US nuclear regulators covered up flood threat to nuke plants
Flood Threat To Nuclear Plants Covered Up By Regulators, NRC Whistleblower Claims, includes UK video HUFFINGTON POST, 09/14/20 In a letter submitted Friday afternoon to internal investigators at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission , a whistleblower engineer within the agency accused regulators of deliberately covering up information relating to the vulnerability of U.S. nuclear power facilities that sit downstream from large dams and reservoirs.
The letter also accuses the agency of failing to act to correct these vulnerabilities despite being aware of the risks for years.
These charges were echoed in separate conversations with another risk engineer inside the agency who suggested that the vulnerability at one plant in particular — the three-reactor Oconee Nuclear Station near Seneca, S.C. — put it at risk of a flood and subsequent systems failure, should an upstream dam completely fail, that would be similar to the tsunami that hobbled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Japan last year. That event caused multiple reactor meltdowns.
In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Huffington Post, Richard H. Perkins, a reliability and risk engineer with the agency’s division of risk analysis, alleged that NRC officials falsely invoked security concerns in redacting large portions of a report detailing the agency’s preliminary investigation into the potential for flooding at U.S. nuclear power plants due to upstream dam failure.
In addition to the Oconee facility, the report examined similar vulnerabilities at the Ft. Calhoun station in Nebraska, the Prairie Island facility in Minnesota and the Watts Bar plant in Tennessee, among others……
The report concluded, among other things, that the failure of one or more dams sitting upstream from several nuclear power plants “may result in flood levels at a site that render essential safety systems inoperable.” High floodwaters could conceivably undermine all available power sources, the report found, including grid power, emergency diesel backup generators, and ultimately battery backups. The risk of these things happening, the report said, is higher than acceptable. “The totality of information analyzed in this report suggests that external flooding due to upstream dam failure poses a larger than expected risk to plants and public safety,” Perkins’s report concluded, adding that the evidence warranted a more formal investigation…… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/flood-threat-nuclear-plants-nrc_n_1885598.html
Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, Green Party, on ballot in 85% of USA States

Our Ballot Access Priorities http://www.jillstein.org/ballot?utm_campaign=summary_of_news&recruiter_id 12 Sept 12, Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala will appear on at least 85% of the ballots cast this November. Following is the state-by-state ballot access breakdown. We are currently seeking a ballot line or litigating in: Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
We are on the ballot in: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawai’i, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and new states Alabama, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Virginia!
We will appear as write-ins in: Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, and New Hampshire.
Russia’s nuclear waste storage ship

Nuclear waste storage ship Lepse leaves Murmansk for decomissioning, Kola Peninsula, Russia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guPem_guPUk
Nuclear waste storage ship Lepse leaves Murmansk for decomissioning, Kola Peninsula, Russia Sep 14, 2012 by bellonafoundation
The Lepse, which in its heyday had been used as a support vessel for Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet, has been bobbing at dockside at the Atomflot port four kilometers north of Murmansk’s more than a quarter of a million-strong population since 1988. In the holds of the Lepse are filled with casks and caissons holding 639 spent nuclear fuel assemblies –equaling hundreds of tons of radioactive materials — a significant portion of which have been damaged, including assemblies that were damaged during offloading from the nuclear icebreaker Lenin. On September 14, 2012, Lepse was towed to Nerpa shipyard on the Kola Peninsula for decommissioning. Bellona has been instrumental in Lepse project. Bellona’s President Frederic Hauge is in Murmansk to see Lepse leaving the Kola Bay.
Russian scientists find high levels of cesium 137 in Pacific ocean near Fukushima
[The Voice of Russia] Cs137 in Pacific ocean 500~800km from Fukushima, “10 times higher than norm” http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/09/the-voice-of-russia-cesium137-detected-in-pacific-ocean-500800km-from-fukushima-10-times-higher-than-normal/#.UFOPru59MAQ.facebook by Mochizuki on September 14th, 2012
<Quote> [The voice of Russia]
Russian scientists find radiation off Fukushima coast
Russian scientists have detected radiation in the north-west of the
Pacific Ocean at a distance between 500-800 km to the east from
Japan’s troubled Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.
