nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

India’s political problems intensify, with anti nuclear movement

Mood at nuclear-plant stir turns anti-DMK , http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Mood-at-nuclear-plant-stir-turns-anti-DMK/articleshow/12116624.cms TNN | Mar 3, 2012  KUDANKULAM: The anti-nuclear stir, spearheaded by the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) at Kudankulam, is turning out to be an anti-DMK and anti-Congress agitation too.

For two days, on Wednesday and Thursday, fishermen from many nearby hamlets went around removing DMK flags from the area, protesting against party president M Karunanidhi’s recent statement that the state government should have taken stern action against those staging a protest against the upcoming nuclear power plant. Karunanidhi on Wednesday accused the state government of extending “silent support” to anti-nuclear protesters.

DMK cadres in many coastal hamlets are incensed by his remarks. “We have decided to quit DMK and the same message has been relayed to coastal villages in Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Tuticorin. Party cadres from Idinthakarai, who are participating in the struggle, were asked to assemble at the protest site on Friday. But the decision of quitting the party is for individual cadre to take,” said T Raj Leon, a DMK sympathiser.

The mood has been anti-Congress ever since the agitation started 200 days ago. There are indications that the agitation may take a different turn in the coming days, especially after the Sankarankoil bypoll on March 18 as the state government is likely to show greater desire to resolve the issue. Close on the heels of a meeting between chief minister J Jayalalithaa and those leading the agitation, the government on Friday sent additional director general of police (law and order) S George to the region for an assessment of the situation. He toured the area to gather first-hand knowledge of the terrain. The entire police top brass in south Tamil Nadu accompanied him. A heavy police force was deployed near the plant.

Though there is no word yet on the future course of action, indications are that the state may heed to Centre’s request to clear the area near the plant for completion of works to ensure its early commissioning.

March 3, 2012 Posted by | India, politics | Leave a comment

One stop nuclear shop AREVA suffering, as nuclear industry declines

Areva, which has been designed as a one-stop nuclear shop, has been affected by massive impairments on its uranium assets and a slowdown of the nuclear industry following Japan’s Fukushima disaster

Areva Accelerates Disposals By GERALDINE AMIEL, WSJ, March 2, 2012, PARIS—French state-controlled nuclear energy company Areva SA announced two asset disposals as part of a plan to boost competitiveness and better position it to face a slowing civil atomic industry, one year after Japan’s Fukushima nuclear catastrophe. Continue reading →

March 3, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, France, Uranium | Leave a comment

Debts force First Uranium to sell off assets

First Uranium to sell two South African assets for $405 mln, Mar 2, 2012  (Reuters) – First Uranium Corp said it would sell two assets in South Africa for $405 million, as the gold and uranium miner scrambles to liquidate itself to pay off its debts.

The company will sell Mine Waste Solutions, a tailings recovery project, to South Africa-based AngloGold Ashanti Ltd for $335 million in cash.

First Uranium also said it would sell its stake in First Uranium Ltd, which owns the Ezulwini Mining Co, to Australian miner Gold One International Ltd for $70 million. Gold One will also provide a $10 million loan facility to First Uranium.

The company said it is moving ahead with plans to liquidate the company and will use the proceeds to pay its securityholders and shareholders…. http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE8210CP20120302?feedType=RSS&feedName=investingNews

March 3, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

Enormous job opportunities in renewable energy for Africa

Renewable energy projects in Africa can generate jobs, Two-thirds of capacity needed yet to be built Gulf News, By Binsal Abdul Kader , March 2, 2012 Abu Dhabi If Africa adopts renewable energy to meet the growing demand for energy capacity, it can generate several million jobs in the continent, according to the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
Africa faces a unique opportunity as nearly two-thirds of the additional capacity needed by 2030 has yet to be built. The continent can benefit from the recent global progress and cost reductions in renewable power generation technologies, and move directly to a
renewable-based system, the agency said….. Continue reading →

March 3, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Who will pay for UK’s new nuclear waste?

DECC must tell us the truth about nuclear waste Energy and Environmental Management, David Thorpe, 1st November 2011 “…..Who will pay for new nuclear waste? In a phone conversation with another press officer, who I believe to be named Jonathan Farr, he admitted that new nuclear operators like Horizon and EDF are being asked to contribute to a fund not only to pay for management and disposal of the new nuclear waste which their plants will create, but also for that of existing nuclear waste.

I double checked that this was what he meant.

I said, “Are you seriously saying that the government is not putting aside cash to deal with our nuclear legacy but is asking nuclear operators to do so? What do they think of that?”

If I were a nuclear operator I would be outraged.

But the question was dodged. He was having a hard time explaining it in the first place, and merely reiterated the line that the government is taking a responsible position.

DECC’s line on new nuclear waste is: “New nuclear operators will be required by law to put money aside from day one to pay for the eventual decommissioning costs and their full share of waste disposal.” Continue reading →

March 3, 2012 Posted by | UK, wastes | Leave a comment

France poorly prepared for a nuclear disaster

Fukushima Nuclear Crisis Update for February 28th – March 1st, 2012, Greenpeace by Christine McCann – March 2, 2012“…..A new study by French safety organization Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN) reveals that Europe is poorly-equipped to handle a Fukushima-like nuclear disaster. The IRSN provides advice to the ASN, France’s nuclear regulator. The group’s report said that many European countries lack adequate crisis centers, and coordinated means of communication across country lines have not been established.

In addition, the IRSN criticized Japan for failing to adequately monitor radiation exposure in children, and expressed grave concern about the amount of environmental radiation that spewed from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant. Didier Champion, an IRSN crisis manager, said, “The initial contamination linked to the accident has greatly declined. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be any more, far from it. Today, and for many years to come, we will have a situation of chronic and lasting contamination of the environment.”… http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/nuclear-reaction/fukushima-nuclear-crisis-update-for-february-/blog/39340/

March 3, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

    Next Entries »