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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Essential to remove nuclear industry pressure from Radiation and Health Study

Beyond Nuclear, 22 May, 2010, The time for a full-scale bona-fide health study on the impacts of radiation exposure to communities downwind and downstream of US nuclear power facilities is long overdue. The responsibilities to assure that this study is fair and independent are immense.

Given the growing political promotion of nuclear power currently underway, the study’s development, execution and interpretation will no doubt be a tug-of-war. The effort for an independent health study on the impacts from nuclear power facilities raises many of the same questions that have dogged the nuclear industry from the exposure of “down winders” in St. George, Utah to atomic testing fallout, the communities around the Three Mile Island accident, the Massachusetts cancer study around the Pilgrim nuclear power plant  and entire countries contaminated by the Chernobyl explosion.

One continuing focus among many will to be to monitor how the NAS policy will be applied to the review and vetting of hundreds of potential committee members for final committee selection.  The recusal of Dr. Meserve with his obvious”impaired objectivity” is a good first step and welcome sign. However, the task to watchdog this massive government effort in the public interest is only beginning.

May 22, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radiation study chairman resigns as conflict of interest is exposed

(USA) Nuclear industry leader pulls out of radiation health study

Beyond Nuclear, 22 May 2010 In a May 10, 2010 letter, Dr. Richard Meserve resigned as Chair of the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) from all committee activity related to a massive national health study that is taking shape around nuclear power facilities in the United States.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has requested that the NAS conduct a health study around past, present and future nuclear power facilities.   As Beyond Nuclear identified in an April 29, 2010 letter requesting that the NAS conduct a conflict-of-interest review, Dr. Meserve currently serves on the Board of Directors for Luminant Corporation which owns the Comanche Peak nuclear power station in Texas and Pacific Gas and Electric which operates the Diablo Canyon reactors in California.  Dr. Meserve also serves on an advisory board to UniStar Nuclear Corporation (Constellation Energy and Electricite de France) which has applied to the NRC to build new reactors around the United States.

May 22, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Britain’s top scientist calls for nuclear disarmament laboratories

Martin Rees calls on UN to establish nuclear disarmament laboratoriesThe president of the Royal Society, Sir Martin Rees, wants the UN to set up the laboratories to verify that countries are keeping their promises on nuclear disarmament,  Ian Sample, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 19 May 2010
Britain’s most senior scientist has called on the United Nations to establish a network of laboratories specialised in detecting and dismantling nuclear weapons. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | , , , | Leave a comment

Policy to cut carbon will provide jobs

that the fragile state of the U.S. economy strengthens the case for a cap on carbon rather than weakening it.

New Evidence on the Job Impacts of Climate Policy, THE HUFFINGTON POST, by Nathaniel Keohane, 21 May 2010, –– Why Now Is the Right Time to Cap Carbon,  “…… a must-read study released yesterday by the well-respected, nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics shows that the reverse is actually true: passing climate legislation would provide the economy with a much-needed shot in the arm.
Trevor Houser and his co-authors use a widely respected economic model to analyze the impact on the U.S. economy of … energy and climate legislation ……. The study estimates that the legislation would more than double investment in the electric power sector, adding 203,000 jobs per year to the economy during the next decade relative to a “business as usual” scenario without policy. The reason is that when labor and capital are underemployed, as they are now, a policy that spurs new investment in the private sector will create jobs rather than simply taking them from other sectors. This lends quantitative support to the argument I’ve been making for over a year, which is that the fragile state of the U.S. economy strengthens the case for a cap on carbon rather than weakening it.

Nathaniel Keohane: New Evidence on the Job Impacts of Climate Policy — Why Now Is the Right Time to Cap Carbon

May 22, 2010 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Alternative Nuclear Non Proliferation Meeting held

You can watch a video of the event right here.

The proposed ‘solutions’ to tackle proliferation risks are merely excuses to allow for a global expansion of the nuclear energy.

The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference Greenpeace urges delegations to recognise proliferation risks of nuclear energy expansion,by jmckeati – May 21, 2010 The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is undergoing its latest five-yearly review at the United Nations in New York right now.

Yesterday Greenpeace held an official NPT side event where independent experts highlighted the growing nuclear weapons proliferation risks linked to the expansion of nuclear power across the world. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

China launches world’s biggest solar energy venture

China’s Solar Valley: biggest solar energy production base in world, SmartPlanet, By Andrew Nusca | May 21, 2010 China is in the process of building what it calls “the biggest solar energy production base in the world.”Called “Solar Valley,” the experimental venture has claimed the land of tens of thousands of farmers in an effort to construct China’s answer to California’s Silicon Valley, according to a new Washington Post report.

