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Safety violations at nuclear power plant

3 contractors violated radiation rules at nuke plant By  – smocarsky@civitasmedia.com September 26. 2013 HARRISBURG — Three contractors violated radiation protection requirements at the nuclear power plant near Berwick in 2011 and 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced on Thursday……. http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/865691/3-contractors-violated-radiation-rules-at-nuke-plant

September 28, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Windcentrale’s success in crowdfunding wind energy

Crowdfunding for Wind Energy Sets New World Record http://theenergycollective.com/claretaylor/279926/crowdfunding-wind-energy-sets-new-world-record Clare Taylor September 26, 2013 This week 1700 Dutch households raised EUR 1.3 million in just thirteen hours to buy shares in a wind turbine – setting a new world record for crowdfunding. For the next 12 years, these households will receive their own sustainable energy from the cooperatively owned turbine.  With electricity costs set to rise, the ‘wind-sharers’ will benefit from big annual savings – by anticipating and managing energyneeds.  Facilitated by Dutch company WindCentrale, the wind shares were sold for EUR 200 each and households bought single shares or blocks of shares. Each share corresponds to approximately 500kWh of electricity per year (the annual average household consumption in the Netherlands is 3500kWh).

Harm Reitsma, founder of Windcentrale, comments: ‘We expected things would move fast, but nobody anticipated the run on the wind-shares that happened yesterday evening. An increasing number of people want to generate their own electricity. Solar panels aren’t always an option and so wind-shares in a remote wind turbine gives everyone the chance to take matters into their own hands and generate their own clean electricity. As a result, interest in our wind-shares has been huge, and continues to rise. A good example of Power To The People!’

Windcentrale was founded in 2010, setting up cooperatives to help accelerate the switch to sustainable energy in the Netherlands. The wind-sharers jointly own the wind turbine, and a dedicated smartphone App allows every owner to see wind speeds and electricity production levels ‘real time’.

Explicitly linking patterns of energy consumption and renewable energy production is also highlighted inEnergizAIR, an Intelligent Energy-Europe project aimed at setting up a renewable energy weather forecast covering real-time production indicators for PV, solar thermal and wind turbines.

Irish start-up EnergyElephant uses a ‘e-traffic light’ system to let users know when there is a lot of renewable energy being generated.  Founder Joe Borza sees this as a way to enable consumer choice in reducing household’s carbon footprint, tweeting last week ‘What a day for Irish wind energy! 40% for most of this afternoon!!!’ Time to ‘make hay while the sun shines’, and the wind blows…

September 28, 2013 Posted by | business and costs, EUROPE, renewable | Leave a comment

Uncertain future for Japan’s nuclear industry affects Cameco’s grading

Bank of America Downgrades Cameco on Lower Uranium Forecast Dwight Einhorn, Benzinga Staff Writer 27 Sept 13,  In a report published Friday, Bank of America analyst Oscar Cabrera downgraded the rating on Cameco Corporation (NYSE: CCJ [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) from Buy to Neutral, and lowered the price target from $25.00 to $22.00.

In the report, Bank of America noted, “We are downgrading Cameco (CCO) to a Neutral from Buy rating, and lowering our price objective (PO) to $22/share from $25, following our commodities team downgrade of our 2013-15 uranium price forecast due to slower than expected Japanese reactor restarts after the country’s nuclear accident at Fukushima in March 2011……. http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/13/09/3947890/update-bank-of-america-downgrades-cameco-on-lower-uraniu#ixzz2gDw46reS

September 28, 2013 Posted by | business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

Libya’s 6,400 Barrels of Uranium controlled by militias

Libya Wondering What to do with 6,400 Barrels of Uranium Stored in City Controlled by Militias Front Page mag, September 26, 2013 By   At the UN, Obama asked whether it would have really been better to leave Gaddafi in charge of Libya. Can we get a final answer on that after we decide what to do about those 6,400 barrels of uranium?

The country was reportedly holding 6,400 barrels of the “yellowcake” uranium at a warehouse in Sabha.

Foreign Minister Muhammad Abdul Aziz said his country “is trying to determine if the concentrated uranium can be used for peaceful nuclear energy purposes or sold to countries which use the product for peaceful purposes.”

An independent think tank in Tripoli, though, has reportedly advised the government to use the material in its nascent nuclear-power program, as well as for “industrial and agricultural development.”

How secure is the city of Sabha? As secure as any place in Libya. Which is to say… not at all….http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/libya-wondering-what-to-do-with-6400-barrels-of-uranium-stored-in-city-controlled-by-militias/

September 28, 2013 Posted by | Libya, safety, Uranium | Leave a comment

Possibility of Scottish independence raises nuclear arms worry

UK nuclear arms backup plan urgent ahead of Scottish vote – lawmakers 7 News, September 27, 2013 By William James LONDON (Reuters) – The British government must urgently draw up a contingency plan for where it can put its nuclear arsenal in case Scotland, where the submarine-based nuclear missile system is now located, votes for independence, a parliamentary study said on Friday………With less than a year to go to the September 18, 2014, referendum, the issue of what to do with Britain’s nuclear deterrent is urgent, lawmakers said.

“The possibility of Scottish independence represents a serious threat to the future operational viability of the UK’s nuclear deterrent,” said one of the conclusions of the year-long Defence Committee investigation into the impact of independence.

“The UK Government must now give urgent consideration to contingency options in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote,” it said.

Britain is one of only five officially recognised nuclear-armed countries. Four submarines equipped to carry nuclear missiles – the Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance – are based in deep-water lochs along the west coast of Scotland, and concrete missile storage bunkers are built into the Scottish hillside. At least one of the four is always at sea……. If Scotland votes to break away, Britain would face a huge, expensive and time-consuming task to relocate the system.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed on Thursday it currently has no contingency plan…….Keith Brown, a minister in the devolved Scottish government, called the current nuclear programme a “huge waste of money” and said an independent Scotland would focus its military efforts differently.

“An independent Scotland can halt the disproportionate cuts to our defence footprint and deliver the defence jobs, the equipment and the security that Scotland needs,” he said…..http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/19133473/uk-nuclear-arms-backup-plan-urgent-ahead-of-scottish-vote-lawmakers/

September 28, 2013 Posted by | UK, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Optimism after US – Iran nuclear talks

US and Iran upbeat after nuclear talks in New York http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0926/476506-iran-nuclear-talks/  US and Iranian officials emerged upbeat from a meeting on Iran’s nuclear programme.

However, both sides also sounded a cautionary note, with the US saying there was more work to do and Iran insisting on quick sanctions relief.

“Needless to say, one meeting and a change in tone, which was welcome, doesn’t answer those questions yet and there is a lot of work to be done,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

He was speaking after holding bilateral talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Mr Zarif said the sanctions are counter-productive and have to be removed “as we move forward”.

Their talks followed a meeting between Iran and major powers about Iran’s nuclear programme, which the US and its allies suspect aims to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran denies this and said the programme is for purely peaceful and civilian uses.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the tone and spirit of the meeting between the six powers and Iran was “extremely good”.

Mr Zarif, Mr Kerry and Mr Hague were joined in the meeting by their counterparts from France, Russia, China and Germany.

It took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

September 28, 2013 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Fukushima workers spot hole in radiation barrier

Hole in Fukushima anti-radiation fence Sky News, 26 Sept 13 Workers at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have spotted a hole in one of the barriers intended to keep radioactive particles contained in the harbour, the operator says.

Tokyo Electric Power set up silt fences in the harbour next to the plant, including one covering each outlet at reactor units 1-4, which were damaged in the 2011 tsunami, and another on the egress of reactors 5-6 which remain intact.

A silt fence is a device to trap sediment before water flows into the sea.

The fence around the undamaged reactors was found to be holed, a TEPCO spokesman said…….. Radioactive contamination of the sea has emerged as one of the major concerns after the nuclear accident, with TEPCO using thousands of tonnes of water to tame the reactors and keep them cool.

The utility says they are now stable but need more water every day to keep them cool and to prevent them running out of control again.

Much of that now-contaminated water is being stored in temporary tanks at the plant, and TEPCO has so far revealed no clear plan for its disposal. Some of the tanks have sprung leaks.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insisted at a meeting of Olympic chiefs this month that adverse effects from contamination were limited to the 0.3-square-kilometre harbour.

His reassurances, given at the meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Buenos Aires, were seen as key to Tokyo’s successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.  http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=909741

September 28, 2013 Posted by | Fukushima 2013 | Leave a comment

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