Failure in Fukushima water decontamination: process suspended
Fukushima water decontamination suspended indefinitely Rt.com March 20, 2014 Treatment of radioactive water at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant might be indefinitely suspended after malfunctions crippled the water purification process and recontaminated thousands of tons of partially purified water, Japanese media report.
The failure in the system, known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), is the latest setback in Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s (TEPCO) uphill battle to stockpile radioactive water, which is ballooning at a rate of 400 tons per day.
TEPCO said up to 900 tons of water, which had not been sufficiently cleaned in the ALPS equipment, flowed into a network of 21 tanks that were holding 15,000 tons of treated water. Not only have the 21 tanks been rendered unusable, but all 15,000 tons of previously cleaned water will now have to be retreated.
While efforts are underway to measure the full extent of the contamination, TEPCO officials said the problem was not noticed prior to March 18 because no abnormalities were detected in water sampled on March 14, Japan’s Asashi Shimbun daily reports.
“We never expected radioactive water to flow into the storage tanks,” Masayuki Ono, acting general manager of TEPCO’s Nuclear Power & Plant Siting Division, told the paper. “We should have been better prepared. We have no idea how long it will take to clean them if we decided to do so.”……..a United Nations rights investigator said Japan should expand its cancer tests beyond the thyroid screenings being employed by local authorities, Bloomberg reports.
“Why don’t we have a urine analysis, why don’t we have a blood analysis?” said Grover, who also recommended that the tests be expanded to a broader geographical area. “Let’s err on the side of caution,” Grover, a UN special rapporteur who surveyed the events surrounding the March 11, 2011 disaster, said in Tokyo on Thursday…..http://rt.com/news/fukushima-water-decontamination-suspended-089/
New Book: Manufactured Crisis. The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare
Manufactured Crisis. The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare Review of Gareth Porter’s recently released book By Dr. Ludwig Watzal Global Research, March 21, 20 Since the early 1990s, Israel, U.S. officials and their submissive European allies, supported by their uncritical and subservient media, have been peddling allegations, fabrications, accusations and lies that the government of Iran was pursuing a secret, military adjunct to its regularly inspected civilian nuclear program. The main thrust of Porter’s book is to demonstrate that this crisis was „manufactured“ and the accusations were bogus, i. e. Iran never had a military nuclear program. For over 20 years Israeli politicians have been claiming that Iran’s nuclear device was just around the corner. Continue reading
Cuba and Latin American and Caribbean States proclaim region of peace, no nuclear weapons
Cuba Calls for Elimination of Nuclear Weapons http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/world/1005-cuba-calls-for-elimination-of-nuclear-weapons 20 March 2014 HAVANA, Cuba, ) Cuba called before the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU ) in Geneva , Switzerland for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and noted the decision of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States ( CELAC) to declare the region a zone of peace .
“The problems the world is facing today are very complex. We live moments in which climate change and the existence of nuclear weapons threaten the survival of our species,” the vice president of the Cuban Parliament , Ana María Mari Machado, said during the 130th assembly of the IPU.
The Cuban deputy considered unacceptable to continue spending substantial resources on armaments and its further development, including nuclear, and not the promotion of the right to development of peoples, Prensa Latina news agency reported.
With excessive resources devoted to war we could combat the existing extreme poverty, feed the hungry and prevent the death of more than 11 million children that die each year from starvation and preventable diseases, she said.
Mari Machado stated that the promotion of peace, solidarity, social justice and sustainable development are the only way to secure the future.
The Vice President of the National Assembly of People’s Power said that this spirit inspires CELAC, which seeks ways for development through solidarity and cooperation between peoples, in order to improve welfare. She noted that at the recent summit of the bloc, held in Havana, it proclaimed the region as a zone of peace and made a commitment to further nuclear disarmament as a priority objective, and the contribution to general and complete disarmament.
Drug user was in charge of Salem Nuclear Power Plant?
Nuclear Power Plant Operator Suspended for Cocaine Use, Clean Technica, 21 Mar 14 A senior reactor operator employed at the Salem Nuclear Power Plant allegedly tested positive for cocaine after a random drug test. He was working as a control room supervisor. According to Career Zone, a person working in this capacity, “Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls, and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause, and recommend corrective action.” In other words, the individual runs the plant when it is online……
disrupt the production of electricity. http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/21/nuclear-power-plant-operator-suspended-cocaine-use/
Washington State demands that federal govt pump out radioactive wastes from Hanford tank
Washington state wants the feds to start pumping nuclear waste out of Hanford waste tank Oregon live, 21 Mar 14 RICHLAND, Wash. — The state on Friday demanded that the federal government begin removing radioactive liquid waste from a nuclear waste tank at the Hanford Site by Sept. 1.
The Washington Department of Ecology’s order requires pumping of the double-walled tank to begin about 18 months sooner than what the U.S. Department of Energy has proposed.
