2011 July « nuclear-news

USA Republicans use budget Bill to promote Grand Canyon uranium mining

The Interior spending bill now goes to the full House for approval. If it passes — as expected, on a largely party-line vote — the Senate should make certain that none of the anti-environmental provisions survive in the final appropriations bill. And President Obama should veto any legislation that includes them.

EDITORIAL: Protect the Grand Canyon, House Republicans target a mining moratorium, Register Guard, July 14, Congressional Republicans are continuing their assault on the nation’s environmental safeguards with a proposal to reverse a recently imposed 20-year ban on mining 1 million acres bordering the Grand Canyon.

Democrats were unable to strip this rapacious proposal from an Interior spending bill that was approved Tuesday by the House Appropriations Committee. Never mind that 3,500 mining claims have been filed in the Grand Canyon area alone. Never mind that uranium mining would generate toxic wastes that would pollute the Colorado River, on which millions of Americans rely for drinking water. Continue reading →

July 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Uranium, USA | 2 Comments

Health impact of Fukushima radiation will come many years later

“Many people really don’t care because they cannot see the radiation, they cannot smell the radiation,” …

“But the impact of the radiation will come maybe 10 years later.

“It will be a silent killer into the future.”

Fukushima a future silent killer – expert, Herald Sun, AAP , July 15, 2011, JAPAN’S Fukushima nuclear disaster is a silent killer that will claim lives for years to come, an anti-nuclear campaigner from Tokyo says., Rikiya Adachi, who also lectures on Peace Studies at the National University of Japan, recently toured the area north of Japanese capital that had been affected by the nuclear incident and high radiation levels.

He said it was disturbing to see many people still living close to the exclusion zone despite the serious risk to their health after the nuclear meltdown sparked by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11….. Continue reading →

July 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

Pakistan wants to join the nuclear power cartel

Pakistan wants to join Nuclear Suppliers Group, The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2011., By Zia Khan, ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has offered to join four nuclear export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group, if the international community recognises it as a nuclear weapons state, but remains unwilling to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

At a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, the country’s top political and military leadership said Pakistan wished to be part of global non-proliferation efforts but only if it was accepted as a nuclear weapons state…..

Foreign Office spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua later told The Express Tribune that Pakistan was willing to join four ‘technology cartels’ that control the international trade of nuclear and missile technologies: the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Australia and the Wassenaar groups.

The MTCR and the NSG deal with the international trade of missile and nuclear technologies while the Australia and the Wassenaar groups manage trade in conventional small weapons and various materials used in the manufacturing of arms respectively.

Janjua said Pakistan’s ‘principled’ position on Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was the same. About NPT, she added that Islamabad considered it as a ‘discriminatory’ arrangement and will not sign the CTBT unless the United States and India do the same….http://tribune.com.pk/story/210107/pakistan-wants-to-join-nuclear-suppliers-group/

July 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Pakistan | 1 Comment

Rossing uranium mine workers on strike for fairer pay

“It is the second largest employer after Namdeb. Rössing already made a loss last year, so this is big stuff.”

Rössing workers defy court order, Namibian 15 July 11, By: DENVER KISTING, YESTERDAY afternoon, Rössing Uranium employees ignored an order by Judge President Petrus Damaseb, who had ruled that their three-day strike was illegal and they must return to work immediately.

This means that by this morning, the accumulated loss for the uranium giant as a result of the strike amounted to approximately N$22,5 million. In court papers filed at the High Court in Windhoek yesterday, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mpho Mothoa, said Rössing has lost approximately N$2,5 million per shift. It has three shifts per day. Continue reading →

July 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | employment, Namibia, Uranium | Leave a comment

$20 million budget for NRC to review licensing application for Yucca Mt as radioactive waste repositary

House increases money for nuclear waste review, Fuel Fix, July 14, WASHINGTON — The House has approved more money to review an application to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, deviating from the Barack Obama administration effort to kill the project.

The 297-130 vote on an amendment to an energy spending bill doubles from $10 million to $20 million the budget for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review a licensing application for the Yucca operation.

Some $15 billion has been spent over the past several decades to prepare Yucca Mountain as the central burying point for the nation’s nuclear waste, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has long opposed the project and Obama has followed through on a campaign promise to shut down the project. His administration has sought to withdraw the government application to build the dump……http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/07/14/house-increases-money-for-nuclear-waste-review/

Associated Press

July 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

UN Security Council not taking action on allegations about Syria’s nukes

Security Council Agrees to Disagree About Syria Nuclear Program, IsraelNationalNews.15 July 11 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday brought its allegations of covert atomic work by Syria before the UN Security Council, but the 15-nation body took no immediate action, Reuters reported. Last September, IAEA said that Syria had refused to allow UN inspectors to visitDair Alzour, the nuclear facility that was meant to produce plutonium and which was bombed by the Israeli Air Force while still under construction in 2007.

