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Ontario politicians want permanent ban on nuclear transport over Great Lakes

Ontario NDP calls for ban on nuclear shipments on Canal, Great Lakes, Siobhan Morris, 610 CKTB News5/18/2011 The provincial NDP is asking the McGuinty government to permanently squash shipment of steam generators across the Welland Canal and Great Lakes. Environment Critic for the New Democrats, Peter Tabuns raised the issue at Queen’s Park Wednesday. Tuesday, Bruce Power pulled its request for US permission for a shipment from Owen Sound to Sweden. They need that approval because the trek would take boats into American waters.Bruce Power hit pause on the project in Canada in March. The company said the delay was to allow more time to discuss their plan with concerned groups, especially First Nations. Environmental groups & Great Lakes mayors worry about contamination of drinking water should there be an accident. Tabuns says the government has failed in its basic duty to protect the citizens of Ontario. He wants to know why it has not asked for an environmental assessment of the plan……News Talk 610 CKTB :: Ontario NDP calls for ban on nuclear shipments on Canal, Great Lakes :: Local News – Story

May 19, 2011 Posted by | Canada, politics | Leave a comment

Inadequate radiation testing of Fukushima nuclear workers

Radiation tests lacking / Nuclear plant workers unsure of internal exposure levels, The Yomiuri Shimbun, 19 may 11, Nearly two months after the start of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, only 10 percent of workers there had been tested for internal radiation exposure caused by inhalation or ingestion of radioactive substances, due to a shortage of testing equipment available for them.

Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crippled nuclear compound, is finding it impossible to use testing apparatus set up inside the facility because of high radiation levels recorded near the equipment.

A number of personnel working to overcome the nuclear crisis at the facility are increasingly alarmed by their lack of internal exposure testing. Some have said they may have to continue to work at the facility without knowing whether their radiation exposure levels have exceeded the upper limit set by the government……Radiation tests lacking / Nuclear plant workers unsure of internal exposure levels : National : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)

May 19, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, health, Japan | Leave a comment

Congressman calls for moratorium on licenses for nuclear reactors

Markey highlighted several key findings as evidence that the NRC should immediately suspend all pending nuclear reaction licensing applications until the following issues are addressed:……

Markey introduced legislation (HR 1242) that would impose a moratorium on new nuclear reactor licenses or license extensions until the facilities adopt new safety measures…..

Markey Cites New Report to Call For Nuclear Moratorium, Fire Engineering, By Chad Brand, CQ Staff Congressional Quarterly Homeland SecurityMay 16, 2011The fallout of the continuing crisis at Japan’s Fukushima power plant has Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., warning that the United States is not doing enough to ensure the safety of it own nuclear facilities. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

USA has 23 nuclear reactors the same type as Fukushima

Interview with Akira Tokuhiro, Nuclear Engineer: Fukushima and the Mass Media HUFFINGTON POST, Vivian Norris, 19 May “……..There are 23 reactors in the U.S. like the one in Fukushima. It takes a lot of money to build a reactor but then it becomes a money-maker once it is paid off and is run for as long as possible making as much profit as possible. This MUST become about our common future, and it does require an international effort. This is NOT a Wall Street bailout, this is much more serious and needs immediate attention and action. We MUST put the future of humanity and our planet before constant profits and crazy out of control capitalism. A great deal of information has finally been coming out these past few days and if you need more information on the technical aspects of the core meltdowns and explanations which are updated fairly often, please follow Arnie Gunderson at http://www.fairewinds.com
Vivian Norris: Interview with Akira Tokuhiro, Nuclear Engineer: Fukushima and the Mass Media

May 19, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

A good business move for Japan – from nuclear to solar?

new solutions for solar power installation in Japan’s relatively small geographic areas. “The [irradiated] agricultural land near the Fukushima power plant is no longer usable, so why don’t we convert that into solar plants?” …alculation from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology: “Rice produced on one hectare of land yields a yearly revenue of 1.58 million yen, while a solar plant on the same surface would generate a revenue of 7.5 million yen.”

Why Japan’s Shift Away from Nuclear Is Good for Business,  TIME,  By Lucy Birmingham / Tokyo Wednesday, May 18, 2011 “…….New legislation is expected to help diversify the nation’s energy portfolio. A new feed-in tariff (FIT) will oblige utility companies to buy all the power generated through renewable sources connected to a grid, at fixed, premium rates. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | decentralised, Japan | 1 Comment

America losing the chance to switch from nuclear power to renewables

The U.S. is obviously not going to build many new nuclear plants — but time is running out for us to jump on the clean-energy bandwagon.”….

Why They Don’t — and Can’t — Get It Right HUFFINGTON POST Carl Pope,  05/17/11 ….pattern of obviously foolish risks reflects the behavior of not just one company but of many — it’s simply how the nuclear industry operates.

And the industry clearly doesn’t want more effective oversight. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

False sense of security as Tepco misleads public on Fukushima nulclear cleanup

Tepco Misleading Public Over Nuclear Crisis,  Bloomberg, By Tsuyoshi Inajima and Yuji Okada – May 17, 2011 Tokyo Electric Power Co. has made misleading statements about when it will stabilize its nuclear reactors crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, said Tetsuo Ito, head of the Atomic Energy Research Institute at Kinki University in western Japan.

The company, known as Tepco, yesterday reiterated the schedule on its so-called road map announced a month ago to achieve cold shutdown of the three radiation-leaking reactors as early as October. Setting a timetable without knowing the condition of the reactor cores doesn’t make sense, Ito said in a phone interview from Osaka.

