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Nuclear smuggling, mainly by Iranian and Chinese middlemen

US, European officials probe Iran nuclear smuggling By Mark Hosenball  and John Shiffman WASHINGTON,  Mar 28, 2012 (Reuters) – A dramatic expansion in nuclear and military smuggling investigations should lead to a flood of new criminal cases, primarily against Iranian and Chinese middlemen, U.S. law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.

U.S. officials said they are investigating 30 percent more cases this year than three years ago. U.S. agencies have deployed agents posing as arms brokers at more than 20 undercover companies targeting smugglers, said the officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Undercover arms smuggling investigations typically take two to four years to unfold, one of the officials said, which is why he expects an increase in indictments soon….
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/28/usa-iran-smuggling-idUSL2E8ERODR20120328

March 29, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Alarming news about the state of Fukushima’s nuclear reactors today

Very high radiation, little water in Japan reactor, Sydney Morning Herald, MARI YAMAGUCHI, March 28, 2012 One of Japan’s crippled nuclear reactors still has fatally high radiation levels and much less water to cool it than officials had estimated, according to an internal examination that renews doubts about the plant’s stability.

A tool equipped with a tiny video camera, a thermometer, a dosimeter and a water gauge was used to assess damage inside the No. 2 reactor’s containment chamber for the second time since the tsunami swept into the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant a year ago.

The data collected Tuesday showed the damage from the disaster is so severe, the plant operator will have to develop special equipment and technology to tolerate the harsh environment and decommission the plant, a process expected to last decades. The other two reactors that had meltdowns could be in even worse shape. The No. 2 reactor is the
only one officials have been able to closely examine so far.

Tuesday’s examination with an industrial endoscope detected radiation levels up to 10 times the fatal dose inside the chamber. Plant officials previously said more than half of the melted fuel has breached the core and dropped to the floor of the primary containment vessel, some of it splashing against the wall or the floor.

Particles from melted fuel have probably sent radiation levels up to a dangerously high 70 sieverts per hour inside the container, said Junichi Matsumoto, spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co. The figure far exceeds the highest level previously detected, 10 sieverts per hour, which was detected around an exhaust duct shared by No. 1 and 2 units last year.

“It’s extremely high,” he said, adding that an endoscope would last only 14 hours in those conditions. “We have to develop equipment that can tolerate high radiation” when locating and removing melted fuel during the decommissioning.

The probe also found that the containment vessel _ a beaker-shaped container enclosing the core _ had cooling water up to only 60 centimeters (2 feet) from the bottom, far below the 10 meters (yards) estimated when the government declared the plant stable in December.
The plant is continuing to pump water into the reactor……
The exact conditions of the other two reactors, where hydrogen explosions damaged their buildings, are still unknown. Simulations have indicated that more fuel inside No. 1 has breached the core than the other two, but radiation at No. 3 remains the highest.

The high radiation levels inside the No. 2 reactor’s chamber mean it’s inaccessible to the workers, but parts of the reactor building are accessible for a few minutes at a time _ with the workers wearing full protection…. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/very-high-radiation-little-water-in-japan-reactor-20120328-1vxxz.html

March 28, 2012 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

NRC forbids San Onofre nuclear power plant to restart

San Onofre nuclear power plant prohibited from restarting The Nuclear Regulatory Commission lays out steps that Southern California Edison must take before the troubled San Onofre plant will be allowed to come back on line. By Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times March 28, 2012 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, citing serious concerns about
equipment failures at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, has prohibited Southern California Edison from restarting the plant until the problems are thoroughly understood and fixed. Continue reading →

March 28, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Insecurity in Nigeria, with crooked practices in oil and gas industry

Nigeria loses over $20bn to illegal bunkering, oil theft yearly – Presidential aide Nigerian Tribune, 26 March 2012 EVERY year, Nigeria loses about 40 million metric tonnes of petroleum products amounting to about $20 billion (N3 trillion) to crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, Mr Leke Oyewole, a Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime Affairs has said….. He said the loss was sequel to sharp practices characterised by numerous leakages, adulteration of products, as well as diversion of refined imported products by some of the players in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry……NIMASA and NPA ought to collaborate to address issues in the offshore operations in the oil industry and mitigate the insecurity arising therefrom…….
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/38181-nigeria-loses-over-20bn-to-illegal-bunkering-oil-theft-yearly-presidential-aide

March 28, 2012 Posted by | Nigeria, safety | Leave a comment

Earthquake close to planned vast uranium mine in Australia

26 March 12 BHP Billiton’s planned new mega uranium mine at Olympic Dam in South Australia will be the world’s largest man-made hole. The planned open-pit mine would be  4.1 kilometres long, 3.5 kilometres wide and 1 kilometre deep. It is hard to imagine the size of this thing, and of its impact on the environment.

Just for one consideration –  Australian airway flight paths will have to be changed, because this gigantic hole will have such an effect on the weather as to change the wind patterns in the region!

But – for another consideration – this uranium orebody  it is situated on an earthquake fault.  The current succession of earthquakes must surely cause South Australia to reconsider the wisdom, or otherwise, of siting the monster mine there! – Christina Macpherson

SEISMIC SURGE IN FAR NORTH: 3.9 EARTHQUAKE NEAR ROXBY DOWNS, Coober Pedy Regional Times,  26 March 12, A 3.9 magnitude earthquake has struck near Olympic Dam in South Australia’s Mid – Far North overnight,   in addition to a spate of 4 separate earthquakes in the Far North of the state in the past week.

The succession of medium to significant earthquakes has promted  Geoscience Australia to begin setting up seismic monitoring equipment in the Far North where three of the earthquakes occured last week including a 6.1 magnitude quake….. The most recent earthquake which occured overnight is not far from the townships of Roxby Downs and Andamooka near the Stuart Highway, and situated within relatively close proximity to a number of the state’s mining and prospecting operations including the Olympic Dam uranium mine, whose massive orebody engulfs the 35km Masher’s Fault. …… http://cooberpedyregionaltimes.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/seismic-surge-in-far-north-3-9-earthquake-near-roxby-downs/

March 26, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, safety | Leave a comment

As Seoul nuclear summit approaches, Britain warns of nuclear terrorism

UK warns of nuclear risk ahead of Seoul summit  (Reuters) 23 March 12, – Britain warned on Friday there was a “significant likelihood” that terrorists will one day acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons unless countries step up their efforts to keep sensitive materials and information secure.

The British government released its first comprehensive National Counter-Proliferation Strategy, detailing the risks from the spread such weapons and what Britain and other countries can do to stop it.

It came out days before leaders from more than 50 countries, including U.S. President Barack Obama, gather in Seoul, South Korea, for a March 26-27 nuclear security summit focusing on measures to protect nuclear materials and facilities and to prevent illicit trafficking…..
“Nuclear terrorism is now a real and global threat,” British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who will lead Britain’s delegation in Seoul, said in a statement….
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/03/23/nuclear-britain-idINDEE82M0N320120323

March 24, 2012 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Posthumous honour for victim of killer on UK nuclear submarine

Navy officer shot dead by rampaging sailor on nuclear submarine is honoured  DAILY MAIL  , 24 March2012 A Royal Navy officer murdered trying to stop a sailor on a gun rampage aboard a nuclear submarine has been posthumously honoured. Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux was awarded a George Medal for tackling Able Seaman Ryan Donovan as he ran amok on HMS Astute. Continue reading →

March 24, 2012 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Critical nuclear data stolen, in Indian scientist’s lap-top

Laptop with India’s nuclear data still not found Pakistan Observer, March 18, 2012, Rabi-ul-Sani Islamabad—An Indian nuclear scientist’s laptop with classified nuclear data was stolen from a passenger rail car and is still missing raising serious alarm all over India.

According to a report the Indian nuclear researcher raised an alarm when his laptop, reportedly filled with critical data, was stolen on March 15, 2012 and remained missing till date.  Continue reading →

March 20, 2012 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

Increasing danger of nuclear terrorism

Nuclear Terrorism: A Clear Danger, NYT, By KENNETH C. BRILL and KENNETH N. LUONGO, March 15, 2012 Terrorists exploit gaps in security. The current global regime for
protecting the nuclear materials that terrorists desire for their ultimate weapon is far from seamless. It is based largely on unaccountable, voluntary arrangements that are inconsistent across borders. Its weak links make it dangerous and inadequate to prevent nuclear terrorism. Continue reading →

March 16, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

USA’s nuclear safety regulations inadequate

Chief Nuclear Regulator Admits Safety Goals Are ‘Insufficient’, Aol Energy, By Margaret Ryan, March 15, 2012  US nuclear safety goals are insufficient, and don’t address effects like those seen after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, the head of the US nuclear regulator says. Continue reading →

March 16, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

No end of problems for San Onofre nuclear power plant

San Onofre’s Unit 3 reactor shut indefinitely while US regulators probe tube problems  Washington Post, By Associated Press,   March 15 LOS ANGELES — A nuclear reactor on the California coast will remain shut down indefinitely while a team of federal inspectors determines why several relatively new tubes became so frail that tests found they could rupture and release radioactive water, a federal official said Thursday….

The Unit 3 reactor at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, located about 45 miles north of San Diego, was shut down as a precaution on Jan. 31 after a water leak from another tube in a massive steam generator. Traces of radiation escaped, but officials say there was no danger to workers or neighbors.

Since then, investigators have been looking into excessive wear found on steam generator tubes in the seaside plant and its twin, Unit 2, which has been off line for maintenance and refueling. The two huge steam generators at Unit 2, each containing 9,700 tubes, were replaced in fall 2009, and a year later in Unit 3 as part of a $670 million overhaul.

