to most experts.
“Currently, there is little chance of a true nuclear war between the two nations,” according to Paul Carroll of the Ploughshares Fund. Israel, he points out, would be unlikely to use nuclear weapons unless its very survival were at stake. “However, Israel’s rhetoric about red lines and the threat of a nuclear Iran are something we need to worry about,” he told me recently by email. “A military strike to defeat Iran’s nuclear capacity would A) not work B) ensure that Iran WOULD then pursue a bomb (something they have not clearly decided to do yet) and C) risk a regional war.”…….
In a world awash in nuclear weapons, saber-rattling, brinkmanship, erratic behavior, miscalculations, technological errors, or errors in judgment could lead to a nuclear detonation and suffering on an almost unimaginable scale, perhaps nowhere more so than in Iran. “Not only would the immediate impacts be devastating, but the lingering effects and our ability to deal with them would be far more difficult than a 9/11 or earthquake/tsunami event,” notes Paul Carroll. Radiation could turn areas of a country into no-go zones; healthcare infrastructure would be crippled or totally destroyed; and depending on climatic conditions and the prevailing winds, whole regions might have their agriculture poisoned. “One large bomb could do this, let alone a handful, say, in a South Asian conflict,” he told me.
“I do believe that the longer we have these weapons and the more there are, the greater the chances that we will experience either an intentional attack (state-based or terrorist) or an accident,” Carroll wrote in his email. “In many ways, we’ve been lucky since 1945. There have been some very close calls. But our luck won’t hold forever.” …..http://www.thenation.com/article/174295/who-will-drop-next-nuclear-bomb#
India’s nuclear policies meeting with determined opposition
Activists slam govt’s nuclear policies http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Activists-slam-govt-s-nuclear-policies/Article1-1058924.aspx Nikhil M Ghanekar, Hindustan Times Mumbai, May 12, 2013 On Saturday, the Coal-ition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) and anti-nuclear activists criticised the Centre’s policy of expediting civilian nuclear energy projects when most developed nations have shunned the technology following the Fukushima disaster.
CNDP founder Achin Vanaik and activists such as Praful Bidwai and Vaishali Patil spoke on nuclear disarmament, the secrecy around nuclear power and the huge costs of producing nuclear energy at the seminar- ‘Coming out of the nuclear trap’.
Bidwai said the department of atomic energy had propagated myths about the advantage of nuclear power. “The costs of producing nuclear energy are exorbitant… the cost of decommissioning reactors is half of what is used to build them.”
USA nuclear officers in a dead-end career?
Is there a morale crisis in the US nuclear force? Arab News ROBERT BURNS 13 May 2013 Beyond the US Air Force’s embarrassing suspension of 17 nuclear missile launch officers lie two broader questions.
Do those entrusted with the world’s most destructive weapons feel stuck in a dead-end career field, given the momentum toward more nuclear arms reductions? And is there a morale crisis among these officers?
This matters because the missiles — 450 of them standing in below-ground silos, ready for launch at a moment’s notice — form a critical part of America’s nuclear defenses. There is little room for error. Although none has ever been fired in anger, the risk of accidental launch or unauthorized intrusion is real.
In a rare look inside the secretive world of nuclear missiles, The Associated Press reported this past week that the deputy commander of operations for the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, complained to his officers about “rot” within their ranks.
In a confidential email obtained by the AP, Lt. Col. Jay Folds wrote of 17 launch officers, 10 percent of his force, being removed from duty for what he likened to incompetence. They are being given remedial training, with the goal of being back on duty within two months….. http://www.arabnews.com/news/451372
A sad week for the nuclear industry: 6 reactors to go
Experts: Easily the worst single week for U.S. nuclear power industry since Fukushima — 4 major setbacks in 3 days — 6 reactors on chopping block http://enenews.com/experts-easily-the-worst-single-week-for-u-s-nuclear-power-industry-since-fukushima-4-major-setbacks-in-3-days-6-reactors-on-chopping-block
Title: Worst Week Since Fukushima: 4 Major Setbacks In 3 Days Are Latest…
Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire
Author: Peter Bradford , adjunct professor, Vermont Law School and Mark Cooper, senior fellow for economic analysis, Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School
Date: May 8, 2013
Worst Week Since Fukushima: 4 Major Setbacks In 3 Days Are Latest Stumbles For U.S. Nuclear Power Industry
Reverse Renaissance? Experts Point to 6 Reactors on the Chopping Block and Passage of Anti-Industry Florida Law; Beleaguered Industry’s Woes Start With Bad Economics … and Go Downhill From There.
Call it the “renaissance in reverse.” Not only is the U.S. nuclear power industry mothballing plans for planned reactors in North Carolina and Texas, it also is now pulling the plug (or threatening to do so) on existing reactors in California. All of that and the passage of anti-industry legislation in Florida happened last week (April 28th-May 3rd), easily the worst single week for the U.S. nuclear power industry since the March 2011 meltdown of nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan. [...]
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- AUDIO About San Onofre Nuclear plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – NRC: Lapdog or Watchdog? http://www.fairewinds.org/content/nrc-lapdog-or-watchdog
- and this Japan’s nuclear safety record criticised by regulator http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/connect-asia/japans-nuclear-safety-record-criticised-by-regulator/1132464
- VIDEO Printing Australia’s Largest Solar Cells
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/19/printing-australias-largest-solar-cells/#I2hPrL1dDL6WTXwD.99 - and this VIDEO: Japan to open nuclear plant http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3761126.ht
From Fukushima to New York: Continuing Dangers of Nuclear PowerEVENTS
San Onofre at the No Nukes Brink: It’s Time to Take Action & WIN!!!
http://www.nukefree.org/stop-san-onofre-re-start-call-petition-now
Women and nuclear radiation – Mary Olson speaks
Mary Olson, from Nuclear Information and Resource Service, spoke at the New York symposium on Fukushima’s effects, March 2013.
Here are some highlights:
Mary Olson discussed the findings of the latest National Academy of Sciences Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation ( BEIR VII) , illustrated by this graph:
This lifespan graph shows increased cancer risk by exposure to a given amount of radiation, The pink line shows the risk for girls, the blue line for boys. Look at left hand part of the graph. It covers from zero to 5 years, and includes pre birth. We see a striking difference between the blue line and the pink line. The nuclear regulators assume that the risk shown here at age 40 – in the blue line- is the same for every individual regardless of age or gender. Yet, even at ages 40 – 60 the cancer risk from radiation is significantly more for women, than for men.
The cancer danger from ionising radiation depends on the type of radiation, the amount, and the duration of the exposure. But it also depends on who is exposed. Radiation exposure endangers some individuals more than others. In order, the most vulnerable are:
Primary germ cells/ Embryo
Foetus
Children
Elders
Some genotypes
Females – both juvenile and adult
All of the world’s scientific authorities agree that there is no safe dose of radiation. That includes the WHO, EPA, NRC, and national Academy of Science.
The standards for permissable levels of ionising radiation were originally written to cover doctors using radiation, then were intended for the purpose of sending military into radiological areas. Yet these standads, based on a 30 year old man, are applied to everyone.
Over 100 years, man’s activities have increased the background radiation by 25%
The ratio of cancer risks from radiation for males and females is 3 to 2. That is for every 2 males who get cancer from ionising radiation, there are 3 females. In reports from BEIR and the Lifespan study of Hiroshima survivors only external radiation is considered, not internal radiation. The risk for females is being underestimated in reports and in regulations about radiation
The World Health Organisation is the first big agency to acknowledge this difference in radiation risk between males and females, in its latest report. WHO is also saying that there is 70% higher risk of thyroid cancer for little girls exposed to radiation.
Studies are continuing, and animal studies, too, are showing this gender difference. We must move towards prevention and precaution as the basis of policy. Sadly, it is too late for a lot of prevention. We need to cahnge the priorities – to protect first, study second
And we need to get a whole lot more women motivated to get involved.
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