“Only after understanding what’s going on inside the buildings and reactors, will it be clear what parts of the timetable are achievable,” Ito said. “Devising a road map without that will give the public a false sense of security.”…..Tepco Misleading Public Over Nuclear Crisis – Bloomberg

May 19, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011 | Leave a comment

Backscatter Airport Radiation Tests Were Faked

Even physics professors question the TSA’s obvious cover-up

The evidence of the TSA’s fakery is now obvious thanks to the revelations of a letter signed by five professors from the University of California, San Francisco and Arizona State University.

TSA Backscatter Radiation Safety Tests Were Rigged, Lew Rockwell.com, by Mike Adams , 18 May 11 It can now be revealed by NaturalNews that the TSA faked its safety data on its X-ray airport scanners in order to deceive the public about the safety of such devices. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, technology, USA | Leave a comment

Navajo in Washington to fight uranium mining

Navajo group bringing attention to uranium mining,  Forbes.com, By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN , 05.17.11,  TALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Members of a Navajo group opposed to uranium mining on New Mexico land surrounded by the sprawling Navajo reservation traveled to Washington, D.C., on Monday to bring attention to their fight.Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Friday. The petition alleges human rights violations and seeks to overturn the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to grant a mining license to Hydro Resources Inc…..The company has plans to develop claims near the Navajo communities of Church Rock and Crownpoint…..”We know the current governor isn’t particularly interested in listening to Native communities or protecting natural resources. We don’t see ourselves as having any recourse with the state,” said Eric Jantz, an attorney with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, which filed the petition on behalf of the group.……Navajo group bringing attention to uranium mining – Forbes.com

May 19, 2011 Posted by | indigenous issues, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

“Blue Ribbon” Panel wants a powerful new govt agency to set up a nuclear waste dump

the commission also urged creation of a new government agency with the sole purpose of selecting the locations of the proposed interim storage and repository facilities. The proposed agency should be given the necessary financial and institutional resources, as well as sufficient authority, to make its policies stick……

Panel urges centralized storage facility and permanent repository for nuclear waste , David KramerBy Physics Today on May 17, 2011, A recommendation has been made by the commission formed to advise the Obama administration on what to do with the spent nuclear fuel from the nation’s commercial reactors: The material should be consolidated at an above-ground storage facility while a new search is carried out to find a permanent geological repository. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Uranium mining could poison Roanoke River for generations

“This uranium operation would generate millions of tons of toxic, cancer-causing waste,” said Peter Raabe of American Rivers. “We’re talking about a radioactive legacy that would last for generations.”

The General Assembly banned uranium mining soon after the uranium was discovered more than 25 years ago.

Possible uranium mining puts Roanoke River on nation’s ‘most endangered’ list, The Washington Post, By Anita Kuma, 18 May, The mere threat of possible uranium mining in Southside Virginia has landed the Roanoke River on a list of the nation’s most endangered waterways.The conservation organization American Rivers said the possibility of lifting a statewide ban on uranium mining would threaten the river and other rivers as well as drinking water supplies in the region. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | environment, USA | Leave a comment

USA ratepayers have already paid $billions for nuclear waste discussions

Controversy Surrounds Plans For Spent Nuclear Fuel, KTVU San Francisco, May 17, 2011 SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A political, legal and environmental fight is brewing over what to do with spent nuclear fuel. The final decision made by the federal government it may change the direction of the nation’s energy policy.Last week a Presidential commission recommended in a preliminary draft report that the United States should build one or more above ground storage sites for high level nuclear waste. Lawmakers and environmentalists are already sparring over what to do next. But KTVU has learned the controversy has already cost ratepayers billions of dollars. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Germany to set harsh nuclear safety rules

Germany tightens nuclear rules, FT.com By Gerrit Wiesmann in Berlin  May 18 2011  The German government on Tuesday signalled it will set harsh safety requirements for the country’s 17 nuclear power stations as it searches for ways to bring forward the final phase-out of the power source from 2036……FT.com / Europe – Germany tightens nuclear rules

May 19, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

For Hanford -a football field, 7 feet deep, of highly radioactive waste?

The projected amount of waste is relatively low, enough to cover a football field 7 feet deep. But the radioactivity is high: 160 million curies, more than three-quarters of the radiation contained in 177 leak-prone underground tanks at Hanford. Those tanks are the focus of the nation’s largest nuclear cleanup project. …

Opponents, including Heart of America Northwest and the state of Oregon, say Hanford is the wrong place to bring the waste given the ongoing cleanup and the potential for radioactive contamination of the Columbia.

Permanent storage of highly radioactive nuclear waste at Hanford to be debated , May 17, 2011,  By Scott Learn, The Oregonian  A Department of Energy proposal that could bring more radioactive waste to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, including contaminated metal from decommissioned U.S. nuclear power plants, gets a public airing in Portland Thursday night. Continue reading →

May 19, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Childhood leakaemias near nuclear plants – NOT caused by “virus”

Across Europe a number of studies have reported increased rates of childhood leukaemia around other nuclear facilities. In 1992, the German Childhood Cancer Registry found a statistically significant increased incidence rate for leukaemias among children below five years of age within the 5-km-zone around nuclear sites. A second study was published in 1997, and again found increased childhood leukaemias near nuclear plants….

Further analysis of the KiKK study by the German Expert Group went on to state that childhood cancer near to nuclear power plant sites was actually underestimated by the KiKK researchers – and so the risks are considerably above those reported.

Why UK nuclear power plants may cause childhood cancer and leukaemia, The Ecologist, Dr Paul Dorfman, 16th May, 2011You won’t hear the UK government admit it but after decades of research there is now evidence of real excesses of childhood cancer and leukaemia near some nuclear facilities, argues Dr Paul Dorfman Continue reading →

May 17, 2011 Posted by | Germany, health, spinbuster | 2 Comments

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