2010 August 05 « nuclear-news

Wildfire danger to Russia’s top secret nuclear facility

Russian Wildfire Threatens Nuclear Facility, Voice of America, James Brooke | Moscow, 5 Aug 2010, As record hot temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius continue to bake Russia, wildfires threaten the nation’s nuclear-weapons laboratory and other military facilities. A thick haze of wood smoke blankets Moscow……
Eight firefighting planes and 20 trucks are helping to keep flames out of Sarov, the location of the country’s top-secret nuclear research facility and a city closed to foreigners……..

Russian Wildfire Threatens Nuclear Facility | Europe | English

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Continuing issue of smuggling of Highly Enriched Uranium

The Georgian ministry of interior has foiled eight attempts of illicit trafficking of enriched uranium during the last ten years, including several cases of weapons-grade enrichment.”

Nuclear Smuggling in the Former Soviet Union, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Rizwan Ladha , 4 Aug 2010, “……..In 2006, a North Ossetian man named Oleg Khintsagov (sometimes spelled Khinsagov) was arrested for selling 100 grams of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to an undercover Georgian official. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison. An excellent detailed report of the entire episode (in PDF format) is available from the Belfer Center here, and is covered briefly in the new feature film, Countdown to Zero. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, secrets,lies and civil liberties, Uranium | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

The end of USA’s nuclear resuscitation dream?

Constellation has even stated it could completely shut down operations in Maryland by the end of the year if it hadn’t received a federal guarantee……

The U.S. nuclear renaissance coming to an end already ? POWER GEN, by Brian Wheeler. August, 4 2010 – While the United States nuclear industry is continuing on its path to expand, there seems to be a roadblock for some companies. Cost. The capital cost for nuclear power plants is not cheap and this had led to some companies cutting back spending and even looking at canceling planned new nuclear development. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Medical scanners’radiation overdoses, but Toshiba still wants nuclear taxpayer funds

the overdoses were larger and more widespread than previously known, with patients reporting serious health problems. They face long-term risks of cancer and brain damage…..Given the information emerging about Toshiba’s safety record, is that [funding] a risk U.S. taxpayers want to take?

Company seeking nuclear subsidies under investigation for radiation overdoses to stroke patients, FACING SOUTH, By Sue Sturgis August 4, 2010 The U.S. Senate could vote as soon as next month on a proposal to give $9 billion in taxpayer-backed loan guarantees to companies planning to build new nuclear reactors — and one of the companies seeking the aid for a project in Texas is currently under federal investigation for its role in the radiation overdoses of patients who received CT scans on its equipment. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

USA Dept of Energy wants to offload weapons plutonium onto commercial reactors

The Department of Energy is looking for ways to dispose of plutonium from nuclear weapons….Ed Lyman, senior staff scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the mixed-oxide fuel is “too dirty, dangerous and expensive.”

TVA hears public worries over Ala. plant plutonium – BusinessWeek, 4 Aug 2010, TANNER, Ala. A public hearing on the Tennessee Valley Authority possibly using reprocessed weapons plutonium to power some reactors in north Alabama and Tennessee attracted about 70 people, many with questions about safety. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, USA | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, reactors, reprocessing | Leave a comment

Public anxiety over plan to use plutonium fuel in Browns Ferry reactors

The plutonium in MOX also makes fuel rods less stable, Lyman said. That increases the chance of a reactor meltdown. Not only is such a meltdown more likely, he said, but the use of plutonium would increase the number of fatalities by about 25 percent compared to a meltdown involving conventional fuel rods.

(USA) Crowd expresses concern over plutonium proposal, The Times Daily | Florence, AL, By Eric Fleischauer Decatur Daily, August 4, 2010 . A frustrated crowd of about 60 people confronted TVA and Energy Department officials at a public hearing Tuesday, and few expressed comfort with a proposal to use plutonium in Browns Ferry reactors. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, plutonium, radiation, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Plan to ship radioactive bus-sized nuclear generators across Greatr Lakes

Opponents of the plan argue that the school-bus sized generators are too dangerous to ship across waterways that millions of people in Canada and the U.S. rely on for drinking water. Some worry that it will also open up the lakes as a main thoroughfare for other nuclear shipments.

Public hearing delays planned nuclear shipment, Montreal Gazette, 4 Aug 2010, TORONTO — A controversial plan to ship 16 aging radioactive steam generators across Ontario’s Great Lakes has been delayed so a public hearing can take place. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, opposition to nuclear | antinuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Time for a positive step with Iran nuclear deal?

The perhaps best indicator would be Iran’s willingness to allow full, open, and unrestricted IAEA inspections of its confirmed and suspected nuclear facilities. That would be the first step toward what could be a watershed deal in engaging Iran with the outside world and scaling back the nuclear program threatening Middle Eastern and global security.

Why Iran Might Finally Be Ready for a Nuclear Deal – International – The Atlantic, Max Fisher, 28 July, 2010, It’s difficult to know how seriously to take Iran’s offer to halt its program of enriching medical-grade uranium in exchange for a nuclear fuel swap. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactor, uranium | Leave a comment

lingering radioactivity affects worker

The site south of Buffalo housed a nuclear fuel reprocessing operation from 1966 to 1972. Uranium and plutonium were extracted from spent fuel. Cleanup has been ongoing since the 1980s.

NY nuke site worker had slight radiation exposure – BusinessWeek, WEST VALLEY, N.Y., 4 Aug 2010, A worker at a New York nuclear cleanup site had to be decontaminated after moisture seeped through her protective clothing while she was cleaning a floor, exposing her to a slight amount of radiation. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, plutonium, radiation, radioactive, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Inadequate screening of nuclear workers

The NRC is still deciding whether to give the plant final approval.

NRC to begin inspection at Ga. nuclear work site – BusinessWeek, 5 Aug 2010, Federal regulators will start an inspection after workers were improperly screened at the construction site of a proposed nuclear power plant in eastern Georgia. Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, reactors | Leave a comment

Fire at UK nuclear weapons factory

Residents evacuated after fire at UK’s main nuclear weapons factory, Telegraph UK, 4 Aug 2010, Residents located near Britain’s main nuclear weapons factory were forced to evacuate after a fire broke out in one of the plant’s buildings. By Andrew Hough An investigation has been launched into what sparked the blaze at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, Berks, which maintains the warheads for the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent…….
Both Thames Valley Police and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service declined to comment.

In December ministers sold off the Government’s last remaining one-third ownership to a Californian engineering company.

Residents evacuated after fire breaks out at UK’s nuclear weapons factory – Telegraph

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Nuclear disarmament movement revving up

The nuclear disarmament movement has taken on new momentum, especially in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only two cities to ever suffer a nuclear attack.

Ban, Okada confirm effort to eradicate nukes,The Japan Times Online, Aug. 4, 2010, By MASAMI ITOS U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon confirmed Tuesday with Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada that Japan and the world body will aim for the abolition of nuclear weapons…… Continue reading →

August 5, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, disarmament, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment