2009 February 19 « nuclear-news

NRC adopts 1 million year rule for Yucca Mountain |

NRC adopts 1 million year rule for Yucca Mountain

LOS ANGELES, Feb 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a rule for allowable radiation levels at the proposed nuclear waste site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada for up to 1 million years, the NRC announced on Tuesday.

The NRC is now accepting the radiation standards from Yucca Mountain as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The NRC kept the EPA’s rule of limiting the dose of radiation to 15 millirem for the first 10,000 years after disposal. Now, the NRC has adopted the EPA’s limit of 100 millirem from 10,001 years to 1 million years…………

Last year, the DOE estimated that the cost of Yucca Mountain would be more than $96 billion, up from a 2001 estimate of $57.5 billion.

The DOE last June filed an application with the NRC for Yucca Mountain’s operation.

…………….

Handling nuclear waste is a key issue for those considering a possible renaissance for nuclear power in the upcoming decade.

No new nuclear power plants have been approved since the 1970s after an accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

NRC adopts 1 million year rule for Yucca Mountain | Markets | US Markets | Reuters

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

| Nuclear claim in ‘bomb plot’ case

Nuclear claim in ‘bomb plot’ case BBC News 18 Feb 09

An alleged terrorist accused of a plot to blow up airliners researched other targets including nuclear power stations, a jury has heard.

Woolwich Crown Court heard that Assad Sarwar had a memory stick with details of nuclear power stations as potential terror targets.

Mr Sarwar and seven other men are accused of conspiracy to murder by blowing up planes with home-made bombs.

BBC NEWS | UK | Nuclear claim in ‘bomb plot’ case

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Georgia Power nuclear plan called ‘lousy’

Georgia Nuclear Power Plan Called “Lousy”Creative loafing 16 Feb 09 In 1974, Georgia Power broke ground on nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, embarking on a nuclear odyssey that would nearly bankrupt the company.Almost 15 years later — and after several delays and environmental hurdles— the project’s construction costs ballooned from $680 million to a staggering $8.4 billion.

And it wasn’t until then that Georgia Power could begin to recoup the cost from ratepayers.
Now, as the state’s largest utility moves forward on two new reactors at Plant Vogtle estimated at $6.4 billion, the first in nearly 30 years, the company wants to cover its assets — and it’s enlisted the assistance of a phalanx of lobbyists and a controversial legislative plan of attack.

Introduced by state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, Senate Bill 31 would allow Georgia Power to begin charging customers — you and me — in advance for two new proposed nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle. The bill passed the state Senate last week and now moves to the House.

Georgia Power nuclear plan called ‘lousy’ | Fresh Loaf

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, NORTH AMERICA | Leave a comment

Navy chief warns of nuclear bomb in containers- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

Navy chief warns of nuclear bomb in containers19 Feb 2009, 0354 hrs THE ECONOMIC TIMES , ET Bureau NEW DELHI: Warning of a nuclear threat from the sea, the Indian Navy chief on Wednesday said terrorists may use shipping containers

to smuggle

nuclear weapons into the country.

“Today 70-75% of global cargo is containerised…container is the most likely means for terrorist organisations for illegal transporting of nuclear weapons and, hence, the serious concerns about container security

,” Admiral Mehta told reporters at a seminar on ‘Port Sector, Developments and Security.’

Navy chief warns of nuclear bomb in containers- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, safety | Leave a comment

DAILY NATION – Unep conference: Nuclear energy not green, say NGOs

Unep conference: Nuclear energy not green, say Non Government Orgainisations

DAILY NATION (Kenya) By DAVE OPIYO , February 18 2009

A group of foreign non-governmental organisations on Wednesday caused a stir at the Unep headquarters when their representatives protested at the inclusion of nuclear power as “green energy”.

They urged delegates attending the ongoing Global Environment Ministers’ Conference in Gigiri, Nairobi, to keep nuclear power “out of the Clean Development Mechanism”. The NGOs said that this form of energy should not be allowed because it had severe health effects.

Kyoto Protocol

Clean Development Mechanism is under the Kyoto Protocol and allows industrialised countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in their own countries.

The demonstrators’ plea comes ahead of a meeting of world governments to decide whether this form of energy is eligible as clean. Mrs Kaisha Atakhanova, the chair of the Eco-Forum (Kazakhstan) said that her country had had Soviet nuclear activity for over 50 years.

“Grandchildren of women who were exposed to radiation have severe defects, worse than the generation that was directly exposed,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Mrs Sabine Bock, the director of Women in Europe for a Common Future, who, quoting previous studies, said: “Even a four-fold expansion of nuclear power by 2050 would provide only marginal reductions in green house gas emissions.”

DAILY NATION – Unep conference: Nuclear energy not green, say NGOs

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics | Leave a comment

Cancer questions grow around Fermi nuclear plant

This extract has been reduced in accordance with the request from THE MICHIGAM MESSENGER

State health report shows 31 percent increase in cancer rate among young people in Monroe County since 1996 THE MICHIGAN MESSENGER By Eartha Jane Melzer 17 Feb 09 The cancer rate among people under the age of 25 in Monroe County rose at more than three times the rate of the rest of the state between 1996 and 2005, according to a report generated by the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH). …………Monroe is home to DTE Energy’s Fermi II nuclear power plant, which became fully operational in 1988………………………….