The IAEA’s report expressed concern that should Syria continue to stonewall the investigation, “some of the necessary information may deteriorate or be lost entirely.”In June, the IAEA’s board of governors voted to report Syria to the Security Council over its behavior.

Reuters reported that during Thursday’s closed-door briefing by Neville Whiting, head of the IAEA safeguards department dealing with Syria and Iran, it was made clear that Syria had a secretnuclear plant.But despite this, Syria’s close allies Russia and China queried whether the Council should be involved, as the Syrian complex no longer exists…..http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145741

July 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Syria | Leave a comment

Court action in Germany aimed at removing USA nuclear warheads

Activist takes Germany to court over nuclear warheads , Gabriel Borrud, Deutsche Welle, 15 July 11, Retired pharmacist versus Germany: a Cologne court has begun hearing the case of an activist intent on having Germany remove US nuclear warheads being stored at a military base located in western Germany. Continue reading →

July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, Legal | Leave a comment

USA govt to pay up for victims of Hanford Nuclear radiation

The government indemnified the contractors, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. and General Electric Co., and is on the hook for their legal fees (which now total about $60 million), and damages. …..Plaintiffs contend that the radiation caused cancer and other illnesses, including hypothyroidism,

After Two Decades of Litigation, Energy Department Settles 139 Hanford Radiation Claims, BLT – THE BLOG OF LEGAL TIMES, JULY 13, 2011 The Department of Energy has tentatively agreed to settle 139 suits brought by people who claim that radiation from the now-shuttered Hanford Nuclear Reservation gave them thyroid disease. Continue reading →

July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | 1 Comment

Offshore wind energy for France

France says ‘oui’ to offshore wind energy, Smart Planet, By Melissa Mahony | July 13, 2011, Nuclear plants often spring to mind when thinking of the French electric power regime. But the country is dipping its toes into the Atlantic and English Channel for some of its energy needs, joining a few of its neighbors in the offshore wind business. Across Europe, offshore wind farms have a total capacity of almost 3,000 megawatts, according to the EWEA. By 2020, France hopes to add 6,000 megawatts to it.

On Monday, the French government began asking for project proposals for 5 zones off the northern and western coasts near Saint-Nazaire and Le Tréport, respectively. The $14 billion call did not go unanswered. Six companies (Dong Energy, EDF Energies Nouvelles, Alstom,Nass&Wind Offshore, Poweo ENR, and wpd offshore) have been gearing up to go to sea. They announced a consortium yesterday to help get the country’s first offshore turbines built, up and whirring….

France has been looking to expand its renewable portfolio, even toying with the idea of abandoning its notable nuclear program. In 2010….its first wind turbines could hit the water as early as 2015. Alstom says it hopes to design, manufacture, and assemble the turbines all in France using French technology…..http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/france-says-8216oui-to-offshore-wind-energy/7604

July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, renewable | Leave a comment

A nuclear free society is the goal, says Japan’s Prime Minister

Kan says Japan Should Become Nuclear-Free Society,July 13th, 2011, Voice of America, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says Japan should begin working to build a society that can function without nuclear power.

Mr. Kan proposed a wide-ranging review of Japan’s energy policies at a news conference Wednesday. He said a long-awaited bill to boost the use of renewable energy sources will be introduced to parliament on Thursday.

The prime minister acknowledged his responsibility to make sure there is adequate power available for homes and industry. But he said the dangers exposed by the four-month-old disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant demonstrated the need to build a society that is not dependent on nuclear energy.

Mr. Kan said it will take 10 to 20 years before the clean-up at the Fukushima plant can be completed…..

July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

New report recommends renewable energy promotion to combat climate change

Embrace renewable energy: Suzuki, Go-slow approach to fracking; Switching from coal, oil to natural gas won’t meet G8 targets, says report, If Canada wants to combat climate change, it should promote the use of renewable energies like wind and solar power instead of natural gas, a new report says, Montreal Gazette, By MONIQUE BEAUDIN, The Gazette July 14, 2011

While switching from coal and oil to natural gas would cut greenhouse gas emissions in the short term, it wouldn’t be enough to meet the G8 target of cutting emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, says the report by the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute.

