July 24 – potted nuclear news this week
Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs
Nuclear Abolition Week – activities in 25 countries.
Fukushima – continues to be – not good. Tepco after 2 years of denial, admits that radioactive water has been , and is, leaking into the sea. Fishing authorities and marine biologists warn of it entering the food chain. Steam envelops Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor No 3. Cause not yet known.
Health news:
- Legal hearings about radiation exposure to US navy men at nuclear reactor in Antarctica.
- All British children have Plutonium from Sellafield in their teeth.
- Steep rise in birth defects near USA’s Hanford nuclear site.
- Thyroid cancer in Fukushima area- old peopel afected as well as children
- . Birth defects in Iraq-attributed to depleted uranium. But – World Health Organisation reports on high rate of birth defects in Iraq – but makes no attempt to identify the cause
China – Government’s dramatic cancellation of uranium processing plant after thousands of protestors marched against it. Now the Chinese government is worrying that this could lead to a national anti nuclear movement, not just a district one.
UK: Survey shows UK government out of step with public, on nuclear power – surprise again – older men are pro nuclear, women and young people anti nuclear.
Fukushima radiation contaminating the marine food chain
Japan Times: ‘Fears marine life is being poisoned’ by nuclear material flowing from Fukushima — Experts warn of ‘festering radioactive sore’ contaminating food chain — Tepco flip-flop ‘shocking’ http://enenews.com/japan-times-fears-marine-life-is-being-poisoned-by-nuclear-material-flowing-from-fukushima-experts-warn-of-festering-radioactive-sore-contaminating-food-chain-tepco-flip-flop-shocking
Title: Tepco now admits radioactive water entering the sea at Fukushima No.1
Source: AFP-JIJI
Date: July 22, 2013
Fisheries exec shocked by utility’s flip-flop on groundwater’s flow
Fukushima nuclear plant operator Tepco on Monday admitted for the first time that radioactive groundwater is flowing into the sea, fueling fears that marine life is being poisoned. […]
Tetsu Nozaki, chairman of Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, voiced deep concern.
“It was quite shocking,” he told NHK. “(Tepco’s) explanation is totally different from the one in the past.”
Environmental experts warn that the festering radioactive sore could contaminate the food chain by tainting marine life and ultimately, the humans who eat it. […]
See also: NYT: Fukushima plant leaking for past 2 years? Japan Times: Groundwater is reaching sea — Reuters: Growing alarm, problems mounting — Official: If you have solutions, we’d like to know — WSJ: No ‘immediate’ health threat
Youtube – Dr. Michio Kaku on Fukushima’s “ticking time bomb”
Fukushima Revisited – Dr. Kaku: Fukishima Daiichi is TICKING TIME BOMB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyaGWGEe9jQ Apr 13, 2011 Dr. Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist: Fukishima Daiichi Nuclear Facility is a “Ticking Time Bomb”
Mysterious steam engulfing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor no 3
AFP: ‘Fukushima reactor site engulfed by steam’ — Kyodo: ‘Something like steam’ coming from unknown source at Unit No. 3 — Tepco: ‘Continuously wafting through the air’ — Work to remove rubble suspended http://enenews.com/just-in-fukushima-reactor-site-engulfed-by-steam-something-like-steam-coming-out-of-unit-no-3-continuously-wafting-through-the-air-work-to-remove-rubble-suspended
Kyodo, July 23, 2013:[… Tepco] said Tuesday it has confirmed “something like steam” is coming out of the No. 3 reactor building again […Tepco] said one of its monitoring cameras showed what appeared to be steam coming out of the building’s fifth floor just above the reactor container at around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday. The steam continued to be seen at 10:30 a.m. […] TEPCO has suspended work to remove rubble at the reactor building due to the apparent steam emission, they said.