Dr. Janette Sherman, adjunct professor at Western Michigan University’s Environmental Institute …….. said that her analysis of leukemia statistics in the United States indicates that kids living near power plants are more likely to get the disease.

Sherman said that the rise in cancer rates around Fermi is significant……………………

Michigan Messenger » Cancer questions grow around Fermi nuclear plant

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, USA | 2 Comments

Earthtoys – Coal, Nuclear Decline As Renewables Increase Share Of U.S. Electricity Supply

COAL, NUCLEAR ELECTRICITY GENERATION DECLINES
AS RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES SOAR;
NON-HYDRO RENEWABLES GROW BY TEN PERCENT OVER 2007

Industry News February 18, 2009

Ken Bossong,

Washington DC – According to the latest figures published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its “Electric Power Monthly” report released on February 13, 2009, renewable sources of electricity enjoyed significant growth during the past year while nuclear and coal both experienced notable declines.

Specifically, EIA reports that net electricity generation in the United States dropped by 0.9 percent from November 2007 to November 2008. This was the fourth consecutive month that net generation was down compared to the same calendar month in 2007.

The drop in coal-fired generation was the largest absolute fuel-specific decline from November 2007 to November 2008 as it fell by 4,380 thousand megawatt-hours, or 2.7 percent. Declines in Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, and West Virginia totaled 4,262 thousand megawatt-hours.

Nuclear generation was down by 2.3 percent and was second only to coal-fired generation in its contribution to the national drop in net generation. The biggest drop in generation at a nuclear plant was at the Millstone facility in Connecticut, which was down for part of the month for a refueling outage.
On the other hand, EIA figures show that renewable energy, including conventional hydropower, increased by 7.3 percent — reflecting a combined increase of 6.1 percent in conventional hydropower coupled with a 10.0 percent increase in non-hydro renewables (i.e., solar, wind, geothermal, biomass).

Earthtoys – Coal, Nuclear Decline As Renewables Increase Share Of U.S. Electricity Supply

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ENERGY, USA | Leave a comment

UK nuclear policy ‘insane’

UK nuclear policy ‘insane’ politics , Feb 2009

By politics.co.uk staff

The government has been accused of its left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing over its ‘contradictory’ attitudes towards nuclear disarmament.

The foreign secretary has unveiled the steps that need to be taken for the world to move towards a nuclear weapon-free future…………………….Until the government puts plans to replace Trident on hold, anything they say about ridding the world of nuclear weapons is severely undermined,” said the Greenpeace’s executive director John Sauven.

Kate Hudson, chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said Mr Miliband’s speech, which accompanied a policy information paper from the Foreign Office was a “great disappointment”, which treated Trident as the elephant in the room.

And the Liberal Democrats said the government’s leadership on non-proliferation was threatened by the “premature and provocative” decision to renew Trident ahead of the global disarmament conference next year.

UK nuclear policy ‘insane’ – politics.co.uk

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment

Solar system lights up desert town

Solar system lights up desert town 9 News by Tara Ravens 18 Feb 09

The largest solar power system ever mounted on a building in the southern hemisphere has been switched on in the red heart of Australia.

The rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation is expected to generate 40 and 80 per cent of the energy requirements of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Alice Springs.

Speaking from the desert town on Wednesday, hotel general manager Adam Glass said the system would help the Crowne Plaza reduce its annual carbon footprint by 420 tonnes of carbon dioxide

The solar power system would generate enough electricity to serve 60 family homes.

“The water and energy savings that will result from our plans are staggering,” said Mr Glass.

“We are located in one of the hottest parts of the country…

“This means on one hand that we are a large consumer of energy, but on the other, we have access to a ready renewable resource to significantly offset that consumption.”………………….

The solar system is accompanied by a $50,000 in-house energy efficiency program, including a system that regulates the heating and cooling of rooms.

“The system is smart enough to detect a room is occupied, even when a guest is sleeping,” said Mr Berger.

Solar system lights up desert town

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Australian Hot Rocks for Emission-Free Energy

Tata, CLP Bet on Australian Hot Rocks for Emission-Free Energy By Angela Macdonald-Smith

Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) — Sheep shearers and tourists calling at the Innamincka Hotel in Australia’s outback will soon have their beer chilled by energy from rocks 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) underground.

The South Australian township (population 12) has been chosen by Brisbane-based Geodynamics Ltd. for a one-megawatt pilot project that will tap hot underground granite to generate electricity. The company says the area could produce as much as 10,000 megawatts of emission-free power, equivalent to 10 nuclear plants.

Tata Power Ltd., India’s biggest non-state electric utility, and Hong Kong’s CLP Holdings Ltd. are among those betting more than $750 million on geothermal exploration in Australia over the next 5 years. If it works, hot-rock technology could provide 5 percent of the country’s electricity by 2012, according to Melbourne-based consulting firm McLennan Magasanik Associates.

“It’s quite a marvel of nature,” said Jo Fort, co-owner of the hotel in Innamincka. “What to some eyes would be desolate country on top has this massive wealth underneath in the form of energy.”

Bloomberg.com: Australia & New Zealand

February 19, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized | Leave a comment