Smoke from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant triggers alarm in neighbouring villages
At Idinthakarai, the epicentre of a prolonged anti-nuclear struggle, protesters decided to lay siege to the plant’s township on April 3. Villagers complained that for the last three days they could see smoke billowing out of the plant with a strong odour. “There is a foul smell of burnt tyres, causing irritation to the eyes,”
TNN | Apr 2, 2013, 02.29 AM IST
CHENNAI: Smoke emanating from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant on Monday set off an alarm among villagers in the areas.
As tests for operationalising unit 1 are underway, residents of Kudankulam and Idinthakkarai villages panicked when they saw smoke billowing out of the plant. Villagers were convinced that the unit had begun to generate power, forcing the company’s site director R S Sundar to clarify that steam was let out as part of the process of testing the plant parameters. The smoke scare comes a few days after a copper smelter plant in Tuticorin shut down, following leak of poisonous gas.
“As part of the commissioning of the unit 1, the relief valves on the steam lines are being tested. These tests are conducted only during day time and only steam is released as part of the test. No tests are being conducted at the plant, which are harmful to the environment and public,” Sundar clarified in an effort to quell rumours.
At the time of testing, more than 1,000 employees of the plant and around 3,000 contract employees were on the premises, Sundar said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Durban on march 27 that unit 1 of the Russian-built Kudankulam nuclear power plant would be operationalised some time this month.
At Idinthakarai, the epicentre of a prolonged anti-nuclear struggle, protesters decided to lay siege to the plant’s township on April 3. Villagers complained that for the last three days they could see smoke billowing out of the plant with a strong odour. “There is a foul smell of burnt tyres, causing irritation to the eyes,” said R Mildred from Idinthakarai. The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy has called for the demonstration near the township at Chettikulam.c
Do Unto Others: Toward a Defensible Nuclear Doctrine in the USA?
George Perkovich April 1, 2013
Carnegie Endowment
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/2013/04/01/do-unto-others-toward-defensible-nuclear-doctrine/fvbs#
Image source ; http://www.brainwaving.com/2010/01/03/writing-the-unthinkable-narrative-the-bomb-and-nuclear-holocaust/
The debate surrounding U.S. nuclear policy focuses too narrowly on reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the American arsenal toward zero. More important is preventing the use of nuclear weapons in whatever numbers they exist. President Barack Obama should articulate a narrowed framework for the legitimate use of nuclear weapons that the United States believes would be defensible for others to follow as long as nuclear weapons remain.
A More Defensible Nuclear Doctrine
Threat assessment: The first use of nuclear weapons is unnecessary or irrelevant to defeat threats to the territory of the United States today. However, some U.S. allies face potential threats that they rely on the United States to deter, including via possible first use of nuclear weapons. The United States and other states tend to exaggerate the threats that justify their reliance on first-use nuclear deterrence, but all nuclear-armed states can do more to clarify that they will not seek or employ capabilities that could cause others legitimately to use nuclear weapons in self-defense.
The proposed policy in a nutshell: The United States should declare that it possesses nuclear weapons only to respond to, and thereby deter or defeat, threats to its survival or that of its allies, particularly stemming from any use of nuclear weapons.
Differences from existing policy: This policy would raise the threshold of nuclear use to “threats to survival” instead of “extreme circumstances.” The first use of nuclear weapons would be allowed only in response to existential threats to the United States or its allies, eschewing attempts to conduct disarming first strikes against Russia or China. The policy would be more consistent with U.S. interests in strategic stability and more consonant with just war doctrine and international law.
Objectives of Nuclear Policy
- Contribute to overall deterrence of threats to the survival of the United States and its allies.
- Minimize probability of any nuclear use and escalation.
- Reduce incentives for other states to acquire or expand nuclear arsenals.
- Enhance credibility of the deterrence policy by making it a model that the United States would recognize as morally and legally defensible if other nuclear-armed states copied it.
Guidelines for Implementation
- If non-nuclear means fail, nuclear weapons could be used to defeat, through direct destruction of military forces and demonstration of escalatory risks, any existence-threatening incursion into the territory of the United States or that of an ally, and eliminate the adversary’s will to continue the war.
- Disarming first strikes against Russian or Chinese nuclear forces would be eschewed because they are not feasible, and if they were feasible, or were perceived to be feasible, they would drive Moscow and Beijing to seek countervailing capabilities and policies that would make the United States less secure.
- U.S. retaliation for an adversary’s nuclear first use would be directed to destroy the military and security apparatus and leadership of the attacking state.
Concrete Steps Forward
- This policy could be conveyed in the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Posture Review, which is due in 2014.
- The policy could be central to the debate on reducing the role of nuclear weapons at the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.
More Than Numbers: Preventing Use
Then progress stopped.
