THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY- Arnie Gundersen and a secret recording of the NRC (Audio)
Arnie met with the NRC this week concerning his analysis of what went wrong and how the problems were foreseeable. In this podcast, Arnie discusses how the NRC and Southern California Edison deliberately withheld information to make his technical analysis more difficult to accomplish.Fairewinds taped the meeting……..
Click here for podcast:
UK enough radioactive waste to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools. -Meeting in Bristol
bristol | the environment | event notice 
Monday January 21, 2013 15:52
by SOUTH WEST AGAINST NUCLEAR
swanactive at gmail dot com 
“We shouldn’t build any new nuclear reactors if we can’t deal with the radioactive mess that’s already been created.”
In the UK we have enough high and intermediate level radioactive waste to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Bristol SWAN meeting 24th Jan Kebele
The meeting starts at 7.30pm before meeting from 6pm drop in/open invite around the wood burning stove! informal loose discussion Probably show relevant film BRING SOME FOOD TO SHARE
Meeting 7.30 nuclear train through Bristol, the situation in Cumbria, Hinkley Nuclear Free Local Authority Witch Watch where do we go from here? ALSOwe have been invited to Cumbria wed 30 Jan to support the demonstrations against a new nuclear dump in Cumbria, please get in touch if you want to go ASAP.
The more people who write to the Cabinet and ask to make representation with a question or statement the better.
(MORE INFO http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/make-30th-jan-ditch-the-dump-day/ )
Cumbria County Council who represent the WHOLE of Cumbria and will have right of veto over any decisions made by Allerdale and Copeland.
The Cumbria Cabinet meeting will be in Carlisle at 10am (venue tbc)
Campaigners will be there at 9am to stage a demonstration opposing the plan and urging the Cabinet to respect the wishes of its constituents, councillors and the majority of Parish and Town Councils who have already and repeatedly said NO
PLEASE SIGN PETITION FOR NUCLEAR FREE BRISTOL….check the website
Uranium: Energy Solution and Risk-On Opportunity “..but only if supply is reliable…”
Cecil Musgrave of InvestorsGuru.com sees nuclear power as a bridge to a renewable energy mix—but only if supply is reliable.
JANUARY 22, 2013 8:45 PM
Wall Street Sector Selector
The Energy Report: Let’s talk about the state of the international market for uranium. Profit margins for producers are still slim. Do you see a possibility that prices will rise this year?
Cecil Musgrave: Uranium prices sold off sharply after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plantaccident in March 2011, and have steadily drifted lower since then, from around $70 per pound ($70/lb) to its current price of around $43/lb. My charts say that uranium may have put in its bottom last November before bouncing over 10% on the back of Japan’s election in December.
Since Fukushima, market sentiment for anything nuclear power related, like uranium, has been risk-off. While time was needed to stress test nuclear plants worldwide, the market’s main concern was how the media, the public and governments around the world would react. But the facts continue to be on the side of nuclear power as a practical solution for a growing world that requires abundant, low-cost and environmentally safe energy.
Despite uranium’s long-term fundamentals, which have never looked better, markets hate short-term uncertainty. I see this as mainly a timing issue. The World Nuclear Association shows there are 435 operable nuclear reactors today, with 65 more under construction, 167 in the planning stages and 317 more proposed as of January 2013.
Markets tend to exaggerate trends, both up and down. After a steep selloff in uranium that lasted almost two years, sentiment seems to be starting to swing positively again. Japan now has a pro-nuclear government; two of Japan’s reactors are back online and the recent elections may accelerate this process. Last February, the U.S. approved the construction of a two-unit nuclear power plant at the Vogtle complex in Georgia—this is the first new nuclear reactor to be built in the U.S. in over three decades.
China will be a key uranium demand driver—16 reactors are operating now, 29 under construction, 51 planned and 120 proposed. Other demand-generating countries include India, Russia, the U.A.E., Ukraine, the U.K., Canada and South Korea.
