2011 August 27 « nuclear-news

Nuclear power the vital issue in Japan’s leadership race

Nuclear power key topic in Japan leader race, Google News, 27 Aug 11 TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara who is vying to become Japan’s next prime minister says the country should stop building nuclear power plants.

Maehara appeared to take the clearest stand against nuclear power at a news conference Saturday where five ruling party members aiming to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan outlined their policy goals.

Another top contender for the job is Economy Minister Banri Kaieda. He says he plans to decommission aging nuclear plants found to have problems during stress tests.

Atomic energy is a key topic in Japan following the tsunami-spawned nuclear accident in March. The ruling Democratic party will vote Monday to select a new party chief, who will become prime minister — Japan’s sixth in five years….. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iNKIALDMeliTg7GD1i-HfddhNCLQ?docId=446239253def4a87bfa780998048a5de

August 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

USA nuclear plants and preparations for hurricanes

FACTBOX-U.S. nuclear plants in path of Hurricane Irene Aug 26, 2011 NEW YORK, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Nuclear power plants along the U.S. East Coast are bracing for the

impact of Hurricane Irene which is barreling toward North Carolina.
    Plant employees are securing equipment and readying extra staff for the weekend.
    Irene was located about 330 miles (530 km) south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as
a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles-per-hour (165 km/h) at 11 a.m. EDT.
[ID:nL4E7JQ33U]

Dominion Resources Inc (D.N: Quote), after shutting down its North Anna nuclear power station because

of an earthquake on Tuesday, is taking precautions at its other plants ahead of the storm.
    "We're going through the steps that we go through in anticipation of a major storm, making sure
everything is secure, that no loose material or construction material is hanging around and
checking staff," said Dan Genest, a spokesman in Richmond, Virginia.
    The two-unit, 1,950-megawatt North Anna nuclear plant  will remain shut through the storm. The
two-unit, 1,598-MW Surry plant was designed to withstand winds of 360 miles per hour.
    Dominion is required by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to shut down one of the units in
advance of a storm with hurricane force winds (Category 1 at 74 miles per hour) with 24 hours
advanced notice, Genest said.
    If a storm is expected to continue, Dominion would be required to shut down the second unit
with 12 hours advanced notice.
STATE         OWNER         PLANT                 UNIT TYPE                 MWE 
------
Connecticut   Dominion      Millstone Unit 2      Combustion Engineering    884
Connecticut   Dominion      Millstone Unit 3      WH Four-Loop            1,227
Maryland      Constellation Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 Combustion Engineering    873
Maryland      Constellation Calvert Cliffs Unit 2 Combustion Engineering    862
Massachusetts Entergy       Pilgrim               GE-Type 3                 685
New Hampshire Entergy       Seabrook              WH Four-Loop            1,295
New Jersey    PSEG Nuclear  Salem Unit 1          WH Four-Loop            1,174
New Jersey    PSEG Nuclear  Salem Unit 2          WH Four-Loop            1,130
New Jersey    Exelon        Oyster Creek          GE Type 2                 619
New York      Entergy       Indian Point 2        WH Four-Loop            1,020
New York      Entergy       Indian Point 3        WH Four-Loop            1,025
N. Carolina   Progress      Brunswick Unit 1      GE Type 4                 938
N. Carolina   Progress      Brunswick Unit 1      GE Type 4                 937
N. Carolina   Progress      Shearon Harris Unit 1 WH Two-Loop               900
Pennsylvania  Exelon        Limerick 1            GE Type 4               1,134
Pennsylvania  Exelon        Limerick 2            GE Type 4               1,134
Virginia      Dominion      Surry Unit 1          WH Three-Loop             799
Virginia      Dominion      Surry Unit 2          WH Three-Loop             799
Virginia      Dominion      North Anna Unit 1     WH Three-Loop             980.5
Virginia      Dominion      North Anna Unit 2     WH Three-Loop             972.9
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Connecticut Dominion Millstone Unit 2 Combustion Engineering 884 Connecticut Dominion Millstone Unit 3 WH Four-Loop 1,227 Maryland Constellation Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 Combustion Engineering 873 Maryland Constellation Calvert Cliffs Unit 2 Combustion Engineering 862 Massachusetts Entergy Pilgrim GE-Type 3 685 New Hampshire Entergy Seabrook WH Four-Loop 1,295 New Jersey PSEG Nuclear Salem Unit 1 WH Four-Loop 1,174 New Jersey PSEG Nuclear Salem Unit 2 WH Four-Loop 1,130 New Jersey Exelon Oyster Creek GE Type 2 619 New York Entergy Indian Point 2 WH Four-Loop 1,020 New York Entergy Indian Point 3 WH Four-Loop 1,025 N. Carolina Progress Brunswick Unit 1 GE Type 4 938 N. Carolina Progress Brunswick Unit 1 GE Type 4 937 N. Carolina Progress Shearon Harris Unit 1 WH Two-Loop 900 Pennsylvania Exelon Limerick 1 GE Type 4 1,134 Pennsylvania Exelon Limerick 2 GE Type 4 1,134 Virginia Dominion Surry Unit 1 WH Three-Loop 799 Virginia Dominion Surry Unit 2 WH Three-Loop 799 Virginia Dominion North Anna Unit 1 WH Three-Loop 980.5 Virginia Dominion North Anna Unit 2 WH Three-Loop 972.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Key: GE - General Electric WH - Westinghouse Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Reporting by Jeanine Prezioso and compiled by David Sheppard, Joshua Schneyer and Matthew Robinson in New York; Editing by Alden Bentley)

