nuclear-news

France’s EDF begging for government support before committing to UK Hinkley nuclear project

France can’t build its own new nuclear power stations, let alone ours  He’s the only one of a Dad’s Army of pundits no longer on hand to commentate on the looming financial crisis, Spectator, 4 Feb 16 Martin Vander Weyer “…….signals from EDF of France — which has a two-thirds interest in this £18 billion project, alongside Chinese investors — are very worrying.

Having already spent £2 billion, the French state utility has deferred until at least the middle of this month a final commitment that was expected last week. Under pressure from unions and minority shareholders, and battered by falling wholesale electricity prices as well as endless delays and problems on its own nuclear new-build at Flamanville near Cherbourg, EDF is evidently begging for more support from its own government before committing such massive resources to solve a problem for ours.

…….the travails of Hinkley are reported to have ‘spooked’ Hitachi of Japan, which is in negotiations for another nuclear station at Wylfa Newydd in Anglesey……http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/france-cant-build-its-own-new-nuclear-power-stations-let-alone-ours/

February 5, 2016 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment

A botched email attack on nuclear scientists

The Former Federal Employee Who Tried to Launch a Cyberattack on Nuclear Scientists, The Atlantic He sent emails he thought were infected with viruses to Department of Energy employees involved in developing nuclear weapons. KAVEH WADDELL  , 3 Feb 16  A nuclear scientist formerly employed by the federal government admitted Tuesday that he tried to infect the computers of about 80 government employees whom he believed had access to nuclear materials and weapons.

According to court documents released by the Department of Justice, the scientist, Charles Eccleston, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted unauthorized access to a protected computer.

Until he was fired in 2011, Eccleston worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission…….

 He sent an email containing what he thought was a malicious link to about 80 Department of Energy employees, advertising an upcoming nuclear conference in Washington, D.C. The link, which was received by employees in nuclear labs in Tennessee, New Mexico, California, and in the DOE headquarters in D.C., was harmless.

He was told he would be paid about $80,000 for his efforts. Instead, he was arrested by Philippine police and deported to the U.S. He signed a plea deal on Tuesday, affirming that the evidence the FBI gathered on him is accurate, and faces up to 30 months of prison time and up to $95,000 in fines. (He wasoriginally charged with four felonies.)

And those “top secret” NRC email addresses Eccleston sold for thousands of dollars? The FBI later realized they were all publicly available. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/02/fired-federal-employee-tried-to-launch-cyberattack-on-nuclear-scientists-computers/459894/

February 5, 2016 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | Leave a comment