UK scraps advisory body that warned of nuclear risks
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) disbands nuclear body that warned of risks
The Guardian Rob Edwards and Terry Macalister 17 Feb 09
An expert advisory committee has been quietly scrapped after it warned that the safety of Britain’s ageing nuclear plants was being put at risk by poor performance, delays and budget cuts.
The Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee (NuSAC), which has been offering critical advice to Britain’s health and safety watchdog for nearly 50 years, was disbanded without any public announcement.
Former members of NuSAC are now worried about the lack of independent safety advice at a time when the government is embarking on a big expansion and clean-up of nuclear power.
Some former members privately suspect that NuSAC was shut down in October because it could have hampered government plans for a new programme of nuclear reactors. “This was just the time to get rid of a potential pest and spanner in the works of the brave new world of nuclear regulation and build,” said one.
Some of NuSAC’s recent criticisms, particularly on potential shortfalls in the funding of nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste management, were forthright………………………NuSAC consisted of 19 safety experts, including scientists, academics, trade unionists and business executives, none of whom were paid. It reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and was chaired for the past four years by Stephen Vranch, a chemical engineer from Jacobs Engineering……………………………
In an unpublicised report last July, NuSAC warned that programmes to deal with radioactive waste from decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear complex in Cumbria and other old nuclear plants had suffered “substantial slippages”.
The slippages were caused by the “poor performance” of nuclear plants, delays in developing waste processing and budget restrictions, the report concluded. “There remains a lack of confidence that the high hazards are being tackled to a robust programme,” it said.
Israel seen undermining nuclear disarmament – ElBaradei
Mon Feb 16, 2009
BERLIN (Reuters) – A perception among Arab nations that Israel has undermined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a major obstacle to global nuclear disarmament, head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said on Monday.
Tensions within the IAEA run deep over Israel’s presumed nuclear might and its shunning of the NPT. Israel is widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal but it has never confirmed or denied it.
In an article for the International Herald Tribune, Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, set out what he thought should be done to achieve consensus on nuclear disarmament.
“What compounds the problem is that the nuclear non-proliferation regime has lost its legitimacy in the eyes of Arab public opinion because of the perceived double-standards concerning Israel, the only state in the region outside the NPT and known to possess nuclear weapons,” he wrote.
ElBaradei also reiterated he was encouraged by new U.S. President Barack Obama’s commitment to making the elimination of all nuclear weapons a central part of his policy platform.
To do that, nations have to overcome cynical attitudes to the United Nations, he said.
“The U.N. and related agencies must be given adequate authority and funding and put in the hands of leaders who have vision, courage and credibility,” wrote ElBaradei.
In a broadside against the United States and Israel, he said: “Above all, we need to halt the glaring breach of core principles of international law such as limitations on the unilateral use of force, proportionality in self-defence and the protection of civilians during hostilities in order to avoid a repeat of the civilian carnage in Iraq and, most recently, in Gaza.”
ElBaradei, who is due to leave office in November when his third term expires, clashed with the former Bush administration over what he saw as its unilateralism and refusal to engage with foes like Iran.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-38051120090216
Earthquake in area nuclear facility in Japan
Strong earthquake hits northern Japan
Canada.com 17 Feb 09 A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale shook northern Japan early Thursday………………..
Japan endures some 20 per cent of the world’s powerful earthquakes.
The area of the earthquake lies near Rokkasho, the hub of Japan’s nuclear power industry and site of a controversial plant that reprocesses spent fuel.
Officials said they detected no problems in the nuclear power plants, with some shut down manually.
An earthquake last year caused a small leak in the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Niigata prefecture northwest of Tokyo………………………
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/story.html?id=9aae5ae9-fb31-4bb4-a19a-1912849b8ddc
MPs demand inquiry into ‘hushed-up’ nuclear subs crash
THE SCOTSMAN 17 February 2009
The vessels, the Faslane-based HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant, both believed to be carrying nuclear missiles, collided two weeks ago. Intelligence experts said that the crews might have been playing a game of cat and mouse when the incident happened.
The Ministry of Defence admitted the collision only yesterday, after it was confirmed by French officials, prompting one politician to accuse it of a “hush-hush attitude”. The submarines – each nearly 500ft long – were both damaged in the underwater incident, thought to have happened on the night of 3-4 February…………………….Disarmament campaigners described the incident – in the Atlantic’s 41 million square miles – as a “nuclear nightmare of the highest order”, which could have released “vast amounts of radiation”…………………..”The MoD needs to explain how it is possible for a submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction to collide with another submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction in the middle of the world’s second-largest ocean.”
