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Canada’s chequered history on nuclear safety

A closer look at Canada’s nuclear plants CBC News Canada: Jan 9, 2012 Reports of two radioactive spills at the nuclear power plant in Point Lepreau, N.B., late in 2011 have raised concerns with the head of Canada’s Nuclear Safety Commission.

Michael Binder, the president of the commission, called the news “unsettling.”…….

Some notable nuclear accidents in Canada

Chalk River, 1952 and 1958

A power surge and partial loss of coolant led to significant damage to the NRX reactor core in 1952. It was the world’s first major nuclear reactor disaster, and it resulted in 4.5 tonnes of radioactive water collecting in the cellar of the building. In 1958, a fuel rupture in the reactor led to a fire and complete contamination of the NRU building. The military was called in both times to aid in the cleanup.

Pickering, 1974 and 1983

The most serious nuclear accidents in Canada happened at the Pickering facility east of Toronto, in 1974 and in 1983. In each case, pressure tubes — which hold fuel rods — ruptured. Some coolant escaped, but was recovered before it left the plant, and there was no release of radioactive material from the containment building.

Darlington, 2009

In 2009, more than 200,000 litres of tritium, the radioactive isotope of hydrogen, spilled into Lake Ontario after workers accidentally filled the wrong tank with a mixture of tritium and water. The level of the isotope in the lake was not enough to pose harm to residents. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/09/f-canada-nuclear-reactors.html

January 10, 2012 Posted by | Canada, safety | Leave a comment

NRC’s nuclear safety moves slow and inadequate

There is some dissent among nuclear experts despite the NRC’s assurances.

 radioactive tritium has leaked into groundwater at three-quarters of U.S. commercial nuclear power sites.

Nuclear safety in the U.S. a slow affair Smart Planet, By  | January 8, 2012 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is taking a years long methodical approach to advanced nuclear safety in the United States while other nations, including France and Japan, are acting more expeditiously.

Japan’s ongoing Fukushima crisis has placed nuclear power under scrutiny throughout the world, and public interest groups in the US have expressed safety concerns about its aging reactors. Watchdogs have criticized the NRC for softening regulations or  even ignoring violations…… Continue reading →

January 10, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Fort Calhoun nuclear plant still shut, – problems other than flooding

Regulators to hold meeting on Neb. nuclear plant CBS News, (AP) 5 Jan 12,   OMAHA, Neb. — Federal regulators will hold a public meeting about their plan to oversee Nebraska’s Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, which remains shut down because of flood damage.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to meet with Omaha Public Power District officials on Jan. 19 to discuss the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, which is 20 miles north of Omaha. The public canask questions at the 6 p.m. meeting at Omaha’s Doubletree Hotel downtown.

Regulators said last month they were imposing tougher oversight on Fort Calhoun because several problems had been found at the plant unrelated to last summer’s flooding along the Missouri River. This meeting will outline what that oversight will look like.

Fort Calhoun has been shut down since last spring’s refueling.Flooding along the Missouri forced it to remain closed. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57353123/regulators-to-hold-meeting-on-neb-nuclear-plant/

January 7, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Chemical spill at Prairie Island nuclear plant

Chlorine bleach leaks at Xcel nuclear plant, CBS News,  (AP)  ST.
PAUL, Minn, 5 Jan 12, . — A two-inch break in a pipe leading to a chlorine bleach
tank caused a chemical spill Thursday at Xcel Energy Inc.’s Prairie Island nuclear plant on the Mississippi River near Red Wing, but officials said no radiological material was released…..
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57353122/chlorine-bleach-leaks-at-xcel-nuclear-plant/

January 6, 2012 Posted by | incidents, USA | Leave a comment

Security failings at Delaware nuclear reactor

Nuclear plants investigated Security shortcomings found at Salem/Hope Creek complex  by Delaware Onliner, JEFF MONTGOMERY  The News Journal, 4 Jan 12 Federal regulators are investigating undisclosed security failings at PSEG Nuclear’s big Salem/Hope Creek reactor site along the Delaware River, and warning of possible sanctions and additional citations against the company.