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFN1E77O0ZF20110826.

August 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment

108 million Americans at risk. The vulnerability of nuclear plants

VIDEO http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/campaign-blog/nuclear-plants-are-vulnerable-to-earthquakes-/blog/36524/ Nuclear plants are vulnerable to earthquakes, hurricanes, and attacks – are you at risk? Greenpeace, by Jim Riccio – August 26, 2011

108 million. That’s how many people live within 50 miles of a nuclear plant in the United States, as our new nuclear locator map shows. It’s an astonishing number. Every day one in three Americans go to work, school and church with the threat of a nuclear catastrophe looming in their own backyard. Continue reading →

August 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Japan’s government dumps radiation cleanup responsibility onto local municipalities

Local leaders steamed at government’s ‘buck-passing’ radiation decontamination plan Mainichi Daily News, 26 Aug 11 Local leaders in areas contaminated by the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant are angry and disappointed at the central government’s decontamination plan, which dumps much of the responsibility for the clean-up on municipalities. Continue reading →

August 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Long process of radiation cleanup in Japan

Japan aims to halve radiation in affected areas in 2 yrs

— Japan aims to bring radiation levels below 20 millisieverts annually

* Thorough cleanup of areas frequented by children also a priority

* Group launched which will form core of new nuclear watchdog

By Shinichi Saoshiro TOKYO, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Japan aims to halve radiation over two years in places contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear crisis, removing soil, plants and trees as well as cleaning roofs of buildings in an area spanning thousands of square kilometres.

The cleanup could cost tens of billions of dollars, and thousands of evacuees may not be able to return home for years, if ever. Continue reading →

August 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Firefighters grapple with fire within nuclear laboratory compund

Firefighters gain ground at Idaho nuclear lab, By Laura Zuckerman, SALMON, Idaho | Fri Aug 26, 2011 (Reuters) – Normal operations resumed on Friday but with fewer workers at a U.S. Energy Department nuclear lab in Idaho as firefighters gained ground against a brush fire that scorched 36,000 acres within the sprawling compound, officials there said.

The two-day-old blaze at the Idaho National Laboratory, an 890-square-mile complex with three active reactors in the high desert of eastern Idaho, presents “no known radiological hazard to the public at this time,” the lab said in a statement.

As the lightning-sparked fire had grown in size and intensity on Thursday evening, about 90 nonessential personnel were ordered out of a facility used for processing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes.

Workers at another lab installation where spent radioactive fuel rods are cooled in storage ponds were told to take shelter inside due to heavy smoke, a lab official said……

The installation last year grappled with the largest fire in its history, a conflagration that charred 109,000 acres but did not cause major damage.

Fires have charred tens of thousands of acres across Idaho and the Northern Rockies in recent days, including parts of Montana, Yellowstone National Park and northwestern Wyoming…. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/27/us-wildfire-idaho-idUSTRE77P65E20110827

August 27, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | Leave a comment