Japanese firms played key role in Pakistan’s nuclear programme
| Press Trust of India 17 Feb 09 | |||||||
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This supply “knowingly or unknowingly” helped Islamabad to acquire nuclear capability and were incorporated in its supply framework, it emerged today.
“Japanese companies played a key role in supplying equipment used for Pakistan’s nuclear development,” Japan’s Kyodo News reported, quoting the outcome of its investigations in Islamabad and Tokyo.
Comments by Khan and former employees of the companies reveal in detail for the first time how leading Japanese manufacturers knowingly and unknowingly helped Pakistan acquire nuclear capability and were incorporated into its supply framework.
Investigations revealed that both Khan and the head of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission visited Japan at least once in the 1980s to shop for their respective programmes.
Khan, dubbed the “father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme,” told Kyodo in a written interview that Khan Research Laboratories acquired a wide range of machines, laboratory equipment and metal products from Japan. PTI
Russia won’t toughen policy on Iran
Russia won’t toughen policy on Iran
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia does not intend to toughen its policy toward Iran regarding its nuclear program, a senior Russian diplomat said Monday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said it’s necessary to intensify international efforts to reach a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear standoff. But Ryabkov added that Russia has no intention to take a harsher attitude to Iran, Russian news agencies reported.
“Our stance on the Iranian nuclear program has no elements which could be interpreted as toughening of approach,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
The U.S. has accused Iran of supporting terrorism and secretly seeking to build nuclear weapons — charges that Iran denies.
Russia has developed close ties with Iran and is building its first nuclear power plant. Moscow has supported limited U.N. sanctions on Iran, but opposed the U.S. push for tougher measures…………………..
Ryabkov said Monday that ending the Iranian nuclear standoff could also help advance U.S.-Russian talks on possible cooperation on missile defense.
“As soon as there is a shift toward restoring confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, opportunities will open for deeper talk on prospects for cooperation on missile defense,” Ryabkov said. “We are studying signals from the U.S. administration, and, for our part, have made proposals on how we can cooperate in the missile defense field.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iBLHJGdHUD5xKiB9QYH6NlZhfTXgD96CSI0G0
Israel launches covert war against Iran
Israel has launched a covert war against Iran as an alternative to direct military strikes against Tehran’s nuclear programme, US intelligence sources have revealed.
It is using hitmen, sabotage, front companies and double agents to disrupt the regime’s illicit weapons project, the experts say.
The most dramatic element of the “decapitation” programme is the planned assassination of top figures involved in Iran’s atomic operations.
Despite fears in Israel and the US that Iran is approaching the point of no return in its ability to build atom bomb, Israeli officials are aware of the change in mood in Washington since President Barack Obama took office.
They privately acknowledge the new US administration is unlikely to sanction an air attack on Iran’s nuclear installations and Mr Obama’s offer to extend a hand of peace to Tehran puts any direct military action beyond reach for now.
The aim is to slow down or interrupt Iran’s research programme, without the gamble of a direct confrontation that could lead to a wider war…………………………………
New nuclear plants will produce far more radiation
New nuclear plants will produce far more radiation Industry documents reveal modern reactors more dangerous in an accident than the ones they replace THE INDEPENDENT By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor 8 Feb 09
New nuclear reactors planned for Britain will produce many times more radiation than previous reactors that could be rapidly released in an accident, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
The revelations – based on information buried deep in documents produced by the nuclear industry itself – calls into doubt repeated assertions that the new European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) will be safer than the old atomic power stations they replace.
Instead they suggest that a reactor or nuclear waste accident, althouguh less likely to happen, could have even more devastating consequences in future; one study suggests that nearly twice as many people could die……………………Until now the reactors have been widely thought to be less dangerous than those already in operation, largely because they contain more safety features and produce less waste. But the information in the documents shows that they produce very much more of the radioactive isotopes technically known as the “immediate release fraction” of the nuclear waste, because they could get out rapidly after an accident.
