2012 December 28 « nuclear-news

Rats at Fukushima nuclear plant pose safety and radiation dangers

Fukushima Worker: Rats now being found in many places around plant — Concern about biting cables, tripping electrical systems, spreading high level contamination http://enenews.com/fukushima-worker-rats-being-found-many-places-around-plant-concern-about-biting-cables-spreading-high-level-contamination
December 21st, 2012
Title: Atomic Rats, Fishing For Beams & Cleaning Up The Common Pool At Daiichi
Source: SimplyInfo
Date: Dec 20, 2012
Atomic Rats […]

Workers at the plant are reporting seeing rats at Daiichi. Worker Happy11311 mentioned seeing them and was worried they would damage cables at the plant. They could cause obvious safety problems if they chewed on electrical or water lines. Small animals also pose the risk of getting into equipment and causing issues by tripping electrical systems. Then there is the problem of rats being in contact with high levels of radiation then making them highly contaminated. This can cause problems as they then spread the contamination up the food chain or take it with them if they leave the immediate area.

Translation by Fukushima Diary: I like animals but haven’t seen rats before. Recently I see rats in many places of Fukushima plant. ・・・ They much bigger than Jerry. I’m concerned they may cause a trouble by biting cables.

Navy men’s lawsuit against Japan alleges cover-up of radiation harm

Navy rescue workers sue Japan over Fukushima cover-up — “Irreparable harm to life expectancy” — Gov’t and Tepco conspired http://enenews.com/navy-rescue-workers-sue-japan-over-fukushima-cover-up-irreparable-harm-to-their-life-expectancy-govt-and-tepco-conspired
Title: U.S. Sailors Sue Japan Over Fukushima
Source: Courthouse News Service
Author: By ELIZABETH WARMERDAM
Date: Dec 26, 2012

[…] Eight crew members of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, whose home port is San Diego, sued the Tokyo Electric Power Co. in Federal Court. […]

Lead plaintiff Lindsay R. Cooper claims Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) intentionally concealed the dangerous levels of radiation in the environment from U.S. Navy rescue crews working off the coast of Japan […]

The complaint states: “Defendant TEPCO and the government of Japan, conspired and acted in concert, among other things, to create an illusory impression that the extent of the radiation that had leaked from the site of the FNPP was at levels that would not pose a threat to the plaintiffs, in order to promote its interests and those of the government of Japan, knowing that the information it disseminated was defective, incomplete and untrue, while omitting to disclose the extraordinary risks posed to the plaintiffs who were carrying out their assigned duties aboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan.” […]

And, they say: “Defendants had actual and/or constructive knowledge of the properties of radiation that would ensure that, once released into the environment, radiation would spread further and in concentrations that would cause injury to the plaintiffs.” […]

The sailors say they “face additional and irreparable harm to their life expectancy, which has been shortened and cannot be restored to its prior condition.”

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, Legal, Reference, USA | Leave a comment

Tanks holding Fukushima’s radioactive water – all too easy to break open

Tanks for holding radioactive Fukushima liquid are too fragile and flimsy — Breaking open much easier than expected http://enenews.com/tanks-for-holding-radioactive-fukushima-liquid-are-too-fragile-and-flimsy-breaking-open-much-easier-than-expected
(Subscription Only)Title: Flimsy waste tanks cause new delay in Fukushima plant decontamination
Source: THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Date: December 26, 2012

Tanks designed to hold radioactive filtrate at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant are proving too fragile to be used, and the operator has announced a further delay in starting up machinery that cleans contaminated water.

[… It was] to begin operation at the plant in September.

[…] they are unable to predict when the equipment may finally come online.

The vessels are hoisted and lowered as they are filled and replaced by empty containers. In the event of an accident, they need to be strong enough to withstand a fall without releasing their radioactive contents.

TEPCO confirmed that the vessels could sustain a fall from a height of 6 meters in an upright position. But tests found the tanks were breaking and spilling their contents when dropped on from a height of only 3 meters in an upside-down position. […]

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Japan’s new government likely to promote nuclear power, restart reactors

Japan’s new government to restart nuclear reactors – Nikkei Dec 28
(Reuters) – Japan’s idled nuclear reactors will gradually be restarted
under the newly-elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the units receive
the all-clear from the country’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, the
Nikkei reported.

