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Flood danger to USA nuclear plants hidden by Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Leaked Report Suggests Long-Known Flood Threat To Nuclear Plants, Safety Advocates Say HUFFINGTON POST 10/19/2012 An un-redacted version of a recently released Nuclear Regulatory Commission  report highlights the threat that flooding poses to nuclear power plants located near large dams — and suggests that the NRC has misled the public for years about the severity of the threat, according to engineers and nuclear safety advocates. Continue reading →

October 20, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

80 year licenses for USA’s old nuclear reactors?

AUDIO “You won’t believe this”: US nuclear regulator meets to discuss 80-year licenses for old reactors -Expert  ) http://enenews.com/you-wont-believe-this-us-nuclear-regulator-meets-to-discuss-80-year-licenses-for-old-reactors-not-just-rolling-the-dice-youre-practically-committing-suicide-expert-video
October 18th, 2012 Title: Interview with David Freeman
Source: IF YOU LOVE THIS PLANET with Dr. Helen Caldicott
Date: Oct. 12, 2012
h/t MsMilkytheclown

David Freeman, a senior advisor with Friends of the Earth’s nuclear campaign […] was appointed chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority by President Jimmy Carter in 1977, where he stopped the construction of eight large nuclear power plants and pioneered a massive energy conservation program. Subsequently, Freeman served for two decades as general manager of several large public power agencies including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the New York Power Authority and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. He is a renowned expert on clean energy, efficiency and the risks of nuclear power.

David Freeman, former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority: And now guess what? The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last Thursday, guess what they met on? You won’t believe this… The subject of the meeting was 80-year licenses for old nuclear power plants […]  If you have a plant operating for 80 years [next to an earthquake fault] you’re not just rolling the dice, you’re practically committing suicide […] everyone living within a 50 mile radius is a guinea pig.

October 20, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Russia pulls out of nuclear Threat Reduction program

After 20 Years of US Aid, Russia Goes Solo on Controlling Loose Nukes Voice of America October 18th, 2012 The day that Russia’s government decided last week to end its participation in the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program, a huge, mushroom-shaped cloud rose high in the air over Orenburg.
In this case, the dust was kicked up by massive, accidental blasts of conventional weapons, largely stores of Soviet-era artillery shells.

To avoid the real thing, a nuclear explosion, American taxpayers have paid $7 billion over the last 20 years to cut the threat of loose nukes scattered around the former Soviet Union. Continue reading →

October 19, 2012 Posted by | Russia, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear power UNsafety in India

India questions its own nuclear industry, SMH, October 15, 2012 ”…….India’s comptroller and auditor-general, Vinod Rai, has found the body that oversees nuclear safety in India, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, is ineffective, mired in bureaucracy and negligent in monitoring safety.

Sixty per cent of regulatory inspection reports for operating nuclear power plants in India were either delayed – up to 153 days late – or not undertaken at all. For power plants under construction, the number of regulatory inspections delayed or not done was 66 per cent.

Smaller radiation facilities operate throughout the country with no licences and no oversight at all. In many cases there are no rules for nuclear operators to follow. Despite an order from the government in 1983, the board has still not developed an overarching nuclear and radiation safety policy for India.

And even when laws do exist and are broken, the existing legislation gives the board almost no punitive power. In some cases, the fines for nuclear safety transgressions are as low as 500 rupees – less than $10.

India has had nuclear scares already. In 2010, a gamma irradiation machine containing Cobalt-60 was sold off by Delhi University for scrap. Pulled apart, it unleashed a massive dose of radiation, killing one person and putting another six in hospital.

The Indian government has legislation before parliament to replace the board with a new body, the proposed Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority.

But Prabir Purkayastha from the Delhi Science Forum said: ”It is a very weak piece of legislation, that makes the regulator subservient to a group of ministers. It is a weakening of the current regulation.”  http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/india-questions-its-own-nuclear-industry-20121014-27l0a.html#ixzz29Zt1gRpm

October 17, 2012 Posted by | India, safety | 1 Comment

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 →

October 17, 2012 Posted by | EUROPE, safety | Leave a comment

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 →

October 17, 2012 Posted by | China, safety | Leave a comment

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 →

October 10, 2012 Posted by | safety, Sweden | Leave a comment

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 →

October 9, 2012 Posted by | safety, South Korea | Leave a comment

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 →

October 9, 2012 Posted by | EUROPE, safety | Leave a comment

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

October 8, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

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 →

October 5, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

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.

October 5, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

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 →

October 4, 2012 Posted by | EUROPE, safety | Leave a comment

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 →

October 4, 2012 Posted by | incidents, UK | Leave a comment

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.

October 1, 2012 Posted by | oceans, safety | Leave a comment

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