Radiation risks to health staff from nuclear medical imaging
What to do when the patient is hot http://www.theheart.org/article/1535927.do 7 May 13, MAY 7, 2013 Shelley Wood Boston, MA – Patients who’ve had a nuclear imaging study with radioactive tracers become, themselves, radiation emitters—something that hospital staff should keep in mind, say researchers in a new analysis trying to quantify that risk. Their research letter is published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology [1]. Continue reading
Prme Minister Abe signing Turkey up to buy Japanese nuclear technology
it’s a bit dodgy to buy from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, who built the Fukushima nuclear reactors
Japan signs Turkey nuclear deal, BBC News 4 May 13, Shinzo Abe signed the deal in Turkey with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan The Turkish government has signed a deal with a Japanese-French consortium to build a new nuclear power station.
The $22bn (£14bn) contract is Japan’s first successful bid for an overseas nuclear project since a tsunami wrecked the Fukushima power station.
The deal was signed by visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it would transform relations with Japan into a “strategic partnership”.
“What happened at Fukushima upset all of us. But these things can happen. Life goes on. Successful steps are being taken now with the use of improved technology,” the Turkish prime minister added.
The deal comes as part of renewed efforts to promote Japanese nuclear technologies abroad, despite concerns over safety. One of the Japanese firms included in the consortium is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the companies behind the Fukushima plant damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Turkey is also prone to earthquakes, and the government cited Japan’s expertise in earthquake protection as one of the factors in signing the deal……http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22398356
The $billion cost of Repairs to the Oconee Nuclear Plant
Will Repairs to the Oconee Nuclear Plant Cost Duke Energy a Billion Dollars?, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-radford/will-repairs-to-the-ocone_b_3208859.html Philip Radford, 3 May 13 Duke Energy and government regulators have been hiding a not-so-little secret from the people of the Carolinas. Duke’s Oconee nuclear power plant, three aged nuclear reactors 30 miles from Greenville, SC, isat risk of a meltdown should an upstream dam fail. If that were to happen, a meltdown of all three reactors on the scale of the Fukushima meltdowns and subsequent containment failure are virtual certainties according to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) documents obtained by Greenpeace .
We’ve also received a tip that the cost to upgrade the Oconee nuclear plant site to address this triple meltdown threat would cost Duke Energy a billion dollars.
A billion dollars.
So at Duke Energy’s annual shareholder meeting yesterday in Charlotte, NC, I asked Duke CEO Jim Rogers a question about his company’s dangerous nuke plants and the billion dollar cost to protect and upgrade. Tellingly, Jim Rogers did not dispute the billion dollar price tag nor the need to better defend Oconee from flood waters….. It’s worth noting that Mr. Rogers didn’t deny the potential billion dollar price tag of the Oconee repairs. Even for Duke, that’s a serious amount of money.
I wonder if Duke’s shareholders know that the company could end up being on the hook for that kind of a pricey fix? Greenpeace appreciates Mr. Rogers acknowledging the threat to Oconee and the enormous expense of fixing it. If Rogers wants to do the most fiscally prudent thing for Duke’s investors, he should retire the reactors. Duke and its regulators have known about this threat for decades and have utterly failed to address it. While regulation of nuclear power can be very complex, the issue at Oconee is pretty simple to understand. As you can read here, the potential flood height at Duke Energy’s Oconee nuclear plant is well above the height of Oconee’s flood walls leaving important safety equipment vulnerable.
Does this sound familiar? It should. In Japan, the nuclear industry knew that the flood wall at Fukushima was too low and did nothing about it there either.
Other nuclear laden electric corporations face steep costs to upgrade old and dangerous reactors. Dominion recently testified that Fukushima fixes would cost their corporation between $30 and $40 million. But the billion dollar price tag to reduce the risks at Oconee is truly staggering. Rather than wasting a billion dollars on old reactors that will never be safe, Duke Energy should invest in renewable energy and efficiency. Wind turbines and solar panels don’t threaten the Carolinas with the prospect of nuclear meltdowns.
Crash go earnings and share price for uranium miner Cameco
Cameco Profit Trails Analysts’ Estimates as Uranium Price Drops http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-01/cameco-profit-trails-analysts-estimates-as-uranium-price-drops.html By Christopher Donville – May 1, 2013 Cameco Corp. (CCO), the world’s third- largest uranium producer, reported first-quarter profit and revenue that trailed analysts’ estimates after a decline in the price of the raw material in nuclear-reactor fuel.
Net income fell to C$9 million ($8.9 million), or 2 cents a share, from C$129 million, or 33 cents, a year earlier, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based Cameco said today in a statement. Profit excluding one-time items was 7 cents a share, missing the 8-cent average of 14 estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales declined to C$444 million from C$466 million, less than the C$473 million average of six estimates.The price of uranium for immediate delivery has slumped 40 percent since the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan led to a meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. In response to the disaster, Japan suspended its fleet of reactors while Germany canceled license extensions, shut down some of its oldest nuclear plants and ordered the others close by 2022.
