nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

France in bind over the soaring cost of nuclear safety

Given voter concern over the dangers of nuclear energy, the French government can
do little but enforce new nuclear safety regulations and other governments across the world will also need to follow suit…...

Europe’s reliance on nuclear energy a costly obstacle to green power The National Tony Glover, 14 Jan 12,  Summary Eco-money France’s €10bn bill is a stark warning to those countries now debating whether to opt for traditional or sustainable sources of power.

A decision by France to spend billions of euros making its vast network of ageing reactors safe is once again making environmentalists question the future of nuclear energy.

“This is more evidence that nuclear energy is commercially, as well as environmentally, unviable in the long term. Continue reading →

January 14, 2012 Posted by | France, safety | Leave a comment

Poor security of enriched uranium around the world

the countries with active enrichment programs…… claimed the plants they are building or expanding are producing fissile materials only for use in civilian applications.

But the materials themselves [enriched uranium] can be shifted from one of these purposes
to the other, either by national government or by terrorists 

Fissile materials remain poorly protected, 1/12/12 By R. Jeffrey Smith, iWatch News A new industrial plant producing a key nuclear weapons ingredient, enriched uranium, opened in China last year, near the Sichuan city of Hanzhong. Other such plants opened last year in France and Japan. Argentina is trying to get one started, the Dutch are expanding theirs, and the United States has recently approved construction of such a plant in Idaho and the expansion of another in New Mexico.

The production of highly-enriched uranium is expanding in some countries, in short, even though arms control experts and government officials frequently depict stocks of the material as a troublesome invitation to nuclear weapons proliferation….. Continue reading →

January 13, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission dispute, as Chairman Jaczko wants more safety

A Philosophical Split at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Huffington Post, Elliott Negin, 12 Jan 12“…….For two days, a federal agency aired its dirty laundry in public. Both the House and the Senate held hearings on December 14 and 15 respectively that wound up focusing on a bureaucratic tiff between the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the agency’s four commissioners….

the split may be more philosophical than personal. A critical vote the five took on December 15, the same day as the Senate hearing, suggests that it is at least partly the latter. For the seventh time over the last three years, Jaczko was on the losing end of a 4-1 vote that went against a proposal that would have strengthened plant safeguards.  Continue reading →

January 13, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

U.S. geologist warns on earthquake risk to planned Jaitapur nuclear plant

Jaitapur nuclear power plant project draws more fire Gulf News, By Pamela Raghunath, 13 Jan 12, US geologist warns of high quake risk in region and urges authorities to embrace a design that can withstand a high degree of shaking  Mumbai: A noted American geologist has criticised the construction of a 9,900 Megawatt nuclear power plant in Jaitapur, Maharashtra, warning of a high earthquake risk in the area.
In a paper co-authored with Professor Vinod Gaur of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Professor Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado warned that a magnitude 6 earthquake could hit Jaitapur. The paper was published in Current Science, a prestigious Indian journal published by the Current Science Association and the Indian Academy of Sciences.
He joins environmentalists, Indian scientists and local farmers in opposing the energy project……
The Jaitapur area comes under Ratnagiri district which falls in the seismic Zone 4 (high damage) category with Zone 5 being the highest. The region has witnessed 92 earthquakes within the period from 1985 to 2005.
Professor Bilham said nuclear power plants can be engineered to withstand a high degree of shaking intensity although the expense of the design will increase with the severity and duration of the shaking. http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/jaitapur-nuclear-power-plant-project-draws-more-fire-1.965175

January 13, 2012 Posted by | India, safety | Leave a comment

Three noteworthy developments in nuclear news

NUCLEAR WEAPONS, Killed in Iran: Part of a Nuclear Trifecta , TIME, By MARK THOMPSON, January 11, 2012 It has been a busy day or so on the nuclear front:

– An Iran nuclear scientist was assassinated Wednesday morning in Tehran.