The $740 million project, which is located near the northern city of Dezhou, is supposed to demonstrate how China can both promote and profit from cleantech. China’s Solar Valley: biggest solar energy production base in world – SmartPlanet

May 22, 2010 Posted by | China, renewable | , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. to pre-announce missile tests,(with a loophole clause)

The United States … will provide pre-launch notification of commercial and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space launches as well as the majority of intercontinental ballistic and submarine-launched ballistic missile launches.

Obama decides to unilaterally announce secret U.S. missile tests, satellite launches  Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2010, President Obama has decided to pre-announce to the world once-secret American ballistic missile tests and satellite launches.The Democratic administration’s goal is to show a friendlier face to other countries and to coax Russia to do the same. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by | USA, weapons and war | , , , , | Leave a comment

U.N. Non Proliferation Conference stumbling over Middle East, Israeli weapons

US nuclear talks risk collapse over Middle East plan Wrangling over goal of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East threatens to bring month-long conference to halt  Ed Pilkington in New York * guardian.co.uk,   19 May 2010 2
A month-long conference in New York to shore up the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and prevent the global spread of atomic weapons is faced with possible collapse owing to wrangling over the goal of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international | Leave a comment

Russia’s nuclear power sales now going to Bangladesh

Dhaka signs deal with Moscow on nuclear power The Daily Star, 22 May 2010, DhakaBangladesh on Friday signed a crucial framework agreement with Russia on cooperation for its maiden nuclear power plant.A foreign office statement said State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman signed the Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes with Director General of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation or “Rosatom” Sergey Kirienko, former Russian prime minister, in Moscow.

Dhaka signs deal with Moscow on nuclear power

May 22, 2010 Posted by | ASIA, business and costs | , , , | Leave a comment

UK could save billions by cutting back on Trident nuclear submatrines

Billions could be saved by scaling down Trident | Reuters(Reuters) 22 May 2010,  – Britain may be able to save about 11 billion pounds in defence costs if it were to end its policy of keeping at least one nuclear armed-submarine at sea at all times, a prominent defence think-tank said.UK | David CameronDefence spending is a prime candidate for cuts as Prime Minister David Cameron seeks ways to reduce a budget deficit set to reach 163 billion pounds this financial year.Cameron’s government outlined plans on Thursday to reduce the deficit, before an emergency budget due on June 22, including cutting defence ministry running costs by 25 percent.Controversy has swirled around Britain’s submarine-based nuclear weapons system, or Trident, with the Liberal Democrat party, the junior partner in the new coalition government, arguing that it should be replaced with a cheaper alternative.The Conservative Party, the coalition’s senior partner, wants to keep Trident.

Billions could be saved by scaling down Trident | Reuters

May 22, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, UK | , , | Leave a comment

U.S. nuclear power loan guarantee goes to French company AREVA

DOE Picks Areva for Nuclear Facility – WSJ.co By CASSANDRA SWEET 21 May 2010, Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.The U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday that it has approved a $2 billion loan guarantee for French nuclear power developer, AREVA.

“…..The loan guarantee is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to stimulate the development of a U.S. supply base for producing enriched uranium.

A condition of the loan guarantee is that Areva obtain a combined construction and operating license for the Idaho facility from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The French state owns directly and indirectly around 93% of Areva…..the decision to award Areva a guarantee drew criticism from Ohio, where USEC has a partly-constructed enrichment facility. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R.,Ohio) said the DOE’s decision contradicts a promise by President Obama “to support the American company applicant and build a facility in Ohio.” Ms. Schmidt estimated that the Ohio plant would create 4,000 jobs. DOE Taps Areva to Build Enrichment Plant – WSJ.com

May 22, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear plant in Georgia faces more safety inspections

Regulators step up inspections of Ga. nuke plant By RAY HENRY Google hosted news, (AP) –  22 May, 2010, ATLANTA — A nuclear power plant operated by The Southern Co. will face more federal inspections because the electronics controlling an emergency power system on one of its reactors failed to work, federal regulators said Friday.The problems affected an automatic control system for one of the diesel generators attached to a nuclear reactor at Plant Hatch near Baxley in southeast Georgia. The commission said the problem was a low-to-moderate safety risk and ordered an additional round of inspections since it previously identified another problem at the plant related to an emergency diesel generator.In a February report, NRC inspectors said the plant failed to satisfy preventive maintenance requirements on parts of the electrical system that automatically start up the backup diesel generators. The power plant relies on power from those generators to safety shut down its nuclear reactor should the plant lose electricity. The Associated Press: Regulators step up inspections of Ga. nuke plant

May 22, 2010 Posted by | safety | , , | Leave a comment