Washington Post,July 23, 2013: […] Tepco also said in an e-mailed statement today that steam from an unknown source that was first spotted near the fifth floor of the Fukushima plant’s No. 3 reactor building on July 18 was seen again this morning. […]
The Australian, July 23, 2013 (h/t RadChick): Fukushima reactor site engulfed by steam […] Workers at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan have reported steam inside a battered reactor building for the second time in less than a week. The operator said today steam was seen around the fifth floor of the building housing Reactor No 3 shortly after 9am […] Steam was spotted in the same area on Thursday […] with TEPCO saying it did not know for sure what had caused it. […]
TEPCO Press Release, July 23, 2013: Steam Found Near the Central Part of the Fifth Floor (Equipment Storage Pool Side) of Unit 3 Reactor Building at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Follow-up Information 9) […] This is a follow-up report on the statuses of steam found wafting through the air near the central part of the fifth floor (equipment storage pool side) of Unit 3 on July 18. At around 9:05 AM today (July 23), we found steam coming from near the central part of the fifth floor (equipment storage pool side) of Unit 3 by a camera. […] The steam is continuously wafting through the air as of 10:30 AM. We will continue to monitor the status closely.
After 2 years of denial, Tepco admits radioactive water leaks int o the sea
TEPCO had persistently denied contaminated water reached the sea, despite spikes in radiation levels in underground and sea water samples taken at the plant.
TEPCO Admits Radiation Leaking Into Sea For Past Two Years http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/tepco-admits-fukushima-radiation-leak July 22, 2013 By Susie Madrak That cat’s on the roof and it won’t come down! TEPCO dribbles out some more information. I wonder what they’re not telling us? Because it’s a little odd that this isn’t front page news in America:TOKYO — A Japanese utility said Monday its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is likely leaking contaminated water into sea, acknowledging for the first time a problem long suspected by experts.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, also came under fire Monday for not disclosing earlier that the number of plant workers with thyroid radiation exposures exceeding threshold levels for increased cancer risks was 10 times what it said released earlier.
The delayed announcements underscored the criticisms the company has faced over the Fukushima crisis. TEPCO has been repeatedly blamed for overlooking early signs, and covering up or delaying the disclosure of problems and mishaps. Continue reading
UN examines Australian uranium miner Paladin’s Malawi operations
UN rubbishes Malawi’s Paladin uranium deal, fertilizer subsidy By Hudson Mphande, Nyasa Times July 23, 2013 United Nations Special Raportuer on the Right to Food Olivier De Schutter who was in Malawi for an assessment of the food situation in the country has rubbished Kayerekera uranium mine deal between Malawi and Australian Paladin Mining Company saying the Southern African country has had a raw deal that is robbing the poor.
The UN Raportuer said the uranium mining deal was one of the investments in Malawi through which the country is losing resources that could otherwise make a difference in food security and other pro-poor initiatives. He said in the life span of the mine Malawi is expected to lose almost US$281 million…
“Mining companies are exempt from customs duty, excise duty, value added taxes on mining machinery, plant and equipment. They can also sign special deals on the rate of royalty owed to the government. I believe that there are more reasons that investors would come to Malawi without such incentives,” he said.
De Schutter was addressing journalists in the capital Lilongwe at the end of his 11-day tour of the country.
He bemoaned that due to illicit financial flows, tax envasion as well as tax incentives that the country offer to both domestic and foreign companies currently Malawi was failing to get maximum use of its resources.
De Schutter said that revenue losses from special tax incentives to Paladin Africa Mining alone are estimated at almost K67 billion (US$205 milion) since the mine started its operations and could reach almost K92 billion (US$281 million) over its13-year lifespan.
“Paladin alone is costing the budget more than US$20 million (almost K8 billion) a year in taxes,” he said.
He added: “I am convinced that unless combined with a comprehensive enhancement and optimisation of tax revenue, current macro-economic reforms may not have substantive positive impacts. There is need for
Malawi to examine its national tax laws and policies towards preventing illicit capital flight. As mining develops, Malawi can simply not afford business-as-usual.”
The UN Special Raportuer said it is estimated that the country has lost over 10 percent of its growth domestic product (GDP) to illicit outflows and tax evasion over the period 1980 to 2009……..
De Schutter also specifically expressed concerns on the country’s current minimum wage currently at K371 ($1.12) per day, describing it as the lowest in the world…… The UN special rapporteur said he will give a report and his recommendations to both the UN Human Rights Commission and the Malawi Government. http://www.nyasatimes.com/2013/07/23/un-rubbishes-malawis-paladin-uranium-deal-fertilizer-subsidy/
Veterans exposed to radiation at Antarctic Naval Base
Federal hearings exploring radiation exposure among McMurdo Navy veterans get underway in Washington http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/federal-hearings-exploring-radiation-exposure-among-mcmurdo-navy-veterans-get-underway-in-washington Prompted by exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation Ron Regan, newsnet5.com WASHINGTON – Federal hearings prompted by an exclusive 5 On Your Side investigation into radiation exposure among McMurdo Navy veterans are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning.