– The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock warning of nuclear war to 11:56 p.m. – one minute closer to the midnight when it believes nuclear war could break out.

– And the Nuclear Threat Initiative released its Nuclear Materials Security Index, a database charting publicly for the first time 32 nations that possess the fissile guts of nuclear weapons – and how secure they are.

The trio consists of three discrete elements, but – like a radioactive Venn diagram – they overlap in disconcerting ways…..
nuclear weapons remain the crack cocaine of world leaders, crazy or not, who want the security they seem to offer. And those who fear such weapons falling into what they deem to be the wrong hands are just as determined to see they don’t get them.

That certitude is apparently behind the killing of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a 32-year old Iranian chemist. He died after an unknown killer, riding a motorbike, affixed a bomb to his gray Peugeot 405 in northern Tehran that exploded moments later. “The bomb was a magnetic bomb and is the same as those previously used to assassinate scientists,” Tehran Deputy Governor Safar Ali Baratlo said, “and is the work of the Zionists.” Both Israel and the U.S. have denied involvement in such attacks………  : http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2012/01/11/killed-in-iran-part-of-a-nuclear-trifecta/#ixzz1jIEDcSrA

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Fifth assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist

Iranian nuclear chemist killed by motorbike assassins,  and ,  guardian.co.uk,   11 January 2012  Tensions escalate with US and Israel as Tehran accuses the Mossad in fifth murder of scientists

A chemist working at Iran‘s main uranium enrichment plant was killed on Wednesday when attackers on a motorbike stuck a magnetic bomb to his car. The assassination – the fifth against Iranian nuclear scientists in the past two years – is likely to further escalate tensions between Iran and the west.

It took place at 8.30am, at the height of rush-hour in Tehran, according to witnesses quoted in the Iranian media. A motorcycle pulled up alongside a silver Peugeot 405 carrying the deputy director of the Natanz enrichment plant, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, 32.

The pillion passenger stuck a charge to the door next to the chemist, which detonated as the motorcyclist drove off. The car’s driver was also killed and a pedestrian was wounded, but the charge used appeared to have a sophisticated shape that focused the blast into the car. While the door ended up in nearby trees, much of the car remained intact.

Ahmadi-Roshan was the fifth nuclear scientist to be attacked in Tehran in 24 months. Only one target has survived the daytime attacks, apparently carried out by a well-trained hit team. Iran has said the US and Israel are behind the assassinations, and blamed the Mossad for Wednesday’s killings….. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/11/iran-nuclear-chemist-killed?newsfeed=true

January 12, 2012 Posted by | civil liberties, Iran, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear security recommendations from The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index Global Priorities for Security Needed All Governments Can Do More WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ “…….Recommendations
NTI recommends actions for the global community to take, in parallel with steps to improve state stewardship.

Build the Foundation for a Global Nuclear Materials Security System

  • Establish an international dialogue on priorities for materials security through the Nuclear Security Summit or a subsequent process
  • Benchmark progress and hold states accountable for security
  • Build appropriate transparency to increase international confidence by:
    • Publishing and providing access to nuclear materials security regulations
    • Declaring nuclear materials inventories
    • Inviting regular peer reviews
  • Stop increasing stocks of weapons-usable materials

Improve State Stewardship of Nuclear Materials

  • Eliminate weapons-usable nuclear materials completely in as many states as possible
  • Strengthen security and control measures, including physical protection, control and accounting, and personnel measures at facilities and during transport of nuclear materials
  • Bring all civil uranium enrichment and reprocessing facilities under IAEA safeguards
  • Better target assistance to states with urgent needs
  • Ratify and implement existing materials security-related treaties. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) assesses nuclear security in 176 countries

Full rankings are available  on the website, www.ntiindex.org.  

