nuclear-news

Bombs found near US base in Japan
ALJAZEERA.net September 13, 2008 Police say they have found evidence of two rocket-propelled bombs after two explosions were heard near a US naval base.

Local media reported that police were investigatng whether the blasts late on Friday were caused by an attempted attack on the Yokosuka Naval Base south of the capital Tokyo………………..The blasts occurred just hours after the US navy announced that the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was due to arrive on September 25.

It will be the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be stationed in Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks.
Local residents and civic groups expressed concerns over the deployment of the USS George Washington after a fire onboard the warship in May.

Some Japanese living near the base are also opposed to the US military presence in Yokosuka and the increased number of American sailors the aircraft carrier would bring to the area.

Nuclear reprocessing is risky and impractical
Greenvilleonline.com By Marcus Newberry and Dana Beach • September 13, 2008 A powerful bipartisan duo, Rep. James Clyburn and Sen. Lindsey Graham, recently joined forces to support “nuclear reprocessing.” We urge these gentlemen to temper their enthusiasm……………………..

Nuclear reprocessing separates plutonium from radioactive waste so that it can be reused to generate additional energy. However, reprocessing also has an unfortunate side effect: It dramatically increases the volume of radioactive waste.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “After reprocessing … the total volume of nuclear waste will have been increased by a factor of twenty or more ….”

n addition, waste from nuclear reprocessing is prone to contaminate surrounding communities. A recent report by the Institute for Policy Studies stated: “Denmark, Norway, and Ireland have sought to close the French and English plants because of their radiological impacts. For instance, discharges of iodine-129, a very long-lived carcinogen, have contaminated the shores of Denmark and Norway at levels 1,000 times higher than nuclear weapons fallout. Health studies indicate that significant excess childhood cancers have occurred near French and English reprocessing plants.”

Finally, as South Carolina well knows, nuclear waste will stay right where it was produced, indefinitely. That is because the federal government has struggled for more than 20 years to develop a safe, permanent storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Optimists predict that Yucca Mountain will open in 2017; others say it will never open at all.

Xcel nuclear plant down again The Monticello facility was shut down for the second time this year after a breaker failure.By DEE DePASS, Star TribuneLast update: September 12, 2008 – “…………………….

In August, Xcel shut down one of its two Prairie Island reactors because of elevated hydrazine levels found in the turbine building. Levels of the anti-corrosive, ammonia-like chemical stayed elevated for about six hours before being corrected. The plant was back to full power the next day.

The problems at both nuclear plants concerned some Minnesota environmentalists and Indian tribes who worry about plant safety and excessive radioactive waste storage.

Concern has heightened since Xcel applied to extend operating licenses for both of its Minnesota-based nuclear plants.