nuclear-news

Cameco Crow Butte ISL Uranium Mine in Nebraska aka CBR

“It is believed there is a relationship between the ninety-eight (98) closed wells on the Western side of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and certain incidences of cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, miscarriages and infant brain seizures on the Reservation which is downwind and downstream of CBR’s existing ISL mining operation. Under the doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitor, the burden of proof shifts to CBR to show that its operations have no causal connection to the contamination of the Pine Ridge water wells or the diseases of the people who drank and bathed in that water.” ML073370202 http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML0733/ML073370202.pdf [Note that of four water samples tested in 2009, two in Crawford, Nebraska and two at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, there were illegal amounts of radioactive alpha emitters and arsenic.(1)]

The following, dated May 12, 2015, was submitted to the…

Opinion:

¶ “New Wind Turbine Capacity Factor Could Increase From ~40% To ~60%” – The engineer and economist Bernard Chabot has written an article explaining how wind power capacity factors for new wind turbines could increase from about 40% to 60%. Such a change has profound implications. [CleanTechnica]

Four wind turbines on the Somerset Wind Farm, in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Photo by Jeff Kubina from Columbia, Maryland. Wikimedia Commons.

Science and Technology:

¶ Just weeks after producing its first batch of synthetic diesel fuel made from carbon dioxide and water, Audi has laid claim to another synthetic, clean-burning and petroleum-free gasoline replacement fuel called “e-benzin.” The fuel was created by Audi’s project partner Global Bioenergies, in France. [Gizmag]

World:

¶ The Government of Japan signed a contribution agreement on its pledge of $1.5 billion to the Green Climate Fund, bringing the total confirmed agreements since the GCF’s November…

This commentary-submission to the public record is full of great insights into the problems of ISL uranium mining in general, and Powertech-Azarga in particular.



Mr. Gray is widely published on this topic, and rumored running for political office, so we left his name on here. We have added the red underline to the comment for emphasis.

The deadline to submit your comment is the 27 May 2015 at 11.59 pm Washington DC time. It is easy to do. Info here: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/isl-uranium-mining-water-restoration-gaming-the-stats-us-epa-deadline-27-may-2015/

ISL Uranium Mining-Water Restoration Part II Gaming the Stats, US EPA Deadline 27 May 2015

Regarding Powertech lawsuit against Colorado:
http://www.powertechexposed.com/Lawsuit%20against%20MLRB%20and%20King.htm

Click to access Powertech%20Complaint.pdf

The deadline to submit your comment is the 27 May 2015 at 11.59 pm Washington DC time. It is quick and easy to do. No email address required; you may use your name or remain anonymous. More info and how to comment here: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/isl-uranium-mining-water-restoration-gaming-the-stats-us-epa-deadline-27-may-2015/ https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/isl-uranium-mining-water-restoration-part-ii-gaming-the-stats-us-epa-deadline-27-may-2015/

This letter was classified by the US EPA as a “mass mailing”, meaning that many people signed identical or similar letters.

Mass mailing: http://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?documentId=EPA-HQ-OAR-2012-0788-0054&attachmentNumber=1&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf (Red emphasis added)

This sample was from South Dakota. However, they haven’t said how many submitted this letter, which is wrong. Often it’s in the thousands. So, if you are inspired by this letter, put it in your own words or it may not be counted. Make sure your voice is heard!

Science and Technology:

¶ The Solar Impulse 2, the experimental plane attempting to fly around the world without a single drop of fuel, is set to take off from China early Tuesday morning on the most challenging and dangerous part of its journey yet. Andre Borschberg will fly the craft alone during the non-stop flight from Nanjing to Hawaii. [CNN]

Solar Impulse SI2 in 2014. Photo by Milko Vuille. Wikimedia Commons.