Our investigative series revealed how a nuclear reactor at McMurdo Naval base in Antarctica continued to leak radiation for years and a possible link to cancer.
Our report documented 432 malfunctions at the plant from 1964 through 1972 while thousands of Navy veterans were stationed there.
Complaints from veterans dying from cancer were ignored by the Veterans Administration until our report exposed the radiation leaking that Navy veterans said was kept secret for decades.
Veterans have hope the hearings will provide them with assistance in compensation for their medical bills.
On Tuesday, the Veterans Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction will discuss its final report and finding regarding the leaking nuclear reactor and veterans cancer.
Birth defects rise near Hanford radioactive site “just a coincidence”
Watch a recent local TV report on the birth defects here
“Worrisome” spike in deadly birth defects around leaking U.S. nuclear site — Officials claim “it could be a complete coincidence” — No news reports mention it’s by the most contaminated area in Western Hemisphere #Hanford http://enenews.com/worrisome-spike-in-deadly-birth-defect-around-leaking-u-s-nuclear-site-officials-claim-it-could-be-a-complete-coincidence-all-media-reports-fail-to-mention-its-nearby-most-contaminate
Title: Washington State Health Officials Stumped by High Rate of Birth Defects
Source: ABC News with Diane Sawyer
Author: Gillian Mohney
Date: July 18, 2013
high rate of birth defects has confounded Washington health officials, who have been unable to identify a cause.
The Hanford nuclear site is located near Richland, WA, between Benton and Franklin counties (White Arrow)
A report released Tuesday by the Washington State Department of Health said that, since 2010, the neighboring counties of Yakima, Benton and Franklin have an unusually high number pregnancies affected by the [neural tube] birth defect anencephaly, which results in a newborns’ brains being severely underdeveloped. Continue reading
Rapid fall in uranium spot AND TERM prices
The week ended with TradeTech’s Weekly U3O8 Spot Price Indicator sitting at $36.50 a pound, a decline of $1.75 over the prior week’s value. This is the lowest price that has been seen in more than seven years
The weakness was not isolated to the spot market and is starting to spill over into the term market.
Uranium Market Marches South at Double Time 9 News Finance byFN Arena By Andrew Nelson Tuesday, July 23, 2013 The crack appeared the week before last. Sellers started to buckle under the strain and gave in to lower prices. A US$1.30 drop ensued. That’s the way last week started and from there things only got worse for the uranium spot price. Continue reading
Indian Point nuclear plant tests fabricated – former supervisor charged
Ex-supervisor at Indian Point nuclear plant charged with fabricating fuel tests http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ex-supervisor-indian-point-nuclear-plant-charged-fabricating-fuel-tests-article-1.1406963 Daniel Wilson, 57, the Westchester County plant’s chemistry manager from 2007 to 2012, was charged in Federal Court in White Plains with two counts of violating rules of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. BY BILL HUTCHINSON / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013, 5:11 PM A FORMER CHEMISTRY MANAGER AT THE INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR PLANT IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY ALLEGEDLY FABRICATED FUEL TESTS TO PREVENT THE FACILITY FROM BEING SHUTTERED.
An ex-supervisor at the Indian Point nuclear plant was arrested Tuesday on charges he fabricated fuel tests on backup generators to prevent the facility from being shut down.
Daniel Wilson, 57, the Westchester County plant’s chemistry manager from 2007 to 2012, was charged in Federal Court in White Plains with two counts of violating rules of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
USA quietly reveals extent of massive nuclear bombing of Marshall Islands
The Fallout from Nuclear Secrecy , Consortium News, July 23, 2013 During the Cold War’s early years, the U.S. government detonated dozens of nuclear explosions on Pacific atolls, spreading nuclear fallout around the globe and making some areas uninhabitable, a grim legacy captured in secret documents finally being shared with the Marshall Islands’ government, reports Beverly Deepe Keever.