Abe, in his instructions to cabinet members, outlined his policy of
allowing nuclear reactors to resume operations while giving priority
to the regulator’s safety assessment, the Japanese daily reported…..
The new government will also review its predecessor’s policy of
phasing out nuclear power by 2040, trade and industry minister
Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference on Thursday, the Nikkei
said.

Shinzo Abe who took over as Japan’s premier on Wednesday, had derided
the ‘zero nuclear’ goal of the ousted Democratic Party of Japan as
unrealistic. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/27/idUSL4N0A13QS20121227

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Japan’s new government contemplates building new nuclear reactors

a more symbolic issue concerns whether the new government will approve the construction of new reactors.

“a major political decision” on whether or not to allow construction of nine reactors that currently exist only at the planning stage.

personnel appointments point to a greater say in policy by senior former civil servants who in the past walked in step with the LDP in promoting nuclear energy.

Abe administration to overhaul nuclear, monetary policies December 27, 2012 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will drastically shift the direction Japan takes in monetary and fiscal affairs, and will likely overturn a pledge by the outgoing administration to pull the plug on nuclear power….. There is now a strong possibility of Japan retaining nuclear power, and Abe has additionally indicated a readiness to allow nuclear reactors halted last year to fire up again…… “Once the Nuclear Regulation Authority creates stricter rules, we will decide over a period of three years whether operations can resume,” Abe said at a news conference late on Dec. 26, the day he formally established his Cabinet…….

The Nuclear Regulation Authority is not expected to compile new safety standards until after July 2013, which means any decision on resuming operations could likely only be made after the Upper House election in the summer.

During negotiations with coalition partner New Komeito, the LDP overruled New Komeito’s demand that Japan go nuclear-free. And the wording in the coalition agreement was toned down to state the aim of reducing “dependence on nuclear energy as much as possible.”

This lack of a specific target could allow Japan to maintain its dependence on nuclear energy indefinitely. Continue reading →

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

Japan’s Monju nuclear reprocessing plant on an earthquake fault

Japan Experts: Active fault runs underneath MOX fuel plant — Warnings of massive quake http://enenews.com/japan-experts-active-fault-runs-underneath-mox-fuel-plant-warnings-of-massive-quake
Title: Quake risk at Japan atomic recycling plant: experts
Source: AFP
Author: Kyoko Hasegawa
Date: December 19, 2012
Japan’s only reprocessing plant for spent nuclear fuel could sit on an active seismic fault vulnerable to a massive earthquake, experts warned Wednesday.
If regulators agree they will have to order its closure and Japan would be without any recycling capacity of its own, a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity. […]

Yasutaka Ikeda, assistant professor of geomorphology at Tokyo University, said a nearly 100-kilometre (60-mile) fault runs under the Rokkasho reprocessing plant in northern Japan.

“Even though experts’ opinions are divided on whether this fault is active or not, I think the possibility of it being an active fault is extremely high, given the evidence,” Ikeda told AFP.

“This fault could cause an 8-magnitude earthquake, so any nuclear-related facilities in the region are in danger,” he said, referring to the Shimokita Peninsula where the Rokkasho plant is located.

Mitsuhisa Watanabe, professor of geomorphology at Tokyo University, separately told Wednesday’s Tokyo Shimbun that part of an active fault runs directly under the Rokkasho plant, warning it is likely to move when the bigger fault moves. […]

Under government guidelines atomic installations cannot be sited on a fault if it is still classed as active. […]

Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant – Wikipedia:
At the same site there will also be:
A high level nuclear waste monitoring facility
A MOX fuel fabrication plant
A uranium enrichment plant

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Helicopters testing for radiation in Washington DC

Helicopters to check for radiation in D.C. http://www.wtop.com/41/3172518/Helicopters-to-check-for-radiation-in-DC Hank Silverberg, WASHINGTON, 27 Dec 12 – An unusual number of low-flying helicopters will be in the Washington region throughout the next two weeks checking for radiation.

