2012 August 09 « nuclear-news

USA to halt licensing of nuclear plants: no assurance of nuclear waste solution

U.S. Regulator Halts Nuclear-Plant Licensing, WSJ, By REBECCA SMITH And RYAN TRACY August 7, 2012, Court Rules That NRC Can No Longer Accept Assurances a Permanent Waste Repository Is Coming

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it would stop issuing licenses for nuclear plants until it addresses problems with its nuclear-waste policy that were raised by a recent federal appeals court decision. Continue reading →

August 9, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | Leave a comment

In Japan, (as in other countries) nuclear lobby cons children

At left is an example of AREVA’s spin to children in Australia

‘Alice in Wonderland’ was used to convince children in Japan nuclear power is safe (PHOTO & VIDEO) http://enenews.com/alice-wonderland-convince-children-japan-nuclear-power-safe-photo-video (VIDEO) August 8th, 2012 By ENENews
Speaker: Charles Ferguson, President, Federation of American Scientists Stories have come out that the government was promoting nuclear power so much that they were using cartoon characters, they were using Alice in Wonderland to convince school children nuclear power is incredibly safe. They weren’t showing the other side of the story adequately enough. It was an unbalanced presentation.
The New York Times’ Norimitsu Onishi on the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme: The New York Times’ Norimitsu Onishi on the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme:
Source: Ko Sasaki for The New York Times
Near a nuclear power plant facing the Sea of Japan, a series of exhibitions in a large public relations building here extols the virtues of the energy source with some help from “Alice in Wonderland.”
“It’s terrible, just terrible,” the White Rabbit says in the first exhibit. “We’re running out of energy, Alice.”
A Dodo robot figure, swiveling to address Alice and the visitors to the building, declares that there is an “ace” form of energy called nuclear power. It is clean, safe and renewable if you reprocess uranium and plutonium, the Dodo says.
“Wow, you can even do that!” Alice says of nuclear power. “You could say that it’s optimal for resource-poor Japan!”

August 9, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, spinbuster | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to woo indigenous peoples with education money

This funding opportunity is open to institutions of higher education; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; and Tribally-Controlled Colleges and Universities; non-profits.

$4.7 Million Funding Available for Nuclear Education Curricula Development Power Industry News, WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced that it expects to award discretionary grant for the development of nuclear education curricula promoting common defense and security; and protecting the environment. Continue reading →

August 9, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA | Leave a comment

U.S. Freezes All Nuclear Power Plant Licensing Decisions

most of the 19 reactor projects are already “essentially sidetracked by the huge problems facing the nuclear industry, including an inability to control runaway costs, and the availability of far less expensive energy alternatives.”

ongoing descent into fiasco of the bubble once known as ‘the nuclear renaissance,’”

WASHINGTON, DC, August 7, 2012 (ENS) – Federal nuclear regulators today froze at least 19 final reactor licensing decisions in response to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit that spent nuclear fuel stored on-site at nuclear power plants “poses a dangerous, long-term health and environmental risk.”

In its ruling, the appeals court invalidated the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s 2010 updates to the Waste Confidence Rule and also the Temporary Storage Rule and directed the commission to fully comply with federal law.

In response, the NRC today put a hold on nine construction and operating licenses, eight license renewals, one operating license, and one early site permit.

The court noted that, after decades of failure to site a permanent geologic repository, including 20 years of working on the now-abandoned Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada, the NRC “has no long-term plan other than hoping for a geologic repository.”

Therefore, it is possible that spent fuel will be stored at reactor sites “on a permanent basis,” the court said.

In its order today, the five-member NRC said, “Waste confidence undergirds certain agency licensing decisions, in particular new reactor licensing and reactor license renewal.”

“Because of the recent court ruling striking down our current waste confidence provisions, we are now considering all available options for resolving the waste confidence issue, which could include generic or site-specific NRC actions, or some combination of both,” the agency said. “We have not yet determined a course of action.”

“In recognition of our duties under the law, we will not issue licenses dependent upon the Waste Confidence Decision or the Temporary Storage Rule until the court’s remand is appropriately addressed,” the NRC said.

The NRC’s order extends only to final license issuance. “All licensing reviews and proceedings should continue to move forward,” the agency said.

The case was originally brought to the appeals court by four states led by New York State, as well as a native Indian community and several environmental groups.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman brought legal action against the NRC because of his concerns about Entergy’s relicensing application for two reactors at Indian Point power plant on the Hudson River at Buchanan, New York, just 24 miles north of New York City. Entergy’s license to operate Indian Point expires on September 28, 2013.

Schneiderman said today, “The storage of nuclear waste at nuclear power facilities poses long-term health and environmental risks, including the risk of leaks from spent fuel pools and fires. Despite this, the NRC has refused my repeated requests to address the serious risks of long-term, on-site storage of nuclear waste in Indian Point’s relicensing proceeding.” Continue reading →

August 9, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment