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NRC should suspend all nuclear reactor re-licensing

The NRC is currently involved in licensing activities at 21 existing and new nuclear power plants in 15 states across the country. The petition asks the NRC not only to suspend those activities, but to begin an investigation into what caused the Japanese reactor disaster and the lessons to be learned for U.S. nuclear plants, and to empower an independent commission to review those findings.

NRC rejects petition to suspend nuke plant licensing activities, By Shir Haberman, news@seacoastonline.com September 14, 2011 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has rejected a petition signed by 45 nuclear safety and watchdog groups, including the Exeter-based Seacoast Anti-Pollution League, asking the agency to immediately suspend all licensing activities for nuclear power plants until a full analysis of the Japanese nuclear disaster is complete.

The Seabrook Station nuclear power plant is in the process of asking for a 20-year extension of its operating license.  Continue reading →

September 15, 2011 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Following France’s accident, Koodankulam anti nuclear protest gathers momentum

this was not a struggle by a selective group of people. “Authorities are giving a colour that it is a struggle by fishermen against a nuclear project. But the fact is that all sections of people are participating in it,”

France nuke blast fuels Koodankulam agitation, New Indian Express, 14 Sept 11, TIRUNELVELI: As news about the explosion at a nuclear site in Marcoule, southern France reached the fasting agitators in Idinthakarai, the call to shut down the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) almost reached a feverish pitch. Continue reading →

September 14, 2011 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear | 2 Comments

France’s need for transparency and nationwide check on nuclear plants

French FM: France to have safety checks on every nuclear power plant nationwide, English.news.cn   2011-09-14 Editor: Mu Xuequan BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) –– Alain Juppe, the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and State Minister, said on Tuesday in Beijing that France would soon conduct a nationwide examination on each of its nuclear power plants.

The French government will also cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to raise the maximum security level of its nuclear installations, according to Juppe. The French government had already decided to continue its nuclear programs after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, said Juppe…

Concerning the nuclear accident in the south of France, Juppe said he hadn’t got the latest news of the investIgation, but French authorities would announce the results of investigation with the utmost transparency.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Yukiya Amano said on Monday that the IAEA had sent a request to French authorities for more information and underlined the need to address nuclear safety.

An explosion hit France’s Marcoule nuclear site on Monday, one person was killed and four injured in the accident. The country’s energy ministry said there was no danger of a radiation leak. ..http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-09-14

September 14, 2011 Posted by | France, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear safety needed now, not 10 years later

Outside pressure for regulatory reform is mounting, too. Environmental groups have filed legal challenges to continued reactor licensing in the absence of evidence the NRC is taking its job seriously……..

NRC must implement nuclear regulations now, not 10 years after Fukushima Americans narrowly avoided nuclear disasters during hurricane Irene and the 5.8 earthquake that hit the East Coast. Six months after Fukushima, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must implement new regulations, rather than debate reforms for the next decade, as it did post-9/11. Christian Science Monitor By Stephanie Cooke / September 13, 2011 Washington Continue reading →

September 14, 2011 Posted by | safety, USA | 1 Comment

Bribery, propaganda, anything goes for Virginia Uranium

Virginia legislators criticized for all-expense paid trip to Saskatchewan uranium mine Yahoo News, By Andy Radia | Canada Politics , 13 Sept 11 Some Virginians are upset by a forthcoming ‘excursion’ by state politicians to a Saskatchewan mine, an outing paid for by a company that wants state legislators to lift a 30-year moratorium on uranium mining.

 The company, Virginia Uranium, has a claim to what is thought to be the largest deposit of uranium in the U.S. — estimated to consist of about 119 million pounds — worth as much as $10 billion……

In the early 1980s, however, the state of Virginia halted uranium mining due to potential radiological risks – the moratorium still stands today….

But some eyebrows were raised in Virgina by people who question the appropriateness of a private company footing the bill for the legislators’ travel. Some are even suggesting the lawmakers are being“bought off.”

Since 2007, when Virginia Uranium was incorporated, the company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the General Assembly. It donated $91,650 to candidates in Virginia since 2008 and retained four of Richmond’s most influential lobbying firms, as well as a top public relations firm….http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/virginia-legislators-criticized-expense-paid-trip-saskatchewan-uranium-162535662.html

September 14, 2011 Posted by | spinbuster, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

UK will pursue justice for radiation murder victim

David Cameron vows not to give up on bringing radiation poisoning victim Alexander Litvinenko’s killer to justice, Daily Record, Sep 12 2011 David Cameron insisted that Britain would not give up on bringing Alexander Litvinenko’s killer to justice as he kicked off his visit to Russia today…..