The expedition of the Russian geographical society has detected that
the concentration of cesium-137 in that area exceeds the norm 10
times.
This is the first time when concentration of cesium 137 was found in
the local sea waters while the air is clean.
The level of radiation near the Russian coast is normal.
Deterioration in cooling system at Fukushima nuclear plant
Injecting water to reactor1 ~ 3 decreased again Fukushima Diary by Mochizuki September 14th, 2012 · The coolant system of Fukushima plant is getting deteriorated. Tepco has been struggling to control water injecting system since 8/30/2012. (cf.Tepco struggling to control the coolant system, “Adjusted the valves 7 times for 2 days”)
They announced that they solved the problem by eliminating the suspended materials on 9/13/2012, but on 9/14/2012, they had the problem of decreasing water amount to inject again.
In reactor1, water injection decreased by 10% from 21:00 of 9/13 to 1:00 of 9/14/2012.
In reactor2, it decreased from 1:00 to 7:00 of 9/14/2012.
They are trying to increase the water amount.
Tepco is still assuming it is due to the substances which flowed into the buffer tank and got stuck in the flow rate adjustment valves in the downstream side, narrowing the water flowing channel as a result.
The false report that Tepco reported the problem was solved in is below. [Link]….. http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/09/injecting-water-to-reactor1-3-decreased-again/#.UFOKy52ScB4.facebook
Spain’s Garona nuclear plant to close
Another people power victory this week!
Garoña nuclear power plant in Spain has been confirmed to begin closing! Congratulations to Greenpeace España and all of YOU for your years of hard work and determination. Truly an amazing job!
China’s nuclear dilemma, Phys Org. September 14, 2012 An expert assessment of China’s nuclear weapons strategy highlights the risk of escalation to nuclear war from a conflict beginning with conventional weapons, due to the unusual structure of the nation’s military. The new study, previously only available in Chinese, appears in the latest edition of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by SAGE.
The authors believe that this is the first comprehensive non-governmental study on how China’s nuclear-war plan was developed….. http://phys.org/news/2012-09-china-nuclear-dilemma.html#jCp
Explosion at oldest French nuclear plant http://www.beyondnuclear.org/france-whats-new/2012/9/11/explosion-at-oldest-french-nuclear-plant.html The oldest operating French nuclear power plant, at Fessenheim near the German border, suffered a chemical explosion on September 5 that sent 8 workers to the hospital, two of them with steam burns.
This was just the latest set-back for the French nuclear sector which is struggling to maintain a presence overseas but saw its Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) all but canceled at the Calvert Cliffs, MD site on August 30. Fessenheim sits on the banks of a river and on an active fault line and has been the object of consistent and large opposition
to its continued operation . At first alarm, it was believed a fire had broken out as 50 firefighters were dispatched to the site, operated by EDF. Later, it was described as a
chemical explosion that released “non-radioactive” steam.
The newly-elected French president, François Hollande, said he would shut the Fessenheim plant during his five-year term which most observers believe means at the end of it, in 2017. Furthermore, his energy minister, Dauphine Batho, has been quoted recently describing nuclear energy as “necessary” and the “energy of the future” causing a flurry
of critical and often derisory articles and commentaries in the French media.
Ex-French nuclear chief charged over Chernobyl cover-up, Terra Daily, Some 12.500 people, according to the police, protest in Cherbourg, northwestern France, 15 April 2006, against a new kind of reactor, the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) and to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl
Paris (AFP) May 31, 2006The former head of the state-run French body monitoring radiation was charged Wednesday with “aggravated deceit” over the alleged cover-up
of the effects of the May 1986 Chernobyl disaster on France. Continue reading
India’s peaceful anti nuclear campaign now facing terror and repression
A regime that hates common masses and uses them only as vote bank can do anything to make the rich and multinationals terribly happy
Indian regime has already exhausted all techniques and tricks to malign, terrorize the people of Kudankulam.
