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Nuclear waste train meets strong protest in France

Nuclear waste train spurs protests in France, Nov 23 (Reuters) – French anti-nuclear activists scuffled with police in Normandy on Wednesday as they tried to hold up a train transporting radioactive waste processed by nuclear producer Areva to a storage site in Germany.

Several hundred protesters tried to occupy the train tracks near the town of Valognes in northwestern France before being repelled by police in riot gear. Police said they had detained five people. Before the train eventually departed around mid-afternoon, the activists played a cat-and-mouse game with police officers, who launched canisters of tear gas to disperse them before charging the crowd with batons.

“This movement is about the indignation of people who are aware of the dangers of nuclear power and who reject politics geared only toward the profit of certain businesses,” said a 60-year-old activist, who did not want to give his name……

The train carried 11 tubular containers of highly radioactive nuclear waste processed by Areva at its treatment plant at La Hague, northwest France. The treated waste, which originates from German nuclear plants, was en route to the nuclear waste facility of Gorleben in northeastern Germany for storage. Wednesday’s train marked the last of 12 shipments of treated nuclear waste sent in recent years from France to Gorleben. An expired contract between the two countries is not expected to be renewed.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/23/france-nuclear-protests-idUSL5E7MN30R20111123

November 24, 2011 Posted by | France, opposition to nuclear, wastes | Leave a comment

Earthquake risk to India’s planned huge Jaitapur nuclear plant

Jaitapur nuclear plant site not immune to earthquake: Experts Economic Times, 23 Nov 11 BANGALORE: Two leading geologists have warned that a magnitude 6-plus earthquake cannot be ruled out in Jaitapur – the proposed site of India’s largest 9,900 MW nuclear power plant on the west coast that has seen protests against it for safety reasons – and that it could occur within the lifetime of the power plant. Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

Small is economic, as well as beautiful – renewable energy developments

And will the rest of Europe follow? The poll-leading Socialists in France, after all, are talking of halving the country’s nuclear capacity. “Most of the world will follow this way, but it will be slow,” Dudenhauser says. “Everyone expected blackouts after the nuclear shutdown, but it didn’t happen.  But it would not be manageable if everyone goes Germany’s way in the next two years.”

Size not a factor in German power play , Climate Spectator, GilesParkinson, 24 Nov 11 It seems strange that the world’s most cautious and best performing economy should be acting as some sort of crash test dummy for the world’s clean energy future. But this is exactly the position that Germany finds itself in following its commitment earlier this year to abandon nuclear energy and to push towards its vision of a fully renewable power supply by 2050.

And if this is the future, then companies that have based their models around the principal of centralised power stations may find little cause for comfort. But it is presenting enormous opportunities for those focused on the concept of distributed generation, particularly fuel cells – at least that’s the take of Roman Dudenhausen, the CEO and co-founder of German energy consultants ConEnergy, and a recently appointed director to the board of Australia’s Ceramic Fuels Cells.

Dudenhausen says the accelerated phase-out of Germany’s nuclear capacity is presenting companies such as Ceramic with a unique opportunity…… Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | decentralised, Germany | Leave a comment

Increasingly cost competitive – renewable energy report by IEA

Renewable energy becoming cost competitive, IEA says, By Henning Gloystein, LONDON  Nov 23,  (Reuters)–Renewable energy technology is becoming increasingly cost competitive and growth rates are in line to meet levels required of a sustainable energy future, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report on Wednesday.

The report also said subsidies in green energy technologies that were not yet competitive are justified in order to give an incentive to investing into technologies with clear environmental and energy security benefits.

The renewable electricity sector has grown rapidly in the past five years and now provides nearly 20 percent of the world’s power generation, the IEA said during the presentation of the report titled Deploying Renewables 2011.

The IEA’s report disagreed with claims that renewable energy technologies are only viable through costly subsidies and not able to produce energy reliably to meet demand. ”A portfolio of renewable energy (RE) technologies is becoming cost-competitive in an increasingly broad range of circumstances, in some cases providing investment opportunities without the need for specific economic support,” the IEA said, and added that “cost reductions in critical technologies, such as wind and solar, are set to continue.”

“The portfolio of RE technologies, which includes established hydro power, geothermal and bioenergy technologies is now, therefore, cost-competitive in an increasingly broad range of circumstances, providing investment opportunities without the need for specific economic support.”

But the IEA also defended subsidies in renewable energy technology as a necessary means to create a clean and independent energy supply system.  In the past, the IEA has been criticized by environmental groups for underplaying the role of renewable energy technologies in favor of nuclear and fossil-fuels….. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/23/us-energy-iea-renewables-idUSTRE7AM0OV20111123

November 24, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | Leave a comment

Independent report on water concerns in uranium mining and milling

“The most powerful influences in any decision on uranium mining and processing are likely to be financial and political,”
“Thus, it is imperative that the public evaluate the long-term ‘big picture’ because the actual impacts will be paid for by numerous future generations.”..