NTI Launches Nuclear Materials Security Index Global Priorities for Security Needed All Governments Can Do More WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) today released a first-of-its-kind, public baseline assessment of the status of nuclear materials security conditions in 176 countries. The NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index underscores that there is no global consensus about what steps matter most to secure some of the world’s most dangerous materials against theft and recommends actions to hold countries accountable, increase transparency and benchmark progress. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Nuclear security worst in N Korea, Pakistan, Iran, India, China and Israel

 The project ranks the 32 states which possess more than a kilogram of highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium, according to some weighed criteria: how much stuff they have and in how many places; the security and control measures in place; to what extent they stick to global norms and agreements on nuclear security; the domestic political will and capacity to enforce those norms, and the fragility of their societies including the level of corruption.

India, China and Israel ranked among the world’s worst for nuclear security
The Guardian, Julian Borger, 11 Jan 12, A new index assessing the vulnerability of the world’s stocks of weapons-grade nuclear material produces some surprising results. The Nuclear Threat Initiative, a respected non-proliferation think tank, and the Economic Intelligence Unit have produced a new ranking systemto assess the security of the world’s scattered stocks of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium. Continue reading →

January 12, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Indian Point nuclear power plant shut due to radioactive water problem

Pump problem shuts nuclear reactor in NYC suburbs, WSJ, JANUARY 10, 2012, WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — An increase in a leak of slightly radioactive water forced the shutdown Tuesday of a reactor at the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York City’s suburbs, officials said.

Entergy Nuclear, owner of the plant in Buchanan, said all the water was contained in the pump. It said there was no release of radioactivity from the Indian Point 2 reactor and no danger to workers or the public…

it’s not yet known how long Indian Point 2 will be offline….. Indian Point, 35 miles from midtown Manhattan, is fighting for new 20-year licenses for the two reactors. Current
licenses expire in 2013 and 2015. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has opposed the new licenses, saying it’s unsafe to have a nuclear plant in such a densely populated area.
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP45c33f21230c436195398edcb5f43907.html

January 11, 2012 Posted by | incidents, USA | 1 Comment

Switzerland’s nuclear plants must prove safety features

Swiss nuclear plants need more safety reviews FRANKFURT, Jan 10 (Reuters)  by Vera Eckert, – Switzerland’s safety precautions for its nuclear reactors must be further reviewed and more proof that they can withstand major earthquakes must be filed by the end of March, its nuclear safety authority ENSI said on Tuesday.

The assessment was made in the context of stress tests which the country demanded last June in line with the European Union following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan last year.

Switzerland was among seven EU neighbours that agreed to follow the bloc’s lead by imposing new safety checks. “These safety measures will be based on toughter risk assumptions than
assumed in EU stress tests,” the authority said in a statement on its website. “ENSI will assess the plants’ assurances. Results are due by end-June.”

Should they be viewed as insufficient to offer protection against natural disasters, in particular the combination of earthquakes and failure of dams near power stations, ENSI could in theory require plants to stop production, it said…..
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/10/switzerland-nuclear-ensi-idUSL6E8CA3E620120110

January 11, 2012 Posted by | safety, Switzerland | Leave a comment

Nuclear technicians watching Internet sites, not the nuclear controls

NRC: Nuclear technicians surfed web on the job, By Mike M. Ahlers, January 9, 2012 WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nine technicians responsible for monitoring operations at a Louisiana nuclear power plant spent on-duty time surfing the Internet — visiting websites that included news, sports, fishing and retirement information — jeopardizing the safety of the plant, federal regulators say.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission disclosed the web-surfing activities Monday in a letter that proposes a $140,000 fine against the River Bend nuclear power station, 24 miles northwest of Baton Rouge……

According to an NRC investigation, nine operators “deliberately violated” the safety procedures by surfing the web between January and April of 2010. Three of the nine did so with such frequency and duration that they are being issued “severity level three enforcement violations.” (Severity level one represents the greatest significant violation and severity level four is the lowest.) The remaining six operators will receive severity level four violations. …..http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/09/us/technicians-web-surfing/

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

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

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »