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Scotland: opposition to radioactive shipload

Nuclear cargo ignites ‘alarm’ in U.K. Bruce Power’s spent generators headed to Europe By RANDY BOSWELL, Postmedia News February 16, 2011 It’s been controversially approved for a Great Lakes crossing by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, but a radioactive shipload of decommissioned steam generators from Ontario’s Bruce Power plant is now headed for a rough ride overseas, where a coalition of British municipalities is urging the U.K. government to prevent the atomic cargo from passing close to Ireland and Scotland.
The Nuclear Free Local Authorities, an umbrella group that includes 75 local governments throughout the British Isles, has expressed its “deep alarm” that the Canadian shipment of “highly radioactive waste” -16 retired generators, each the size of a school bus -is expected to skirt the U.K. coastline sometime this year en route to a Swedish recycling plan
About 90 per cent of the steel is to be decontaminated at the Studsvik recycling facility in Sweden and sold in world metal markets. The remaining radioactive material will be shipped back to Canada for long-term storage at the Bruce Power nuclear station, located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, about 250 kilometres northwest of Toronto Nuclear cargo ignites ‘alarm’ in U.K.

February 16, 2011 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, UK | Leave a comment

Blockade of nuclear transport in Germany

Environmentalists protest transportation of nuclear wastes – PTI, 16 Feb 2011, -Environmentalists in Germany announced that they would extend their protest against the transportation and recycling of nuclear waste near residential areas and insist on it being stored in a nuclear deposit. Continue reading →

February 16, 2011 Posted by | Germany, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Wikileaks: details on Egypt’s nuclear reactor contract

Contract Signed for Egypt’s First Nuclear Plant – Telegraph, 16 Feb 2011, “……….On June 18, 2009, WorleyParsons Ltd. signed a contract with the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Energy for the development of Egypt’s first Nuclear power plant. Ambassador Scobey, Australian Ambassador Stephanie Shwabsky, and Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif were present at the signing along with Worley’s President, Ron McNeilly and Dr. Rames Khalil, Worley’s Regional Power Manager for Egypt and Africa…….Contract Signed for Egypt’s First Nuclear Plant – Telegraph

February 16, 2011 Posted by | Egypt, Wikileaks | Leave a comment

Remembering a nuclear disaster: it could happen again

“Nuclear is still a highly unsafe form of energy,” says Greenpeace’s Steve Campbell. “There’s still no solution to radioactive waste, and it remains a threat for millennia. However, we now have proven and reliable energy alternatives to take its place, such as wind solar and geothermal.”.

The worst eco-catastrophes of all time By John PickrellABC Environment | 15 Feb 2011“……..3. Worst nuclear accident: Chernobyl (1986) On 26 April 1986 the number four reactor at a power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine exploded, vaporising 50 tonnes of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Continue reading →

February 16, 2011 Posted by | history, Ukraine | 1 Comment

Legal case over medical radiation

Richmond man sues over hospital scan Edmonton Journal February 15, 2011 A Richmond man claims he was over-exposed to radiation during a CT scan at Abbotsford Regional Hospital.In a civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Randy Kroeplin says he was placed in the scanner at the hospital on March 19, 2009.He says the scan appeared to stop halfway through the scan and he was left in the scanner for about 25 minutes. The scan commenced again and was finished about four minutes later. “As a result of the CT scan, the plaintiff was exposed to an unnecessary amount of radiation,” says the suit. Richmond man sues over hospital scan

February 16, 2011 Posted by | Canada, Legal | Leave a comment

USA govt wants Twitter to reveal details on its members

There is serious concern among Mr Assange’s legal team that other internet companies, including Google and Facebook, may have buckled under the US Patriot Act and surrendered their information without contest.

US targets Twitter in bid to trap Assange, Sydney Morning Herald, Paola Totaro in London, February 15, 2011 The US government’s legal hunt for Julian Assange will begin in a magistrates court in Virginia today when its Attorney General seeks a disclosure order on Twitter to obtain the names, dates and locations of anyone using its services to communicate with WikiLeaks. Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Concern over safety got nuclear regulator fired

Keen served as president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which shut down the nuclear reactor in Chalk River over safety concerns. The government said it had lost confidence in her and terminated her appointment.

Former nuclear regulator named to Eastern Ontario health authority By pauline tam, Ottawa Citizen February 14, 2011 Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | Canada, civil liberties | Leave a comment

Online freedom activists have details of nuclear-damaging Stuxnet worm

Late last month the Metropolitan police arrested and then released five people on bail, including three teenagers, it suspected of being involved in December attacks in support of WikiLeaks.