Mr Cameron is the first UK leader to visit Moscow since Tony Blair in 2005.

Relations nosedived following that trip when Mr Litvinenko was poisoned in London, and Russia refused to extradite the prime suspect, ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoy…..

Mr Cameron said victims and their families had a “right to justice”…..

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/09/12/david-cameron-vows-not-to-give-up-on-bringing-radiation-poisoning-victim-alexander-litvinenko-s-killer-to-justice-86908-23415302/

September 14, 2011 Posted by | politics international, UK | Leave a comment

Tomioka a nuclear ghost town

Inside Japan’s nuclear ghost zone, By David ShukmanEnvironment & science correspondent, BBC News 13 sept 11, As David Shukman enters the exclusion zone, he finds cattle that have starved to death. Nothing stirs in the empty heart of Tomioka, a community of 16,000 now reduced to the eerie status of a ghost town after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima. Continue reading →

September 14, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Energy’s new frontier – offshore wind power

Offshore Wind Energy – opening up a New Frontier, Renewable Energy World, By Matthew Allen   |   September 13, 2011, German American Offshore Wind Conference, October 18 in Jersey City, NJ

Oct 18th, 2011 in Jersey City, NJ German Government sponsored Conference emphasizes cooperation between US and Germany More than 21,607 wind turbines currently produce about 7% of Germany’s total electrical power, providing over 96,100 jobs. As of 2011, Germany’s federal government is working on a new plan for increasing renewable energy commercialization, with a particular focus on offshore wind farms. In the United States, Wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in 2010, all from inland based sources, none off shore. By 2030, the U.S. Department of Energy’s envisions a 20% wind energy contribution, including 4% from offshore wind power. Continue reading →

September 14, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Renewable energy top priority for Scotland

Scottish Government puts renewable energy at centre of economic strategy, The Courier, 13 Sept 11, The Scottish Government will invest £70 million to support offshore windfarms as renewable energy becomes the country’s economic priority.

Finance Secretary John Swinney made the announcement as he unveiled the Government Economic Strategy, which puts green technology at the heart of economic recovery. Mr Swinney claimed the government’s plans would support the transition to a low-carbon economy capable of supporting 130,000 jobs by 2020.

He also revealed the Scottish Government is to create four enterprise zones, including sites with a focus on low-carbon manufacturing opportunities, to attract more inward investment….http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/National/article/17225/scottish-government-puts-renewable-energy-at-centre-of-economic-strategy.html

September 14, 2011 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Increasing anti nuclear protest at Koodankulam

Protests against Koodankulam nuclear project gather steam  News One, 14 Sept 11, Chennai, Sep 13 (IANS) Protests at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, where a nuclear plant is to be commissioned soon, have been gathering steam with politicians joining the agitators.  Over 125 people are fasting to demanding closure of the two 1,000 MW power plants being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) with Russian help.

MDMK leader Vaiko, who has lent his support to the protesters, told reporters Tuesday in Tirunelvelli that after the recent nuclear accident in Japan, there is increased awareness about atomic power and its hazards. He said the nuclear power project poses danger not only to the livelihood of the fishermen but also to the entire southern districts in Tamil Nadu.

According to S.P.Udaykumar, an anti-nuclear activist, the project poses danger to human life, and environment in the area. He said over 15,000 villagers will participate in relay fasts in support of those who are fasting indefinitely.

Those on an indefinite fast against the project include women, disabled as well as nuns and priests. Tirunelveli is around 650 km from Chennai. http://www.inewsone.com/2011/09/13/protests-against-koodankulam-nuclear-project-gather-steam/75963

September 14, 2011 Posted by | India, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Iowa deliberates on nuke waste, indigenous interests ignored

Bullcreek, a Skull Valley band member who opposes the nuclear waste storage project, commented that tribes also ought to have a bigger say in transportation over reservation lands. Skull Valley Chairwoman Lori Bear and Tribal Secretary Kristen Bear also attended the morning sessions but indicated they would not be participating in the meeting.
Westerners seek stronger voice on N-waste  BY JUDY FAHYS, The Salt Lake Tribune, Sep 13 2011, DENVER • Westerners on Tuesday told the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future that any new plans for dealing with the nation’s nuclear waste must include a stronger voice for state governments…..