“Fukushima is still a major factor in the uranium market,” Rob Chang, a Toronto-based analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald LP, said in a telephone interview before the results were released. “On top of that, commodity prices around the world have been dragged down by worries about global growth and Chinese demand for raw materials.”
Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s state-owned producer, and Paris- based Areva SA (AREVA) are the biggest uranium miners, according to the World Nuclear Association.
(Cameco scheduled a conference call to discuss results at 1 p.m. New York time at +1-877-240-9772or +1-416-340-8530.)
93% fall in earnings so far this year, for uranium mining company
Earnings down for Saskatoon uranium giant CBC News May 1, 2013 Lower sales, lower prices and higher costs pushed down first quarter results at Cameco.
So far this year, the Saskatoon-based uranium company earned $9 million — down 93 per cent from the $129 million Cameco made in the first quarter of 2012……
The company recently laid off a number of staff at its Saskatoon headquarters.
Cameco said most of the power utilities that buy its nuclear products are locked into contracts until 2016….. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2013/05/01/saskatoon-cameco-earnings.html
Japan’s Prime Minister on nuclear selling spree in Dubai
Japan, UAE set to sign nuclear agreement as Abe visits, Global Post, 2 May 13, Japan and the United Arab Emirates are set to sign a nuclear agreement on Thursday as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting the country, pushes his bid to sell Japanese nuclear technology overseas.
The two countries’ representatives will ink the deal following a meeting between Abe and UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai.
Abe, since assuming his post last December, has promoted the exports of Japanese infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants, as a key pillar of the government’s growth strategies aimed at revitalizing the Japanese economy……. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/130502/japan-uae-set-sign-nuclear-agreement-abe-visits
Duke Energy pulls out of building 2 new nuclear reactors
Duke Energy suspends licensing for nuclear reactors near Raleigh Charlotte Business Journal, by John Downey, 2 May 13, Duke Energy Corp. has asked federal regulators to suspend its application to build two 1,017-megawatt nuclear units at its Shearon Harris nuclear plant near Raleigh. Dhiaa Jamil, president of Duke Energy Nuclear, cites slowing growth in demand for electricity as the reason for the decision….. The decision is the latest sign that the once-touted “nuclear renaissance” is faltering in the United States. …. http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/power_city/2013/05/duke-energy-suspends-licensing-for.html
Non operational San Onofre nuclear plant costing $millions
Costs for idling California nuclear plant soar above $550M Fox news, April 30, 2013 LOS ANGELES – Costs tied to the idling of California’s San Onofre nuclear power plant have climbed to $553 million, while the majority owner raised the possibility Tuesday of retiring the plant if it can’t get one reactor running later this year.
The plant between San Diego and Los Angeles has not produced electricity since January 2012, when a tiny radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water.
Edison International — the parent company of operator Southern California Edison — reported Tuesday that $109 million has been spent through March 31 on repairs and inspections, while $444 million was needed for replacement power…. The problems at San Onofre center on steam generators that were installed during a $670 million overhaul in 2009 and 2010. After the plant was shut down, tests found some generator tubes were so badly eroded that they could fail and possibly release radiation, a stunning finding inside the nearly new equipment.
The generators, which resemble massive steel fire hydrants, control heat in the reactors and operate something like a car’s radiator. At San Onofre, each one stands 65 feet high, weighs 1.3 million pounds and has 9,727 U-shaped tubes inside, each 0.75 inch in diameter. Hundreds of the tubes have been taken out of service because of damage or as a preventative step. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/30/costs-for-idling-california-nuclear-plant-soar-above-550m/#ixzz2S5Daz1Of
Japanese power companies post $16 billion loss
Electricity companies post $16 billion loss as nuclear reactors remain offline HTTP://JAPANDAILYPRESS.COM/ELECTRICITY-COMPANIES-POST-16-BILLION-LOSS-AS-NUCLEAR-REACTORS-REMAIN-OFFLINE-0128034 MAY 1, 2013 by IDA TORRE THEY ONCE WERE THE MIGHTIEST ENTITIES IN JAPAN, BUT NOW POWER UTILITY COMPANIES ARE FACING A SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR OF COMBINED LOSSES OF 16 BILLION DOLLARS, AMIDST THE DELAYS IN THE RESTART OF THEIR NUCLEAR REACTORS, PLUS THE RISING COSTS OF IMPORTING FOSSIL FUEL DUE TO THE WEAKER YEN. NOW THEY WOULD HAVE TO EITHER RAISE CONSUMER PRICES OR SEEK FURTHER GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE JUST TO KEEP AFLOAT. Continue reading
The fallacy of assuming that weapons manufacture creates jobs
America’s War Games How the Obama administration is redefining the US military’s strategic priorities with far-reaching consequences, Aljazeera, 27 April 13 “……. William Hartung, from the Center for International Policy says that Pentagon contractors have “for years used the jobs argument to revive weapons systems that have been cancelled. To push for things that even the Pentagon itself has not wanted.” For months, a study has been circulating in Washington, underwritten by the Aerospace Industries Association, a major defence industry trade group. It claims that a million jobs would be lost as a result of sequestration cuts to defence spending.
