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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Organic cat litter linked to nuke leak – Arnold Gunderersen interview

Published on 20 May 2014

CNN’s Brianna Keilar talks to Arnie Gundersen about the New Mexico radiation leak linked to Kitty litter.

May 22, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nuclear Hotseat #152: Voices from Japan: Idogawa, Horikiri and Oishinbo

http://www.nuclearhotseat.com/1935/

Voices of Japan5

DOWNLOAD HERE:

http://lhalevy.audioacrobat.com/download/70fa7193-ee5e-c6fc-9ae6-37710ceb8a2d.mp3

ニュークリアーホットシート

日本語版を聞く場合はここをクリックして下さい。LISTEN HERE (JAPANESE):  (pending)

ダウンロードをして聞く場合はここをクリックして下さい。DOWNLOAD HERE  (JAPANESE): (pending)

FEATURED:  Voices from Japan features former Futuba Mayor Idogawa, filmmaker Satomi Horiki, and an examination of the Oishinbo manga comic controversy over nosebleeds, radiation fatigue and government suppression of the medical facts.

NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK:

A Kennedy and a Beatle?  Yep!  When they could get together and save the world. Imagine…

PLUS:

  • Fukushima Prefectural Government and Fukushima Medical University found to have signed secrecy pact with pro-nuclear IAEA;
  • Radiation keeps peaking over previous peaks at Fukushima, but TEPCO plans to just dump radwater into the Pacific starting next week;
  • Thyroid cancer in Fukushima kids jumps 51.5% over February numbers;
  • Los Alamos is the definite source of WIPP underground explosion and radiation leak – more containers at risk at WIPP, at WCS in Texas, and at Los Alamos;
  • Ukraine stops armed gunmen from forcing their way into nuclear power plant;
  • Canada throws out preliminary approvals for two new nukes in Ontario;
  • CA Public Utilities Commission President Michael R. Peevey gets peeved and shouts/curses down honest question at SCE pork barrel evidentiary hearing;
  • …and much more!

May 22, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

While the USA gets in on the decommissioning funding after the Kennedy visit, funding for research science remains non exsistent!

c7a18334-f912-4f89-9e94-4ae0b4eed5ef_Scottie-Dird

…. Current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government have promised to boost science; they should encourage and support researchers from around the world in collecting and sharing information. Chernobyl was a missed opportunity for post-accident research — in that sense at least, Fukushima could do much better…..

03 September 2013

http://www.nature.com/news/nuclear-error-1.13667

Letter from Professor Timothy Mousseau concerning a recent 
report on a limited study on birds in Fukushima - 27 April 2014

Extract
"Let me start by saying the Dr. Galvan is a very bright and 
hard working young biologist whose scientific credentials are 
impeccable, in fact beyond excellent. Through his hard work he 
has managed to find these novel and potentially very important 
responses in natural populations that have never been seen before. 
His credentials are beyond reproach in every way and we are very 
grateful for his very significant contributions to this evolving 
study of wildlife in Chernobyl and Fukushima. 
My only regret is that we don't have the resources to find more 
creative, bright, hard working young biologists like him to help 
us with these studies.

Full text;

Hopefully there will be some more comprehensive coverage of this latest paper that includes some discussion of the broader picture that includes the context for how such “positive” responses have evolved and how they are not unexpected given the intensity of “unnatural” selection (i.e.
Negative effects) imposed by the radioactive contaminants in the area.

Let me start by saying the Dr. Galvan is a very bright and hard working young biologist whose scientific credentials are impeccable, in fact beyond excellent. Through his hard work he has managed to find these novel and potentially very important responses in natural populations that have never been seen before. His credentials are beyond reproach in every way and we are very grateful for his very significant contributions to this evolving study of wildlife in Chernobyl and Fukushima. My only regret is that we don’t have the resources to find more creative, bright, hard
working young biologists like him to help us with these studies.

Below are some quotes that I am sharing related to the current study on adaptation that puts things into an evolutionary context:

“Our previous studies in Chernobyl show a wide array of negative consequences of exposure to radiation for most species. However, the species that are remaining appear to have either evolved or are pre-adapted to the contaminants through increased allocation of antioxidants as a defense against the radiation. Some of these birds even show reduced levels of genetic damage in areas of intermediate contamination perhaps reflecting an effect of acclimation to the radiation. It remains to be shown experimentally whether all birds show such a response, or just the ones that are surviving under these hazardous conditions.

“These observations do not suggest that these birds are not negatively impacted overall ­ our previous studies show significant increases in cataracts, tumors, reduced fertility, and smaller brain sizes, even in these birds that show some level of adaptation. However, the “unnatural selection” imposed by radiation appears to favor individuals with the ability to allocate antioxidants towards protection from ionizing radiation, and this is not surprising given the strength of the negative effects in the hottest parts of the Chernobyl Zone.

“Comparisons between Fukushima and Chernobyl suggest that 20+ years of selection has led to smaller negative impacts on population growth rates in Chernobyl than for the same birds in Fukushima four months after the disaster further supporting the hypothesis that natural selection has favored individuals that have allocated antioxidants towards the defense of cellular damage caused by ionizing radiation.

“This latest paper may be a little confusing to some as it appears to contradict some of our previous findings. However, these two messages are not contradictory and positive and negative responses are not mutually exclusive when it comes to evolution by natural selection in the face of environmental stress. These latest observations simply suggest that evolution is proceeding as expected, all the more so given the intensity of selection we have previously documented. Negative fitness consequences of the radiation provide the evolutionary “pressure” for organisms to
evolve adaptations in the face of this stress.”

In short, “positive” (as in adaptive) responses are an expected outcome of the negative pressures exerted by the elevated radiation levels in these regions. Given all that we know about evolution, it would be surprising if we didn’t see adaptations arising in this way.

May 22, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

It’s a Pro Life issue: Conservative Christians want action on climate change

globe-warmingEvangelical Group: Climate Change Is A ‘Pro-Life’ Issue  CLIMATE PROGRESS, BY KATIE VALENTINE MAY 20, 2014  A GROUP OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS ARE CALLING ON FLORIDA GOV. RICK SCOTT TO CREATE A PLAN TO MITIGATE AND ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE, HOPING THAT THEIR MESSAGE WILL RESONATE WITH SCOTT’S STAUNCH CHRISTIAN VALUES.

Rev. Mitch Hescox, president of the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), is leading the group’s campaign for Scott to recognize climate change as a major threat in Florida. EEN is collecting signatures for a petition asking Gov. Scott to create a plan for climate change, one which so far has garnered about 12,000 signatures. Hescox told ThinkProgress that EEN chose to focus on Florida because of its vulnerability to climate change — Floridians, especially in the Southeast region of the state, are already struggling to adapt to rising seas that lead to sunny-day flooding and stronger storm surges.

“We wanted to help the evangelical church understand in Florida that climate change is not a liberal issue or any issue other than a people issue,” he said.

Gov. Scott, however, has expressed doubt before that climate change is occurring — in 2010, he told reporters he hadn’t “been convinced” that the problem existed, and last week, he avoided a question on whether his 2010 beliefs are the same today by responding, “I’m not a scientist.”……..

The group emphasizes creation care, the idea that humans have a duty to take care of the Earth, because the Earth and its creatures are the creation of God and to love God’s creation is to love God. The group also notes that the poor are often those who are affected most by pollution, and many Christians believe they have a duty to help the poor.

“The first real handbook of sustainability is the Biblical book of Leviticus. It talks about crop rotation, about how to care about animals,” Hescox said. “That’s why it’s a matter of life for us — everything we do, as human beings, to mess up God’s creation impacts human life.”

Hescox pointed to the suffering climate change has caused around the world as reason why climate change is something Christians should care about. Air pollution is linked to asthma, kidney disease and heart problems, and climate change is expected to cause a rise in vectorborne illnesses like malaria and West Nile. These are some of the most compelling reasons to act on climate change, Hescox said.

“For us, it’s a pro-life issue,” he said. “We are pro-life from conception to natural death, and we believe anything that affects the quality of life is something that’s a pro-life value.”………http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/20/3439695/evangelical-environmental-network-rick-scott-petition/

May 21, 2014 Posted by | climate change, Religion and ethics | Leave a comment

Finland – TVO postpones Olkiluoto 4 nuclear project by 5 years!

05/20/2014

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2014/05/tvo-postpones-olkiluoto-4-nuclear-project.html

protest-nuclear

Finland’s utility Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) asked to postpone its newest nuclear power plant by five years.

The utility asked for a five-year extension to submit a construction license application for Unit 4 at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant, according to Reuters. TVA was due to apply for the license in 2015, but repeated delays and increasing costs at the current project, the 1,600-MW Olkiluoto 3, made it impossible to make any decisions on Unit 4.

TVO announced in February that Olkiluoto 3 is now expected to start in 2016, up from its original target date of 2009. Both units will use the European Pressurized Reactor technology.

May 21, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Contaminated Fukushima water released into sea by a failing TEPCO

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/asiapacific/2014/05/21/fukushima-water-released-into-sea.html

Published: 3:35 pm, Wednesday, 21 May 2014

Image source ; http://www.greenpeace.org/japan/ja/news/blog/staff/blog/49297/
Hundreds of tons of groundwater which seeped into a stricken nuclear plant in Japan has begun to be released out to sea, the plant’s operators say.

Tokyo Electric Power Co, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, said the water’s radiation level met safety guidelines, but it was not clear whether the water was more radioactive than normal groundwater.

The operator said it would discharge a total of 560 tonnes of the water, which enters the basement of the reactor buildings daily, into the Pacific Ocean.

The operator has been battling with a massive amount of radiation-tainted water as it continues to inject water into three of its six reactors to keep them cool.

The plant suffered meltdowns at the three reactors after a tsunami swept through the complex in March 2011.

See also:

 http://ex-skf.blogspot.jp/2014/05/just-in-all-three-lines-of-alps-have.html
Monday, May 19, 2014
Just In: All Three Lines of ALPS Have Stopped at #Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant

The entire ALPS multi-nuclide removal system is down again, as Line C has just been stopped as the water sample from Line C is found with high calcium content.

Line A was stopped three days ago, and Line B has been idle since March this year, when the water treated in Line B was found with high beta (in the order of 10 million Bq/L) and brand-new storage tanks got contaminated.

Stopping ALPS won’t affect the cooling of reactors, as the treatment for the cooling water is done by SARRY (removal of radioactive cesium) and by the reverse osmosis apparatus (desalination).

From TEPCO’s email alert for the press, 5/20/2014:

多核種除去設備（ＡＬＰＳ）Ｃ系については処理運転中でしたが、本日（５月20日）の定例のサンプリングにおいて、系統水に若干の白濁があること、カルシウム濃度が高いことを確認しました。

Line C of the multi-nuclide removal system ALPS has been in operation. However, we noted in today (May 20, 2014)’s scheduled sampling that the water [coming out of] Line C was clouded, and that it had high calcium content.

このため、多核種除去設備（ＡＬＰＳ）Ｃ系について、同日午前９時00分、処理運転を停止し、循環待機運転に切り替えました。

Therefore, we stopped Line C at 9:00AM today, and switched it to the circulation stand-by operation. [I don’t know exactly what TEPCO means; I’m guessing they are circulating the water within Line C instead of sending treated water into a storage tank.]

この結果、多核種除去設備（ＡＬＰＳ）は３系統ありますが、全て処理運転を停止している状況となります。

As the result, all three lines of ALPS have stopped treatment operation.

原因等については、今後調査いたします。

We will investigate the cause.

 

The cause, if it is the same as Line A which stopped three days ago after the water sample was found with high calcium content, is likely to be the defective cross flow filter, like this one on Line B (from TEPCO’s Roadmap update page 24, 4/24/2014) (English labels are by me):

 

Whether the defective gasket is due to material defect, design defect or irradiation is unknown at this point.

May 21, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

AREVA’s nuclear reactor sales target postponed

Areva says nuclear reactor sales target may slip by 1-2 years PARIS Tue May 20, 2014 May 20 (Reuters) – Areva’s chief executive softened his forecast that the French state-controlled nuclear group would sell 10 reactors by 2016, saying it would be no problem if that deadline slips by a year or two.

May 21, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Thyroid cancer rates rise in Fukushima children

thyroid-cancer-papillary50% jump in cancer in Fukushima children’s thyroids since last report 3 months ago — Now 90 cases suspected or confirmed — Gov’t Experts: “Difficult to determine” if cancers caused by nuclear disaster http://enenews.com/50-increase-in-cancer-in-fukushima-childrens-thyroids-since-last-report-3-months-ago-total-number-jumps-to-50-from-33-90-cases-suspected-or-confirmed?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ENENews+%28Energy+News%29

Jiji Press, May 19, 2014: 50 Fukushima Children Confirmed as Thyroid Cancer Sufferers […] The cancer figure […] increased by 17 from the previously reported figure […] the panel said it is hard to think that there is a causal link between the children’s cancer and the March 2011 reactor meltdowns […]

Fukushima Voice, May 19, 2014: In summary, there were 17 more cancer cases confirmed since the last report on February 7th, 2014. The total number of cases confirmed or suspected of cancer is 90. Of these, 51 had surgeries as March 31, 2014 and 1 turned out to be a benign nodule, 49 were confirmed to be papillary thyroid cancer, and 1 still has no confirmed cytological diagnosis […] As usual, no information was offered such as the type of nodules […]

Total number of children whose initial examination results are confirmed: 287,056 […]
Assessment A1 148,182 (51.6%) (no nodules or cysts found)
Assessment A2 136,804 (47.7%) (nodules 5.0 mm or smaller or cysts 20.0 mm or smaller)
Assessment B 2,069 (0.7%) (nodules 5.1 mm or larger or cysts 20.1 mm or larger)
Assessment C 1 (0.0%) (requiring immediate secondary examination)

Japan Times, May 20, 2014: Number of Fukushima kids with thyroid cancer jumps by 17 from December […] 50 children in the prefecture have developed thyroid cancer [and] 39 children suspected of having developed cancer, sources said. The cancer figure was taken at the end of March […] the panel said it was difficult to determine that a causal link existed between the children’s cancers and the triple meltdown […] Once the results of the first round checkups become available, likely in August, the panel will again assess the thyroid cancer numbers and any possible connection between the cancers and the accident, the sources said.

17 new cases of thyroid cancers / 33 reported in Feb. 2014 = 51.5% increase

See also: Cancer Specialist in Fukushima: There are simply too many cases, I see a connection

And: Gov’t: 75 Fukushima children with cancers confirmed or suspected in thyroid — ‘Genetic alterations’ to be analyzed — Expert: “Gene pool is damaged, next generations will carry burden of catastrophe”; Surge in disease expected

May 21, 2014 Posted by | Fukushima 2014 | Leave a comment

USA’s Plutonium facility at Los Alamos ruled not safe

safety-symbol1Federal Safety Board Cautions DOE on LANL Plutonium Facility L0s Alamos Study Group, 20 May 14

Main plutonium facility might “collapse” in earthquake unless repairs are completed; scope of work needed still unknown

Board says full re-start of LANL plutonium facility premature; nuclear criticality accidents not ruled out

On May 16, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB, Board), cautioned Congress about the structural integrity of the main plutonium facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the event of an earthquake similar to those which have rocked the site in recent millenia.  The building in question, “PF-4,” was built in 1978 to earlier, less stringent earthquake standards.

The Board was established by Congress in 1988 to advise the Department of Energy (DOE) on the safety of DOE’s nuclear facilities.

Also on the 16th, DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur wrote National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Administrator Frank Klotz about the Board’s concerns regarding LANL’s planned re-start of higher-hazard plutonium operations in PF-4 without first evaluating the potential of those operations to result in nuclear criticality accidents.  Such accidents, were they to occur as a result of human error, mechanical failure or any other cause, would invariably involve very high levels of radiation and have often been fatal to surrounding workers.  Such accidents have happened before at LANL and at other nuclear facilities in the U.S. and abroad.  (See for example this LANL review.)

Regarding the first issue DNFSB writes in its “Report to Congress on the Status of Significant Safety Issues Concerning the Design and Construction of DOE’s Defense Nuclear Facilities” that:

..the Board remains concerned that PF-4 is vulnerable to seismic collapse. The large plutonium inventory of PF-4, coupled with the facility’s proximity to the public, creates the potential for high off-site radiological consequences. DOE is pursuing actions to address the collapse vulnerability, but maintains that PF-4 is safe to operate in the interim and complies with DOE standards for seismic performance. The Board communicated to DOE in a letter dated July 17, 2013, that it does not agree… -: http://lasg.org/press/2014/press_release_20May2014.html#sthash.cCZ6igPz.VLFKX1CD.dpuf

May 21, 2014 Posted by | - plutonium, USA | 2 Comments

Fossil fuel lobby’s media war against climate scientists

David Suzuki Discusses the War on Climate Scientists http://ecowatch.com/2014/05/18/suzuki-climate-scientists/ Everybody ought to be doing their part to fight climate change, but instead some are focusing their energy on taking down the folks providing the research on our planet’s future.

From laughter to vehemence, it’s clear that the war on climate scientists and their research is on. In the second part of his conversation with Bill Moyers, Dr. David Suzuki says climate deniers are engaging in a good ol’ game of “kill the messenger.”

“This is a very effective thing that we know has been done by the tobacco industry [and] it’s being done by the fossil fuel industry… You attack a person on the basis of their trustworthiness, their ulterior motives, anything to get away from dealing with the issues,” the scientist, author and philanthropist said.

He said it’s not unlike the attacks he has experienced from Canada’s prime minister, corporations and others over the years for speaking his mind about the government and the fossil fuel industry.

“The fossil fuel industry knows that fossil fuel use is at the heart of climate change,” Suzuki said. “But the problem is their job as CEOs and executives is to make money for their shareholders, and they’ll do it.”

May 21, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Japan’s atomic bomb survivors – now a dwindling band

Hibakusha: Disappearing A-bomb survivors leave movement’s future in question Mainichi By Sakiko Takahashi, Hiroshima Bureau 20 May 14 HIROSHIMA — The sun cast its soft rays on the green summer vegetation as I headed on my way to visit atomic bomb survivor and poet Hiroshi Maruya, 89, this May 1 after I received his invitation…..

“Finally, only I am left,” said Maruya, his eyes wide open and his voice lonely.

At the end of April, a general meeting of an A-bomb survivors’ group was held at Hiroshima Kyoritsu Hospital, for which Maruya serves as honorary head. The subject of the meeting: how to shrink down the group’s activities. As chairman, Maruya spoke to those gathered, saying, “We haven’t the vitality to actively campaign against nuclear weapons, and must have the younger generation take over the reins.”

At the meeting the subject of disbanding the group even came up, but on the request of members it was decided to leave it in existence.

Meanwhile, as Maruya and I talked, he relayed to me his recent activities: heading to Tokyo to demand improvements for a law supporting A-bomb victims and his visit to South Korea’s Hapcheon County, said to be “South Korea’s Hiroshima” because of its many residents who were exposed to A-bomb radiation.

Regarding the end of the activities by A-bomb survivors’ groups as their members die out, Maruya said, “It’s sad, but I think this is what history is. For both nuclear weapons and nuclear plants, it’s about how vividly and carefully people’s memories of them are preserved, and about how much creativity is born in the process.”…….http://mainichi.jp/english/english/features/news/20140520p2a00m0na006000c.html

May 21, 2014 Posted by | Japan, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

Media ignoring the catastrophic global danger of the nuclear industry

How the nuclear industry may unintentionally obliterate humankind (NaturalNews) May 20, 2014 by: J. D. Heyes In modern times, the nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011 has been one of the most under-reported of cataclysmic events, and some critical analyses have concluded that coverage likely would have been more complete had the accident occurred in a country not allied with the United States.

That said, notes Andrew McKillop at 21st Century Wire, we might as well “write off” most of the American (and Japanese) media, as well as politicians from both nations, regarding the dangers that the accident truly poses to Mankind. “For reasons associated with the nuclear lobby and its corporate machine, their tongues are tied on the issue,” he writes.

The ‘alternative media’ keeping an eye on Fukushima developments

Continuing his criticism, McKillop jabbed further:

More silence, a few new theories and a couple of less than convincing assurances like, “It’s all under control, the humming birds and the badgers have returned to the exclusion zone and there’s a lot of very affordable property now, lost of economic opportunity in Fukushima”, (if you had any doubt of how spineless and redundant our leadership would be in the event of a true humanitarian crisis, this should be your ‘eureka’ moment). The best they could manage is release a new Godzilla film production — and that’s about as close as you’ll get to an admission from the global elite’s media machine.

Enter the “alternative media,” which no doubt includes his publication as well as Natural News. But these days, “alternative” is no longer synonymous with “irresponsible” or “illegitimate.” Still, noted McKillop, “there is even a paralysis beginning to set in” with many of these outlets as well, “a general malaise afflicting even those left with integrity enough to comment or honestly report on the crisis” (you won’t get that here at NN, however).

For his part, McKillop sees the nuclear issue overall as some Darwinian self-destruction plan implemented by Man to ensure the end of the world. Why else, he argues, would so large a catastrophe be so underwhelming and unimportant?

“Incredibly, many politicians, economists and even hard-core environmental priests, still love nuclear power. It’s a strange kind of love, or a Strangelove to be precise,” he writes.
We seem to have evolved to deal with the threat’

Citing The Economist magazine, which he describes as “an elite talking shop” publication, McKillop says observations made in a recent edition regarding previous nuclear disaster at Chernobyl are particularly noteworthy because they undermine the rosy picture being painted by Japanese and U.S. officials regarding environmental conditions surrounding Fukushima:….McKillop labeled such proclamations as “paid-for junk science” that has become “weaponized” and now poses a direct threat to humans……http://www.naturalnews.com/045213_nuclear_industry_humankind_extinction.html

May 21, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry: costs and delays cast a gloom on chance of “new nuclear’

thumbs-downIn Europe and the U.S. cost overruns and delays raise questions about the market for a new generation of safer nuclear reactors Scientific American, May 20, 2014 

More than a decade ago a contract was signed to build the world’s first third-generation European pressurized reactor (EPR) in Finland. The cutting-edge, 1,600-megawatt nuclear power plant, Olkiluoto 3, which its French maker Areva boasted as the most advanced safety design of the time, is still under construction today. There have been various setbacks as well as endless finger-pointing between Areva and the Finnish utility TVO, which are locked in court battle over expanding costs. Now the reactor might not be completed until at least 2017, if at all, with a price tag of $11 billion, more than double its original estimate.

The Olkiluoto 3 situation is not unique. Another Areva EPR in Flamanville, France, is also behind schedule and over budget. A recent government deal for two new EPRs in the U.K. has also come under fire.

The prospects for a nuclear power revival are no better in the U.S. Although the technology has never been cheap, cost overruns and delays are plaguing the handful of next-generation pressurized water reactors currently being built, the first since Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Even before that event, a study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the cost of new nuclear plants, globally, doubled from 2002 to 2009. The third-generation reactors have safety features that should prevent a meltdown similar to Fukushima’s but political controversy, along with the high price tag means that new nuclear complexes in the U.S. and Europe could be in the single digits instead of dozens originally planned less than a decade ago……….

Costs and delays are also rising for the AP1000 being built by Georgia Power, in part because the units must meet more stringent safety requirements that regulators have introduced in the wake of September 11, 2001, attacks and the Fukushima meltdown. ……

Although the AP1000 is an intrinsically simpler design than the EPR, they both have also faced cost overruns because they are first-of-their-kind deployments. A report by Citi Research found that the Vogtle project is about six months behind schedule and will cost at least $1 billion above original projections. “We’re learning how to do this as efficiently as we can,” says Benjamin, who admits there has been a learning curve. Finalizing the design for construction, which has been approved by American and Chinese regulators, has taken longer than anticipated. So has securing delivery on certain components, such as reactor coolant pumps, because they are being produced for the first time. “We take these lessons as we learn them,” says Benjamin, “and make sure these issues get [resolved] so we don’t face them again.”

Westinghouse hopes that working out the kinks in the first designs will drive down the tim

May 21, 2014 Posted by | general | 1 Comment

Death of peace activist and atomic veteran Acie Byrd

Peace Activist, Broadcaster Acie Byrd Dies at 77 OpEd News, By Democracy Now! 20 May 14 Peace activist and radio commentator Acie Byrd has died at the age of 77 following a battle with cancer. Byrd was among an estimated quarter of a million U.S. military personnel exposed to radiation from U.S. nuclear tests that took place from 1945 to 1962.

He was exposed to hydrogen bomb testing in the mid-1950s in the Pacific. He became a leading advocate for fellow atomic veterans, calling for healthcare compensation and a comprehensive test ban treaty. In 1977, Byrd was one of the founding members of Pacifica station #WPFW in Washington DC, where he served as a local and national commentator and board member for many years……..http://www.opednews.com/articles/Peace-Activist-Broadcaste-by-Press-Release-Acie-Byrd_Military_Peace-Advocacy-Activism_Radiation-140520-67.html

May 21, 2014 Posted by | general | Leave a comment

India’s new Prime Minister Modi to take over nuclear weapons codes

flag-indiaModi to take control of nuclear codes Shishir Gupta, Hindustan Times  New Delhi, May 20, 2014 Although Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is scheduled to be covered by the Special Protection Group (SPG) three hours before his swearing in at 6 pm next Monday, he will be handed over top secret nuclear codes, keys and command and briefed about India’s strategic perception by outgoing National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon after he takes over as PM.

Sources told HT that Modi will be briefed about India’s strategic weapon capabilities, their location and the strength of nuclear arsenal after taking over as PM by Menon and top members of nuclear establishment and strategic force command.

Menon will also hand over codes and keys required to activate the strategic weapons in case of a nuclear attack.

 India has the capability to launch a massive second strike through land, sea and air as New Delhiprofesses no first-use policy since it went nuclear during the Atal Behari Vajpayee regime in 1998……..http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/modi-to-take-control-of-nuclear-codes/article1-1221316.aspx

May 21, 2014 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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