nuclear-news

Marshall Islands -UN report offers even-handedness and focus on future?

““The Special Rapporteur’s mission tells the world the Marshall Islands is entitled to know the truth, to be treated with dignity, and to have all those human rights which should never have been lost,” Muller commented, adding the Marshall Islands welcomed the recommendations and “we urge the United States and the international community to do likewise, and we look forward to doing our part to ensure their implementation.

UN report offers even-handedness and focus on future

Giff Johnson

The release in mid-September of the United Nations Special Rapporteur’s report on the human rights impact of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands provides a roadmap for the Unite d States, the United Nations and the Marshall Islands to effectively address the numerous outstanding problems in this north Pacific nation.
One of the most important aspects of Calin Georgescu’s 19-page report for the UN Human Rights Council is its even-handedness and focus on the future.

Among other key points in the report include:

• The United States government should provide compensation needed to pay about $2 billion in Nuclear Claims Tribunal awards;
• Declassify secret reports on the nuclear tests to end a “legacy of distrust”;
• Follow the recommendations of its own Presidentially-appointed Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments that recommended personalized apologies to the individuals who were the unwitting subjects of radiation experiments;
• Calls on United Nations agencies to get involved in solving a number of radiation-related environment and health issues; and
• Calls on the Marshall Islands to sponsor an independent radiological survey of the entire country with the assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

But many islanders have watched with increasing dejection as American courts have tossed out lawsuits by the nuclear ground zero islands of Bikini and Enewetak, and the US government for 12 years has ignored petitions seeking additional nuclear test compensation for personal injuries and land damages, clean-up programs, and loss of past use.

Jack Niedenthal, who works for the Bikini Council, underlined a point now in the minds of many Marshall Islanders following the report’s release: Will the newly released UN report on the Marshall Islands have any impact on the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands?
He said the report raises the issues Marshall Islanders have been making for years. “This is exactly the case the nuclear victims have been trying to make to both the US Congress and the US courts,” Niedenthal said.

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October 16, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nuclear energy technology not suitable for use in Singapore -“Not safe – no where to hide”

Published on Oct 15, 2012 by 154thmedia2012

October 16, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Oil Spill Causes Short-Term Damage to Rat DNA, Implications for the BP Gulf oil spill?

“The new study of rats shows a direct link between respiratory exposure to compounds discharged by the fuel and damage to genetic material. In order to analyse the possible alterations to the DNA and its repair processes, the researchers took blood samples from each animal and carried out cytogenic tests.”

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2012) —

An experiment carried out on rodents exposed to fuel similar to that of the Prestige tanker oil spill — which took place nearly a decade ago — shows that inhalation of the fuel causes damage to genetic material. According to the study, led by the University of A Coruña, the results could be used in relation to people who carry out the industrial cleaning of coasts.

On Nov. 19, 2012, it will be ten years since the sinking of the Prestige, which caused one of Spain’s largest ecological disasters. The oil spill reached the coasts of Galicia and the rest of the Cantabrian coast, right up to the Landes area of France and Portugal. Thousands of people aided in the cleaning of the contaminated beaches and were exposed to the fuel for prolonged periods.

In order to confirm the effects of such exposure on the health of human beings in this and other circumstances, a team of researchers from the University of A Coruña carried out an experiment using two different strains of rat and a respiratory chamber especially designed to create fuel exposure. For two hours a day, five days a week, the animals were exposed to a fuel similar in composition to that of the Prestige oil spill. This study has now been published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.

“Induced damage to genetic material and the development of different respiratory ailments has been previously been seen in people who took part in the oil spill cleanup effort,” Vanessa Valdiglesias, researcher at the Toxicology Unit of the University of A Coruña, explains . The former institution, along with the Institute of Biomedical Research of A Coruña, has already tried to describe the effects of the oil spill on people’s health.

“Nevertheless,” continues Valdiglesias, “in these studies, the environmental exposure measures were scarce or nonexistent, which made it difficult to attribute the observed effects directly to fuel exposure.”

The new study of rats shows a direct link between respiratory exposure to compounds discharged by the fuel and damage to genetic material. In order to analyse the possible alterations to the DNA and its repair processes, the researchers took blood samples from each animal and carried out cytogenic tests.

The results were clear: exposure to fuel through inhalation causes damage to the DNA of both types of rat — both of which differed in susceptibility to the compounds of the fuel — and also alters DNA repair processes.

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October 16, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Pentagon Single-Bid Contracting Hurting Taxpayers -POGO

This news is startling because, according to FPDS-NG (it’s not my number, so don’t shoot the messenger), single-bid offers accounted for $185 billion spent in base contracts and exercised options by DoD in FY 2011, and rules were violated in 31 of the 78 contracts sampled by the IG.

By SCOTT AMEY

Oct 15, 2012

Last week, the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General released a report finding that single-bid guidance isn’t being followed and, as a result, “the Services have not realized potential cost savings associated with increased competition and re-competing $390.9 million in contract modifications. DoD also cannot accurately assess the percent of improvements in DoD achieving effective competition.” Specifically, the DoD IG found:

The Services did not follow DoD single-bid guidance when awarding 31 contracts, valued at approximately $656.1 million, out of the sample of 78 contracts awarded as competitive, valued at approximately $1 billion, that we reviewed. Specifically, contracting offices:

• issued 16 of 31 single-bid contracts, valued at $165.3 million, without advertising solicitations for 30 days;
• issued 8 of 31 single-bid contracts, valued at $471.0 million, without adequately determining price reasonableness; and
• issued 7 of 31 single-bid contracts, valued at $19.8 million, without advertising solicitations for 30 days and adequately determining price reasonableness.