Uranium mining, milling threatens water, report claims, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune, November 22, 2011 A report funded by the Roanoke River Basin Association warns that a proposed uranium mining and milling project in Pittsylvania County could be a serious threat to water quality and may increase competition for water in the future.

 

The 39-page report, “Site-Specific Assessment of the Proposed Uranium Mining and Milling Project at Coles Hill, Pittsylvania County, Va.,” was released Thursday.

It was written by Colorado scientist Robert E. Moran, PhD., who has 40 years of experience and served as a hydrogeological and water quality consultant to Marline Uranium and Union Carbide on the Coles Hill project in the early 1980s. Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Uranium, USA, water | Leave a comment

Fukushima area – 5.9 magnitude earthquake

Magnitude-5.9 quake hits near Japan nuclear site, USA Today 24 Nov 11TOKYO (AP) – A strong earthquake struck Thursday morning near the Japan nuclear power plant hit by a powerful tsunami earlier this year. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-5.9 quake struck shortly before 4:30 a.m. local time. It hit 62 miles (101 kilometers) east of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. The quake struck at a depth of 23 miles (37 kilometers).

The quake struck 151 miles (244 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not immediately issue a tsunami alert. Similar quakes have struck in the region since a March 11 magnitude-9.0 earthquake…

The region lies on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around thePacific Rim. About 90% of the world’s quakes occur in the region.http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-11-23/japan-earthquake-1123/51372658/1

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Republican presidential hopefuls clash on issues of nuclear weapons and Pakistan

Nuclear Fears Fuel GOP Debate on U.S. Aid to Pakistan, Nov. 23, 2011, By Diane Barnes, Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — Fear that terrorists might gain access to Pakistani nuclear weapons played into a Tuesday clash between Republican presidential hopefuls over whether the United States should continue providing economic and security assistance to the South Asian state (see GSN, Nov. 18). Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

USA Republican presidential candidate against supporting Israeli attack on Iran

If Israel were to conduct such an attack [on Iran] , “that’s their business, but they should suffer the consequences,” Paul continued. He added that Israel has hundreds of nuclear missiles, so “they can take care of themselves.”

Ron Paul: Why does Israel need our help?  During foreign policy debate, republican presidential candidate says would not back Israeli strike on Iran. Romney: My first foreign trip as president will be to Israel to show we care about them  Israel News, Yitzhak Benhorin WASHINGTON 23 Nov 11- Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul suggested that the US should have less involvement in Israel‘s affairs.

I think they’re quite capable of taking care of themselves,” he said during a two-hour long foreign policy debate between eight Republican presidential hopefuls at Constitution Hall in Washington overnight Wednesday (Israel time).

The comment came in response to a question about whether the Republican candidates would, if elected president, back Israel in a strike against Iran‘s nuclear facilities. Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Silex laser uranium enrichment may open the door to nuclear weapons proliferation

many of the good things GE is using to make a case about Silex—less use of resources and electricity and increased efficiency—are actually negatives that make it easier for rogue states to hide clandestine plants…..methods for the production and use of nuclear materials that would be more difficult to detect,” the report states

New Uranium Enrichment Technology Alarms Aviation Week, By Kristin Majcher Washington 23 Nov 11 General Electric says it has successfully tested a faster, cheaper way to produce nuclear reactor fuel, and is planning to commercialize the technology by building a facility in Wilmington, N.C. While the prospect of saving resources to generate energy at a lower price sounds like a breakthrough, scientists are concerned that the top-secret method of enrichment that GE is using will indirectly elevate proliferation risks around the world, thus inspiring rogue states to develop their own laser enrichment facilities for nuclear weapons.
The enrichment technology is the Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation (Silex). It was developed by Silex of Australia in 1992. The technology company USEC funded early research on Silex, but abandoned it in favor of focusing on centrifuge enrichment. In 2006, GE signed an exclusive agreement to commercialize and license the technology and spearhead further research and development. Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Reference, technology, Uranium, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Japanese government pays up big to keep TEPCO nuclear utility afloat

TEPCO gets 120 bil. yen as government insurance over nuclear crisis Mainichi Daily News, 23 Nov 11 TOKYO (Kyodo) — Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crisis-stricken Fukushima Daiichi power plant, said Tuesday it has received 120 billion yen from the government under an existing insurance program for nuclear accidents.

The funds will be used by the company to pay massive compensation to people and companies affected by the world’s worst nuclear accident in 25 years. The utility, known as TEPCO, has separately received 558.7 billion yen from a state-backed funding entity.

TEPCO submitted a request on Oct. 24 for the payment of 120 billion yen, the maximum compensation amount set by a contract between the government and TEPCO for an accident at one nuclear power plant…. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111123p2g00m0bu031000c.html

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

South Africa’s huge nuclear power tender, but will there be graft?