The action at PSEG’s complex in New Jersey, southeast of Augustine Beach, was one of several security-related shortcomings reported at nuclear plants around the country in recent months.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials on Tuesday declined to release details of inspection findings leading to the security citation at Salem/Hope Creek, relayed to PSEG in mid-December but made public only recently….. http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120104/NEWS08/201040345/Nuclear-plants-investigated?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

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

Plans for Seoul Nuclear Summit in March 2012

President Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons and identified nuclear terrorism as the most serious threat to international security

The Seoul Nuclear Summit, The National Interest,   issue Miles A. Pomper, Michelle E. Dover , January 4, 2012 “….late this March, fifty or so leaders will descend on Seoul to track progress since the last summit and make a batch of fresh commitments. Continue reading →

January 5, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Murmank, the world’s atomic dustbin, has fire on nuclear submarine

Bellona, a respected Norwegian NGO which monitors Russia‘s nuclear fleet, said the number of casualties may have been higher…..

The desolate region around Murmansk contains the biggest concentration of old nuclear reactors in the world and, since the cold war ended, has become the world’s atomic dustbin. 

Russian nuclear submarine blaze injures nine after crew remain inside, Guardian UK, 31 Dec 11 President orders inquiry into fire on board vessel docked in Arctic but officials play down any fears of radiation leak

The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, has ordered an investigation after a nuclear submarine caught fire during repairs in the Arctic, injuring at least nine people. Continue reading →

December 31, 2011 Posted by | incidents, Russia, wastes | Leave a comment

Russia finally submerges burning nuclear submarine

Russia submerges nuclear submarine to douse blaze (Reuters), 31 Dec 11 – Russia said it had won the battle with a raging blaze aboard a nuclear submarine on Friday by submerging the stricken vessel at a navy shipyard after hours of dousing the flames with water from helicopters and tug boats. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/29/us-russia-submarine-fire-idUSTRE7BS0MJ20111229

December 31, 2011 Posted by | incidents, Russia | Leave a comment

Huge fire on Russian nuclear submarine

Massive fire enguls Russian nuclear sub, 9 News, 30 Dec 11 Fire engulfed one of Russia’s biggest nuclear submarines while it was being repaired Thursday, sending flames and smoke billowing into the sky, but officials said all weapons had been removed and no radiation leak
was reported.

Emergency workers launched a massive operation to douse the flames after the blaze broke out on the 11,740-tonne Yekaterinburg while it was docked in the the northern Murmansk region near Russia’s border with Norway…… http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8396466/massive-fire-enguls-russian-nuclear-sub

December 30, 2011 Posted by | incidents, Russia | Leave a comment

Safety worries about cracks in Davis Besse nuclear reactor

Nuclear regulators plan January meeting to talk about probe into cracks found at Ohio reactor Washington Post, By Associated Press: December 29 TOLEDO, Ohio — Federal regulators will reveal more details next month about cracks found in the concrete shell of a nuclear reactor in Ohio.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a Jan. 5 public meeting where it will also discuss the reasons behind allowing the plant near Toledo to reopen. The Davis-Besse (BEH’-see) nuclear plant began producing electricity again in early December, less than two
months after the cracks were discovered. Regulators allowed FirstEnergy Corp. to restart the plant after saying the company provided reasonable assurance that the cracks don’t pose a threat. Regulators say they also did their own checks.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich (koo-SIN’-ich) criticized the decision, saying that it’s still not known what caused the cracks orwhether it’s a bigger problem…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nuclear-regulators-plan-january-meeting-to-talk-about-probe-into-cracks-found-at-ohio-reactor/2011/12/29/gIQAh1P4OP_story.html

December 30, 2011 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Safety failures mean that Indian Point nuclear plant should not be relicensed

“These failures mean that the relicensing of Indian Point cannot proceed,”

Is Indian Point Nuclear Plant Safe For Another 20 Years? Aol  Energy By  December 29, 2011  “….controversy following the Fukushima disaster is starting to impact operations at existing nuclear units as well as permitting for proposed facilities.