New nuclear plants will produce far more radiation – Green Living, Environment – The Independent
Tons of Radioactive Material From India Found in Germany
Tons of Radioactive Material From India Found in Germany DETSCHE WELLE 15 Feb 09
Tons of Radioactive Material From India Found in Germany | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 15.02.2009
Greece announces nuclear moratorium
Greece announces nuclear moratorium – edie.net by Sam Bond 11 Feb 09 “……………..environmental campaigners are claiming victory after Greek development minister Kostis Hatzidakis ruled out future investment in nuclear and, perhaps more importantly, coal-fired power plants.
WWF Greece was part of a coalition that has been fighting a ‘no to coal’ campaign amid a will-they-won’t-they saga over government backing for coal plants and rumours that the ruling administration planned to introduce nuclear power to the country’s energy mix.
Demetres Karavellas, chief executive of the NGO, said: “We feel that our efforts to prove that Greece does not need coal power plants and nuclear energy have been justified. Today, we can be more optimistic that Greece might make the necessary shift towards a more sustainable and competitive green economy.”
The government change of stance on the issue was signalled by legislative changes to streamline and assist investment in renewable energy and by Mr Hatzidakis emerging from a cabinet meeting in late January to say “We want 2009 to be the year of renewable energy sources .”
Oyster Creek concerns transcend drywell issue
Oyster Creek concerns transcend drywell issue APP.com 15 Feb 09
The focal point of most of the safety concerns at the Oyster Creek nuclear plant recently has been the drywell, a steel barrier surrounding the plant’s reactor vessel that is supposed to contain radiation in the event of an accident. The fear is that the 40-year-old drywell is continuing to erode to the point it could buckle, creating a potentially cataclysmic accident.
That concern is well-warranted. Thanks to the tenacity of citizen activists, approval of a 20-year license renewal is being held up pending further analysis of the drywell’s structural integrity…………………….
But that issue has tended to obscure broader concerns about nuclear power — issues that argue strongly against the renewed push to increase the nation’s dependence on it. The point was underscored at a forum last week sponsored by the Ocean County League of Women Voters. Two experts on nuclear waste, Paul Gunter of Nuclear Watch, and Frank von Hipple, a physics professor at Princeton University, expounded on the topic.
They addressed two major issues: the vulnerability of Oyster Creek’s spent fuel pool to a terrorist attack and the ongoing failure to find a safe, practical way to dispose of the huge amounts of nuclear waste being generated by the nation’s, and the world’s, reactors……………………… even if the drywell passes muster, the plant as a whole, and nuclear power, likely never will. Despite claims by the industry that nuclear power is efficient and affordable, it benefits from huge indirect federal subsidies, and the economics are growing worse.
According to the current issue of FP magazine, it costs $5 billion to $9 billion to construct new plants, takes nine to 12 years to build them once they are approved and requires 2,400 people to operate them. For nuclear energy to even maintain its current 15 percent global share of electricity through 2030, a 1,000-megawatt reactor — nearly double that of Oyster Creek — would have to be built every 16 days for the next 21 years.
Extending the life of Oyster Creek is a bad idea. Counting on nuclear energy to supply the electrical needs of future generations is economic and environmental suicide.
Oyster Creek concerns transcend drywell issue | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
Deployment of nuclear warship off the coast of Japan touches a nerve
Deployment of nuclear warship off the coast of Japan touches a nerve- THE CANADIAN PRESS 16 Feb 09 YOKOSUKA, Japan
— As Masahiko Goto sees it, the USS George Washington is not a ship. It’s a floating nuclear disaster waiting to happen near one of the world’s biggest cities.The recent deployment of the huge aircraft carrier to a port just south of Tokyo has been welcomed by brass bands, an open-house crowd of 30,000 and promises of greater security for Japan and northeast Asia.
But to determined opponents here, it all boils down to two nuclear reactors and one big question. Are they safe?”It is unthinkable that we have reactors floating in the bay,” said Goto, a lawyer who is leading an effort to have the USS George Washington banned from Japan. “If there was a problem, it would affect not just our city, but Tokyo and the heart of Japan.”The George Washington is the first and only U.S. nuclear-powered warship with a home port outside the United States, and officials know that Japan – the only country ever attacked by nuclear weapons – has special sensitivities about anything nuclear…………………………..
Two recent incidents have raised concerns, however.
The George Washington’s arrival in September was delayed after a fire broke out in its lower decks on May 22 while it was docked in the United States under repairs. A Navy investigation found it took nearly eight hours to discover the source of the smoke and flames, by which time the fire had burned through eight decks and damaged 80 compartments…………………………a month earlier, it emerged that the submarine USS Houston had leaked radiation during visits to two Japanese ports, provoking headlines and a formal Japanese government protest.