The supply side is also bullish. Lower prices have put the brakes on several large uranium developments.BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP:NYSE; BHPLF:OTCPK) deferred the expansion of its Olympic Dam mine in Australia—the world’s largest-known single deposit of uranium. Cameco Corp. (CCO:TSX; CCJ:NYSE)deferred its Kintyre project—also located in Australia. Paladin Energy Ltd. (PDN:TSX; PDN:ASX)deferred an expansion at its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia. Kazatomprom and Uranium One Inc. (UUU:TSX) decided it would be uneconomic to mine at its Zarechnoye South deposit in Kazakhstan. Many smaller uranium miners are in the same situation.
I doubt that the absence of this previously anticipated supply has been factored into uranium’s current price. Keep in mind that the 2007 uranium price spike to $137/lb was probably due in part to flooding and production delays at Cameco’s Cigar Lake mine in Canada—the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade uranium deposit. Mine commissioning is now expected mid-2013.
French uranium mines in Africa and Europe -A health and safety nightmare for local communities!
“…At all the French uranium mines where it made radiological surveys, the CRIIRAD laboratory discovered situations of environmental contamination and a lack of proper protection of the inhabitants against health risks due to ionizing radiation.
This is due to the lack of proper regulations, a poor awareness of the radiological hazards associated with uranium and its by products, insufficient monitoring practices, the lack of controls by the local and national administration, etc.
When the mines are shut down, the radioactive waste remains, and it seems that the costs for managing this radioactive legacy will have to be largely supported by the society, not the companies.
If such a situation occurs in a so-called “developed country” one should fear what could actually happen in other parts of the world.The preliminary mission made by CRIIRAD to Niger confirmed this fear. In Gabon, the improvement of the conditions in which tailings are disposed is being paid for by the European Community and not by the mining company.
The former workers and local population do not benefit any more from medical care and they receive no compensation when they become sick, years and decades after the mine shut down….”
Radiological hazards from uranium mining
Bruno Chareyron
CRIIRAD (Commission de Recherche et d’Information Indépendantes sur la Radioactivité), Immeuble CIME, 471 av Victor Hugo, 26 000 Valence, FRANCE, Email : bruno.chareyron@criirad.org
Abstract. At all the French uranium mines where it made radiological surveys, the CRIIRAD laboratory discovered situations of environmental contamination and a lack of proper protection of the inhabitants against health risks due to ionizing radiation. Radiological problems are not only to be addressed during mining or milling operations but also on the longer term after mine closure.
Uranium and its by-products
All natural uranium isotopes (238U, 234U, 235U) are radioactive. The most common isotope, 238U, decays naturally into a succession of 13 other radioactive nuclides. All are metals (thorium 230, radium 226, lead 210, polonium 210, etc) except one, radon 222, which is a radioactive gas.
Uranium and its decay products emit various ionizing radiation such as alpha and beta particles and gamma radiation.
The Earth’s crust has a typical 238U activity of about 40 Becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg). Since the creation of the Earth, this level of radiation has decreased by two-fold because 238U half-life is very long and equal to the age of the planet earth (4.5 billion years).
This presence of natural uranium in the Earth crust, and therefore in numerous building materials made out of natural minerals, is the main source of exposure of mankind to ionizing radiation.
This is especially due to the diffusion of radon gas from the soil and materials containing uranium- and its accumulation in the air inside buildings and dwellings.
This radiological hazard is now well documented and International (The International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP) and European (Euratom) regulations determine recommendations and action levels in order to lower radon concentration inside buildings and reduce cancer risks.
The health impacts of ionizing radiation even at low doses include the increase of various types of cancers, genomic instability, life-shortening and negative impacts on all the body functions.
Radiological situation before extraction
The activities of uranium ores have an important variability. Typical ore with a uranium content of 0.2 % has a 238U activity of about 25,000 Bq/kg. The total activity, including all the 238U by-products and the 235U decay chain will therefore exceed 360,000 Bq/kg. Such material should be managed with a great deal of caution due to the risks of exposure to ionizing radiation.
