French authorities try to silence anti-nuclear protest

Beyond Nuclear, Linda Gunter 25 Sept 09 With 10,000 people or more already expected to gather in the French border town of Colmar for an anti-nuclear rally on October 3, local authorities are attempting to renege on their agreement to allow the demonstration.

The rally, which will call for the phase-out of the nearby 30-year old Fessenheim reactor, the oldest in France, coincides with an expected decision to extend the reactor license for another 10 years. But now the prefect of Upper Rhine and the mayor of Colmar, both nuclear power advocates, are trying to move the rally out of the town center and away from the media spotlight.

Raising the specter of “German rioters”, news reports claim the authorities are preparing tear gas-armed police to disperse the rally. Beyond Nuclear joined many others in writing to the two officials, pointing out that their decision further confirms that the French nuclear system and democracy are incompatible.

September 25, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

New York Times’ unflagging support for nuclear power

Is Thomas Friedman worried about his manhood?

Media With Conscience, by Ace Hoffman 25 Sept 09“………..Unflagging support for government policies on nuclear power and nuclear weapons, and for various wars, despots, agendas and so forth, have been a part of The New York Times’ editorial process for decades. Continue reading →

September 25, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Workers dropped bundles of uranium

2 SRS workers fired over dropping uranium

AugustaChronicle.com By Rob Pavey | Staff Writer

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009 Savannah River Site officials have taken corrective actions — and fired two workers — after two incidents in H Canyon in which bundles of highly enriched uranium were dropped by a crane. According to a Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board report — dated Aug. 21 and made public Thursday — the incidents “had potential criticality safety implications” and halted reprocessing operations for a week. Continue reading →

September 25, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

US Public losing faith in nuclear power?

NRC chief warns of loss of public confidence in nuclear plants

Brattleboro ReformerBy BOB AUDETTE

BRATTLEBORO — Mishaps at Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant such as the collapse of a cooling tower cell in 2007 and a transformer fire in 2004 can lead to an erosion of public confidence in the safe operation of nuclear power plants around the country.

That’s what Dale Klein, the commissioner for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in an August speech sponsored by the American Nuclear Society. Continue reading →

September 25, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive | Leave a comment

China, Britain diverge on Iran nuclear sanctions

Thu Sep 24, 2009 By Ben Blanchard and Claudia Parsons

BEIJING/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – China dampened expectations of further sanctions on Iran on Thursday, telling other major powers that more pressure would not persuade Tehran to halt its nuclear program.

In contrast, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the U.N. Security Council the world should consider “far tougher sanctions” if Iran continues to seek a nuclear weapon. Continue reading →

September 25, 2009 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics | antinuclear, nuclear | Leave a comment