The helicopters will fly a 70-square-mile grid around D.C. and will fly 150 feet above the ground through Jan. 11. They will take baseline levels of naturally occurring radiation. The helicopters could fly as fast as 80 mph.

The mission from the National Nuclear Security Administration is part of an effort to that would allow the FBI and other law enforcement to warn the public about higher radiation levels should there be an accident or terrorist incident involving nuclear material.

There are two nuclear power plants within 90 miles of D.C. They are Calvert Cliffs in in Lusby, Md. and North Anna in Virginia’s Louisa County.

Additionally, freight trains travel right through the D.C. just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

Concern has been expressed in the past about a rail accident involving hazardous material though it’s not clear whether the trains ever carry anything that might be radioactive.

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, USA | Leave a comment

At last, Nuclear Regulatory Commission is asking hard questions, about San Onofre nuclear plant

“Edison’s design errors have led to the multi-hundred million-dollar
failure of brand new equipment which has in turn endangered the lives
and livelihoods of millions of people in Southern California,”

the NRC is asking hard questions

Feds do not consider San Onofre nuclear powerplant safe
http://rt.com/usa/news/san-plant-power-tubes-959/
27 December, 2012 Federal regulators have expressed
significant concern about the safety of the San Onofre nuclear power
plant, asking for more analysis on its damaged steam generators and
requesting the plant to be able to run safely at full capacity.

The power plant has been inactive since January, when a radiation leak
led to the discovery of significant damage on many of its generator
tubes. Many worried that the dangerous conditions at the plant could
lead to California’s own Fukushima-like meltdown.

Southern California
Edison, which runs the plant, has since asked for permission to
restart one of its twin reactors, Unit 2, at 70 percent power, Continue reading →

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | 1 Comment

Fukushima – there was a meltdown of the reactor itself

Lawsuit: “Reactor itself” melted down, not only nuclear fuel rods — Japan gov’t “lying through their teeth about meltdowns” http://enenews.com/lawsuit-reactor-melted-down-only-nuclear-fuel-rods-japanese-govt-lying-teeth-about-meltdowns
Title: U.S. Sailors Sue Japan Over Fukushima
Source: Courthouse News Service
Author: By ELIZABETH WARMERDAM
Date: Dec 26, 2012

The Fukushima nuclear disaster exposed Navy rescue workers to dangerous levels of radiation, which the government-owned power plant covered up, eight U.S. sailors claim in court. […]

“As a consequence of the earthquake and tsunami, the reactors were damaged and power to the cooling mechanism of the FNPP was interrupted, resulting in a meltdown of the fuel and reactor itself, thereby triggering the release of high levels of radiation.” […]

The plaintiffs claim the government deliberately misled them: “the Japanese government kept representing that there was no danger of radiation contamination to the U.S.S. Reagan … and/or its crew, that ‘everything is under control,’ ‘all is OK, you can trust us,’ and there is ‘no immediate danger’ or threat to human life, all the while lying through their teeth about the reactor meltdowns at FNPP. […]
See also: Kaku: Uranium totally liquified — Reactor actually melted totally (VIDEO)

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

Renewable energy is increasingly powering UK’s electricity grid

UK RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERS FORWARD Waste Management World, LONDON, Dec. 27 — The Department of Energy and Climate Change issued the following press release: Renewable energy is powering forward in the UK, according to the 2012 update to the Renewable Energy Roadmap published today by Energy Secretary Edward Davey.
Significant progress has been made on the rollout of renewable energy across the United Kingdom from July 2011 to July 2012, including:
* A 27 percent increase in overall renewable electricity generated;
* A 40 percent increase over the same period in renewable electricity capacity. Now over 10 percent of all electricity generated is coming from renewables;
* A 60 percent increase of offshore wind capacity to 2.5 gigawatts, and;
* A five-fold increase in solar PV capacity. Continue reading →

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Hourly release of cesium-134/137 from Fukushima nuclear reactors

10 million Bq of cesium-134/137 is still released every single hour
from reactor 1, 2 and 3
Fukushma Diary by Mochizuki December 27th, 2012
According to mid/long term roadmap of Tepco released on 12/27/2012, 10
million Bq of cesium-134/137 is still released from reactor1, 2 and 3
every single hour.