Co-chaired by Utah native Brent Scowcroft, the panel has been assigned by President Barack Obama to suggest ways to solve the nation’s nuclear waste disposal backlog. There is more than 67,000 tons of high-level waste for which there is no disposal, and more piles up every year. Continue reading →

September 14, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Unsatisfactory basis for nuclear safety rules in USA

Nuclear miscalculation: Why regulators miss power plant threats from quakes and storms Huffington Post, The Center for Public Integrity  By Susan Q. Stranahan, 13 Sept 11, 

How well are nuclear plants near you prepared for disaster? Look it up here 

“……Day-to-day operation and oversight of the nation’s 104 nuclear plants rely heavily on assumptions and statistical calculations: The earthquake won’t be stronger than seismologists predict. Floodwaters won’t rise higher than hydrologists estimate. Tornadoes won’t knock out off-site power supplies on which nuclear plants depend. Switches and valves will work.

The unexpected won’t happen.

Such calculations deem unlikely that terrorists will gain access to poorly-secured spent reactor fuel storage facilities. Or that seemingly minor transmission line maintenance won’t accidentally trigger a blackout affecting millions in the West and forcing two reactors to automatically shut down – another unexpected event, last week.

Regulation by predicting what’s probable has been evolving since 1975, when the NRC and reactor owners began moving from a traditional rulebook form of regulation — involving specific requirements, for instance, about equipment and procedures — toward what is known as probabilistic risk assessment, or PRA. Such “risk-based” regulation gives the companies running nuclear plants wider leeway in determining how they are going to operate safely. Reactor owners and government safety officials argue that the old “one-size-fits-all” rulebook approach is expensive and inefficient.

At the heart of the strategy are questions: How likely is something to go wrong? What would be the consequences?…..

The underlying weakness of the approach – faulty assumptions or underestimates – is coming into sharper focus…..   The effects of weak policing…..  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-center-for-public-integrity/nuclear-miscalculation-wh_b_960417.html

September 14, 2011 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

India: police crack down on Koodankulam anti nuclear protestors

Koodankulam tense, cops step up security, IBN Live 10 Sept 11, TIRUNELVELI: With the announcement of the hunger strike at Idinthakarai near Koodankulam on Sunday, police have initiated preventive measures by detaining a few persons, Continue reading →

September 14, 2011 Posted by | civil liberties, India | Leave a comment

Offshore wind turbines for Japan’s Fukushima coast

Japan plans floating wind power for Fukushima coast, By Yoko Kubota, TOKYO | Tue Sep 13, 2011  (Reuters) – Japan will join the race to develop floating wind turbines to use in deepwater off its tsunami-stricken northern Pacific coast as it rethinks energy sources after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. It aims to outpace the leaders in the sector in Europe, trade ministry official Masanori Sato said on Tuesday…..

In the next five years, Japan plans to spend 10 to 20 billion yen to install six or more floating turbines off the northeast coast. It will work with firms including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries, Sato said.

Globally, Norway leads the way on floating turbines with a 2009 pilot project while other countries including Britain and Portugal have studied the technology….http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/13/us-japan-wind-idUSTRE78C41M20110913

September 14, 2011 Posted by | Japan, renewable | Leave a comment

A political and economic embarrassment – France’s accident at nuclear site

France on edge after accident at nuclear site, The Independent By John Lichfield in Paris, 13 September 2011 France was yesterday quick to play down the significance of an explosion in a nuclear waste recycling plant in the south of the country which killed one man and injured four others.  Ministers said the blast, close to the Marcoule nuclear power station, near Avignon, was an “industrial accident” and not an explosion in, or near, a nuclear reactor. There had been no radioactive leak and no need to evacuate workers or local people.

The explosion at the sprawling Marcoule site on the banks of the Rhône – one of the oldest and largest nuclear facilities in France – is nonetheless a political and economic embarrassment to the French government. France is more dependent on nuclear-generated electricity – 79 per cent – than any other country in the world. It also has a powerful nuclear export industry.

Since the calamity at the Fukushima plant in Japan in March, France has been at pains to reassure its citizens, and potential foreign buyers, of the safety of its own nuclear technology. Environmental groups called yesterday on the French government, traditionally secretive on nuclear questions, to allow “total transparency” and an independent investigation of the Marcoule blast

The pressure-group France Nature Environnement (FNE), which has 3,000 member associations, said the accident “underlines the problems with control of nuclear risks in France”. The significance of nuclear accidents has sometimes been obscured by French authorities in the past, FNE pointed out.

Famously, the French government announced in 1986 that the radioactive nuclear cloud from the Chernobyl explosion in the Ukraine had “stopped at the French frontier”…. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-on-edge-after-accident-at-nuclear-site-2353692.html

September 13, 2011 Posted by | France, safety | Leave a comment

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