As long as the ore remains buried underground – the depth being a few tens and even a few hundreds of meters – the radiation levels at the surface of the earth remain low and usually have the same order of magnitude as of typical natural radiation levels. Except in places where the ore reaches the ground surface (typically a few square meters), the protection offered by the soil is usually sufficient to reduce the risks for the people living in the area.
Indeed, alpha and low energy beta particles are stopped by a thin layer of soil (much less than 1 cm.). Even penetrating gamma radiation does not cross a layer of soil of a few meters. Regarding the radiological characteristics of air and water, the situation is more complex. Nevertheless before mining activities most of the radon gas remains trapped inside the soil. Because of its short half-life (3.8 days) a lot of the gas atoms will disintegrate inside the soil during their migration before reaching the biosphere.
The amount of nuclides in underground water may remain low if the minerals containing uranium are trapped in unpermeable layers.
Radiological situation during uranium extraction
The radiological situation is reversed as soon as the uranium extraction begins. There are many reasons for this.
Radioactive dust is transferred to the atmosphere by mining operations, extraction and crushing of ore, uranium milling, management of waste rocks and tailings. This has to be emphasized because some of the nuclides contained in the uranium decay chains (such has thorium 230) are very radiotoxic when inhaled.
For example, when inhaled, a given activity of actinium 227 (part of the 235U decay chain) gives a radiation dose 5 times higher than the same activity of plutonium 238 (Euratom 1996).
Radon gas is transferred to the atmosphere by the vents of the mines and by diffusion from radioactive rocks and tailings (Chareyron and Castanier 1994).
Surface and / or underground water is contaminated by uranium and its by products. Some of them are very radiotoxic when ingested (Chareyron and Castanier 1994). Lead 210 and polonium 210 for example are among the most radiotoxic elements. When ingested, a given activity of polonium 210 gives a radiation dose 4.8 times higher than the same activity of plutonium 239 (Euratom 1996).
3 Weeks to Save the Lakes – No Nuke Dump! Weekends Demonstration and links
http://www.facebook.com/PetitionNOLakeDistrictNuclearDump
http://www.facebook.com/3WeeksToSaveTheLakes
http://www.facebook.com/SouthWestAgainstNuclear
Published on Jan 19, 2013
Ditch the Nuke Dump! Demo -19th Jan at Bowness Bay
Over 100 people turned up to show their support for Cumbria County Council voting NO on the 30th January. Over 100 letters were signed to put on a giant postcard to the Leader of Cumbria County Council. There was life affirming music provided by Handbrake Shirley and a great atmosphere of camaraderie in our determination to stop the government’s insane plan to turn Cumbria into a nuclear sacrifice zone.
Make 30th January the day that Cumbria says NO to the Nuke Dump
info here on contacting the Councils to say NO:
http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/make-30th-jan-ditch-the-dump-…
Dear Eddie Martin,
Geological Dumping of Nuclear Waste
On 30th January you are going to take the most important decision of any
Cumbria County Council Leader before you. Your decision will speak for the
whole of Cumbria, which has been misrepresented as a “willing community.”
To say ‘yes’ would mean unquantifiable damage to the ‘brand’ of Cumbria.
The real cost, however, would be psychological and physical trauma through
countless generations, as Cumbria would be increasingly and irreversibly
blighted.
Say NO — end this mad plan now. Then all money and expertise can go into
ensuring the existing wastes are looked after safely on the 6km Sellafield
site rather than expanding and increasing the danger to ever more waste
over a much increased area.
