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Chernobyl nuclear reactor still has 180 tons of radioactive material

the status of the estimated 180 tons of radioactive material trapped inside the nuclear power plant is still unclear.

Chernobyl Tour, Ukraine: Visit the Site of the Nuclear Disaster/Accident.Ukrainian Web 17 Dec 10, n 26 April 1986, reactor # 4 at the Chernobyl (Chornobyl) Nuclear Power Station, 100 km north from Kiev, blew up during a routine daily operation. Nearly nine tons of radioactive material – 90 times as much as the Hiroshima bomb – were hurled into the sky. Winds over the following days, mostly blowing north and west, carried, fallout into Belarus, as well as Russia, Poland and the Baltic region. Continue reading →

December 17, 2010 Posted by | safety, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Sellafield nuclear site at risk of terrorist attack

Sellafield is considered to be one of the most at-risk nuclear plants because of its growing plutonium stock.

(UK) Nuclear sites found to be vulnerable to attack by terrorists  Daily Mail   15th December 2010 An anti-terror review has been launched after weaknesses in security measures were found at a nuclear power station.The assessment – being carried out by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary – is focussing on Sellafield in Cumbria where enough plutonium is held to make thousands of nuclear weapons.

A bunker capable of storing 100 tonnes of raw plutonium was completed at the site earlier this year, making it a prime target for a terrorist attack. Continue reading →

December 16, 2010 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

South African nuclear reactor shut down due to radioactivity levels

Eskom Says High Radioactivity Level Prompts Shutdown Of Nuclear Unit, NASDAQ,  By Robb M. Stewart, 16 Dec 10, JOHANNESBURG -(Dow Jones)- South Africa’s state-owned power company said Tuesday it will suspend a unit at its nuclear power station near Cape Town because of higher-than-normal levels of radioactivity.The radioactivity level in Koeberg Unit 1’s primary coolant circuit is the result of one or more defective fuel rods in the reactor, Eskom Holdings Ltd. said in a statement………Eskom Says High Radioactivity Level Prompts Shutdown Of Nuclear Unit

December 16, 2010 Posted by | safety, South Africa | Leave a comment

British nuclear submarine HMS Astute not very astute at all

The latest embarrassing incident came as the Ministry of Defence conceded that despite bristling with the latest global positioning and eavesdropping systems, the super-sub still relies on paper charts similar to those used in British submarines during the Second World War

HMS Calamity: First it ran aground, then it collided with a tug. Now Britain’s £1.2bn flagship submarine breaks down on its first day back in service, Daily Mail (UK) By Christopher Leake and Andy Whelan 12th December 2010 The troubled Royal Navy nuclear submarine that ran aground off Scotland has broken down on its first day back at sea. Continue reading →

December 13, 2010 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Stuxnet a bigger worry than Wikileaks

If You Think WikiLeaks Is Significant… –TIME.com, Mark Thompson, 10 Dec 10, The experts at the Congressional Research Service have just issued a chilling report entitled The Stuxnet Computer Worm: Harbinger of an Emerging Warfare Capability. Unfortunately, the title is a statement; there’s no question mark at the end. The Stuxnet’s initial target was apparently Iran’s nuclear program, and it’s obvious that someone, somewhere is developing insidious computer programs that could change life as we know it:……. If You Think WikiLeaks Is Significant… – Swampland – TIME.com

December 13, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | Leave a comment

Inadequate security of America’s nuclear weapons stockpile

Supercomputers that guard America’s nukes lack adequate planning, GAO finds — Government Computer News Bloomberg By William Jackson * Dec 10, 2010The supercomputer systems used to assess the safety and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile do not have adequate contingency and disaster recovery plans in place to ensure availability following a disaster, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office. Continue reading →

December 11, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Many unsolved questions about continuing dilapidated Oyster Creek nuclear reactor

Many reasons remain why Oyster Creek should be shutdown overnight, not least of which includes the continued generation of unmanaged nuclear waste and its vulnerable onsite storage with the equivalent radiation from the Hiroshima nuclear weapon blast many, many times over.

Countdown to Shutdown of Oyster Creek in 2019, Beyond Nuclear, 10 Dec 2010, Rather than be sued by the State of New Jersey to save Barnegat Bay by building less destructive cooling towers for the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, Exelon Nuclear Corporation and Republican Governor Chris Christie announced a negotiated agreement to close the nation’s oldest operating nuclear power plant early in Lacey Township in 2019. Continue reading →

December 10, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Wikileaks reveal near catastrophe with Libya’s Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)

US embassy cables: Ambassador warns of potential environmental disaster as Libya halts uranium shipment   guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 December 2010

Part of the WikiLeaks tranch US cable 25 November 2009 A crisis arose when Libya unexpectedly stopped a flight carrying highly-enriched uranium (HEU) to Russia. The material, which had been part of Libya’s weapons programme, was due for disposal. American officials were alarmed at the decision, and particularly at the fact that the uranium wanow sitting, barely guarded and in unsuitable containers, on the runway tarmac.

The HEU was not packaged for storage and was literally getting hotter and
hotter…… …   US embassy cables: Ambassador warns of potential environmental disaster as Libya halts uranium shipment | World news | guardian.co.uk

December 7, 2010 Posted by | MIDDLE EAST, safety | Leave a comment

Excessive radiation from airport scanners not properly scrutinised

The TSA and its contractors had failed to identify the machines that were emitting excessive radiation — a failure that continues to leave TSA workers and some lawmakers uneasy, especially as the agency continues to deploy hundreds of controversial radiation-emitting machines to help screen passengers……

TSA workers, experts worry about radiation exposure

By Alison Young, USA TODAY, 6 Dec 10,
When investigators with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s workplace safety team visited a dozen airports in 2003 and 2004, what they found was disturbing — at least to federal airport workers. Continue reading →

December 7, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | | Leave a comment

Doubts on need for airport radiation scanning, with its skin cancer risk

the concentration on the skin – one of the most radiation-sensitive organs of the body – means the radiation dose is actually 20 times higher than the official estimate.

Full-body airport scanners ‘as likely to kill you as terrorist bombs’ By Kate Schneider   news.com.au , November 26, 2010 CONTROVERSIAL full-body airport scanners are just as likely to kill you as a terrorist’s bomb exploding on your plane, a leading scientist says.Peter Rez, a physics professor at Arizona State University, US, said the probability of dying from cancer caused by radiation from a body scanner and that of being killed in a terror attack are both approximately one in 30 million. Continue reading →

November 26, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, safety | , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission challenged over rubber-stamping nuclear license extensions

he was fired by FPL and other nuclear power companies after complaining about safety issues and is now campaigning against what he terms the “rubber-stamping” of 20-year nuclear power plant license extensions.

Florida activist challenges plan to repair Palo nuclear reactor, By DAVE DeWITTE • Cedar Rapids Gazette • November 26, 2010 Palo, Ia. – A nuclear power activist has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reject the repair method proposed by the operator of Duane Arnold Energy Center for a potentially serious fault in a nozzle on the plant’s reactor this month. Continue reading →

November 26, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Radiation danger and illicit nuclear tracking fears in Ghana

Government to provide protection of nuclear and radioactive materials, Accra, Nov. 23, Ghana News Agency, GNA – Government has expressed its commitment to provide the physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive materials and associated facilities, Mr Alex Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff said on Tuesday. He said government would in addition; work to combat illicit trafficking and inadvertent movement of radioactive materials…………Government to provide protection of nuclear and radioactive materials

November 25, 2010 Posted by | AFRICA, safety | , , , , | Leave a comment

Safety problems, workers pressured at Knolls nuclear site

WGI managers “created an atmosphere of fear among the work force not to speak up about issues of concern,” according to the DOE report.

Federal probe: Workers felt pressed to ignore safety issues at Knolls nuclear site, Times Union, By BRIAN NEARING , November 23, 2010 NISKAYUNA — A federal investigation into radiation released during demolition of a research building at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory found workers felt pressed by bosses to ignore safety issues and get work done faster. Continue reading →

November 24, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stuxnet computer worm might target North Korea’s nukes

  • the North Korean control system “is dual use, also used by the petrochemical industry, but was the same as those acquired by Iran to run its centrifuges.”
  • Could Stuxnet Mess With North Korea’s New Uranium Plant?  Wired.com. By Kim Zetter and Spencer Ackerman November 22, 2010 The Stuxnet worm may have a new target. While security analysts try to figure out whether the now-infamous malware was built to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program, North Korea has unveiled a new uranium enrichment plant that appears to share components with Iran’s facilities. Could Pyongyang’s centrifuges be vulnerable to Stuxnet? Continue reading →

November 23, 2010 Posted by | North Korea, safety, Uranium | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Danger in drunken nuclear transport drivers

Office of Secure Transportation (OST). agents drive nuclear weapons, weapons components and nuclear materials around the country, and are trained to defend the shipments from attack and sabotage.

US nuclear transport agents seen ‘in drunken incidents’ BBC News 22 November 2010 US agents who drive nuclear weapons around the country were involved in 16 alcohol-related incidents in two years, the energy department has said. Continue reading →

November 23, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

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