Most of Europe’s nuclear reactors are just not safe
Most EU Nuclear Power Plants ‘Unsafe’ IPS, By Julio Godoy BERLIN, Oct 16 2012 – The so-called ‘stress tests’ on nuclear power plants in the European Union (EU) have confirmed environmental and energy activists’ worst fears: most European nuclear facilities do not meet minimum security standards. Continue reading
China’s nuclear power program slows down, as safety problems recognised
China Nuclear Report Acknowledges Safety Concerns, WSJ, By BRIAN SPEGELE And WAYNE MA 16 Oct 12, BEIJING — A report by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection
acknowledged safety concerns in China’s fleet of nuclear reactors, including potential complications from the sheer variety of reactors in operation…. Continue reading
70 activists show up poor security at Sweden’s nuclear power plants
Greenpeace Sweden exposes lax security at nuclear plants Greenpeace, by Brian Blomme – October 9, 2012 They poured onto the sites of two nuclear reactor plants in Sweden this morning with minimal problems: more than 70 Greenpeace activists, from five countries, conducted peaceful stress tests of the sites.
The goal: to show how weak security arrangements are at the two plants. Continue reading
The UNsafety of South Korea’s nuclear power plants
Nuclear safety concerns growing Korea Times. Experts stress system overhaul necessary to avoid disaster By Park Si-soo, 8 Oct 12, With nuclear reactors shutting down repeatedly month after month, there is growing concern over whether the nation’s atomic power plant management system has a structural problem that could lead to disaster. Continue reading
Europe’s problems with differences in nuclear regulators
Nuclear Power Puts European Integration to the Test — Again Bloomberg By David Henry Oct 8, 2012 If European Union authorities in Brussels didn’t have enough to do trying to prop up a monetary system built on sand, now they are faced with another challenge to the integration process that may again reveal their weakness on issues that matter: nuclear power.
Last week, results of stress tests on the safety of 145 nuclear reactors in the EU found that as much as 25 billion euros ($32.4 billion) needs to be spent to retrofit and upgrade existing power plants to conform to international standards. But the security shortcomings identified by the report — which assessed scenarios such as earthquakes, flooding, terrorism and plane crashes around nuclear sites — were mostly already known to national regulators. More than anything, the report and its recommendations highlight the EU’s lack of authority over member states .
Fourteen of the EU’s 27 countries have nuclear reactors and all member states have their own regulators, which are responsible for implementing their own plans for nuclear safety. Continue reading
15 Nuclear Reactors on New Madrid Fault Line Before It’s News , 16 Mar 2011 Bob Nations, Jr., the Director of Shelby County Office of Preparedness, says that since the lack of preparation exposed by Hurricane Katrina, he is “preparing for the catastrophic event” in his six-county jurisdiction.
Nations admitted that after a major quake, Tennessee’s infrastructure and response capabilities “would get overwhelmed fairly quickly.”
There are 15 nuclear power plants in the New Madrid fault zone — three reactors in Alabama — that are of the same or similar design as the site in Japan experiencing problems.
The USGS report predicts that a major quake would create horrific
scenes like something out of a science fiction movie, potentially
cutting the Eastern part of the country off from the West in terms of
vehicular traffic and road commerce. …..
http://www.sott.net/article/225939-15-Nuclear-Reactors-on-New-Madrid-Fault-Line
San Onofre nuclear reactor to restart without any repairs!
Edison rolls the nuclear dice, Friends of the Earth Oct. 5, 2012 by: Kendra Ulrich A dangerous gamble with the safety of Southern California If you have ever been to Las Vegas, you’ve seen it: People so caught up in the excitement of the casino that they just can’t resist the lure of the next bet or the thought that maybe thistime they’ll win.
Unfortunately, it seems that San Onofre nuclear operator, Southern California Edison, has the same weak spot for a high-stakes gamble. In a stunning announcement yesterday, the utility said that it plans to restart one of the crippled San Onofre nuclear reactors without any repairs. Continue reading
Regulators warn of flood risk at SC nuclear plant http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/05/4884081/regulators-warn-of-flood-risk.html#storylink=cpy The Associated Press, Oct. 5, 2012 CHARLOTTE, N.C. –– Federal regulators say the danger of flooding at Duke Energy’s Oconee Nuclear Station in South Carolina is higher than previously thought.
The Charlotte Observer reported (http://bit.ly/UlTVhk) the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission has notified the Charlotte-based utility about
the risks.
The report says estimates of flooding have increased substantially if
the 385-foot high Jocassee Dam failed upstream from the three reactors
near Seneca, S.C.
The report warns such flooding could leave the station blacked out.
The NRC removed large parts of the report from the public version in
order to protect infrastructure that could become a security target.
Duke says Oconee is safe and the utility has taken steps to reduce flood risks.
The NRC began a formal study of the safety implications of dam failure
on nuclear plants in March.
Leaked report on Europe’s troubled nuclear power plants
‘Hundreds of problems’ at EU nuclear plants, BBC News 3 Oct 12 The draft report found specific failings in all 58 of France’s nuclear reactors
Hundreds of problems have been found at European nuclear plants that would cost 25bn euros (£20bn) to fix, says a leaked draft report. Continue reading
Increase in UK nuclear transport accidents
Sharp rise in nuclear transport accidents , 3 Oct 12, http://www.robedwards.com/2012/09/sharp-rise-in-nuclear-transport-accidents.html from Sunday Herald, 30 September 2012 The number of accidents transporting radioactive materials has risen sharply, prompting fears for public safety.