Hanford for decades made plutonium for nuclear weapons, and the site contains the nation’s largest supply of radioactive wastes.
Double-walled Tank AY-102 was found to be leaking between its walls in October 2012. While many older single-walled tanks have leaked at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, this is the first of the newer double-walled tanks where leaks have been detected.
The Ecology Department said that after months of discussions it is clear the Energy Department is not willing to pump the tank in a timely manner. The agency said failure to comply with its administrative order could result in fines for the federal government.
“In order to meet legal requirements and to provide public health and environmental protection, the state believes this leaking double-shell tank must be addressed in the most aggressive manner possible,” Ecology Director Maia Bellon said. “Waiting another two years, at best, to initiate actions to address this hazardous condition is neither legally acceptable nor environmentally prudent.”……http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/washington_state_wants_the_fed.html
Audio: Hazards of uranium mining to South Dakota water
AUDIO: SOUTH DAKOTANS WORRY ABOUT WATER ISSUES RELATED TO PROPOSED URANIUM MINING, FSRN Radio News March 21, 2014 · in AUDIO, NEWS SEGMENT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s recent report on a request to mine uranium in South Dakota’s Black Hills isn’t going over well with Native Americans and non-Natives alike. As Jim Kent reports, both groups are expressing concern over contamination of local aquifers as well as the amount of water necessary to conduct the mining operation…….. http://fsrn.org/2014/03/south-dakotans-worry-about-water-issues-related-to-proposed-uranium-mining/
WIPP Leak: Upcoming Public Meetings in Albuquerque and Santa Fe—March 18 (ABQ), March 27 (ABQ), March 31 (SFE)
My comment is in moderation:
All meetings about radioactive leaks and/or radioactive releases, should be video taped and/or webcast, then placed on the Web, since they are important to everyone in the USA.
This is not just a “local” problem and it is not correct for the US Government to treat this as such.
It is important that a complete investigation done by a Expert Group that include independent Experts find out exactly what happened (what leaked, what ☢ concentrations were detected, Etc.), be completed before any additional decisions are made about this WIPP facility, especially since there is already talk about expanding its “Mission”.
Three public information meetings will be held in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe about the recent fire and plutonium release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Public input into the decision-making processes is essential now. Updated information about the serious accidents as well as proposals to expand WIPP’s mission will be presented.
Sponsors:
Southwest Research and Information Center
Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping
Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety
Nuclear Watch New Mexico
The first public information meeting will take place in Albuquerque on Tuesday, March 18th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP) office, located at 10th and Gold, Southwest.
The second meeting in Albuquerque will take place on Thursday, March 27th from 6 to 8 pm at the Albuquerque…
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Commentary on the Radiation Leak at WIPP
☢ Leaks at WIPP…
GOT NEWS?
By KAY MATTHEWS
@2014 by John Trever, Albuquerque Journal. Used by permission.
The New Mexico congressional delegation issued a press release yesterday about the radiation leak at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP). Here’s a quote from the release: “The lawmakers together reiterated the message that it is critical for the DOE to be as open and responsive to the Carlsbad community, where residents understandably are concerned about health and safety in the wake of the accident. Additionally, they pressed [Energy Secretary] Moniz for details about DOE’s plan to re-enter the facility and for assurances that workers, their families and the community will not be disrupted while the facility is closed.”
Then they each made a brief statement. This is what Tom Udall had to say: “I also underscored the urgency with which we must have a plan to store waste from Los Alamos before the beginning of the…
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What’s Wrong with WIPP
Forget the Anti-Coal dialogue, that is just side stepping the FACT that dealing with Nuclear Waste is the 800 pound gorilla that nobody, especially the nuclear Industry wants to discuss, because it makes using Nuclear far too costly!
By DON HANCOCK, Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC)
The world’s first geologic repository for military nuclear waste is making international news because of the radiation leak that was detected late at night on Valentine’s Day. An unknown amount of radioactive and toxic chemical waste was released to the environment from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). On February 26, the 13 workers at the site when the leak was detected were notified that they tested positive for internal radiation contamination.
Since the Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Waste Partnership (NWP), the operating contractor, have repeatedly stated that WIPP would “start clean, stay clean” and not release any radioactivity for at least 10,000 years, the leak was never supposed to happen. The health danger that persists for thousands of generations is the reason to put the wastes underground so they are not released to the environment. Thus, an obvious…
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Over 800 laborers missing from Fukushima nuclear plant
KPFA in Japan: I’ve learned over 800 people have disappeared from Fukushima plant — “May have been killed or died during work” — “Gov’t actually in business with the Yakuza” (AUDIO) http://enenews.com/kpfa-in-japan-ive-learned-over-800-people-missing-from-fukushima-plant-they-may-have-been-killed-or-died-during-work-govt-is-actually-in-business-with-the-yakuza-audio?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ENENews+%28Energy+News%29
KPFA Flashpoints, Mar. 10, 2014 (at 3:00 in):
Steve Zeltzer, reporting from Japan: One of the things I learned in Osaka from the president of the day laborers is that many of the day laborers being brought into the plant, they’re not being registered and they’re disappearing. There were over 800 day laborers who have disappeared from contact by the union, which means they may have been killed or died during work.
KPFA Flashpoints, Mar. 11, 2014 (at 4:00 in):
Zeltzer: The government now is in control of Tepco, which runs Fukushima plant, and they’ve allowed the use contract workers, through the Yakuza. So the government is actually in business with the Yakuza, allowing the Yakuza to bring in these workers, and we heard a report that many are not even being registered when they go into the plant so they’re not entitled to health care and also when they get sick and over-doses you can’t tell because they haven’t been registered, these are the contract workers at the plant. […] These workers are basically being used as cannon fodder. Some of them are not only day laborers but also immigrant workers who are being used as well to clean up the plant.
Thanks to Putin, the Pentagon can push their case for new nuclear weapons
Ukraine Fallout: Putin Hands The Pentagon A Rationale For New Nuclear Weapons Loren Thompson, Forbes 20 Mar 14 There’s a plausible case to be made that Russia’s reabsorption of Crimea after 60 years of being attached to the Ukraine isn’t all that important, and the West is over-reacting. Well don’t expect to find anybody in Washington pushing that view. Today’s Washington Post features a lead editorial entitled, “A Dangerous Russian Doctrine,” and all four essays on the op-ed page explore the ominous implications of what Vladimir Putin has done. The persistent drumbeat of disquieting coverage and commentary about Ukraine reminds me of a term I used often when I taught nuclear strategy at Georgetown — overkill.
As chance would have it, this strategic shift occurs at precisely the moment when modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal has become a major issue among military planners. …….. The Pentagon has plans for developing new subs and bombers before the current arsenal has to be retired, but funding is problematic — particularly with spending caps imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act.
Although President Obama has not interfered with these plans, he has been more focused on arms control as a solution to the nation’s nuclear security. …….
it is inevitable that Pentagon officials will use the Ukraine crisis to build political support for their nuclear plans. ……….
Many people in Washington might have been prepared to forego spending money on a new generation of nuclear weapons before Putin made his move, but he has now changed the strategic calculation. http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2014/03/20/ukraine-fallout-putin-hands-the-pentagon-a-rationale-for-new-nuclear-weapons/
Nuclear power industry oversees and controls nuclear regulators
Nuclear Overseers Are “Fake” Agencies Funded and Controlled by the Nuclear Power Industry http://www.globalresearch.ca/nuclear-overseers-are-fake-agencies-funded-and-controlled-by-the-nuclear-power-industry/24387
By Washington’s Blog
Global Research, The Christian Science Monitor noted recently:
Just as the BP oil spill one year ago heaped scrutiny on the United State’s Minerals Management Service, harshly criticized for lax drilling oversight and cozy ties with the oil industry, the nuclear crisis in Japan is shining a light on that nation’s safety practices.[Russian nuclear accident specialist Iouli Andreev, who as director of the Soviet Spetsatom clean-up agency helped in the efforts 25 years ago to clean up Chernobyl ] has also accused the IAEA of being too close with corporations. “This is only a fake organization because every organization which depends on the nuclear industry – and the IAEA depends on the nuclear industry – cannot perform properly.”
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is no better. Continue reading
Solution to the “mystery plume” near nuclear test site
Mystery plume radar image near Nuclear Test Site – solved http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/03/19/mystery-plume-radar-image-near-nuclear-waste-site-solved/ (Excellent pictures) March 19, 2014 by Anthony Watts
Occam’s Razor – the simplest explanation is most likely People ask me to look into weird things all the time. Since I operate a weather business that specifically offers weather radar analysis and tracking software, I got asked to look at this image from a Daily Mail article which claimed: Weather experts baffled by mystery plume on New Mexico radar near 1945 nuclear bomb test site I’ve seen images like this dozens of times before.
It is very likely a large swarm of birds taking off………..
UK Chancellor’s deceitful war against renewable energy
George Osborne is preparing to kill off Britain’s renewable energy revolution http://www.theguardian.com/business/economics-blog/2014/mar/20/george-osborne-budget-kill-renewable-energy-revolution-tax-break Ashley Seager 21 March 14,
California will use mainly renewables to replace nuclear energy
California Mostly Sticks to Renewables to Replace Nuclear Energy http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25596 20 Mar 14, While many feared California would turn to natural gas to replace the electricity from its shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant, the state is holding firm to its commitment to rely increasingly on renewable energy and efficiency.
In its final strategy, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) sticks to “preferred resources” to provide much of the electricity to the Los Angeles/ San Diego area: energy efficiency technologies such as demand response, upgrades to the grid, energy storage and renewable energy. Continue reading
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