India’s Kudankulam Nuclear Terror threatens Jal-Satyagraha http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/editorial/2012/09/14/4450.html 14 SEPTEMBER 2012 : BY DR. ABDUL RUFF Gandhian method of struggle still has relevance for India which fought against the British occupation for centuries. In fact the Indian regime is not happy about protesters using non-violent protests against a government that employed as its prime tool of attack on Britain.
Defying security presence, Kudankulam protesters have entered sea for a Sea water Protest , or Jal Satyagraha, signalling that the not only the people of Kudankulam, especially the fishermen and families angry with central India and Tamilnadu regimes, but even the Sea itself is annoyed with an nuclear extra terror fitting on its shores..
Upon state murder of one fisherman in Kudankulam vicinity, the protesting masses have decided to continue the movement through relaunching the struggle by getting into the sea. Protesters have formed human chain in sea from Sep 13, 2012. Continue reading
India’s nuclear heavies will “enlighten the masses”
I was so fascinated by this little article: I have coloured my favourite phrases in red.
Summit to allay fears on Kundakulam, Jaitapur nuclear plants Times of
India B Sridhar, TNN Sep 13, 2012, JAMSHEDPUR: The innocent misguided people opposing the likes of Kundakulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu and Jaitapur nuclear power plant in Maharashtra will be in focus in the global Nuclear Energy Summit scheduled to be held in Mumbai on September 25.
The summit to be organized by the department of atomic energy (DAE) will witness domestic and foreign nuclear producing company’s representatives discuss the various misconceptions and misinformation about the nuclear energy plants in a comprehensive manner.
“The summit will immensely help in allaying the fears related to the operation of the nuclear energy plants in India,” said
Jamshedpur-based Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) spokesperson Atul Bajpai.
The UCIL will have 15 panels at the summit venue that will largely be informative in nature aimed at enlightening the common masses about the effective and sustainable uranium exploration measures the premier public enterprise is practicing over the years…..
Atomic Energy Commission chairman R K Sinha, Atomic Energy Nuclear Board vice-chairman S Duraisamy, nuclear specialist, Lisega Inc (US) Bob Fandetti and chief executive, French Nuclear Industry Association, Henri Chapotot are among those who will take part in the summit to be held at the Mumbai Exhibition Center.
Growth of India’s solar energy, grid parity by 2014

Solar power catching up with conventional energy http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/solar-power-catching-upconventional-energy/186748/on Cost of solar power may equal to that of conventional energy by 2014: Study Devjyot Ghoshal / New Delhi Sep 14, 2012, If India’s conventional power sector, particularly coal-based thermal power projects, has found itself squarely stuck under the long shadow of governmental inefficiencies and suspect allocation mechanisms, there is a drastically different story unfolding in the country’s solar energy sector. Continue reading
Radiation exposure to Fukushima workers before the March 11 catastrophe
Journalist who covered Fukushima Daiichi: I heard stories that tens of people at plant may have died from radiation exposure before 3/11 (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/journalist-covered-fukushima-daiichi-heard-stories-tens-people-plant-died-radiation-exposure-before-311-video “TEPCO and the Fukushima Forbidden Zone”, by Matsumura & Onda Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan Feb 28, 2012
Katsunobu Onda, Journalist: As was explained earlier, I have a 35 year relationship with nuclear power plants.
My first opportunity I had to study nuclear power plants was 35 years ago when I visited the Daiichi Fukushima nuclear power plant that was run by Tepco.
And the reason that I went was that, as you may know inside the power plants facilities themselves there are many, many, many people that work at a the plant…
And I had heard stories that several people, or maybe several tens of people, had died from their exposure to radiation.
For decades, a stream of lies from the nuclear industry
Nuclear sector seeks to regain trust after Fukushima, Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog, Sep 13, 2012
* Nuclear industry needs to be transparent – Areva chief
* Fukushima was an error – Westinghouse executive
Throughout my life, I recall, a constant stream of nuclear lies. As the old nukers die, new ones fill their shoes and believe, without much question, everything they are told. When it blows up in our faces, they first deny and then cry “Error”. Pray for Japan. Its useless looking for nuclear help, or nuclear truth, from nuclear industry. imo.