This is measured at the top part of each reactor building. The amount
is computed from the dust density of Cs-134/137, other nuclides are
excluded.

Since this April, the releasing amount has been stably around 10
million Bq / hour. …
http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/12/10-million-bq-of-cesium-134137-is-still-released-every-single-hour-from-reactor1-2-and-3/

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2012 | Leave a comment

UN may be able to inspect Iran’s Parchin military site

Iran may open military site to UN nuclear watchdog
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/27/3158283/iran-may-open-military-site-to.html
27 Dec 12,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian official is saying the country may open a
controversial military site to inspectors of the United Nations
nuclear watchdog.
A Thursday report by independent Mardomsalari daily quotes Deputy
Foreign Minister Hasan Qashqavi as saying the inspectors from the
International Atomic Energy Agency may visit Parchin military site “if
the foreign threats weaken”. He did not elaborate.

As high government officials rarely speak out on such sensitive
issues, Qashqavi’s remarks were seen as echoing the views of Iran’s
leadership.

Earlier this month IAEA inspectors on a trip to Tehran failed to visit
Parchin, where they believe Iran has carried out some nuclear
experiments.

Iran says Parchin is only a conventional military site and denies the
West’s claims its nuclear program has a military dimension.

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Radiation exposure to residents of Treasure Island, USA

Alarming Radiation Levels Found on Treasure Island (includes Video –
on cancers in former residents) )
The Navy’s own data suggests that island residents were at risk of
radiation exposure.
East Bay Express, By Ashley Bates, 27 Dec 12, Navy officials have repeatedly downplayed the risks of
radiation exposure to current and former residents on Treasure Island.
But data from the US Navy shows that measurements taken in former
residential areas of the island revealed pockets of alarmingly high
radiation levels. The data, which the Express obtained as a result of
a public records request, also raises questions as to whether former
residents were, in fact, exposed to high amounts of radiation and
whether soil on the island can be sufficiently cleaned up for the
massive “eco-friendly” housing and commercial development planned for
the former Navy base…..
Despite the newly released data, much is still unknown about the
radiation levels on Treasure Island. Continue reading →

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Reference, USA | Leave a comment

How Australia betrayed its nuclear non proliferation principles

The Lowy Institute’s dangerous nuclear propaganda, Online Opinion, Jim Green, 28 December 12 “……India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea are the four nuclear weapons states outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Five countries are ‘declared’ nuclear weapons states within the NPT − the USA, Russia, UK, France and China. The declared weapons states are obliged under the NPT to seriously pursue nuclear disarmament, though none of them do so and nothing is done to hold them to account.

For many years it was bipartisan policy in Australia to permit uranium sales to NPT states (including declared weapons states) but not to countries outside the NPT. Continue reading →

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

USA’s hypocrisy about nuclear disarmament and Iran

A breakthrough with Iran will be feather in the cap of President
Obama’s second term. But taking positive steps toward global nuclear
disarmament will be the crown jewel of his legacy.

The United States’ Nuclear Hypocrisy, HUFFINGTON POST, Ahmad Sadri,
27 Dec 12 President Obama’s return to the discourse of nuclear
disarmament earned him the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. Earlier that
year the recently elected President of the United States went to
Prague and sounded a clarion call for a ban on all nuclear testing and
a new treaty to end the production of fissile materials intended for
nuclear weapons.

Four years have passed and the Prague promise seems to
have been forgotten. In reaction to a U.S. nuclear test on December 5,
the Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs addressed
President Obama with these words: “Your administration seeks
non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. But your position of urging
others to renounce nuclear weapons, while continuing your own nuclear
tests, does not stand to reason.”…. Continue reading →

December 28, 2012 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

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