More than a half century after U.S. nuclear tests shattered the tranquility of Pacific Ocean atolls — rendering parts of them uninhabitable – the U.S. government has quietly released secret fallout results from 49 Pacific hydrogen-bomb blasts with an explosive force equal to 3,200 Hiroshima-size bombs. Continue reading
New Mexico court ruling against uranium mine permit
Judge overturns uranium mine permit http://www.abqjournal.com/main/224658/abqnewsseeker/judge-overturns-uranium-mine-permit.html By Associated Press on Tue, Jul 23, 2013 SANTA FE (AP) — A lawyer for environmental groups say a Santa Fe judge has overturned a decision by Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration granting a permit for a uranium mine to remain inactive without any cleanup.
Eric Jantz of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center said District Judge Raymond Ortiz’s decision on Monday will send the case back to the state Mining and Minerals Division for further public hearings.
The agency renewed a standby permit last year for Rio Grande Resources’ Mount Taylor mine near Grants.
The judge ruled Amigos Bravos and the Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment weren’t adequately allowed to raise issues about protecting ground water from contamination from mining waste piles.
The judge also said the agency wrongly kept a company report confidential on the mine’s economic viability.
All British children have plutonium in their teeth, from Sellafield nuclear plant
Plutonium from Sellafield in all children’s teeth Antony Barnett, public affairs editor The Guardian 30 November 2003 Government admits plant is the source of contamination but says risk is ‘minute’ Radioactive pollution from the Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria has led to children’s teeth across Britain being contaminated with plutonium.
The Government has admitted for the first time that Sellafield ‘is a source of plutonium contamination’ across the country. Public Health Minister Melanie Johnson has revealed that a study funded by the Department of Health discovered that the closer a child lived to Sellafield, the higher the levels of plutonium found in their teeth. Continue reading
France’s Fessenheim nuclear plant to be shut down by 2016
France’s oldest nuclear plant to shut down by 2016: minister PARIS, July 21 (Xinhua) — French Environment Minister Philippe Martin on Sunday confirmed the closure of the country’s oldest nuclear plant of Fessenheim by the end of 2016, a local paper reported.
In an interview with the weekly Le Journal de Dimanche (JDD), the newly-appointed minister said “Francois Hollande’s nuclear commitments will be held in the five-year period.”
“I have a warrant, I shut Fessenheim by 31 December 2016,” he stressed……http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-07/22/c_132560534.htm
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Environmental dangers from Australian uranium mine
URANIUM MINING: THE SCARY THINGS I’VE LEARNT.. Social Journalism BY SAFFI KEREZSY 02 JUL 2013 Several news reports quoted that 150,000 litres of contaminated water was being leaked from the mine daily. This figure was from a CSIRO report. So after reading these news stories, I began searching for the original report to discuss in my assignment. I read through pages and pages of CSIRO publications and found nothing. It turns out the report was never released to the public. It was commissioned by ERA.
I then found the Supervising Scientist Annual Reports. That is, the government-appointed scientist which was implemented when Ranger was first approved in order to protect the Kakadu environment. From what I can gather, the main ‘problem’ with the reporting process is that the Supervising Scientist reports often report that despite incidents, it is concluded that ‘no environmental damage has been recorded off the immediate mine site’, or words to that effect.
I also found a quote from the International Union for Conservation of Nature which said that ‘there had been more than 110 pollution incidents and numerous breaches of environmental requirements at the mine’. Obviously there was a lot of debate from various stakeholders, particularly the traditional owners within Kakadu and Greens Senator Scott Ludlam.
After 30 years of open-cut mining at Ranger mine, ERA announced the commencement of underground exploration drilling in December 2012. Unsurprisingly, environmental concerns have again been raised since the announcement of this development…… I do worry about the lack of regulation regarding the environment. If the large-scale contamination mentioned has occurred at Ranger mine within a precious world heritage area, even with an appointed scientific division to monitor the mine activities, then obviously something is not quite right with the system. If we allow such damage to be done to Kakadu, then I don’t see there being much hope for the environment surrounding the other uranium mines located in less significant locations. And for me, that’s a little bit scary.http://socialjournalism.com.au/uranium-mining-the-scary-things-ive-learnt/
1.This Month
EVENTS.
Movie Premiere -“The Road to War”- Australia is being set up to be the US proxy in its coming war with China.
Premiere in Melbourne March 22 at the Carlton Nova cinema
Hobart screening State Cinema March 23 with special guest Bob Brown
Adelaide screening Capri cinema March 29
Further information or interviews with David Bradbury:
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