The NRC dispatched a special, five-member team to Unit 3 on Thursday after pressure tests showed three of the metal-alloy tubes had become so degraded that they could rupture under some circumstances. Such ruptures can require a plant to shut down, if spewing water reaches 150 gallons a day……
San Onofre’s Unit 1 reactor operated from 1968 to 1992, when it was shut down and dismantled. The utility’s plan to ship the 600-ton reactor vessel on a 15,500-mile voyage around South America to a disposal site in South Carolina was thwarted and it remains at San Onofre, encased in concrete and steel….
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/federal-regulators-to-investigate-tube-failures-at-califs-san-onofre-nuclear-power-plant/2012/03/15/gIQAn3lIES_story.html

March 16, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, safety, USA | Leave a comment

The USA’s radioactive waste time bomb

U.S. pools are generally more densely packed than in Japan. Vermont Yankee’s pool contains two to three times the amount of spent fuel as Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor 4

 Alvarez estimated a meltdown of spent fuel in the Indian Point pool, which has three times the radioactivity of four Fukushima spent fuel pools, would kill 5,600 people, do $461 billion in damage and render a large area uninhabitable.

The U.S. has 65,000 metric tons of nuclear waste, which we leave to our children in perpetuity…don’t make more nuclear waste until we safely dispose of what we have made.

No more Fukushimas: US plants still face risks, BY GWEN L. DUBOIS, The Baltimore Sun, 14 March 12,   “…..Our nuclear plants are no better designed than those in Japan. Twenty-three are Mark 1 boiling water reactors, identical to Fukushima Daiichi reactors 1-5. This includes Peach
Bottom, 36 miles from Baltimore in York County, Pa.; and Vermont Yankee, notorious for pipes leaking radioactive tritium, which was relicensed for 20 years on March 10, 2011, over the objection of Vermonters.

Nor are our plants immune from natural or manmade disasters. Nearly half of the 104 reactors in the U.S. are near major fault lines. In August, a 5.8 earthquake 11 miles from Virginia’s North Anna nuclear power plant, which is 70 miles from Washington D.C., rattled nerves in
Baltimore and far beyond. The quake caused twice the amount of ground movement for which North Anna was designed. Continue reading →

March 15, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Japan’s former P.M. insisted on workers staying to prevent Fukushima total meltdown

“If the workers abandoned the plant, all the reactors and fuel rods in the fuel pools would have melted down, causing many times more fall-out than Chernobyl. “I called the TEPCO president and told him a withdrawal was unthinkable “

Ex-PM reveals meltdowns almost crippled Japan  Mark Willacy, ABC South West Radio  March 15, 2012   A year on from the meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japan’s prime minister at the time has told the ABC that the disaster came close to crippling the nation, with the evacuation of tens of millions from Tokyo a real possibility.
In an exclusive interview on ABC’s 7.30, Naoto Kan said the loss of the world’s biggest metropolis would have been like losing a war, leaving Japan without a political and economic capital. He has also confirmed that he confronted the operator TEPCO and rejected its request for its workers to abandon the crippled plant. Continue reading →

March 15, 2012 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Luckily, Japan’s latest earthquake and tsunami were smaller

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Japanese coast, tsunami wave hits coast THE AUSTRALIAN, BY: BY SHINGO ITO IN TOKYO From: AFP March 14, 2012 A small tsunami wave has hit Japan’s northeastern coastline, officials say, after a strong earthquake rocked the region a year on from the country’s worst post-war natural disaster. Continue reading →

March 15, 2012 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

Serious concerns about safety of aging nuclear reactors

UN nuclear body says ageing reactors fuel safety concerns, Google News, 14 March 12, VIENNA — Eighty percent of nuclear power plants are more than 20 years old, raising safety concerns, the UN atomic agency warned in a draft report seen by AFP on Tuesday, a year after Japan’s Fukushima disaster.

This “could impact safety and their ability to meet member states’ energy requirements in an economical and efficient manner,” the International Atomic Energy Agency’s draft annual Nuclear Safety Review said.

Countries opting for what it called “long term operation (LTO) must thoroughly analyse the safety aspects related to the ageing of ?irreplaceable’ key components,” said the report, due to finalised and published in mid-2012.

The IAEA, which promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology, said that five percent of the world’s 435 nuclear facilities have been in operation for more than 40 years and 32 percent for more than 30 years.

It said that there were “growing expectations that older nuclear reactors should meet enhanced safety objectives, closer to that of recent or future reactor designs.”

“There is a concern about the ability of the ageing nuclear fleet to fulfil these expectations and to continue to economically and efficiently support member states’ energy requirements,” it said.

It also said that 70 percent of the world’s 254 research reactors — for producing medical isotopes and other uses — have been in operation for more than 30 years, many of them “exceeding their original design life.”

This has raised “serious concerns” amongst research reactor operators, regulators and the public, it said…… http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jmno_YFxU-9xDAwd–lhSvHCM0kw?docId=CNG.f9ffe8f8ebfdfa8a7979295ffada5054.311

March 14, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

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