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Nuclear news for the past week

Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs

Uranium prices continue to plummet – with no indication of a recovery any time soon. Nuclear industry in decline, with more reactors closing than new ones starting.

Japan.  A hoax story on new Fukushima explosion was quickly exposed.  But Japan’s nuclear regulator warned that all the same, Fukushima nuclear plant remains precarious.  Ground is sinking under Fukushima reactor No 4. Nuclear regulator requires wider evacuation area plans for nuclear reactors, adding further problems to the industry. Japan going ahead with construction of some new nuclear reactors, but in a climate of political and cost uncertainty.

Information on Fukushima radiation continues to come out,  with warnings on the uptake of radiation in the ocean food chain, high radiation doses still in Fukushima areas, and Japan’s authorities fudging  monitoring, to make it look better.

UK govt now considering “underwriting” construction costs of new nuclear reactors – if they have “cost overruns.  This despite the govt’s promise not to subsidise new nuclear.

India still sort of stuck on its nuclear plans, with wrangle with Russia over nuclear liability law.  Meanwhile Asia’s largest solar power plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan will be up and running in 2014

USA.  Has its almost certainly hottest year on record, Obama and Romney still not talking about nuclear issues, nor climate change. Well, what did we expect? They are still both dependent on nuclear and fossil interests for their financial support. Nuclear Regulatory Commission considers giving nuclear companies 80 year licenses!  for reactors. Radiation scanners to be phased out of USA’s major airports.

Russia: President Putin flexes his muscles as Russia  conducts  huge show of its nuclear arsenal “triad”—land and sea—launched long-range nuclear missiles and strategic bombers. Poor progress on the USA-Russia START disarmament agreement, but USA is still way ahead in nuclear weapons numbers.

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

VIDEO: Nuclear Waste Burial in the Great Lakes Basin

Deep Trouble: Nuclear Waste Burial in the Great Lakes Basin By Ahni Oct 13, 2012 http://intercontinentalcry.org/deep-trouble-nuclear-waste-burial-in-the-great-lakes-basin/ This video is a recording of the joint St. Clair County Community College’s Green Team and Blue Water Sierra Club presentation “Deep Trouble — Nuclear Waste Burial in the Great Lakes Basin.” Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Resources -audiovicual | Leave a comment

Outside Fukushima’s evacuation zone, but kindergarten still not safe

NHK: Kindergarten outside evacuation zone closed because of Fukushima radiation threat — “No one can deny the reality” (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/nhk-fukushima-kindergarten-evacuation-zone-closed-because-radiation-threat-one-deny-reality-contamination-away-video   October 24th, 2012 at 
Watch the NHK report here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=6scs7iE02Vg#t=145s
Source: NHK NewsWatch 9
Published by: Missingsky101
Date Aired: February 2012
Date Published: Oct 23, 2012

[The head of a kindergarten in Minamisoma city, Fukushima Prefecture] decided to close the kindergarten indefinitely […] a history of 60 years […]

[He] says, “No one can deny the reality that the community is exposed to radiation” […]

The director was forthright about lingering concerns of radiation that never went away no matter how hard the school tried to decontaminate the premises […]

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012, Resources -audiovicual, safety | Leave a comment

Wider evacuation area plans needed, says Japan’s nuclear regulator

the wide area of forecasted contamination means local governments will face a greater burden in compiling effective disaster management plans.

 Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, has called such plans a minimum requirement before nuclear plants can be cleared for a restart.
If local governments cannot compile effective disaster management plans, it means the security of local residents is not assured. In such circumstances, not only would it be difficult to resume operations at such plants, but the very existence of those plants could be called into question.

Forecast predicts wider evacuations needed if nuclear disaster repeated Nuclear watchdog may broaden definition of active fault lines October 24, 2012 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN A forecast of the radiation released in another nuclear accident shows that at four plants, a 30-kilometer evacuation zone would be insufficient for public safety, and that more distant residents would need to flee their homes too. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Japan, politics, safety | Leave a comment

Price Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act – a whopper government subsidy

It is worth noting that Exelon, as an owner and operator of more nuclear power plants than any other American company, benefits to a considerable degree from what is potentially one of the largest government subsidies of energy production in world history, the Price Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act.

Nuclear Company Blasts Wind Industry Tax Incentive KCET, by Chris Clarke
on October 23, 2012 The largest operator of nuclear power plants in the United States has blasted the Wind Production Tax Credit in a commissioned study…… Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, politics, Reference, USA | Leave a comment

While India’s nuclear dream languishes, solar energy up and running quickly

The latest news is that Reliance is building Asia’s largest solar power plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. “The 250 MW plant being built with Areva of France would be ready by late 2014. The entire project would be ready by 2014”

Cheap nuclear energy is an illusion  The Pioneer:  Kumar Chellappan, 25 Oct 12 Nuclear energy is expensive and unsustainable, and takes more than a decade to be fully operational. It is also high on risks. Moreover, the 20 nuclear reactors spread across the country generate hardly 60 per cent of the total installed nuclear power

Hidden subsidies have helped the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, India | Leave a comment

Amid political and cost uncertainties, Japan to continue building some nuclear reactors

 uncertainties about the future cost of operating nuclear plants in Japan weaken the economic case for more atomic power. “There will be more costs for safety upgrades, and no one knows what kind of insurance system is going to be put in place. These things will make a big difference to generating costs.”….