DITCH THE DUMP, Bowness, Cumbria
http://www.facebook.com/events/475165439214892/
KESWICK, Cumbria — campaigners will be out and about leafleting, and
collecting
signatures for the giant postcard
SILLOTH, Cumbria on the evening of 19th Jan a gig organised by Solway Plain
Against the Nuclear Dump featuring the brilliant song featured on Radio 4
: ‘Other Road to Hell’
BRIDGWATER, Somerset
Solidarity demo will be held on 19th Jan outside the railway station in
Bridgwater where highly dangerous radwaste is transferred on its way to
Sellafield in the middle of Bridgwater town right next to Eastover Primary
School.
http://www.facebook.com/events/381612195268541/?ref=3
Handbrake Shirley – wonderful music
http://www.facebook.com/handbrakeshirley
Japan -Cut State Funding To Terminal Patients So They “can die quickly” -Aso
Published on Jan 21, 2013
Note: Beam flash from Unit 3 @ 3:10
time lapse x4 slow
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso caused a stir Monday in talks on social security reforms when he said the medical system should be changed so that the many terminal patients now using “government money” for expensive treatment “can quickly pass away.”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20130122a5.html
NHK News;
Contractors fail to pay decontamination workers
NHK has learned that some contractors failed to pay a special allowance to workers who remove radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has drafted an outline of new safety standards for nuclear power plants. The new rules are expected to ensure that the country’s nuclear power plants can withstand severe accidents like the one at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Nuclear plant operators payout amount revealed
NHK has learned that nuclear power plant operators in Japan have charged users about 90 million dollars a year to cover payouts to local authorities hosting their facilities.
http://fukushima-diary.com/
Issued thermometers in reactor2 indicate 208℃ and 134℃
Decontamination on asphalt can decrease the radiation level only by 20%
Black substance in a pool of Soma city, “25.58 μSv/h of α, β, γ and X”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uc842aYQB1o
UK – Areva, Toshiba eye nuclear fuel producer Urenco – sources
“…A financial markets source close to the discussions said that private equity houses KKR (KKR.N) and CVC were also interested in striking a deal for Urenco…”
By Karolin Schaps and Christoph Steitz
LONDON/BERLIN | Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:37pm GMT
(Reuters) – France‘s Areva (AREVA.PA) and Japan’s Toshiba Corp (6502.T) are considering bids for nuclear fuel producer Urenco, but British, German and Dutch authorities disagree over what to do with the ultra-secret firm, industry sources said.
Britain is keen to sell its 33 percent stake, and German utilities RWE (RWEG.DE) and E.ON (EONGn.DE) are talking to potential buyers over their combined 33 percent, but the Dutch government is not considering a sale.
Analysts estimate that the Buckinghamshire, UK-based uranium enrichment firm is worth 2.5 billion to 3.6 billion euros, but some of the sellers are hoping for as much as 12 billion euros.
Both Areva and Toshiba, which owns U.S. reactor vendor Westinghouse, declined to comment.
Any transaction would require an agreement between the three governments due to the firm’s unique corporate structure. It was set up by the 1971 Treaty of Almelo, which governs technology transfers and the company’s ownership.
An industry source close to the situation said that there has been a lot of discussion among Urenco shareholders, but given their different motivations and the complications of the treaty, it is very well possible that nothing will happen this year.
A spokesman for the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said on Monday that Britain was considering a sale of its Urenco stake and that the government was discussing its options with Urenco’s other shareholders but that no formal position had been taken yet.
He declined to comment on indications of interest the government had received from any bidders.
A spokeswoman for the Dutch ministry for economic affairs said that German utilities RWE (RWEG.DE) and E.ON (EONGn.DE) are seeking to sell their Urenco stakes and are talking to potential buyers but added that the Dutch government is not considering a sale of its 33 percent stake.
E.ON and RWE declined to comment.
STRONG INTEREST
Despite the apparent disagreement between shareholders, several sources said there was already strong interest in Urenco.
Urenco, which had 2011 sales of 1.3 billion euros and net income of 359 million, is the second-largest of four major nuclear fuel producers, behind Russia‘s Tenex but ahead of U.S. firm USEC Inc (USU.N) and Areva, according to World Nuclear Association data.
USA -DOE Issues new strategy for nuclear waste management and disposal
On January 11, 2013, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued its response to the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future regarding next steps for spent nuclear fuel management and disposal in the United States. As expected, the DOE “strategy” sets out “broad steps” to be taken in the future, rather than near-term actions. Indeed, most of DOE’s recommendations will require new legislation prior to implementation.