According to a new report from the UK government’s Health Protection Agency (HPA), there were 38 incidents reported in 2011, up from 30 in 2010. This is the second highest in the last six years, which have seen a total of 195 mishaps (see table below). Continue reading
Never mind the radioactive waste under the Arctic sea: Shell is keen to drill there
Shell still optimistic about Arctic drilling
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/breaking-news/shell-still-optimistic-about-arctic-drilling/story-e6frf7ko-1226485643427 AP October 01, 2012 THE stars lined up – almost – for Shell Oil to drill exploratory wells this year in waters off Alaska’s north coast.
The Arctic Ocean was on record pace for low sea ice. The Obama administration gave a qualified green light to drilling. Two drill ships and a flotilla of support vessels were staged off prospects.
But as the open water season wound down, Shell announced last week it would limit drilling to time-consuming preparation for an offshore well. The final straw for the decision: damage during testing September 15 to an undersea containment dome, a key to the company’s spill response system.
Environmentalists cheered the setback. Shell Oil President Marvin Odum says he considers it a temporary impediment in the long-term quest to open a petroleum frontier.
Document analysing the (un)safety status of San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant
San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station Decommission San Onofre 29 sept 12 Aging Nuke Plants On Fault Lines In Tsunami Hazard Zones = Fukushimas… Any Questions? PLEASE Turn off a light for Fukushima USA / San Clemente
The Number 1 US Nuclear Safety Concern ==> San Onofre’s Replacement Steam Generators The DAB Safety Team is thankful to numerous anonymous concerned SONGS Workers, who have provided factual information in the interest of the Public Safety to us so that we could arrive at these “Reasonable Conclusions” regarding SONGS Replacement Steam Generators
Degradation. We acknowledge Fairewinds Energy Association, Professor Daniel Hirsch, Friends of the Earth, San Clemente Green, Media, News Papers and the SD Reader, whose material has contributed to the successful completion of this document. Continue reading
Japan’s new Nuclear Regulation Authority setting new guidelines
Nuclear Regulation Authority to set new guidelines http://japandailypress.com/nuclear-regulation-authority-to-set-new-guidelines-2713469 By Ida Torres / September 27, 2012 The newly launched Nuclear Regulation Authority is set to come up with new guidelines on nuclear disaster management, particularly expanding the area for urgent measures in the event of a nuclear accident.
Currently, the area is just at a 8-10 kilometer radius, but after the Fukushima power plant crisis in 2011, they believe the area should be expanded to a 30 kilometer radius.
The authority will also survey a fault under the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture after an independent survey by KEPCO showed that the fault might be active.
Part of the new guidelines that the authority is expected to draft would be to make these guidelines sanctioned under special regulation so that the local governments and entities would be required to comply and obey the instructions. Also, prefectural and municipal governments will be required to come up with new or revised disaster management
plans so authorities can determine which areas will be under priority measures. They also need to devise detailed evacuation plans for residents, especially those that are in the radius of the power plants.
The government is doing all it can to be more prepared for nuclear meltdown threats, especially after the aforementioned Fukushima events. They abolished the Cabinet Office’s Nuclear Safety Commission, which initially drafted these guidelines, to give way to the Nuclear Regulation Authority
UN warning on the danger of nuclear terrorism – “dirty bombs”
UN: Nuclear terrorism threat hasn’t diminished Bellingham Herald, September 28, 2012 UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. nuclear chief warned Friday that the threat of nuclear terrorism has not diminished, saying a key risk is that terrorists could detonate a so-called “dirty bomb” to contaminate a major city. Continue reading
Danger as oil companies plan drilling in nuclear waste ocean dump
The Kara Sea is so remote that the Soviet Union used it as a dumping ground for radioactive material for more than 25 years. The two oil companies have avoided calls for the nuclear waste, estimated to consist of over 17,000 barrels of radioactive waste, worn-out reactors, and even an old nuclear submarine, to be cleared up before any exploration takes place.
The most dangerous item down on the sea floor in that area is the K-27 nuclear submarine, which was dumped their by the Soviet navy in 1981. The NRPA said that any significant corrosion could damage the ships reactor and cause an environmental disaster.
Exxon, Rosneft eye oil in nuclear wasteland http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2012/0927/Exxon-Rosneft-eye-oil-in-nuclear-wasteland
Exxon Mobil and Rosneft are planning to drill for oil in the Kara Sea, which the Soviet Union used as a dumping ground for radioactive material for more than 25 years, according to OilPrice.com. By James Burgess, September 27, 2012 It has been well documented that oil majors from around the world are looking at oil exploration in the Arctic, where they believe that some of the largest untapped fields in the world still lie.
Environmentalists have been fighting efforts to start exploring for oil, fearing that any serious oil spill could mean the destruction of one of the last pristine wildernesses on the planet. Continue reading
1 This Month
of the week– Nuclear Reactor Information Task Force
14 May – online event From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism
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