Goto and others, who are pushing a referendum on whether Japan should host nuclear-powered vessels, have raised both incidents, saying they undermine the Navy’s general claim that the George Washington is safe.
The Canadian Press: Deployment of nuclear warship off the coast of Japan touches a nerve
Editorial: Cut the bluster in nuclear disarmament talks
Editorial: Cut the bluster in nuclear talks The Dominion Post | Monday, 16 February 2009
Few issues in international affairs are as riddled with cant and hypocrisy as that of nuclear proliferation, writes The Dominion Post.
The United States regards Iran’s nuclear programme which the Iranians maintain is only for the peaceful generation of power as abhorrent and and a huge danger to world peace. At the same time it turns a blind eye to the nuclear programme of Israel, which has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
US President Barack Obama’s answer when asked if he knew of any nuclear power in the Middle East was an evasive warning of the dangers of an arms race in the region. If he had chosen to answer honestly, he would acknowledged that Israel, which will neither confirm nor deny whether it has the bomb, is thought to have about 200 nuclear warheads. He would have pointed out that the Israelis will not allow international surveillance of its Dimona nuclear plant, in the southern Negev desert.
Similarly, the US was equivocal in its response when Pakistan became a nuclear power, and agreed to share nuclear technology with India, another country that joined the nuclear club after the non-proliferation treaty.
It is also easy to forget that the non-proliferation treaty was founded on a bargain. Countries without the bomb agreed not to go chasing after it; those with the bomb agreed to work towards getting rid of their arsenals. There has been much talk and some progress in achieving that but thousands of weapons still remain.
One estimate, by the Federation of American Scientists, is that the US still has 9400 warheads, though only 2200 operationally deployed in a strategic role, and with a good proportion of the others retired and awaiting being dismantled. The same organisation estimates Russia has about 2700 deployed strategic warheads, but is also reducing its arsenal and intends to be down to 1800 by 2015.
Those numbers are still an obscenity that defies belief and, especially in the case of Russia, with its rundown infrastructure, terrifyingly high……………………….Mr Obama’s desire to “restart” the conversation with Russia over nuclear weapon reductions and work on further cutbacks in the two countries’ arsenals is welcome. His recognition that only then will Russia and the US “have the standing to go to other countries and start stitching back together the non-proliteration treaties that, frankly, have been weakened over the last several years” is exactly what is needed in both Washington and Moscow.
Editorial: Cut the bluster in nuclear talks – Editorials – The Dominion Post
Areva Fails to Block Television Exposé
Areva Fails to Block Television Exposé
Beyond Nuclear 14 Feb 09 Areva was unsuccessful in its attempt to block the transmission of a television expose that revealed high levels or radioactive contamination around France’s abandoned uranium mine sites. The program – Uranium, the scandal of contaminated France – aired on France 3 and featured the findings of the CRIIRAD independent laboratory led by Dr. Bruno Chareyron.
TV show reveals radioactive risk
TV show reveals radioactive risk The Connexion February 14, 2009 FEARS that radioactive material taken from France’s old uranium mines has been used in construction have been raised by a TV documentary.
According to investigators for the programme Pièces à Conviction (Incriminating evidence), there are many sites where radioactive material is a potential health risk including schools, playgrounds, buildings and car parks.
Very little uranium is now mined in Europe, but France carried out mining from 1945 – 2001 at 210 sites which have now been revealed by IRSN, the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety on its website……………………Problems stem from millions of tonnes of reject rock which contained small amount of uranium which are still stocked at some of the sites along with 50 million tones of waste from extraction factories.
The documentary on France 3 also revealed that some reject rock has also been used as construction rubble in areas used by the public, that there have been some radioactive leaks into the environment from waste and that some “rehabilitated” areas where building has been taken place had been contaminated with radon.
Reject rock has been used at sites including carparks, buildings, roads and even schools and children’s playgrounds, the programme said.
Volunteers with Geiger counters have found that some sites where it was used have worryingly high radiation levels.
The programme makers said they had “opened a national debate on uranium waste in France”.
Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo has admitted that uranium extraction had little state regulation and has called on the firm which was responsible for most of the sites, Areva, to “do its job” and to take better safety measures regarding the waste.
Before the programme went out Areva had lodged a complaint about it with the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel concerned that its intention was to make accusations against the firm.
The Connexion – The Newspaper for English-Speakers in France
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