According to the DOE report, the Administration now plans, within the next 10 years, to build the capability to begin addressing the federal government’s commitment to dispose of waste. This reflects a fifty-year delay from the original plan: the Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires that DOE accept used nuclear fuel beginning in 1998. The new goal is to have a permanent repository operating by 2048.
Please see full article below for more information.
Client Alert Energy
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP http://www.pillsburylaw.com | 1
January 18, 2013
DOE Issues New “Strategy” for Nuclear Waste Management and Disposal
by Jay E. Silberg and Anne Leidich
On January 11, 2013, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued its response to the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future regarding next steps for spent nuclear fuel management and disposal in the United States. As expected, the DOE “strategy” sets out “broad steps” to be taken in the future, rather than near-term actions. Indeed, most of DOE’s recommendations will require new legislation prior to implementation.
Long-Term Plans
According to the DOE report, the Administration now plans, within the next 10 years, to build the capability to begin addressing the federal government’s commitment to dispose of waste. This reflects a fifty-year delay from the original plan: the Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires that DOE accept used nuclear fuel beginning in 1998. The new goal is to have a permanent repository operating by 2048.
South Korea -Policy of Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuel May Invite Nuclear Threats
“…The organization stressed, “Only 1% of nuclear materials can be used by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, and this is possible when a fast reactor is successfully developed. But no country is successfully operating a fast reactor, and most of them have already abandoned such plan.”…”
JAN.22.2013 | The News > Korea
The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement asked the President-elect to withdraw request for revision of Korea-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
In its statement announced on January 17, the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement said, “President-elect Park Geun-hye officially asked the U.S. delegation on January 16 to revise the Korea-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, allowing Korea to reprocess spent nuclear fuel. But this move contradicts with her pledge of ‘preparing the foundation for supply and demand of safe and sustainable energies’.”
The Federation continued, “It is a dangerous plan to reprocess spent nuclear fuel that cannot be compared with nuclear power generation. It is a nuclear proliferation policy that threatens safety and peace of the world as well as those in East Asia.”
The Federation also pointed out, “The nuclear power industry and researchers argue that it is possible to recycle 96% of spent nuclear fuel by reprocessing it and resolve problems of high cost and storage facilities by reducing radioactive waste for final stage treatment. But this is out of touch with reality, and it is a deed of cheating politicians and people who are not aware of the situation.”
And the environmental organization argued, “No country succeeded in securing economic feasibility in reprocessing spent nuclear fuel or solved problems in treating such fuel despite efforts. Instead, these countries were exposed to dangers, such as various accidents at reprocessing facilities, leakage of radioactive substance, and workers’ exposure to radiation.”
Nuclear-Powered Batteries Hit China but Tritium dose underestimated.
01/14/2013
Nuclear-Powered Batteries Hit China, Claim to Last for 20-Years Without Charging
Yes, you can actually buy nuclear-powered batteries from online sellers in China for a whopping $2720. It’s purported to last for 20-years without needing to be recharged and is made from nano-tritium. Researchers say that the amount of tritium extracted from 1L of sea water can release the energy equivalent of 300L of gasoline in one complete nuclear fusion. Continue reading for a picture of the actual battery and more information.
NUCLEAR BATTERIES WITH TRITIUM
AND PROMETHIUM-147 RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
BY
GALINA NIKOLAYEVNA YAKUBOVA
https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/16849/1_Yakubova_Galina.pdf?sequence=3
Chinese Advert
Tritium Hazard Report: Pollution and Radiation Risk from Canadian Nuclear Facilities
Publication – June 11, 2007
Canada Considering Nuclear Reactors in Alberta Tar Sands Fields -Designed by Bill Gates?
“…The wisdom of dotting Canada’s remote northern landscape with mini reactors has yet to be debated, but with Harper’s conservative government and the figures stated above, it seems likely that mini reactors in the Great White North are most likely a done deal….”
“…Toshiba’s new mini reactor will produce only 10,000-50,000 kilowatts, about one to five percent the power of a regular nuclear reactor, according to company sources, with the steam generated in the reactor pumped underground. Toshiba reportedly plans to construct a nuclear reactor building underground, with an earthquake-absorbing structure.
Besides potential earthquakes, the buried reactor will have to cope with temperatures as cold as –40C in winter and 30C in the summer….”
http://gizmodo.com/5499923/an-underground-nuclear-reactor-powered-by-bill-gates-money
By John Daly | Mon, 21 January 2013 22:42
Like them or hate them, Alberta, Canada’s tar sands deposits of bitumen or extremely heavy crude oil, are the world’s largest. The province’s resources include the Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake deposits in the McMurray Formation, which consist of a mixture of crude bitumen, a semi-solid form of crude oil, admixed with silica sand, clay minerals, and water.
According to the U.S. government’s Energy Information Administration, “Canada controls the third-largest amount of proven reserves in the world, after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela… Canada’s proven oil reserve levels have been stagnant or slightly declining since 2003, when they increased by an order of magnitude after oil sands resources were deemed to be technically and economically recoverable. The oil sands now account for approximately 170 billion barrels, or 98 percent, of Canada’s oil reserves.”
Lying under 54,000 square miles of forest and bogs, the bitumen tar sands are estimated to be comparable in magnitude to the world’s total proven reserves of conventional petroleum.
But exploiting the tar sands comes at a significant environmental cost.
Oil sands pollution is not a topic that Ottawa is keen to publicize. In 2009 the Canadian government acknowledged that it deliberately had excluded data indicating a 20 percent increase in annual pollution from Canada’s oil sands industry from a 567-page report on climate change that it was required to submit to the United Nations.
Quite aside from the despoliation of the landscape, Alberta’s oil sands have been found to be one of the major causes of air pollution in Canada, as Tar sands facilities were found to be among the top four highest polluters of volatile organic compounds, a major air contaminant, along with acid rain.
Related Article: Looking at the Technologies that could Herald the Nuclear Revolution
That pollution rap sheet could soon include nuclear, as Toshiba is developing “mini” nuclear reactors to be used to mine Canadian oil sands, with an initial deployment projected by 2020.
Why nuclear power? It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the Alberta oil sands are too far below the surface to use open-pit mining. Making liquid fuels from oil sands requires energy for steam injection and refining. Mining oil sands is water intensive; drilling one well consumes 5.5 acre-feet of water each year, and the production of one gallon of oil requires thirty-five gallons of water.
Kashmir -Police sound nuclear war bugle!
“…The state police’s Disaster Response Force advises people to stay calm during a nuclear event.
“Blast wind will generally end in one or two minutes after burst and burns, cuts and bruises are no different than conventional injuries. Dazzle is temporary and vision should return in few seconds.”…”
Hiroshima after the bomb
Amid Indo-Pak tension at LoC, people asked to remain prepared
By Reader Correspondent
Published: Tue, 22 January 2013 10:44 PM
Srinagar: The state police Monday issued a detailed public awareness notice through a local English language daily about what the people should and should not do in the event of a nuclear attack or use of chemical and biological weapons.
The awareness notice comes at a time when a flare up along the Line of Control in Poonch sector appeared to threaten escalation of violence between India and Pakistan.
The notice issued by the Inspector General of Police, Home Guard, Civil Defence and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Jammu Kashmir sets out in detail instructions to the people about what to do before, during and after a nuclear war.
One of the principle instructions asks the people in the state to construct basements “where the whole family can stay for a fortnight”.
“In case no basement is available then in an open space in front of your house, construct bunkers as in conventional war, as some protection is better than no protection,” reads the notice.
The information though certainly very useful for those living in a region often described as the most dangerous flashpoint in the world and bitterly contested by nuclear-armed India and Pakistan could refresh memories of the two wars the two countries have fought over it.
The awareness notice asks residents that they should stock up emergency shelters with “non-perishable foods and water to be replaced regularly before getting unhygienic.”
“Construct toilet facilities at the basement, store ample candles and battery lights, remove stock of flammables, if any.”
Residents have also been asked to keep battery operated miniature transistor TV sets in the basement shelters for listening in to instructions that may be announced by civil defence authorities during such a disaster.
The instructions are wide ranging.
USA -Nuclear Reactor Vessel Can’t Move from Port of Savannah
“…Williams says the vessel won’t be needed at the construction site until March. However, Clements says that’s because the project is behind schedule. He says it’s already over budget as well by about $900 million dollars. (Georgia Power disputes many of the cost overruns.)
Still Clements says the issue of not being able to move the reactor vessel is just another example of the problems that have plagued this project from the begnning, with rate payers footing the bill. He says if there is a plan to move it, the public needs to know and how the delay may be impacting the cost. “They just need to explain it in my opinion to the public and if it’s costing the Georgia ratepayer any more money,” he said….”
By: JOANN MERRIGAN | WSAV News 3
Published: January 21, 2013
Savannah, GA) The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability is concerned about what it says is a 300 ton problem. It’s talking about the nuclear reactor vessel that came from Korea last month as part of the new project at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro. The concrete vessel was made in Korea and came by ship to the Port of Savannah. Once there, it was loaded onto a specially built rail car for the trip to Plant Vogtle (about 100 miles.)
But the Alliance says it didn’t get very far. “The NRC says it made it about a quarter of a mile and there was this big “shift” and the train stopped. And they came back to the Port and it’s been sitting there since December 15,” says Tom Clements from the Alliance.
“Georgia Power customers that are paying for the new nuclear plant are basically in the dark,” he says. “We don’t know what the plan is on moving this thing. Can they move it? Is the delay costing us.”
We found the rail car for ourselves and took our own video. We were told by Clements that the reactor vessel is underneath the blue tarp.
“They haven’t demonstrated they can carry it to Plant Vogtle,” said Clements.
Westinghouse ,one of the construction partners, designed the rail car to distribute the weight of the reactor vessel which is about the equivalent of 200 automobiles. Clements questions if the car needs repairs or if the rail lines can ultimately support the weight of 300 tons.
Mali: Islamists Should Free Child Soldiers.. Are children dying?
“On Friday [January 11] at around 4 p.m., I saw six Toyota land cruisers full of fighters leaving for the battle in front of the HQ of the Islamic Police. There were children in two of these – around five in one truck and two in the other. These are our children – what do they know of war?”
“when hostilities between the Islamist groups and Malian army intensified – described seeing many children, some as young as 12, taking active part in the fighting. Witnesses also said that children were staffing checkpoints in areas that have come under aerial bombardment by the French or are near active combat zones.”
Nairobi) – Islamist armed groups occupying northern Mali should immediately release all child soldiers within their ranks and end the military conscription and use of those under 18, Human Rights Watch said today. With France carrying out aerial bombardment since January 11, 2013, to block the Islamists from advancing farther south, Human Rights Watch also urged rebel groups to remove children immediately from training bases in or near Islamist military installations.
Witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch by phone since January 8 – when hostilities between the Islamist groups and Malian army intensified – described seeing many children, some as young as 12, taking active part in the fighting. Witnesses also said that children were staffing checkpoints in areas that have come under aerial bombardment by the French or are near active combat zones. The Islamic groups – Ansar Dine, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – have recruited, trained, and used several hundred children in their forces since occupying Northern Mali in April 2012.
“These Islamist groups have no business recruiting children into their ranks, much less putting them on the front line,” said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “These groups seem to be willfully putting scores of children directly in harm’s way. Before the military campaign goes any further, the Islamists should release these children back to their families.”
Three witnesses from Konna described seeing numerous children among the ranks of the Islamists who took over and briefly held the town on January 10. Witnesses in Gao said that they saw children among the reinforcements which left Gao for Konna; mothers looking for their sons who had left Gao to fight; and children wounded during the fight for Konna arriving in Gao.
“The Islamists arrived in about 10 land cruisers,” one witness from Konna said. “After the fighting died down, we went to the entrance of town to see them. I was shocked to see about a dozen children among them, several were only 12 or 13 years old, all armed with big guns, and working alongside the big men.”
Eritrea: Mining Investors Risk Use of Forced Labor -Human Rights Watch
“…CEO of Australia’s South Boulder Mines, which is on the verge of developing a $1 billion potash mine in Eritrea. The CEO acknowledged that the company has done no assessment of the potential human rights risks involved with the project, including the potential risk of the use of forced labor….”
“…The Canadian firm Sunridge Gold, which is also working on plans to develop a mine in Eritrea, did not respond to requests to discuss the issue of forced labor and other human rights abuses. The newest entry into the mining scene is China SFECO, a Shanghai-based conglomerate that recently purchased a controlling interest in another mining project from Australia’s Chalice Gold….”“It is negligent for mining companies to ignore the risks of forced labor that clearly exist in Eritrea,” Albin-Lackey said. “It is also long past time for these companies’ home governments to make their overseas human rights records an issue of domestic concern.”
Canadian Firm Failed to Adequately Address Issue
(Toronto) – International mining firms rushing to invest in Eritrea’s burgeoning minerals sector risk involvement in serious abuses unless they take strong preventive measures. The failure of the Vancouver-based company Nevsun Resources to ensure that forced labor would not be used during construction of its Eritrea mine, and its limited ability to deal with forced labor allegations when they arose, highlight the risk.
The 29-page report, “Hear No Evil: Forced Labor and Corporate Responsibility in Eritrea’s Mining Sector,” describes how mining companies working in Eritrea risk involvement with the government’s widespread exploitation of forced labor. It also documents how Nevsun – the first company to develop an operational mine in Eritrea – initially failed to take those risks seriously, and then struggled to address allegations of abuse connected to its operations. Although the company has subsequently improved its policies, it still seems unable to investigate allegations of forced labor concerning a state-owned contractor it uses.
“If mining companies are going to work in Eritrea, they need to make absolutely sure that their operations don’t rely on forced labor,” said Chris Albin-Lackey, business and human rights senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “If they can’t prevent this, they shouldn’t move forward at all.”
Eritrea is one of the world’s poorest and most repressive countries. In recent years the country’s largely untapped mineral wealth has provided a badly needed boost to its economic prospects. The Bisha project, majority owned and operated by the small Canadian firm Nevsun Resources, is Eritrea’s first and so far only operational mine. It began gold production in 2011 and produced some $614 million worth of ore in its first year.
Other large projects led by Canadian, Australian, and Chinese firms are in the pipeline, however. Numerous exploration firms are scouring other leases for new prospects.
Eritrea’s government maintains a “national service” program that conscripts Eritreans into prolonged and indefinite terms of forced labor, generally under abusive conditions. It is through this forced labor program that mining companies run the most direct risk of involvement in the Eritrean government’s human rights violations. Human Rights Watch has documented how national service conscripts are regularly subjected to torture and other serious abuses, and how the government exacts revenge upon conscripts’ families if they desert their posts. Many Eritreans have been forced to work as conscript laborers for over a decade.
Most national service conscripts are assigned to the military, but others are made to work for state-owned companies. Some of those companies are construction firms that the government pressures international companies to take on as contractors.
1 This Month
26 April – Chernobyl: Inside the Meltdown airs on National Geographic on Sunday 26th April from 4pm
29 April – Nuclear Expert Webinar #1 – Radiation Impacts on Families with Mary Olson and Cindy Folkers
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4 May -West Suburban Peace Coalition to discuss Iran war at May Educational Forum
Monday, May 4, 7:00 – 8:00 PM Central Standard Time
Title: : How Trump’s Narrative Tries to Shape the Reality of the War on Iran.
Contact Walt Zlotow, zlotow@hotmail.com 630 442 3045 for further information
14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism
Pine Ridge Uranium is the real threat, not Tehran- Tell Burgum: Stop the Extraction.
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
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