Four years after the Prague speech, Iran continues to defy the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency by refusing to clarify its past nuclear activities and to take steps to increase international confidence that it will not build nuclear weapons. North Korea, the only state that has ever violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and acquired nuclear weapons, remains intransigent. China, expanding and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, competes with its neighbors with increasing intensity over uninhabited islands in the South and East China Seas. Factions in Japan and South Korea, mindful of North Korea and China, urge greater defense preparedness and privately caution the United States against further reductions in the role and numbers of its nuclear weapons. Pakistan is developing battlefield nuclear weapons.
Russian military and political leaders exaggerate threats from the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and trumpet new programs to muscle-up Russia’s nuclear arsenal. NATO’s easternmost members seek clearer commitments of American military power and resolve, urging retention of U.S.-NATO nuclear weapons in Europe. France remains ready to block any initiatives within NATO to reduce the role of nuclear weapons.
Protesters urge UK govt. to end nuclear weapons program – Press TV
107 Year old Hetty Bower attended with family and friends from around the country!
Behind me is one of several protests taking place simultaneously across the perimeter of the Atomic Weapons Establishment base. Protesters believe nuclear weapons do not constitute a defence of a nation, but rather it possesses a risk to the entire planet.
Politicians and speakers from different organizations came together to publicly denounce the government’s plans to spend 100 billion pounds on replacing the nuclear trident system, at a time when cuts are being made in the public sector.
The British government already spends £3 billion a year on developing the Trident nuclear programme. Parliament is currently in the process of deciding whether or not to build new nuclear submarines.
Protesters hope that demonstrations like this will put the issue of nuclear weapons back on the agenda. They feel more public awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons will put pressure on the government to change course when a final decision is to be made in the next three years.
61,000 Bq/Kg from wild boar meat in Fukushima!
Posted by Mochizuki on April 1st, 2013
61,000 Bq/Kg from wild boar meat in Fukushima, the highest reading ever
According to MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), 61,000 Bq/Kg of Cs-134/137 was measured from the wild boar meat, which was the highest reading ever.
The sample was from Minamisoma city Fukushima, Cs-134 was 21,100 Bq/Kg, Cs-137 was 40,200 Bq/Kg.
Among the 48 samples, they measured over 100 Bq/Kg from 98 % of the samples. 1,000~9,999 Bq/Kg was measured from 68.75 % of the samples. Over 10,000 Bq/Kg was measured from 6.25 % of the samples.
The samples were taken from this February to March.
Related article..Over 10,000 Bq/Kg measured from 10% of wild boar meat sample in Fukushima [URL]
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/2r9852000002ybpl-att/2r9852000002ybtx.pdf
Iori Mochizuki
UK Government and nuclear industry planned Fukushima cover-up from the beggining!
“Internal emails seen by the Guardian show how the business and energy departments worked closely behind the scenes with the multinational companies EDF Energy, Areva and Westinghouse to try to ensure the [Fukushima] accident did not derail their plans for a new generation of nuclear stations in the UK,” the Guardian reports in its article, “Revealed: British government’s plan to play down Fukushima.”
- July 1, 2011
- By: Deborah Dupre
The Examiner
Government, nuclear industry covert media blackout
Image source ; http://www.latenightinthemidlands.com/profiles/blogs/as-truth-about-fukushima-radiation-emerges-japanese-authorities
Human rights to health of children and pregnant women, the most vulnerable to radiation, have been violated in what Greenpeace called “scandalous collusion,” a planned Fukushima nuclear cover-up conducted by government and the multi-national nuclear industry according to leaked emails to the Guardian that it exposed Thursday. The emails show that the Fukushima “PR campaign” cover-up planning started hours after the catastrophe, specifically targeted nuclear disarmament human rights defenders, and aimed to protect industry’s plans for more nuclear facilities rather than protect human life.
For over three months, Japanese and American outrage about Fukushima disinformation and lack of aid for people at risk of Fukushima fall-out, has seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Gulf of Mexico coastal residents find the Fukushima scenario all too familiar, having experienced a similar intensive media blackout and protection of BP rather than humans suffering for over a year. (La emergency summit fisher wife slams media black-out (video), Examiner, June 20, 2010)
The Guardian‘s leaked emails indicate that British government and industry possibly have had a hand to play in both Fukushima and Gulf Coast survivors’ misery. One implication of media black-outs result is that survivors gain little or no support otherwise forthcoming from people of goodwill.
“Internal emails seen by the Guardian show how the business and energy departments worked closely behind the scenes with the multinational companies EDF Energy, Areva and Westinghouse to try to ensure the [Fukushima] accident did not derail their plans for a new generation of nuclear stations in the UK,” the Guardian reports in its article, “Revealed: British government’s plan to play down Fukushima.”
Major news networks are owned by energy corporations, as only days ago, investigative journalist Wayne Madsen explained during a June 24th Russia Today interview about headlines not reflecting what is really happening in Libya. Madsen said major newspaper reporters “are reporting what had nothing in common” with what he saw on the ground during his fact-finding tour with former Congressperson Cynthia McKinney.
Anti Trident Demonstration at Aldermaston UK today on the 1 April 2013 – short video clips
Uploaded on 1 Apr 2013
Some short clips of the days events..