Particularly controversial has been upstate New York’s Indian Point nuclear plant run by Entergy in Buchanan, New York. As the plant reaches its fortieth year and Entergy applies for a new 20-year license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, several key stakeholders are trying to block the way. Continue reading →

December 30, 2011 Posted by | safety, USA | 1 Comment

Australian Senator wants to stop uranium sales to India, on safety concerns

Australian senator slams India’s nuclear sector,  Australia network news, 27 Dec 2011  An Australian Greens Senator has said India’s nuclear sector is set to become more irresponsible, and wants Australia to rethink its policy to sell uranium to the country. Senator Scott Ludlum made his comments after India announced plans to replace its independent nuclear regulator with a government-controlled body.

The decision comes just weeks after Australia announced it would begin selling uranium to India’s civilian nuclear program.  Senator Ludlum told Connect Asia after Japan’s nuclear disaster in March this year, governments around the world were having second thoughts about how to regulate uranium.

“Because the technology is so unforgiving, and when things go wrong they go so seriously wrong, you need to have an exquisite safety culture to maintain this equipment,” the Western Australian Senator said.

Corruption risk  The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board will be replaced with a safety authority answerable to government ministers, which Senator Ludlum said could suffer from government interference. ”On a day to day basis they will actually have the ability, from the prime minister down, to direct the regulator, force it to investigate or not investigate certain kinds of activities and, I think, quite improper use of national interest tests to decide what the regulator should do.

“Not just in India, but everywhere around the world where this technology is used, you need to be completely at arms length and you need have a fiercely independent regulator to stick its nose in wherever it thinks it’s appropriate,” he said.

“The last thing you want is something that’s just a puppet of the top tiers of government and that’s what the Indian movement and Indian officials are telling us is occurring here,” the senator said. http://australianetworknews.com/stories/201112/3398569.htm?desktop

December 28, 2011 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

Secrecy as Canada transports weapons grade uranium to USA

Canada shipping bomb-grade uranium to U.S.: memo Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press, 27 Dec 11 MONTREAL — Weapons-grade uranium is quietly being transported within Canada, and into the United States, in shipments the country’s nuclear watchdog wants to keep cloaked in secrecy. Continue reading →

December 28, 2011 Posted by | Canada, safety, secrets,lies and civil liberties, Uranium | Leave a comment

Another safety problem shuts down Pilgrim nuclear power plant

Pilgrim nuclear plant shut down because of safety relief valve leak By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Boston Globe , 27 Dec 11 The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth was shut down early this morning because of a leak detected in one of four safety relief valve systems. The steam leak was slightly radioactive and contained inside the plant. It posed no threat to the public or to plant workers, according to a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission….. Last spring, safety issues and an emergency shutdown at Pilgrim occurred. In November, the NRC officially required a yearlong review of safety procedures because of the problems, which occurred as control room operators as were restarting the reactor after it had been refueled.  …. http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2011/12/pilgrim-nuclear-plant-shut-down-because-safety-relief-valve-leak/iGrt6XDLKSsJAem1djJ3aJ/index.html

December 28, 2011 Posted by | incidents, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear ballistic missile submarine almost hit cargo vessel

Nuclear sub narrowly avoided collision in Strait of Juan de Fuca, newspaper reports By Tom Callis, 25 Dec 1 Peninsula Daily News PORT ANGELES — A nuclear-powered submarine narrowly avoided colliding with a cargo ship in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in October, according to the Navy Times.

The newspaper reported Wednesday that the USS Kentucky, a ballistic-missile sub based at Bangor, was traveling at periscope depth when it came within 900 yards of a 839-foot-long cargo ship on Oct. 12. The officer of the deck had failed to check for other vessels while
making a course change, the Navy Times said. Both ships turned to avoid colliding…

…The newspaper did not say where in the Strait the incident occurred. In an email, a Navy spokesman declined to provide the location or additional information, adding “it is U.S. Navy policy not to discuss specific submarine operations.”

Coast Guard spokespeople could not be reached for comment Saturday. Nosse was relieved of his position in October after the incident and reassigned to Submarine Group 9, the newspaper said……. The newspaper said the control room had a made series of accumulating
errors, including confusing the inbound cargo ship as an outgoing vessel, and the commanding officer, concerned about a trawler, ordering a change of course but not saying in which direction…..  http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20111225/news/312259992/nuclear-sub-narrowly-avoided-collision-in-strait-of-juan-de-fuca

December 26, 2011 Posted by | incidents, USA | Leave a comment

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