Hartung, who has analysed the study, says it exaggerates the potential job loss number by a factor of three, and that many of those jobs will be replaced. He points out that spending on education, health care, and infrastructure “can create 1.5 to 2 times as many jobs. So the economy would be much better off spending on things other than the Pentagon.”
Several recent reports examining ways to cut Pentagon spending call for changes in the US nuclear weapons posture. They claim that it would produce hundreds of billions of dollars of savings in coming decades, and the Obama administration is reportedly considering nuclear weapons cuts. But they will be difficult to achieve.
“People are still mired in Cold War thinking and they feel like the more nuclear weapons we have the better,” Hartung says. “And in addition to that the nuclear weapons industry has some of the biggest strongest companies in the military industrial complex.”
Lockheed Martin builds submarines, launches ballistic missiles, and runs the nuclear weapons laboratories; General Dynamics builds nuclear subs; and Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are all hoping to build the next nuclear bomber……http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2013/04/2013424113558268754.html
Nuclear energy now looks like a dud for South Africa
Study pours cold water on South Africa’s nuclear build plan BUSNESS DAY LIVE, BY CAROL PATON, 19 APRIL 2013, NEW National Planning Commission (NPC) modelling of South Africa’s energy demands says nuclear power should be delayed by years, and an immediate commissioning of 
new gas-generation capacity should take place to avoid rolling blackouts in the near future.
The remodelling commissioned by the NPC signals the start in earnest of what will be a highly contested policy debate: whether South Africa needs and can afford nuclear power or not, and by when.
The implication of the modelling is that no new nuclear power would be required before at least 2029, but more likely as far away as 2040 if demand grows as expected. Continue reading
Ontario’s high electricity bills due to nuclear costs, not renewables
Mad about your hydro bill? Blame nuclear and gas plants 
http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/04/18/mad_about_your_hydro_bill_blame_nuclear_and_gas_plants.html
That’s the conclusion of a study done for the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which runs Ontario’s power market.
Renewable power has frequently been the whipping boy for hydro price increases, because of the highly visible prices it commands. It’s also a political flashpoint: the provincial Progressive Conservatives have presented a bill in the Legislature that would gut the renewable energy policies adopted by the Liberals.
But a study by Navigant Consulting Ltd. shows that payments to nuclear and gas-fired generators are responsible for two-thirds of the “global adjustment” charge, which is the biggest part of the “electricity” line in your hydro bill. Continue reading
Virginia gets an agency to promote nuclear power
Nuclear authority generates controversy Rapp News By Stephen Nielsen Capital News Service, 18 April 13 RICHMOND – Virginia is creating a new agency to support development of nuclear power – a move that has upset environmentalists and open-government advocates, because the entity won’t have to comply with the state’s Freedom of Information Act and other laws….. In January, Garrett introduced House Bill 1790, which sought to create the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority. Sen. Jeffrey McWaters, R-Virginia Beach, sponsored companion legislation – Senate Bill 1138 – in his chamber. Both bills were passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Bob McDonnell…..
By Jan. 1, the authority will create the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium. By law, the consortium will seek to make Virginia “a leader in nuclear energy” Continue reading
Nuclear power completely uncompetitive on costs
Jerry Taylor: For Now, Nuclear Can’t Compete. Jerry Taylor, WSJ, 17 April 13 Nuclear power simply cannot compete with gas-fired power. And absent some major technological breakthrough, it’s unlikely to do so in the future.
This is not a matter of opinion. This is a matter of economic fact. Even with all of the production tax credits, loan guarantees and a battery of other direct and indirect subsidies, nuclear power remains the most expensive source of conventional electricity on the grid once capital costs are plugged into the equation. That’s why no one has ordered a new nuclear power plant in decades. That’s why nuclear power plants are being retired today in the face of cheap natural gas for as far as the eye can see. Continue reading
Astronomic costs if France had a nuclear accident: report kept secret
French Nuclear Disaster Scenario Was So Bad The Government Kept It Secret http://au.businessinsider.com/potential-cost-of-a-nuclear-accident-so-high-its-a-secret-2013-3 WOLF RICHTER15 MARCH 2013 Catastrophic nuclear accidents, like Chernobyl in 1986 or Fukushima No. 1 in 2011, are, we’re incessantly told, very rare, and their probability of occurring infinitesimal.
But when they do occur, they get costly. So costly that the French government, when it came up with cost estimates for an accident in France, kept them secret.
But now the report was leaked to the French magazine, Le Journal de Dimanche. Turns out, the upper end of the cost spectrum of an accident at the nuclear power plant at Dampierre, in the Department of Loiret in north-central France, amounted to over three times the country’s GDP. Continue reading
1 This Month
PLEASE OPPOSE HR 8255 AND S.3639 – bills would accelerate satellite deployment, with no environmental review or safeguards – https://ncstd5li.quorum.us/campaign/169331/
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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