World:

¶ There is uncertainty about the future of wind farms in the UK. Tory pledges to “halt the spread of onshore wind farms” by ending subsidies for new projects and giving local people more power over windfarm applications left many in the industry fearing the worst and have done little for investor confidence. [FarmersWeekly]

¶ Hanwha Group unveiled an ambitious plan to turn a small islet off the coast of Korea into a 100%…

Bringing Lomborg’s work to Australia seems to have been the personal project of Prime Minister Tony Abbott who found $4 million in a budget that cannot afford to support other scientific work on climate change. Abbott is, of course, famous for dismissing climate science as “crap” and choosing as his chief business adviser a man, Maurice Newman, who believes climate science is being used by the UN to impose authoritarian rule over the world.

The Lomborg Ruse, Clive Hamilton 23 MAY 2015 No one in Australia has more relentlessly attacked environmentalists, climate science, carbon taxes and the aspirations of the United Nations than Murdoch columnist Andrew Bolt.

So what does it mean when Bolt sings the praises of a man who is a declared environmentalist, accepts the body of evidence for climate change, supports a carbon tax and is a strong supporter of the United Nations? Oh, and he’s also a…

From Notice of Proposed RulemakingEPA-402-F-13-051, Oct. 2014
This proposed US EPA rule, which alleges that it focuses on “groundwater protection, restoration and stability” for ISL (aka ISR) uranium mining actually appears to follow the US NRC lead in manipulating statistics to make the water restoration requirements for ISL uranium mining as weak as possible. Comment here until Wednesday, 27 May:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;rpp=100;so=DESC;sb=docId;po=0;D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2012-0788 Proposed Rule-Draft upon which to comment: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/01/26/2015-00276/health-and-environmental-protection-standards-for-uranium-and-thorium-mill-tailings http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/tenorm/proposal-40cfr192-12-31-2014.pdf

The following excerpts from the November 21, 2014 written supplemental testimony of Dr. Hannan Lagarry, Ph.D. regarding the proposed Azarga-Powertech uranium mine in South Dakota clearly lay out just how the US NRC-Uranium miners manipulate statistics. These are the same tactics which will apparently be used by the US EPA in their alleged groundwater restoration rules. To add insult to injury, the well-paid NRC workers are not doing their jobs, and so Dr. Lagarry and his students were…

Science and Technology:

¶ At a news conference in Taipei, former US NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko said nuclear energy is playing an increasingly insignificant role in power generation worldwide, adding that it is more expensive than many other generating methods. He said its future was one of “decreasing use and eventual phase-out.” [Taipei Times]

Ma’anshan nuclear power plan in southern Taiwan, Nan Wan Bay, wind turbines in background. Photo by M. Weitzel. Wikimedia Commons.

World:

¶ A renewable energy project that has seen 500 Glasgow Housing Association homes fitted with solar panels is being hailed a success after saving tenants £388,000 on their combined energy bills. The solar panels have so far generated more than 2.4 million kWh of electricity, enough to make 122 million cups of tea. [STV Glasgow]

¶ Metro Vancouver has joined a push to keep the fifty year old Burrard Thermal power station…

US EPA Comment Deadline re Water Restoration after ISL Uranium Mining is Wed. 27 May 11.59 pm Eastern-Washington DC. See more info below.
NB: Usually updated daily. Most recent updates on top, after top images, comment reminder, so that daily readers will not have to scroll-down far. Time is UTC-GMT. This is a continuation of: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/the-ongoing-saga-54-news-updates-tidbits-trivia/

Call-up to Clean-up Nuclear Sites
These images or something similar will probably stay on top until a) pro-nuclear people volunteer to work at nuclear waste sites (WIPP, Fukushima, Hanford, etc.) in droves, and b) the nuclear industry is shut down. Then, after b), there will still be the problem of a) the nuclear waste to be secured. We live on borrowed time. Let’s shut the nuclear industry down now!

Exceptionally, Tuesday News starts below this commentary: Comment Deadline on Water Restoration for ISL Uranium Mining

There is a Wednesday, May 27th, 1159pm ET, Deadline…

Photo: CIEL, BY-NC-SA
Shakedown-extortion of tiny El Salvador by Canadian based Pacific Rim Penny Stock Mining company, now owned Australian OceanaGold. OceanaGold’s stock is worth a paltry $2.94. They, and others, have found a way to make money other than mining – shaking down countries. They are suing El Salvador for $301 million for refusing them a mining operation permit. This was made possible by NAFTA’s extension to Central America, called CAFTA: http://www.citizen.org/documents/Pacific_Rim_Backgrounder1.pdf

From Common Dreams:
“Amid TPP Fight, El Salvador Mining Case Shows Danger of Corporate Tribunals

A Salvadoran delegation is in Canada this week to warn of how investor provisions threaten democracy, public health, and environment, by Deirdre Fulton, staff writer, Published on Monday, May 11, 2015, by Common Dreams

On September 15th, 2014, the Center for International Environmental Law joined a broad coalition from labor, environment, immigrant, faith, and trade sectors to protest at the World…

NAFTA seems to be one reason that the US government acts so helpless before the onslaught of Canadian penny stock and non-penny stock miners, who destroy the land and water with things like ISL uranium mining.

It is the back door, which has allowed Russian State owned, Canadian registered, Uranium One to buy up US uranium mines.

It explains the arrival of so many “Mexicans” who are actually indigenous peoples of America whose land is being exploited by the extractive industry, even as historic and current American Indian lands are being destroyed in the USA by mining, and land and water poisoned.

It does not, however, seem to explain why the US NRC and EPA are manipulating methodology and statistics against clean air and water – something which you can easily comment on at the Federal Regs web site until 27 May 2015 and it can be anonymous [See post…

World:

¶ Australians in Melbourne have been negotiating for four years with various government bodies of the state of Victoria for an entirely solar-powered tram network in Melbourne. The network would be the world’s largest, and it would make the capital city of Victoria become a world environmental leader. [CleanTechnica]

Digital visualization by Australia Solar Group.

¶ Ben van Beurden, the chief executive of Shell, has endorsed warnings that the world’s fossil fuel reserves cannot be burned unless some way is found to capture their carbon emissions. The oil boss has also predicted that the global energy system will become “zero carbon” by the end of the century. [The Guardian]

¶ Over 2,000 business leaders, political leaders, and senior climate negotiators at the Business & Climate Summit pledged to lead a global transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. The question is “who will lead?” Policymakers call…

[NB: There is a disconnect between video and voice; also this video only goes down to the part of the transcript, below, which says break. Entire video at: http://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/19/how_an_85_year_old_nun ]
From DemocracyNow.org
“TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2015
How an 85-Year-Old Nun, Activists Infiltrated Top U.S. Nuclear Site, Exposing Dangers & Urging Peace

GUESTS
Sister Megan Rice, Roman Catholic nun and one of the three self-described Transform Now Plowshares who broke into the Y-12 nuclear facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 2012. She’s been arrested over 40 times for acts of nonviolent civil disobedience.

Michael Walli, Catholic peace activist. He was one of the three self-described Transform Now Plowshares who broke into the Y-12 nuclear facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 2012.

Bill Quigley, lawyer for the Transform Now Plowshares activists Megan Rice, Michael Walli and Greg Boertje-Obed, and professor and director of the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for…

Science and Technology:

¶ A study by US wind energy experts suggests integrating more renewable generation into one of North America’s major power grids could boost its stability and resilience. The research was done by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and GE Energy Consulting based on a study in the western US. [reNews]

Stateline Wind Project, Eastern Oregon or Washington. Photo by Sam Beebe. Wikimedia Commons.

World:

¶ Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, could phase out the use of fossil fuels by the middle of this century, according to the kingdom’s oil minister. He said the kingdom plans to become a “global power in solar and wind energy” and could start exporting electricity instead of fossil fuels in coming years. [The Australian Financial Review]

¶ Global hydroelectric power capacity could double to 2,000 GW by 2050 or sooner, according to a report released this week…