Australia’s uranium industry in decline
for all the hype, uranium accounts for a lousy 0.3% of Australian export revenue and a negligible 0.02% of Australian jobs. The industry’s future depends on the nuclear power “renaissance”, but global nuclear power capacity has been stagnant for the past 20 years.
The uranium price tanked after the Fukushima disaster and so far there is no sign of a bounce.
Australian uranium industry in trouble after Fukushima,June 2, 2012,Green Left, By Jim Green A protest walk from Wiluna to Perth took place last year against the proposed Wiluna uranium mine.
These are interesting times in the uranium sector. The mining companies have had a few wins in the 14 months since the Fukushima disaster, but they’ve had more losses. Continue reading
Nuclear regulators found security problems at San Onofre, but details not revealed
Feds find security issues at Edison nuclear plant, Bloomberg, June 15, 2012 SAN ONOFRE, Calif. (AP) — Federal regulators have uncovered security problems at Edison International’s troubled San Onofre nuclear plant on the California coast that could result in violations.
San Onofre has been closed for more than four months because of excessive wear on some equipment. It is operated by owner Southern California Edison, which is a unit of Edison International.
A Nuclear Regulatory Commission statement Thursday said inspectors reviewed records, observed activities and interviewed personnel during an inspection in May. The inspection found apparent violations, but many details were withheld because of security concerns.
The problems cited include failure to develop procedures to monitor security of certain electronic devices at the plant…. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-06-15/feds-find-security-issues-at-edison-nuclear-plant
Japan’s new nuclear regulatory body might allow prolonging life of old reactors
The legislation, however, swiftly came under fire for appearing to weaken the government’s commitment to decommissioning reactors after 40 years in operation
the new regulatory commission could revise a rule limiting the life of reactors to 40 years in principle.
“Does this reflect the sentiment of the citizens, who are seeking an exit from nuclear power?”
Japan to get new atomic regulatory body within three months By Linda Sieg, TOKYO Jun 15, 2012 (Reuters) – Japan will set up a new nuclear regulator around September under a law approved by parliament’s lower house on Friday after months of delay as part of a drive to improve safety and restore public trust after the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl.
The 2011 Fukushima disaster cast a harsh spotlight on the cozy ties between regulators, politicians and utilities – known as Japan’s “nuclear village” – that experts say were a major factor in the failure to avert the crisis triggered when a huge earthquake and tsunami devastated the plant, causing meltdowns. Continue reading
Japan’s nuclear hosting towns addicted to the drug of nuclear subsidies
Genkai’s dependence on nuclear subsidies to fund 34% of its budget is the highest among the municipalities hosting nuclear plants, only matched by the town of Futaba next to the Fukushima Daiichi plant, according to a survey by the Yomiuri newspaper released in May.
Radiation levels in Futaba are so high that the government doesn’t expect the town to be habitable for decades.
Nuclear-related money “is like a drug: you get addicted once you receive it,”
Fukushima Watch: Looking for New Nuclear Revenue — A Spent Fuel Tax?, WSJ, By Mari Iwata, 15 June 12, The town of Genkai on Japan’s western island of Kyushu is one of many in this country whose livelihood depends on the nuclear reactors it hosts. Since those reactors have been shut down for nearly six months, with no restart in sight, the town is proposing another way of squeezing revenue from the power plant: tax it. That at least was the idea proposed by Hideo Kishimoto, Genkai’s mayor, in a municipal parliament session on Monday. One specific suggestion: a tax on the storage of the Genkai plant’s spent nuclear fuel rods.
“We can’t avoid a future drop in revenue, so we have to think of new taxes in order to maintain services for residents,” Mr. Kishimoto was quoted as saying in local media. Genkai’s revenue problem is acute. Continue reading
American companies still worried they might have to pay for accidents caused by their nuclear reactors in India
‘US concerned over India’s Nuclear liability law’ Zee News, 15 June 12, Washington: An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked between Indian and American firms for setting up a nuclear reactor in Gujarat does not mean that America’s concerns over India’s nuclear liability law has been addressed, a top US official has said.
“No, it doesn’t mean that the issues with respect to the liability law are resolved,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told reporters yesterday at a news conference. ….. The MoU committed both sides to negotiate an Early Works Agreement for the preliminary licensing and site development work associated with construction of the new Westinghouse reactors in Gujarat. At the same time there is an ongoing progress between General Electric-Hitachi and NPCIL on their Memorandum of Understanding. … http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/us-concerned-over-india-s-nuclear-liability-law_781953.html
Fire at Spanish nuclear power plant
Fire Shuts Nuclear Plant in Spain , WSJ, By ILAN BRAT, 15 June 12, An electrical fire forced a shutdown of Spain’s Almaraz I nuclear plant, the country’s nuclear safety authority said Friday. One worker was injured in the fire in electrical equipment outside the building housing the reactor in western Spain.
The Nuclear Safety Council said the fire posed no threat for the general public or the environment…. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303822204577468610332293428.html
“Flimsy” new safety conditions for Malaysia’s rare earths project
“The two conditions are flimsy and general in nature. They are not specific enough and will in no way safeguard or appease the fears of residents living in the area,”
The group plans to challenge the government decision in court …
.. The ministry said the refinery would only be allowed to operate once Lynas complies with all the requirements, including the two extra conditions…… the government review has blocked the company from bringing in raw material.