And extracting natural gas – especially controversial shale gas – will likely have other environmental impacts such as water contamination, increased air pollution and increased water consumption, the report says. Canada is the third-largest producer of natural gas in the world….. You can download Is Natural Gas a Climate Change Solution for Canada atdavidsuzuki.org/publica tions/reports/2011 or pembina.org/pubs

July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, renewable | Leave a comment

Changes needed in USA nuclear reactors, says govt panel

Govt panel: Changes needed at U.S. nuclear plants. Salon.com, BY DINA CAPPIELLO, 14 July 11 Calling the Japan nuclear disaster “unacceptable,” an expert task force convened by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that nuclear power plants in the U.S. need better protections for rare, catastrophic events.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommends 12 changes at domestic reactors to help prevent Fukushima repeat

The series of recommendations, included in portions of a 90-page report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, will reset the level of protection at the nation’s 104 nuclear reactors after the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl by making them better prepared for incidents that they were not initially designed to handle.

The report will be formally presented to the full commission next week. NRC staff will continue to examine the safety of nuclear power in the U.S. as part of a six-month investigation.

The panel will tell the commission that nuclear plant operators should be ordered to re-evaluate their earthquake and flood risk, add equipment to address simultaneous damage to multiple reactors and make sure electrical power and instruments are in place to monitor and cool spent fuel pools after a disaster……http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/07/14/us_japan_nuclear_safety_report

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July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

UK’s Chris Huhne two faced on nuclear energy subsidies

Do Chris Huhne’s proposed reforms subsidise nuclear energy? 14 July, 2011 Matt Lech, Full Fact.org, Following the publication of the Electricity Market Reform White Paper on 12 July, the issue of subsidies to nuclear power resurfaced in the House of Commons as Chris Huhne addressed the Commons.

Labour MP Paul Flynn asked, “Can the Minister really say that he is going ahead without subsidy? He seemed to be saying today, “We’re going to have subsidies for all nuclear and new nuclear, but call them something else.”….

according to Encyclopædia Britannica, price floors are considered “indirect” subsidies, which arise when governments, among other actions, “maintain higher prices through manipulation of markets”. Other forms of indirect subsidy include price ceilings, tariffs, and tax concessions.

It is important to reiterate that the price floor doesn’t only benefit nuclear energy, but all low-carbon energy providers. Nuclear energy will benefit more than other low-carbon sources, though, because it produces more electricity….http://fullfact.org/blog/chris_huhne_nuclear_energy_subsidy-2822
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July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | Leave a comment

Ontario should keep Green Energy Act – for progress and jobs

Ontario urged not to scrap renewable energy policy, SHAWN MCCARTHY, OTTAWA— Globe and Mail , Jul. 14 2011 , Ontario has become a global leader in the clean-energy business and killing the government program that is driving investment in wind and solar industries would be a mistake, says the head of a leading progressive American think tank.

With a fall election looming, Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak has vowed to abolish the Green Energy Act, under which renewable energy producers receive premium prices for their power in exchange for commitments to procure goods and services in the province. The producers are paid a special rate, known as a feed-in tariff. Defenders of the renewable energy policy have enlisted John Podesta, former adviser to President Barack Obama and founder of the influential Washington-based Center for American Progress.

In a meeting with The Globe and Mail’s editorial board, Mr. Podesta said that if the Green Energy Act is abolished, Ontario would be throwing away an opportunity to be a leader in an industry that is gaining momentum around the world, especially in economic powerhouses like Germany and China.

“I think it would be a mistake for Ontario” to repeal the Green Energy Act, he said. “I would think that there’s a strong case to be made given the job growth that’s already been had in Ontario and looking at the energy platforms across the globe in the future, that going backwards is really not the right answer.”….http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ontario-urged-not-to-scrap-renewable-energy-policy/article2096481/

July 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

Powerful nuclear clique opposes Japan Prime Minister’s renewable energy push

Kan told reporters yesterday. “We should reduce nuclear dependency in a planned, step-by-step manner and eventually we can do without atomic energy.”

“Japan’s nuclear village is worried and they’re extremely well connected,” Kingston, head ofTemple University’s Asian Studies program at its Tokyo campus, said in a phone interview. “They’re out to get Kan and it’s not because he’s that incompetent. What worries them is that he’s been making provocative statements that trample on very powerful toes.”….“All these things hit at the heart of the nuclear village and they’re not going down without a fight,” said Kingston,

fight,” said Kingston,