March 11 was an error,” said Ric Perez, president and chief operating officer of Westinghouse, also a leading nuclear company and majority-owned by Japan’s Toshiba.
Perez said it was the sector’s obligation to continue to improve safety and address points of contention as a collective industry rather than companies from different countries……
They will say and do anything to hide the fact that the Fukushima reactors are still venting radionuclides onto land, sea and air. They will say and do anything to keep their share values up. They will do anything to block such news from being accurately and routinely reported in the mass media. They cannot at this point though, control the internet.
These are the very same companies and governments who warned favored people to move out of Utah and Nevada, the same ones who, throughout the 1950s to 1980s labelled dissenting scientists and individuals as “unpatriotic”, the same ones who called who complained to government about the death of their children from nuclear fallout as being ‘Communistically inspired’, the same ones who forced the Marshall Islanders to return to contaminated land. They are the sames who directed funds which became a permanent Dole to nuclear industry, the same ones who permit nuclear industry to cause global havoc within the protection of limited liability, the same ones who fund phony research known as hormesis, which these liars falsely claim “proves” that nuclear emissions such as strontium, cesium, Xenon and Krypton is beneficial to health. These routine emissions, particularly at refuelling cause disease.
These are the same ones who told Japan and the world that there were no meltdowns at the Fukushima Reactors, the same ones who told Japan and the world that it was fine to eat plutonium, that only unhappy people get radiation sickness, that noone was at risk, that it was safe to move back into the Fukushima immediate fallout zone, that it was good to decontaminate even when fallout is still arriving and even civilians have returned to the areas being decontaminated. The rad readings in air in Fukushima City, where people walk passed workers removing cesium and other nuclear shit with steam cleaners, where kids have to walk to school even though they are warned to avoid the rain and stay indoors, is higher than the rad rad readings in air in the permanent exclusion zone.
Yea, you are a mistake Westinghouse. So are the rest of them. If Fukushima was a mistake unforeseen by world nuclear industry and government, why were scientists in the 1960s and 1970s so abused and ignored by pro nuclear companies and government? Why, when the AEC Ergen Report of the 1960s demanded a technical fix to the high risk of emergency core cooling system failure was it ignored? Why were no full scale tests conducted? When Lapp highlighted the “Problem of Nuclear Plumbing” (New York Times) in 1971, why was he ignored? When Nader and Abbott highlighted the high inherent risks of ranks of reactors clumped together in “reactor parks” in 1975 and when those two also repeated the high risks presented by “nuclear plumbing”, inadequate containment and poor resistance to disasters inherent in nuclear reactors, why did World Nuclear respond by merely calling Nader and Abbott nasty names? The sale and construction of the reactors for TEPCOs Fukushima Diiachi site went ahead in this very same period. Was that a mistake? How is it a mistake if dozens, literally dozens of people from around the world, many independent scientists and some scientists who lost their jobs because they spoke honestly, all said the same things.That the ECCS was inadquate, that disaster resistance was inadequate, that containment was inadequate, that lives would be at risk.
The world nuclear lobby built reactors anyway. That is a deliberate act. Lapp could see that reactors had to be built away from major cities. As a result the Japanese food basket of Fukushima now lies as radiologically, nuclide venting ruin. Well done? I don’t think so…
http://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/fukushima-was-mistake-wetinghouse-chief-boy-he-thinks-its-still-1954/
More costs, more delays, for French nuclear plants, Flamanville, Olkiluoto
EDF forecasts further delays and increased costs at new French nuclear
plant http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/53114/EDF-forecasts-further-delays-and-increased-costs-at-new-French-nuclear-plant.aspx?AreaID=2 12 September 2012
Electricité de France (EDF) said in July that the new nuclear power station being built at the Flamanville site on the Normandy coast is now expected to open in 2016 and cost €6bn ($7.34bn), instead of the original starting date of 2012 and cost of €3.3bn. Continue reading
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