“Anonymous” claims to have Stuxnet access Online activists say they have details of worm that delayed Iran’s nuclear programme Josh Halliday guardian.co.uk, 14 February 2011 The “hacktivist” group Anonymous claims to have access to the sophisticated computer virus reportedly developed as a joint Israeli-US cyber attack against Iran‘s nuclear facilities. Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Jaitapur nuclear power electricity very expensive, and costs rising

The cost estimate, however, does not include fuel or maintenance costs, storage of hundreds of tonnes of the nuclear waste generated annually; also the cost of reactor decommissioning, which could amount to one-third to one-half of the construction cost. It also does not include the extensive additional physical security costs,

Power from Jaitapur nuclear plant won’t come cheap , Feb 14, 2011, By Alok Deshpande Mumbai DNA The electricity generated from the proposed 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) will be double, even triple the cost of electricity from coal- or gas-fired plants, according to a report. Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, India | 1 Comment

MOX – Britain’s failed attempt to deal with its plutonium problem

The problem is that Britain has the dubious distinction of being the world’s civilian plutonium capital, with 112 tons of it – about half the global total – almost all stored at Sellafield. It is there because, unlike in America, we “reprocess” our nuclear waste to extract plutonium. The idea was for it to power a new generation of “fast breeder” reactors, but the industry admits these are still half a century away, and so we are stuck with the stuff.

So the nuclear plant does not work, loses £90 million a year, and could be a security risk? Let’s build another, say ministers A bomb factory in our back yard, – Telegraph, UK, 14 Feb 2011, The so-called Mox plant could well go rogue, – Geoffrey Lean.

How’s this for timing? A week ago The Daily Telegraph published a confidential cable from the US embassy calling a controversial plant at Sellafield “one of Her Majesty’s Government’s most embarrassing failures in British industrial history”. Then, within days, ministers said they were minded to build another one like it. Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | reprocessing, UK | Leave a comment

Egypt has never come clean about its nuclear projects

Why has Egypt never come clean about the full scope of its nuclear activities and experimentation?…..

Egypt’s Nuclear Dimension, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Joe Cirincione, 13 Feb 2011, As a free Egypt transforms itself, analysts are nervously watching for signs of new nuclear ambitions. Concern revolves around three issues: Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | Egypt, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

UK govt’s underhand subsidies for nuclear industry

The groups called on the UK government to impose a windfall profits tax on nuclear power generation to clawback the potential windfall profits….The windfall to nuclear generators would follow “years of financial subsidies for nuclear energy, including a GBP10 billion public bailout of British Energy in 2002, and makes a mockery of the Coalition government’s stated opposition to any form of public subsidy for nuclear,”

Greenpeace, WWF say UK nuclear generators to get windfall profits,Barcelona (Platts), David Stellfox–14Feb2011 Greenpeace and WWF said Monday UK nuclear generators could win GBP3.43 billion ($5.48 billion) in windfall profits under government proposals to guarantee a minimum price for carbon emissions. Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | politics, UK | Leave a comment

UK coalition govt betraying promises on nuclear power

Firstly …transfers the huge risks associated with nuclear power to taxpayer….Secondly…planning to rig the carbon trading market in a move that will encourage the creation of nuclear power plants.”

(UK) Ministers are breaking their promise on subsidies for nuclear power,  Left Foot Forward,  15 Feb 2011“……. the Coalition Agreement on nuclear power. It’s pretty clear – no taxpayers’ money for new nuclear power. Energy secretary Chris Huhne – who in opposition called nuclear power a “failed technology” – elaborated on this shortly after taking the job, telling The Times (£): Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | politics, UK | Leave a comment

Yucca nuclear waste dump project to close soon

Obama budget confirms end of Yucca Mountain project –Las Vegas  ReviewJournal.com By Steve Tetreault Feb. 14, 2011  Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Under cover of the word “clean” US nuclear gets $36 billion

“We don’t think nuclear loan guarantees are a very good bet,” given the industry’s history of cost overruns, said Robert Cowin, a Washington representative for the Union of Concerned Scientists based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “The $36 billion the president has proposed is excessive.”

Obama Would Triple Guarantees for Nuclear Reactors, Bloomberg, By Simon Lomax and Jim Snyder – Feb 15, 2011 President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget almost triples U.S. loan guarantees for nuclear power-plant construction, funds development of a new breed of smaller reactors and spends more on “breakthrough” energy research. Continue reading →

February 15, 2011 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

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