R1tn nuclear tender raises graft fears, Times Live  South Africa, ANNA MAJAVU | 24 November, 2011  Concern is mounting about the government’s planned R1-trillion nuclear power station tender, with opposition parties demanding reassurances from Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe that the tender will not be “mired in corruption” like the R70-billion arms deal.

It will be the biggest tender ever issued in South Africa . “The multibillion-rand arms deal, which was just a fraction of this cost, was mired in corruption,” said DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko. “There are reports that the government is being strongly lobbied about this tender by companies such as Areva and Westinghouse who are desperate to get in on the action.”….

African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley asked if the government had budgeted money for handling nuclear waste, which remains hazardous for more than 200000 years…. The cabinet approved a 20-year energy plan for South Africa in March. It stipulates that 23% of the energy supply be derived from nuclear power.

Parliament’s portfolio committee on energy visited France last year and met representatives of nuclear energy corporation Areva. They told the MPs that their company was ready to build six nuclear power plants in South Africa. http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/11/24/r1tn-nuclear-tender-raises-graft-fears

November 24, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, politics, South Africa | Leave a comment

Nuclear power’s not doing too well on Earth, but then, there’s always Mars

The Competition Between Solar and Nuclear Energy Moves to Mars, NYT By MATTHEW L. WALD, 23 Nov 11 NASA’s last two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2003
and carried solar panels, but the new Mars rover that the space agency is scheduled to launch on Saturday morning from Cape Canaveral uses nuclear power, a fact that did not escape the partisans of nuclear power here on Earth. Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | technology, USA | Leave a comment

A site specific report on uranium mining, milling, in Pittsylvania County,

Uranium mining, milling threatens water, report claims, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune , November 22, 2011 “………Moran’s study is one of the few reports on the potential impact of uranium mining not funded by the mining industry,…

Moran’s site-specific findings include:

Virginia Uranium has failed to present any sort of detailed project proposal in writing.

The verbally described plans have changed constantly, depending on the audience.

Hence, the public has no way of reliably knowing the details of the proposed mining and mineral processing methods or the related impacts.

The project as proposed may generate at least 28 million tons of solid uranium mill tailings and roughly the same amount of liquid waste.

The solid wastes would remain on site forever, requiring maintenance forever.

Uranium mill tailings would contain radionuclides, heavy metals, and other toxic elements.

Undiluted tailings liquids may contain 1,160 to 1,460 times the existing Safe Drinking Water Act standard for uranium.

The confirmed presence of sulfides in the Coles Hill rock raises the possibility that long-term, active water treatment may be required, in perpetuity.

Numerous factors combine to provide long-term pathways for the migration of contaminants into local waters.

As proposed, the Coles Hill project would require over 5 billion gallons of water. During the start-up period, the project would use at least 525.6 million gallons per year.

It has been estimated that at least 136 million gallons of groundwater would flow into the open pit per year.

This water would become contaminated with numerous radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants.

To allow mining, this contaminated water must be pumped out of the open pit and discharged to some undefined location.

The Coles Hill project may use over 2,030 tons of explosives per year, releasing potentially toxic concentrations of nitrate, ammonia, and other organic compounds into the environment.

Such a project would cause long-term, chronic degradation of water quality and increase wate competition in the region.

Statistically adequate baseline data (water quality, quantity, etc.) have never been collected, compiled, and interpreted, or released to the public.

Thus, the public has no reliable “yardstick” against which to demonstrate that changes have occurred or not.

There is no credible evidence to indicate that either the federal or state regulatory agencies have sufficient staff, budgets, or political clout to adequately oversee and enforce the appropriate regulations….  http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2011/11/23/chatham/news/news43.txt

November 24, 2011 Posted by | environment, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

French activists try to stop nuclear waste train

French riot police battle protesters over nuclear train BBC News 23 Nov 11 Riot police in north-western France have made 12 arrests while battling protesters trying to stop a trainload of nuclear waste bound for Germany. They sprayed tear gas and wielded truncheons at protesters in gas masks, who had tried to block railway tracks near Valognes with debris…..

 The shipment from the French nuclear giant Areva’s reprocessing plant at La Hague is the last planned to Germany. Germany has stopped sending nuclear waste for reprocessing in France, as it winds down its nuclear power plants. Chancellor Angela Merkel said this year that all plants would be shut down by 2022.Wednesday’s train left more than an hour late as a result of the disturbances, which were frequently violent, correspondents report…. The demonstrators managed to remove a rail and destroy electric junction boxes before the train left, according to France’s AFP news agency.

‘Radical opposition’ Further protests are expected when the train enters Germany on its way to the nuclear waste facility at Gorleben. Protesters say the shipment presents an environmental hazard but Areva insists the rail shipment is perfectly safe.”Beyond the danger that this waste poses, we’re demonstrating our radical opposition to a means of production that means we’ll always need more power,” said one Parisian protester, Anna, 24. “We’re against endless growth.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15861761

November 24, 2011 Posted by | France, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment