21 years after shutdown, USA’s Experimental Breeder Nuclear Reactor-II (EBR-II) is entombed
USA’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II now permanently entombed, World Nuclear News
01 July 2015 The main clean-up contractor at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Idaho Site, has entombed an historic nuclear reactor in place and treated the reactor’s remaining sodium coolant….CH2M-WG, Idaho, LLC (CWI) said yesterday that crews with the Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) Program recently completed pouring more than 3400 cubic yards of concrete grout into the basement of the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) building to fill in any remaining void spaces and effectively entomb the reactor.
Workers also removed and treated the last of the sodium coolant from the reactor’s nine heat exchangers. The exchangers were used to cool the liquid metal and direct the steam to a generating turbine to produce electricity when the reactor was operating.
The EBR-II was the basis of the US Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) program…….. The reactor was shut down in 1994 and its fuel was removed and transported to another site facility for safe storage.
The DOE grouted the reactor in place instead of removing it to protect workers from industrial hazards and radiological risks, CWI said. Crews filled the reactor vessel with grout over two years ago and recently completed the remainder of grouting at the facility under CWI’s contract.
Japan’s nuclear regulator says the country’s nuclear safety is inadequate
Japan’s nuclear safety ‘not enough’ IOL. za July 15 2015 By Reuters
Tokyo – Japan’s atomic regulator on Wednesday said falsified documents at Chugoku Electric Power related to radioactive waste showed the country’s nuclear industry still lags on safety more than four years after the Fukushima plant meltdown.
Chugoku Electric on 30 June said it had not conducted the mandatory inspection of equipment for handling low-level nuclear waste, yet had recorded that the checks were carried out.
“From a safety culture point of view, if that kind of thing happens, it’s not good enough,” Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) head Shunichi Tanaka said at a regular press conference on Wednesday, when asked about the incident by Reuters………
The NRA is continuing to review the number two reactor at Chugoku Electric’s sole Shimane nuclear plant for relicencing despite the falsification of documents, an NRA official said, when contacted by Reuters.
Chugoku Electric President Tomohide Karita expects the incident may make it harder to gain the consent of local residents to eventually restart the nuclear plant, a Chugoku spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday……..http://www.iol.co.za/business/news/japan-s-nuclear-safety-not-enough-1.1885678#.Vag2XqSqpHw
Renewable Energy news snippets
Faced with power crisis, Africa looks to renewable energy technology PCWorld 18 July 15
PV-Tech Storage-16 Jul 2015
Concern for health, as radiation found in Greene County stream near water supply
Radia
tion found in Greene County stream near water supply Biologist concerned about residents’ health By Paul Van Osdol, Pittsburgh’s Action News Jul 16, 2015 FREDERICKTOWN, Pa. —Action News Investigates has learned high levels of radiation — up to 60 times higher than the maximum allowed in drinking water — have been found in a stream that feeds into a water treatment plant. VIDEO: Watch Paul Van Osdol’s report
The high levels of radiation were found in a Greene County stream that flows into the Monongahela River. Ultimately, that water ends up in Pittsburgh.
Ken Dufalla of the Izaak Walton League conservation group has been taking samples from 10 Mile Creek for years, frequently finding high levels of total dissolved solids.
“I wouldn’t touch it. As you can see, I try to keep my hands off it all I can because I don’t know what’s in this water,” Dufalla said.
To find out exactly what is in the water, he pressed the state Department of Environmental Protection to do comprehensive testing.
The results showed levels of radium 226 and radium 228 totaling 327 picocuries per liter at one location, and 301 picocuries per liter of radium 226 at another location.
In plain English, that means both samples had 60 times the EPA drinking water standard of 5 picocuries per liter.
“There’s something in here that’s not supposed to be here,” Dufalla said.
Ten Mile Creek feeds into the Mon River near Fredericktown. Less than a mile down river is a water treatment plant, and that is a major concern for regulators and area residents.
John Stolz, a biologist at Duquesne University, says radium can be hazardous.
“The reality is, if it’s getting into the water that is being used as a source of drinking water, then it is a problem,” Stolz said.
One big problem is water authorities cannot easily get rid of radium through the standard filtering process.
Tests by the Tri-County Joint Municipal Authority last year found low levels of radium 228 — just 1 picocurie per liter. But the authority did not test for radium 226, and it did not do any radium testing in 2012 or 2013.
It’s not just drinking water that’s a concern. The Izaak Walton League canceled plans to stock 10 Mile Creek with trout this year after consulting with state officials.
“Do you want to eat fish that has radiation in it? It’s that simple,” Dufalla said………
The DEP is concerned enough that it is also doing additional testing of water, fish and wildlife in the area.
“We’re trying to attack this from every possible angle to see what the extent of the contamination is, if there is extensive contamination, what it’s affecting, and tracking it down,” Poister said.
The DEP is especially interested in finding the source of the radiation. Stolz says the test results offer a clue.
“It’s highly suggestive that it may be due to drilling operations, or at least the wastewater,” Stolz said……… http://www.wtae.com/news/radiation-found-in-greene-county-stream-near-water-supply/34205428
The Cree Nation backs the report advising against uranium mining in Northern Quebec
The Cree Nation urges the Quebec Government to heed the BAPE’s recommendations regarding the uranium sector in northern Quebec http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1572491/the-cree-nation-urges-the-quebec-government-to-heed-the-bape-s-recommendations-regarding-the-uranium-sector-in-northern-quebec
NEMASKA, EEYOU ISTCHEE, QC, July 17, 2015 /CNW/ – The Cree Nation welcomes the recommendations of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) regarding the uranium sector in Quebec. The BAPE’s report was released to the public today, following a year-long, province-wide inquiry and public consultation process, which included the largest number of public submissions ever received by the BAPE.
“The BAPE’s report confirms what the Cree Nation has long maintained: that uranium development poses unique and significant risks for our lands, our environment, our communities and our future generations,” said Grand Chief Dr.Matthew Coon Come. “The report reflects what we observed in the consultation process, that the overwhelming majority of the population, in Cree communities and across Quebec, oppose uranium development.”
“We have said from the start that once Quebecers learn the facts about uranium, the risks it poses, and the questions that cannot be adequately answered, they would join with us in opposing uranium development,” Grand Chief Coon Come continued. “The Cree Nation greatly appreciates the support we have received on this issue from other Aboriginal peoples and from individuals, groups and municipalities across Quebec.”
In its report, the BAPE Commission concluded that there remains significant uncertainty and gaps in existing scientific and technological knowledge regarding uranium mining, the management of uranium waste, and the associated health and environmental impacts. In regard to the territory subject to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, including the Cree Nation’s territory of Eeyou Istchee, the BAPE Commission recommended that social acceptability must be a priority consideration in any future decisions regarding uranium development.
“The social acceptability of proposed development projects in Eeyou Istchee is a fundamental part of the successful relationship of partnership and respect between the Crees and Quebec,” Grand Chief Coon Come noted. “The BAPE has recognized that the special legal framework and social institutions that govern in Eeyou Istchee must play a central role in legitimate decision-making about development in our territory.”
The Cree Nation’s stand against uranium development began in 2008 when Strateco Resources applied to the Quebec Government to pursue the Matoush advanced uranium exploration project. Located on the family hunting grounds of the Cree Nation of Mistissini, at the crest of two major watersheds that bring water throughout Eeyou Istchee, the Matoush project was the most advanced uranium project to date in Quebec. The Government of Quebechas since denied the required permit for the Matoush project, due largely to its lack of social acceptability amongst the Cree Nation.
For more information on the Cree Nation’s position on uranium development, please visit:http://standagainsturanium.com/
Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) – no go ahead for uranium mining in Quebec
BAPE cites ‘uncertainties’ and ‘low acceptability’ in report on future of uranium mining in Quebec, Montreal Gazette, PRESSE CANADIENNEJuly 17, 2015 By Stéphanie Marin
The Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) concluded that would be inappropriate to give the green light to uranium mining in Quebec right now. Their findings were presented to the provincial government on Friday afternoon.
According to the BAPE, there are too many uncertainties and unanswered questions regarding the risks posed by uranium mining to human health and the environment.
“These uncertainties are compounded by the radioactivity of uranium residues, which may remain problematic for thousands of years,” the agency wrote in its 600-page report, dated May 2015 and entitled “The challenges of the uranium industry in Quebec.”
The report noted that social acceptability is also an issue for uranium mining.
“Because of the uncertainty and sometimes significant gaps and limitations in scientific and technological knowledge, we are very far from reaching a social and political consensus and there is very low acceptability in Quebec.”
And in areas where the potential mines would be located, “the rejection of the uranium industry is almost unanimous.”
The city of Sept-Îles, which is near a uranium mining project, has been the scene of many protests in recent years. In 2009, 20 doctors resigned from a Sept-Îles hospital to protest the construction of a uranium mine on the North Shore.
The BAPE notes that the Institut national de santé publique du Québec states that the presence of a uranium mine could create additional exposure to radiation for people living nearby.
Quebec’s environment minister asked the BAPE to address the mining industry in March 2014. Uranium mines are considered different from other mines because they emit radiation……….http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/bape-cites-uncertainties-and-low-acceptability-in-report-on-future-of-uranium-mining-in-quebec
New impediments to plans for Yucca nuclear waste storage
The Plan for Storing US Nuclear Waste Just Hit a Roadblock Wired 16 July 15 AMERICA’S FAVORITE PROBLEM to ignore—what to do with radioactive waste—just got worse. Since 1987, the grand (and controversial) idea was to put it all in one place, a series of tunnels deep below Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. Well, last week America got three new national monuments, including the 704,000 acres of the Basin and Range National Monument. And guess what? The train that was supposed to carry all that nuclear guck to Yucca Mountain runs right through it.
“It’s another nail in the coffin for Yucca Mountain,” says Timothy Frazier, a former Department of Energy official who now works on nuclear waste for the Bipartisan Policy Center. “It certainly adds time, and would require more money to resolve.”………
radioactive waste doesn’t disappear if you ignore it. The US has 75,000 tons of high-level radioactive waste—spent reactor fuel and the byproducts of processing it—that now sit in pools or dry casks at nuclear power plants, facilities never intended for long-term storage. The risk of leaks is high. Because the stuff stays radioactive for millennia, the safest course of action is supposed to be entomb ingit in rock like at Yucca Mountain, where it can remain inaccessible to future humans.
Now, Yucca Mountain plans have dragged on so long that all the high-level radioactive waste in the country exceeds its storage capacity. The Department of Energy hasn’t even built the repository yet, and the country already needs a second…….http://www.wired.com/2015/07/plan-storing-us-nuclear-waste-just-hit-roadblock/
Notes on Climate Change News
Climate Change
Caring about Climate Change – Global Citizens and Moral Decision Making.
In a recent cogito blog post, Clive Hamilton claims that the greatest crimes of recent years will surely prove to be human interference with and disruption of the Earth’s climate.
http://theconversation.com/caring-about-climate-change-global-citizens-and-moral-decision-making-44771
One by one – church leaders speak out on climate change
Religious leaders around the world keep coming out in support of efforts to reduce or combat climate change.
http://www.biblesociety.org.au/news/one-by-one-church-leaders-speak-out-on-climate-change
Cold now but June the warmest ever
Last month was the hottest June on record by a wide margin, Japan Meteorological Agency said, increasing the likelihood that 2015 will also be the warmest.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment#ixzz3g5ZrN0jn
Hotter, wetter, stormier – study finds 2014’s climate melted records
Global sea levels swelled to a high, tropical cyclones continued to multiply and the world’s thermometer set a record in 2014, according to a new report tracking the earth’s climate.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment#ixzz3g5ZywnRv
Progress is being made, in climate talks, quietly, behind the scenes
Climate Talks Nearing Consensus in Behind-the-Scenes Meetings http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-15/climate-talks-nearing-consensus-in-behind-the-scenes-meetings by Alex Nussbaum July 16, 2015 Publicly, the United Nations climate-change talks look mired in disputes over everything from money to the length of the proposed agreement.
Behind the scenes, a deal may be closer than it seems, according to a report today from two veteran negotiators who’ve organized a series of unofficial meetings among key countries.
With almost five months to go before a critical Paris meeting, nations are coalescing around a deal that would commit every country to restricting greenhouse gases but bind none to specific targets. While that may seem a tepid effort, given scientists’ warnings of catastrophic climate change, it’s still an improvement over the last big meeting, when talks in Copenhagen in 2009 ended without an expected global deal, and with finger-pointing among the U.S., China and other big polluters.
Dovland, who also participated in past UN climate talks, along with former South African environment minister Valli Moosa, led almost 100 hours of “informal discussions” over the past 16 months with officials from the U.S., China, the European Union, Brazil and other countries. The sessions were organized by the Center for Climate & Energy Solutions, an Arlington, Virginia-based advocacy group
‘Snail’s Pace’
The process left them optimistic about the chances of reaching a global deal this year, even as the UN’s public negotiating sessions have bogged down over issues including how much funding rich nations will provide to poorer states to deal with climate change. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last month bemoaned the “snail’s pace” of the talks.
While much remains to be hashed out, “I believe governments are more serious than ever about tackling this issue,” Moosa said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. “We have the makings of a good deal in Paris.”
A “hybrid” structure, in which nations would be legally bound to make some climate pledge but free to decide the specific steps they must take, has helped bridge divides between developed and developing countries, Moosa said. While that leaves it to individual nations to follow through on their promises, it bows to political realities in places like the U.S., where legally binding cuts would face a tough sell in Congress.
“The biggest consideration here has been what is it that will make countries put forward ambitious plans,” Moosa said. “It’s very clear to everybody that the tighter the legal requirements, the less ambitious will be the plans.”
St. Louis’ connection to nuclear waste contamination explored in new film
New documentary explores St. Louis’ connection to nuclear waste contamination (includes AUDIO) St Louis Public Radio, By EVITA CALDWELL • JUL 14, 2015 During World War II, a St. Louis-based company took on a project that turned out to be detrimental to the health of its employees.
Mallinckrodt Chemical Company was responsible for refining massive amounts of uranium for the Manhattan Project. As a result, some of Mallinckrodt’s employees succumbed to various illnesses caused by exposure to nuclear waste.
The radioactive work completed decades ago continues to have impacts on people and the environment at several sites throughout the area, including West Lake Landfill, Coldwater Creek, and Weldon Spring. Weldon Spring has since been cleaned up, but concern remains on the effects of contamination prior to the area being cleared.
Filmmaker and St. Louis native Tony West directed a documentary about the Manhattan Project titled “The Safe Side of the Fence.” The film explores first-handaccounts of former employees of Mallinckrodt and residents who live near the contaminated sites. At 1 p.m. on July 19, the Tivoli Theatre will screen the documentary as part of Cinema St. Louis’ Filmmakers Showcase.
“I started off focusing on the workers because these are people who worked in contaminated buildings day in and day out,” West said. “When you see this film and what these workers are going through, you’ll get a sense of what you’re up against.”………
Although there’s coverage of contamination at West Lake Landfill, Coldwater Creek and Weldon Spring, West said he wanted to make a film to tie the three sites together.
“The government is not in a hurry to spend a lot of money on anything, especiallycleaning up things,” West said. “I think that if you live by this material or you’ve got a family member that worked in one of these plants, this really hits home for you.” http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/new-documentary-explores-st-louis-connection-nuclear-waste-contamination
The Fukushima Radionuclides Polluting the Pacific, Causing Extinction Events
R&D on Treatment and Disposal of Radioactive Waste resulting from Accident at Fukushima Daiichi NPS
Here are isotopes of interest from the Fukushima Daiichi man made nuclear disaster.
This is what has polluted the Pacific, caused extinction events and will continue to, and the industry has nothing but profit for it all.
The following radionuclides are selected referring to the radionuclides for evaluation in the existing disposal system
γ-ray nuclide : 60Co, 94Nb, 137Cs, 152Eu, 154Eu
β-ray nuclide : 3H, 14C, 36Cl, 41Ca, 59Ni, 63Ni, 79Se, 90Sr, 99Tc, 129I, 241Pu
α-ray nuclide : 233, 234, 235, 236, 238U, 237Np, 238,239,240,242Pu, 241,242m,243Am, 244,245,246Cm
Sources:
http://irid.or.jp/_pdf/20150421_2.pdf
Special thanks to Richard Wood
TEPCO to Resume Fukushima Daiichi Reactor One Protective Cover Removal on July 28
TEPCO will start dismantling the cover on July 28.
TOKYO (Sputnik) — Japanese utility company TEPCO will resume work to remove a protective cover from the stricken Fukushima reactor building in late July, a public Japanese broadcaster said.
A dome was installed over Reactor No.1 in 2011 to stop radioactive particles from escaping into the atmosphere after the facility suffered a meltdown when a tsunami caused by a powerful earthquake crippled the Fukushima nuclear plant.
According to the NHK broadcasting organization, the operator will begin dismantling the cover on July 28 if weather permits.
TEPCO began preparatory work to dismantle the protective cover over the Reactor 1 building in May. The preparations began with anti-dispersal agents poured through holes in the cover’s roof to prevent radioactive dust from escaping into the surrounding environment during the dismantling process.
Dismantling has been delayed several times due to technical failures.
Source: Sputnik News
Japan to buy more Philippine farm products if Manila resumes imports from Fukushima
MANILA – Remember that story we ran about a group of Filipino banana growers who were complaining about their shrinking share of the Japanese market despite a free-trade agreement between the two countries?
Well, here’s an interesting twist to the contentious implementation of the Philippine-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA), which both countries are reviewing.
According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Tokyo is willing to relax import restrictions on Philippine bananas and other farm products if we agree to import products from Japan’s Fukushima prefecture.
To recall, Fukushima is home to the nuclear power plant that sustained damage after a powerful earthquake in 2011, raising fears of harmful radiation. Thereafter, the Philippines ceased importing farm products from Fukushima.
Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano said Japanese negotiators have asked for the resumption of Philippine imports of Fukushima-grown dairy, rice and fresh vegetables.
“They want us to lower our food safety requirements based on the fact that Canada and other countries have already accepted their farm products. But I don’t see any reason why,” Serrano said.
Besides Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom lifted import restrictions on Fukushima products as early as January last year.
Serrano said the DA will insist that product samples from Fukushima undergo tests at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to ensure they are radiation-free before the country resumes imports. Agricultural imports require the DA’s clearance.
“Even if Mars already accepted their produce, it still has to undergo study by our own experts. We have to be careful since it’s their own technical report, which may differ from our own study,” Serrano said.
“It’s not a matter of volume. Even if [the shipment] is just one gram, if it has a radioactive content, it will not pass the requirements under the Food Safety Act,” he said.
“It’s very political for them to show that they have already addressed the problem. It’s what they want to project. There’s pressure. But I don’t see any reason to give in to their demand,” Serrano added.
During the review of the PJEPA, the Philippines has been prodding Japan to bring down duties on farm products. The Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) recently complained that its members have been losing market share, as Tokyo forges free-trade agreements with other banana-supplying countries, the latest of which was Indonesia.
In turn, Japan has asked the Philippines to reduce the number of tariff lines to a “manageable” level.
“Our main interest is our traditional exports like sugar, coconut oil, tropical fruits, fishery and processed food,” Serrano said.
“We want them [Japan] to bring down to zero all their agricultural tariffs to reciprocate our own reduction of tariff,” he said, adding that the Philippines had unilaterally reduced import duties.
“If they want to make true in their commitment to help Philippine agriculture and rural development, put their money where their mouth is,” Serrano said.
Source: Interaksyon
Radioactive water from Fukushima plant escapes – 1,100 becquerels of beta-ray emitting radioactive substances.
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has found that radioactive water has overflowed from a drainage channel, spilling into the sea. This is due to heavy rain.
Workers at the complex discovered the leak at around 8:40 AM on Thursday.
The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, said rainwater samples taken from the channel about 2 hours later contained 830 becquerels per liter of radioactive cesium. That’s above the government standard for water allowed to be released into the sea.
The water also had 1,100 becquerels of beta-ray emitting radioactive substances.
An approaching typhoon has been bringing intermittent heavy rain around the plant. The utility suspects that the rain has washed away mud and soil that also contains radioactive materials.
It also presumes the amount of rainwater has exceeded the pump’s capacity.
The leak was continuing as of 5 PM. But the firm says it cannot stop the spill anytime soon and has been monitoring the density of the radioactive substances.
Radioactive rainwater spilled into the sea from the same channel in February. The company built a barrier at channel’s downstream to pump up water before it leaks into the sea.
Source : NHK
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150717_01.html
Japan adopts energy mix plan
An expert panel in Japan has approved a government plan that sets out how the country should meet its energy needs by the year 2030.
The panel endorsed the energy mix plan at a meeting on Thursday.
By fiscal 2030 Japan will take between 20 and 22 percent of its power from nuclear plants, down from more than 28 percent before the 2011 nuclear accident. Power from renewable sources will make up between 22 and 24 percent, up from just over 10 percent in fiscal 2013.
Some panel members opposed the plan. They said it contradicts a government policy to minimize dependence on nuclear power.
Experts are focusing on what kind of support the government will offer to the renewables industry and nuclear power operators.
Souce : NHK
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150716_46.html
1 This Month
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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