Japanese plan to complete reactors raises doubts about nuclear phase-out WP, By Jonathan Soble | Financial Times,  October 23 TOKYO — It has been only a month since Japan declared that it would close down its nuclear industry by the end of the 2030s, but already a contentious plan to complete several partially built reactors is sowing doubts about the government’s commitment to the radical policy shift…..
In the weeks since the nuclear phase-out was announced, Yukio Edano, industry minister, has said three approved but unfinished reactors are exempt from a central provision of the phase-out policy, under which no new plants will be built. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

China slowing down its nuclear power program

China to approve only a few new reactors by 2015 By David Stanway BEIJING   Oct 24, 2012  (Reuters) – China will approve a small number of new nuclear reactors before 2015 to be built only in coastal regions, the government said on Wednesday, as it unveiled a raft of measures to spur private investments in energy. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, China | Leave a comment

Japan’s nuclear regulator warns that Fukushima’s situation is still precarious

Fukushima situation stable but still precarious: regulator (Reuters) Fredrik Dahl. 24 Oct,  – The situation at Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant has been stabilized but is still precarious, more than a year and a half after disaster struck, a senior Japanese regulatory official said on Wednesday.. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Many Australians anxious about the grubby deal to sell uranium to India

Anxiety about uranium sales to India arises from the poor safety reputation of that country’s nuclear power industry and its development of nuclear weapons in violation of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

the visit looked for all the world like a sales pitch. The awarding of an Order of Australia to Indian batsman Sachin
Tandulkar was clearly intended to butter up customers for a big purchase.

 The truth is that Australia, taking its cue from the US, is not worried about India having nuclear arms. In fact, it fits in nicely with long-term planning in the Pentagon.

The grubby saga of uranium sales to India, CPA 25 Oct 12 Prime Minister Gillard’s visit to India last week was pure pantomime. She met her counterpart, Mr Manmohan Singh, and took part in all manner of events and photo opportunities in an effort to repair Australia’s damaged reputation on the sub-continent –…– and to seal a deal that has made many observers nervous. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, politics international | Leave a comment

Another utility company pulls out of uneconomic nuclear power project

Utilities are pulling out of nuclear projects across Europe  as uncertainty over energy prices makes them too risky. EON’s withdrawal from Finland follows its decision in September 2011, along with SSE Plc and RWE AG (RWE), to give up building nuclear plants in the
U.K

EON Withdraws From Finnish Nuclear Project on Price Slide, Bloomberg By Torsten Fagerholm – Oct 24, 2012   EON AG, Germany’s biggest utility, plans to withdraw from the Fennovoima Oy nuclear reactor in Finland  after European energy prices declined, threatening the viability of the project. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, Finland | Leave a comment

Robots – very limited ability to do nuclear cleanup

Japan Nuclear Expert: Humans must ‘decommission’ Fukushima reactors ― Robots can’t do anything basically (VIDEOS) http://enenews.com/japan-nuclear-expert-decommissioning-fukushima-reactors-be-humans-robots-anything-basically-video
October 23rd, 2012
Watch video of the interview here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stBmhNY6X58
Interview with Hiroaki Koide
Upload by: 座間宮 ガレイ
Filmed: Oct. 18, 2012
Translation: Fukushima Diary

Hiroaki Koide, Kyoto University Reactor Research Institute: You should think robot can’t do anything basically. It has nothing to do with settling the situation. […] They can’t be a help at all. […] Japan hasn’t developed a robot for nuclear emergency at all on the
assumption that nuclear accident can never happen. However, some European nations and US have such robots indeed, but their capacity is very limited regardless of remote controlling technology. After all, it must be done by human

October 25, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Radiation hotspots in schools, playgrounds near Fukushima

AFP: Some school facilities in Fukushima city exceeding radiation limit by 1,000% — Many hot spots around playground equipment are especially disturbing – http://enenews.com/afp-school-facilities-fukushima-city-exceed-radiation-limit-1000-many-hot-spots-around-playground-equipment-especially-disturbing-greenpeaceGreenpeace 

Title: Japan’s radiation monitoring unreliable: Greenpeace 
Source: AFP
Author: Kyoko Hasegawa
Date: Oct 23, 2012

Government radiation monitoring in areas near Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is unreliable,     Greenpeace charged on Tuesday, w, with heavily populated areas exposed to 13 times the legal limit.

The environmental group said authorities were wasting time cleaning up evacuated areas and should prioritise decontamination efforts in places where people live, work and play.

Greenpeace found that in some parks and school facilities in Fukushima city, home to 285,000 people, radiation levels were above three microsieverts per hour. Japan’s recommended radiation limit is 0.23 microsieverts per hour. […]

Rianne Teule, Greenpeace’s radiation expert

“We also found that official monitoring posts placed by the government systematically underestimate the radiation levels”
Some machines are shielded from radiation by surrounding metal and concrete structures
“Official monitoring stations are placed in areas the authorities have decontaminated. However, our monitoring shows that just a few steps away the radiation levels rise significantly”
“Decontamination efforts are seriously delayed and many hot spots that were repeatedly identified by Greenpeace are still there”
“It is especially disturbing to see that there are many hot spots around playground equipment, exposing children who are most vulnerable to radiation risks”

October 25, 2012 Posted by | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Safety reasons against re-licensing Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station

NRC to hear argument against Davis-Besse nuclear plant relicensing http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2012/10/nrc-to-hear-argument-against-davis-besse-nuclear-plant-relicensing.html October 24, 2012 By PennEnergy  The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hear oral arguments Nov. 5-6 on a new contention in the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station relicensing hearing.

The contention alleges that cracks in the plant’s shield building should be considered “an aging-related feature” that would preclude renewing the plant’s operating license for an additional 20 years. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Davis-Besse nuclear power plant gets a new emergency response cen

FirstEnergy opens emergency response center dedicated for Davis-Besse, Toledo Blade, 25  BY DAVID PATCH LINDSEY, Ohio — First-Energy Nuclear Operating Corp.has spent $6 million on a 12,000-square-foot building it hopes to use as little as possible. Continue reading →

October 25, 2012 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

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