In addition, the IG found that DoD did not “develop specific steps to prevent 39 of 47 contract modifications, valued at $390.9 million, from exceeding the 3-year limitation on awarding contract modifications without first recompeting.”

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October 15, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Thai government urged to confirm link to Cambodia’s Nuclear aspirations

By ExpatNewsletter.net | October 14, 2012 at 6:36 am

Thailand News

“But environmental activist Witoon Permwongsacharoen of the Foundation for Ecological Recovery said Cambodia consumed only 1,000 megawatts of electricity per year, meaning there was no need for the country to invest in nuclear power.”

““Cambodia itself doesn’t need such a large-scale power plant,” Mr Santi said. “The project will likely supply electricity to neighbouring countries, including Thailand. The Thai government should make it clear whether it is involved.””

Anti-nuclear activists have called on the Thai government to clarify its involvement in Cambodia’s controversial plan to construct a nuclear power plant in the border province of Koh Kong.

Activists suspect collusion between the Thai government and Cambodia over alleged plans to build a nuclear power plant on the island of Koh Kong, just south of the Trat province border. (Maps from KohKongResort.com)

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October 15, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Documenting ian, blog – showing the truth behind the nuclear disaster in Fukushima area (Video and Photos)

Decontamination (part 1)

I am filming all this week in Fukushima Prefecture, and today I began in the city of Date, which lies about 50 kilometers to the west of the damaged nuclear power plant.  After the meltdown, the wind blew the radiation westward, and so the contamination spread far beyond the 20 kilometer evacuation zone initially established by the government.

At the Sugano family home in the city of Date, the decontamination has only just began, although it has already been a year and a half since the meltdown.

After the meltdown, the family sensed they were in danger so they packed all their bags and prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.  But the government never evacuated the city of Date.

Eventually, two months after the meltdown, the entire village of Iitate, which lies next to Date, was evacuated when the government finally admitted that the radiation had spread further than initially announced.

My documentary about the evacuation of the entire village of Iitate, which lies next to the city of Date, is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YXocjiKU-Vk

In the city of Date, the Sugano family and their three children, aged 9, 5 and 4, remained in their home for three months waiting to be evacuated.  When their property was finally tested, one of the hotspots was found to be 70 microsieverts (!), seen on the map below at line 14 marked HS 3:

The city of Date tested the homes of all its residents.  When hotspots were found, it was decided not to evacuate the entire city of Date, but rather to make a decision on a house by house basis.  In other words, a family would only receive assistance to evacuate if their house was deemed a hotspot.  Neighborhoods were torn apart, with some families being evacuated and some homes deemed “safe”.  Anyone unlucky enough to have a home deemed “safe” was now faced with having to live literally next door to an evacuated home deemed a hotspot.

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October 15, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

UAE issues new nuclear liability law -Disaster Liability capped at around $700 million

by Adam Lane on Oct 15, 2012

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a new Federal Law covering civil liability and compensation for nuclear damage that could occur as a result of a nuclear accident.

“This Law was drafted in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage as amended by the 1997 Protocol, which the UAE acceded to in August 2012. The establishment of such a robust nuclear liability regime is another step forward of the UAE Government’s responsible approach to develop a solid regulatory framework for the peaceful nuclear energy programme.

“This new liability regime provides a clear and predictable process for the public and nuclear industry to deal with compensation for damages that may arise in the case of a nuclear accident,” said H.E. Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), speaking at a press conference held at the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation HQ.

The new law makes the operator of a nuclear facility solely and exclusively liable for damages that arise from a nuclear incident as defined by the 1997 Vienna Convention. The operator’s liability has been set at 450 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), equivalent to around US $700 million.

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October 15, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

We are duty-bound to protect our people from nuclear mishaps – Sri Lanka

Oct 15, 2012 04:45 pm

Whether an agreement is signed with India or not, Sri Lanka will implement a disaster management action plan in case of nuclear accidents or a radiological emergency, Minister Champika Ranwaka said following the conclusion of the first round of talks in New Delhi on civil nuclear cooperation.

Addressing a press briefing in Colombo today (15) the Minister of Power and Energy stated that the government is duty bound to protect its people and therefore “no one can question it,” as same as its India’s sovereign right to set up a nuclear plant.

The first round of talks between India and Sri Lanka on comprehensive civil nuclear cooperation was held on Friday (October12) in New Delhi.

We had informed India in May 2011 about our intention to inter a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries based on Article 09 of the 2nd Convention, on early notification of nuclear accidents, he said. 

Thereafter various informal discussions and exchanging of documents between two parties representing the countries took place while a formal discussion was held in New Delhi last week, Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

He stated that the talks included nuclear applications, technological assistance, technological transfers, capacity building of officials here as well as about the nuclear safety and response to nuclear accidents, and that India had agreed to participate in this process. 

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October 15, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nuclear renaissance in India? Russia to strengthen nuclear, economic ties

New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS)

India and Russia Monday decided to accelerate their economic ties and agreed to factor in New Delhi’s liability concerns in their techno-commercial negotiations for units III and IV of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.

“We discussed the preparatory work for units III and IV. A techno-commercial agreement is being negotiated,” External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters after talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. 

“I have no doubt that we will arrive at a mutually satisfactory result,” Krishna said.

Krishna was responding to a question on the progress on units III and IV of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, which is embroiled in differences over perceptions over India’s civil nuclear liability.

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October 15, 2012 Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized | Leave a comment