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

CIA, France, Germany and some Middle Eastern States accused of murdering Iran’s nuclear scientists

Iran spy chief says CIA had help killing nuclear scientists Accuses French and German intelligence services, after previously blaming U.K. and Israel CBC News, The Associated Press  Jul 6, 2012   Iran’s spy chief on Friday accused French and German intelligence services of co-operating with the CIA to kill Iranian nuclear scientists, an allegation likelyto exacerbate tensions between Tehran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear program. Heidar Moslehi said that other intelligence services in the region — including that of Iran’s arch foe Israel — also took part in the alleged campaign targeting the scientists. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Iraq, secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Delays in relicensing nuclear reactors, but they can continue to operate

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last month told the NRC to revisit rules governing the storage of spent nuclear fuel at the nation’s 104 operating reactors. The commission, the court said, failed to conduct an environmental review when it updated its so-called “waste confidence rule” in 2010.

More Nuclear Reactor License Renewals Delays: NRC’s Jaczko to Platts Energy Podium WASHINGTON, July 5, 2012  Market Watch,  — Speaking at a Platts Energy Podium event, the departing chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Thursday that the agency may not be able to renew licenses for operating nuclear plants for “a few years” because of a federal court ruling, but the practical impact will be limited…..

.. Jaczko urged the agency to continue to make post-Fukushima improvements to nuclear plants mandatory and warned that there are signs of nuclear industry “pushback” against some of the measures proposed in the wake of the tsunami-induced shutdown of the Japanese nuclear facility. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Sign of discreet progress in Iran nuclear talks

 

 

Iran nuclear talks: a thin, faint chink of light,   by, 6 July 2012 guardian.co.uk Iranian negotiators have presented an uncompromising stance on paper but informally they hint a deal could still be done  Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

“Neighbourly” campaign by Japan’s anti nuclear activists

they decided to open Yanaka no Iie (“Yanaka house”)–more precisely the home of member Naoko Nishimura–to monthly screenings followed by issue-related discussions over wine and coffee.

Anti-nuclear activists turn to home movie screenings http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/people/AJ201207060081, July 06, 2012 By LOUIS TEMPLADO/ AJW Staff Writer Protests take on many forms. Some chant in front of the seats of power; others march. But another way to protest is to invite people into your living room to watch movies. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Japan, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Most Fukushima evacuees did not know of the nuclear accident for days

much of the public remained unaware of the crisis for days.

FINAL REPORT (3) : 80% of evacuees did not know about Fukushima crisis on 3/11  http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201207060051 July 06, 2012 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN More than eight out of 10 people in the evacuation zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant had no idea there was anything wrong on March 11, 2011, according to the Diet investigation into the accident. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Workers exposed to radioactive uranium

Canadian workers exposed to yellowcake http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/canadian-workers-exposed-to-yellowcake/story-fn3dxix6-1226419628561  July 07, 2012  Three workers at a uranium processing plant in Canada were exposed to radioactive yellowcake when the lid blew off of a bulging container imported from the United States, US nuclear regulatory officials say. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Canada, incidents, Uranium | Leave a comment

South Africa warned against expanding nuclear power

“Minister [Dipuo] Peters’ support to expand nuclear power in Africa is extremely irresponsible given the socio-economic challenges prevalent on the continent,”

Greenpeace urges no nuclear power News 24, 2012-07-06   Greenpeace has repeated its warning on nuclear power following the release of the Japanese parliamentary panel finding into the Fukushima disaster. (AP), Duncan Alfreds Cape Town – Environmental group Greenpeace has repeated its warning on nuclear power following the release of the Japanese parliamentary panel finding into the Fukushima disaster. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Laser enrichment technology can promote the spread of nuclear weapons

a tension between the United States’ goal of safely commercializing nuclear-power technology and its efforts to control the proliferation of nuclear materials. ”When there’s a conflict, generally speaking, the policy to spread nuclear technology overrides the non-proliferation policy.”

Laser-based uranium enrichment plant sparks controversy 07/05/2012 Laser Focus World  by Gail Overton  Senior Editor  Washington, DC–A July 4 Nature news story from Sharon Weinberger says that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to open a plant that uses laser-based uranium enrichment will be considered in private. Although the controversial laser uranium-enrichment technology is on the cusp of making it cheaper to create fuel for nuclear power plants, some non-proliferation experts are concerned that the efficiency of the laser-based technology will also smooth the path for bomb makers.  Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | Reference, technology, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Report points to earthquake as cause of Fukushima nuclear catastrophe

The 641-page report criticized Tepco as being too quick to dismiss earthquake damage as a cause of the fuel meltdowns at three of the plant’s six reactors, which overheated when the site lost power.

Inquiry Declares Fukushima Crisis a Man-Made Disaster, NYT, By HIROKO TABUCHI, July 5, 2012 TOKYO — The nuclear accident at Fukushima was a preventable disaster rooted in government-industry collusion and the worst conformist conventions of Japanese culture, a parliamentary inquiry concluded Thursday. Kyodo News, via Associated Press
The report, released by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, challenged some of the main story lines that the government and the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have put forward. Most notably, the report said the plant’s crucial cooling systems might have been damaged in the earthquake on
March 11, 2011, not only in the ensuing tsunami.