Malaysia imposes 2 more conditions on controversial rare earth plant by Australian miner,Washington Post, By Associated Press, June 14, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s government has imposed two new conditions on a rare earth refinery set up by Australian miner Lynas to assuage public fears of radioactive pollution. Continue reading
Australian rare earths company Lynas – pulling out of its Malawi project?
Lynas Likely To Give Up Rare Earths Project in Africa International Business Times, By Esther Tanquintic-Misa | June 14, 2012 With its highly-controversial Malaysian rare earths processing plant an already ample source of headache, Lynas Corp. has been reported to be likely backing out from another rare earths project, this time in Africa.
Citing unidentified industry sources, The West Australian reported that Lynas Corp. is thinking of shunning the Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi after a Malawi High Court questioned the authenticity of the Australian miner’s ownership over the project…..
With the recent development, the Australian rare earths miner deemed it might be better to give up the African project altogether, than suffer again the same fate as with its highly controversial rare earths processing plant in Malaysia, The West Australian reported…. Lynas Corp. “is reassessing the project’s risks in the context of Malawi’s present governance and institutional frameworks,” sources told The West Australian. … http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/351984/20120614/lynas-corp-rare-earths-malawi-africa-malaysia.htm
International Energy Agency predicts a radical transition to renewable energy
A 685-page analysis released this week by the agency contains two important conclusions: renewable energy sources can do the job, and whichever way you cut the cake for a carbon-free grid by 2050 or 2070, with more or less nuclear power or carbon capture and storage, renewable energy sources will be providing at least 50 per cent of those electrons. And it won’t be expensive.
We are missing the boat on clean energy, BY: GILES PARKINSON : The Australian June 15, 2012, THE International Energy Agency was created 40 years ago, soon after the first major oil crisis, to ensure that OECD countries continued to have a secure supply of energy.
In the past few years, however, it has emerged as one of the loudest and most powerful advocates of clean energy.
The more it looks at the issues of climate change and energy security, the less it likes oil, gas and coal, and the more it is attached to what its secretary-general, Maria van der Hoeven, describes as a radical and early transformation of the world’s electricity systems. Continue reading
Inadequacy of Fukushima radiation tests – to avoid “uneasiness”
Fukushima Prefecture asked university to stop radiation dose tests soon after disaster, The Mainichi, 14 June 12, The Fukushima Prefectural Government asked a research team from Hirosaki University to stop conducting internal radiation exposure tests on prefectural residents after the outbreak of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the grounds that the tests were “stirring uneasiness,” it has been learned. Continue reading
Fukushima radioactive debris on USA’s shores
Washington monitoring tsunami debris for radiation, Seattle Times, 14 June 12 Gov. Chris Gregoire and other state officials are holding a news conference Monday at Ocean Shores to explain how the state responds to debris on the Washington coast from the Japanese tsunami….. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018436124_apwatsunamidebris.html
Old Hanford nuclear reactor closed – no plan for permanent disposal
Hanford workers mothball 6th nuclear reactor, Workers at south-central Washington’s Hanford nuclear reservation have finished the process of closing and “cocooning” the longest-running of nine nuclear reactors built there for the U.S. atomic weapons program. Seattle News, By SHANNON DININNY Associated Press YAKIMA, Wash. 14 June 12, —
Workers at south-central Washington’s Hanford nuclear reservation have finished the process of closing and “cocooning” the longest-running of nine nuclear reactors built there for the U.S. atomic weapons program. Continue reading
Another USA govt handout to a nuclear-related company
“The real risks of this nuclear bailout is for taxpayers, who will be on the hook for questionable government handouts that are worth more than the entire company,”
Energy Department Steps in to Help Uranium Enrichment Company, NYT, By MATTHEW L. WALD, June 13, 2012, WASHINGTON — The Energy Department announced Wednesday that it was stepping in to shore up an ailing company it created in the 1990s to privatize uranium enrichment, Continue reading
Arrests of suspects alleged to have murdered Iranian nuclear scientists
Iran arrests suspects over nuclear scientists’ deaths, Iran intelligence ministry claims detained suspects are linked to assassinations of nuclear scientists and have ties with Israel Saeed Kamali Dehghan, guardian.co.uk, 14 June 2012 Iran has claimed it has arrested the “main elements” behind the assassination of two of its nuclear scientists, alleging they were spies working for Israel. Continue reading
Iran insisting on its right to enrich uranium
Tehran’s No. 1 demand for Iran nuclear talks in Moscow, In the buildup to next week’s Iran nuclear talks in Moscow, Tehran has demanded that Western powers formally acknowledge its right to enrich uranium. Christian Science Monitor, By Ariel Zirulnick, June 14, 2012 Heading into Iran nuclear talks next week, Tehran‘s top demand is that Western powers acknowledge its right to uranium enrichment, reports the Tehran Times. Continue reading
1 This Month
10 June – Assessing Canada’s Investments in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors – https://zoom.us/meeting/register/IiqHA5feRhaEBycOLNTJlA#/registration
Cuba Is Not a Failed State – It Is a Besieged State
PETITION: “Global Appeal to Endorse Palestinian Right of Return of Refugees”
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