2016 April 22 « nuclear-news

US Dept of Energy tries again to convince South Dakota on deep borehole testing

Feds: No Nuke Waste to Be Used in Possible South Dakota Test , abc news, By JAMES NORD, ASSOCIATED PRESS 21 Apr 16 Organizers of a federal effort to assess whether nuclear waste can be stored in 3-mile-deep holes are trying to better explain their intentions to South Dakota residents after getting rebuffed in North Dakota over concerns that waste might eventually be stored there.

Battelle, a nonprofit group hired to manage the U.S. Department of Energy project, is considering whether sites in Spink County, South Dakota, would suffice for the study of whether deep rock is suitable for nuclear waste disposal, the contractor said Thursday.

The deep borehole field test will not involve any radioactive waste, officials said. Organizers are planning at least two open meetings in Spink County near the end of April to answer questions from the community about the proposed research, which also could involve geothermal energy……..

Battelle is also considering two sites outside of South Dakota that it declined to name. The contractor hopes to decide if Spink County is viable within a few weeks, and would like to be drilling by the end of the year.

It is touting a multi-million dollar estimated state and local economic impact…….http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/south-dakota-sites-mulled-nuclear-waste-drilling-project-38578525

PIERRE, S.D. — Apr 21, 2016

April 22, 2016 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission orders Exelon to quickly fix Peach Bottom waste storage pools

NRC: Peach Bottom must fix nuclear fuel pools, YDR.com Brett Sholtis, bsholtis@ydr.com April 21, 2016

Panels in the nuclear power plant’s waste storage pools have degraded below acceptable levels, the NRC says. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission flagged Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, along with four other nuclear power plants, for a problem with its nuclear waste storage in an April 7 letter.

At issue are Peach Bottom’s “spent fuel pools,” two tanks of circulating water, about 40 feet deep, which are located in buildings near its two reactors. Used fuel rods, still lethally radioactive, are stored in the pools, where the water helps to cool the rods and keep radiation contained.

The walls of the above-ground tanks are lined with special panels that help to prevent unwanted nuclear reactions, said Neil Sheehan, NRC spokesman.

Peach Bottom’s panels have degraded, making the nuclear waste more likely to threaten plant safety, Sheehan said.

“The pool could heat up, and it would be an event they’d have to respond to,” Sheehan said. “The idea is to prevent this from ever occurring.”

Peach Bottom has 210 days to tell the NRC what it has done to address the issue, Sheehan said. Though not an immediate safety concern, “degradation” of the panels has been “a longstanding issue,” Sheehan said.

In March 2012 the NRC issued a violation against Exelon, the company that owns the plant, for failing to keep the panels from degrading below required levels, Sheehan said……..http://www.ydr.com/story/news/2016/04/21/nrc-peach-bottom-must-fix-nuclear-fuel-pool/83344280/

April 22, 2016 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety | Leave a comment

US citizen indicted for nuclear power conspiracy

Several indicted for nuclear power conspiracy against U.S.U.S. nuclear engineer, China General Nuclear Power Company, Energy Technology International named Claiborne Progress April 21st, 2016 WASHINGTON – A two-count indictment was unsealed April 14 in the Eastern District of Tennessee charging Szuhsiung Ho, aka Allen Ho, a citizen of the United States; China General Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC), formerly known as the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company and Energy Technology International (ETI) for conspiracy to unlawfully engage and participate in the production and development of special nuclear material outside the United States, without the required authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy. This authorization is required by U.S. law and is robustly observed through frequent legal U.S.-China civil nuclear cooperation. Ho was also charged with conspiracy to act in the United States as an agent of a foreign government.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Executive Assistant Director Michael Steinbach of the FBI’s National Security Branch.

“Allen Ho, at the direction of a Chinese state-owned nuclear power company allegedly approached and enlisted U.S. based nuclear experts to provide integral assistance in developing and producing special nuclear material in China,” said Carlin. “Ho did so without registering with the Department of Justice as an agent of a foreign nation or authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy. Prosecuting those who seek to evade U.S. law by attaining sensitive nuclear technology for foreign nations is a top priority for the National Security Division.”

“The prosecution of individuals who potentially endanger our U.S. citizens by violating laws enacted to ensure our national security, has been and will remain a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in eastern Tennessee,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Harr.

“The arrest and indictment in this case send an important message to the U.S. nuclear community that foreign entities want the information you possess,” said Steinbach. “The federal government has regulations in place to oversee civil nuclear cooperation, and if those authorities are circumvented, this can result in significant damage to our national security. The U.S. will use all of its law enforcement tools to stop those who try to steal U.S. nuclear technology and expertise.”…….. http://claiborneprogress.net/news/6303/several-indicted-for-nuclear-power-conspiracy-against-u-s

April 22, 2016 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, USA | Leave a comment