nuclear-news

https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0268 Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0268, “Guide for Drinking Water after a Radiological Incident”

Was the US Government’s Regulations.gov website overwhelmed by opposition to the EPA’s Radioactive Drinking Water Recommendations? It appears so. Over the course of Monday evening it was difficult or even impossible to get on the web site to place a comment. After trying numerous times in a row, we were finally able to successfully post a comment. Even while posting the first time the web site failed with “an unexpected error”. Lucky the comment was pre-typed and only pasted into the form. We even attempted to get in from multiple directions. So, either it was overwhelmed with traffic, or it was programmed so that one had to try multiple times to get on, in an effort to block participation. None of the recently uploaded comments are by people wanting more radiation in their drinking water. Hence, we conclude that…

“Within the proposed draft Protective Action Guide (PAG) for drinking water following a nuclear accident are numerous apparent anomalies and contradictions that should and could be identified and rectified. Therefore, the Sierra Club, with over 2 million members and supporters respectfully requests that the EPA extend the public comment period, scheduled to end July 25, 2016, to November 25, 2016, a 120 day extension.”

Emphasis our own. Sierra Club comment: https://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?documentId=EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-0268-0329&attachmentNumber=1&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf This is apparently being ignored by the US EPA.

“The Sierra Club is an environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who became its first president.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Club

Current President Aaron Mair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Mair
Mair’s testimony re Indian Point: http://www.clearwater.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Summary-Clearwaters-Indian-Point-EJ-Contention_testimony_10.23.12_MJG_FINAL.pdf
An excerpt: “Evacuation: If there is an incident, he said, you can’t leave Peekskill from the south because you’d be…

SA is targeted for five nuclear dumps and high level waste processing

Brief by David Noonan, Independent Environment Campaigner

The Nuclear Royal Commission recommended SA pursue nuclear waste storage and disposal “as soon as possible” – requiring five waste dumps and a high level nuclear waste encapsulation processing facility.

 The Final Report Ch.5 “nuclear waste” and the Findings Report (p.16-20) are reliant on a consultancy “Radioactive waste storage and disposal facilities in SA” by Jacobs MCM, summarised in Appendix J.

SA is targeted for above ground high level nuclear waste storage, without a capacity to dispose of wastes, exposing our society to the risk of profound adverse impacts, potential terrorism and ongoing liabilities.

 The State government is in denial on the importance of nuclear waste dump siting by claiming social consent could be granted before we know what’s involved in siting up to five nuclear dumps across…

On Friday, amidst temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and at a time when California is now entering its fifth year of drought in a decade when seven out of the last ten years have been drought years, a rapidly growing and dangerous wildfire erupted in the hills north of Los Angeles.

(Sand Fire looms over Santa Clarita, California. Video source: Sand Fire Time Lapse.)

The Sand Fire, which some firefighters are calling practically unprecedented, sparked before typical wildfire season peak and began a rapid spread that consumed 10,000 acres per day from Friday through early Monday. Nearly 3,000 firefighters scrambled to gain a foothold against the blaze, but were somewhat unprepared as contracted water-bomb aircraft from Canada won’t be available until next month, during what is usually the worst part of fire season. The aircraft assistance was planned as extra fire-suppression capability for Santa Clarita, but typical fire…

Opinion:

¶ “Why fossil fuel industry needs South Australia ‘experiment’ to fail” • Price spikes, such as what recently happened in South Australia, used to be an important part of the business model for coal and gas generators. With the advent of renewable power, the spikes have all but gone away, so when one comes, they blame renewables. [RenewEconomy]

Wind turbines in South Australia.
Photo by Fairv8. CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons.

World:

¶ Profits at Bord na Móna, a company originally formed to harvest Irish peat for fuel, were dented as the group took a €23.6 million impairment charge against the carrying value of its two thermal power stations at Edenderry. The company will become an alternative energy provider, centered on biomass, wind and solar power. [Irish Times]

¶ The UK’s Marine Management Organisation granted approval for deployment and operation of a 30-MW tidal…