About a couple of hundred people showed up on a cold windy day.. A good time was had by all! The speeches were good and the fencing around Aldermaston was covered with anti war and anti nuclear tributes.. Also, the oldest activist in the UK at 107 years old!
I am still trying to get used to new video editing software, so i apologise for some rough editing..
107 year old Hetty Bower is the oldest activist alive today in the UK and possibly in the world.. She rallies her beleaguered family to take part in these demonstrations (and gets a free ride as well! 😉 ) . It was a long cold day and i didnt get a chance to do a formal interview with this lovely and inspiring lady.. I shall endeavour to accomplish this (send me an email Hetty at arclight@nuclear-news.is ), she has the most wonderful smile imho!
Emergency at U.S. Nuclear Plant: Arkansas Plant Steam Dump!
MissingSky101
Published on 1 Apr 2013
Emergency at U.S. Nuclear Plant: Steam dumps to atmosphere — No known primary to secondary leakage — Full extent of damage unknown — Additional staff brought to site
At 1033 [CDT] on 3/31/2013, [Arkansas Nuclear One] Unit 2 entered a Notification of Unusual Event based on EAL HU4 due to damage in 2A1 switchgear. Notification of the NUE will be made lAW Emergency Plan requirements. Follow-up notifications will be made as appropriate.” At this time, the full extent of structural damage on Unit 1 is not known.
(VIDEO)
http://wtvr.com/2013/03/31/1-dead-3-hurt-after-accident-at-ark-nuclear-plant/
http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=649932
U.S. nuclear plant suffers “significant industrial accident” — 8 injured, 1 dead — No ‘immediate’ threat to the public
http://enenews.com/u-s-nuclear-plant-suffers-significant-industrial-accident-8-injured-1-dead-no-immediate-threat-to-the-public
Nuclear Event in USA on Sunday, 31 March, 2013 at 19:32 (07:32 PM) UTC.
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=NC-20130331-38691-USAhttp://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=NC-20130331-38691-USA
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2013/20130401en.html
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (KTHV) – Entergy released the following statement Sunday regarding an accident at Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville earlier that morning.
“A significant industrial accident occurred at Arkansas Nuclear One at approximately 7:45 a.m.
There has been one confirmed fatality and three additional injuries. The injured employees have been transported to a nearby hospital.
The accident occurred when a generator stator fell as it was being moved out of the turbine building. Unit 1 is in a refueling outage and Unit 2, which was operating at full power, automatically shut down. Both plants are in a stable shutdown condition and there is no danger to the public.
The plant is in an unusual event classification, the lowest of four emergency classifications designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Additional staff has been brought to the site to manage the situation.
Jeff Forbes, executive vice president and chief nuclear officer said, “We are deeply saddened by what has happened today. Our greatest sympathy is with the family and friends of the employee who lost his life, and with those who sustained injuries. I also want to express my sorrow and support to all those who work at Arkansas Nuclear One. I know this is especially hard on them.”
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/257658/2/Details-released-in-deadly-Arkansas-Nuclear-One-accident
Major oil spill in U.S. after pipeline bursts — 40 miles from Arkansas nuclear plant at ’emergency Level 4′ — “Like a river” of crude — Nearly 500,000 gallons spilled (VIDEO)
http://enenews.com/major-oil-spill-in-u-s-after-pipeline-bursts-just-40-miles-from-arkansas-nuclear-plant-at-emergency-level-4-like-a-river-of-crude-video
Fukushima NHK Documentary: “Fighting Doctor” remembered!
Published on 31 Mar 2013
Fighting Doctor
73-year-old Kyohei Takahashi is a gynecologist who lives in the city of Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture. Most hospitals in the area closed down after the 2011 nuclear accident, but Dr. Takahashi decided to stay in the area and carry on with his work. As a result of post-disaster evacuations, however, the number of pregnant women in the town dropped drastically. For a time, the number of births in the town, typically around 10 per month, fell to just one per month.
A place without children being born is a place without a future, Dr. Takahashi realized. He and his friends began decontaminating the town at their own expense, even before the government started its own cleanup efforts.
Despite being diagnosed with cancer himself, Dr. Takahashi’s determination never faltered. He continued his efforts to support the pregnant women, and the general well being, of Minamisoma. The program showcases the life of this brave, fighting doctor.
Produced by Fukushima Broadcasting Co., Ltd., 2012
Director’s Voice
Yoshiaki Takahashi
Director
Fukushima Broadcasting Co.,Ltd.
“Whatever happens, I will live the way I have decided to live.” I thought this was a cool idea after the 2011 disaster; if I could demonstrate that kind of way to live, it might help to cheer up the victims. As I was thinking like that, I found out that Dr. Kyohei Takahashi was suffering from terminal cancer and I decided to start interviewing him. “I regard you as my fellow soldiers,” he said to me and the film crew. He died on January 22nd after continuing to provide his medical care until just one month before. His life had lasted 74 years. I want to take over my fellow soldier’s wishes and continue reporting on Minamisoma City.
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