That possibility raises doubts about the safety of all the quake-prone country’s nuclear plants just as they begin to restart after a pause ordered in the wake of the Fukushima crisis…… Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012, Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Court judgment makes USA, not Australia, the leader in cutting carbon emissions

Three judges –two Democrats and one Republican – upheld the EPA’s right to regulate greenhouse emissions under the Clean Air Act.

Result? No new coal-fired power stations! Under the Clean Air Act, carbon emissions are limited to 1,000 pounds of CO2 per MW hour of power produced.

 the United States has pledged a much more responsible cut of 17 per cent by 2020,

EPA Clean Air to end coal in the US http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/epa-clean-air-to-end-coal-in-the-us/    4 July, 2012   Last week, in a milestone announcement that  went largely unreported in Australia, the US Court of Appeals upheld the EPA’s right to regulate greenhouse emissions under the Clean Air Act. Today is the 4th July and Independent Australia believes this decision is cause to celebrate.  Environment editor Sandi Keane reports.  Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | climate change, Legal, USA | Leave a comment

The fight to shut down San Onofre nuclear power plant goes mainstream

 it’s not just Helen Caldicott and the local no-nukes activists. They have now been joined by powerful mainstream voices, including the Los Angeles Times editorial page

Leading the fight to shut down San Clemente have been locals Gary Headrick of San Clemente Green, Gene Stone of Residents Organized for a Safe Environment and Donna Gilmore of San Onofre Safety, along with Dan Hirsch of the Committee to Bridge the Gap. They’ve gotten help from Arnie Gundersen and Friends of the Earth and of course Helen Caldicott. Activists have held rallies, spoken at official meetings and petitioned the NRC and Congress.

It’s hard to disagree with the conclusion of LA Times editorial: “Now is the perfect time for Edison, and the state as a whole, to begin the planning for a non-nuclear future.”

‘Shut Down San Onofre’: The New Front Line in the Fight Against Nuclear Power  http://www.thenation.com/blog/168746/shut-down-san-onofre-new-front-line-fight-against-nuclear-power#  Jon Wiener on July 5, 2012  Not long after the meltdown at Fukushima, workers at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, north of San Diego, discovered radioactive steam leaking into the air. Hundreds of steam tubes had been banging together and vibrating, until one of them sprung a leak, investigators said. And the tubes had been installed less than two years ago. Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, USA | Leave a comment

USA experiencing ‘brutal’, unprecedented heat wave

the center of the country will experience high temperatures for the next several weeks, possibly into August.

More than 2,000 heat records matched or broken http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/65842 5 July 12, Joseph O’Leary More than 2,000 temperature records have been matched or broken in the past week as a brutal heat wave baked much of the United States, and June saw more than 3,200 records topped, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Monday. Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | climate change, USA | Leave a comment

Gregory Jaczko urges Nuclear Regulatory Commission to put safety ahead of costs

Mr. Jaczko said the [nuclear safety] changes were necessary for safety and the NRC should require operators to make them, regardless of cost

U.S. Nuclear Regulator: Agency Divided on Japan Response By RYAN TRACY 5 July 12 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303684004577509021876463962.html WASHINGTON—The departing chief U.S. nuclear regulator said U.S. officials still can’t agree on a response to Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi accident and urged his successor to “keep the pressure on” the nuclear industry. Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Uranium mine danger to world heritage park in Tanzania

Tanzania gets U.N. nod for uranium mine in game park DAR ES SALAAM, July 5 (Reuters) – Tanzania has received U.N. approval for Australia-based miner Mantra Resources to build a $400 million uranium mine in a world heritage game reserve despite pressure from environmental groups opposed to the project, it said on Thursday.

Green groups have warned that toxic mining activities at the plant would harm the ecologically sensitive Selous Game Reserve in the east African country… http://af.reuters.com/article/tanzaniaNews/idAFL6E8I57YN20120705

July 6, 2012 Posted by | AFRICA, environment, Uranium | Leave a comment

The past week in nuclear news

Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs

USA. Nuclear Regulatory Commission “streamlines” nuclear licensing procedures, eliminating public participation. Safety conscious Gregory Jaczko cleared of any wrongdoing, (but he had been  forced to resign from Nuclear Regulatory Commission).  Southern California might go permanently nuclear free, as future of closed San Onofre nuclear plant in doubt.

France. Nuclear reactors ordered to present safety plans by June 30. Serious safety problems found in 8 French nuclear reactors.  EDF must spend $10 billion on safety measures. French company GDF Suez moves out of nuclear technology export industry.

Japan: Fukushima nuclear plant directors and auditors move to lucrative jobs elsewhere. Japan’s seafood products banned in South Korea, due to radiation. Japan’s govt trying to save TEPCO from bankruptcy by a big restart of the nuclear industry. TEPCO now nationalised, plans to restart another nuclear plant. Japan’s utilities shareholders’ meetings demand an end to nuclear power. Group for Zero Nuclear Power is  a new force in Japan’s Parliament.

New nuclear reactors. Integral Fast Reactors (IFRs) – expensive and dangerous. Thorium reactors not possible for decades to come. Fast nuclear reactors not succeeding either financially, nor as a solution to plutonium wastes. Anxiety oover Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) planned for South Carolina.

Rare earths. Lynas Corporation might have to send its radioactive wastes back from Malaysia to Australia

Renewable energy.  Solar energy getting a big boost from USA govt. Scotland’s success. Huge solar centre opens in Japan.

Radioactive murder?  Was Yassa Arafat, like Litvinenko, poisoned by radioactive polonium?

July 5, 2012 Posted by | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

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