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Iran ready to negotiate on uranium enrichment

Iran May Consider Halt To 20% Uranium Enrichment, Press TV Says By Ladane Nasseri – Jul 7, 2012 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-08/iran-may-consider-halt-to-20-uranium-enrichment-press-tv-says.html An Iranian parliament lawmaker said his country is willing to consider the temporary suspension of 20-percent uranium enrichment as part of a negotiated accord, state-run Press TV news channel reported.

In return the so-called P5+1 — U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia and Germany — must agree to meet the country’s needs for 20-percent enriched uranium, said Mohammad-Hassan Asferi, a member of the Parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, according to Press TV.

Iran would be willing to suspend its 20-percent enrichment activity for a specific period if western powers meet its enrichment needs during this time, Asferi said, adding that permanent suspension is “by no means acceptable.”

Iran would also expect sanctions to be lifted and the nuclear dossier to be pulled out of the UN Security Council and referred back to the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said, according to Press TV.

July 9, 2012 Posted by | Iran, politics international, Uranium | Leave a comment

AREVA having trouble getting funding for uranium enrichment plant

Uranium enrichment plant near Idaho Falls could be delayed KTVB.com.. July 7, 2012 BOISE, Idaho — Areva still hasn’t announced a partner to help build its proposed gas centrifuge uranium enrichment plant near Idaho Falls.

If it can’t find an investor, construction on the $3 billion project will likely be delayed until 2014…. Spokesman Mike French said Areva is still seeking assistance. If no suitable investor is found or steps forward, he says it could push construction back until early 2014.
http://www.ktvb.com/news/Idaho-uranium-enrichment-project-could-be-delayed-161675625.html

July 9, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Workers exposed to radioactive uranium

Canadian workers exposed to yellowcake http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/canadian-workers-exposed-to-yellowcake/story-fn3dxix6-1226419628561  July 07, 2012  Three workers at a uranium processing plant in Canada were exposed to radioactive yellowcake when the lid blew off of a bulging container imported from the United States, US nuclear regulatory officials say. Continue reading →

July 7, 2012 Posted by | Canada, incidents, Uranium | Leave a comment

Laser enrichment technology can promote the spread of nuclear weapons

a tension between the United States’ goal of safely commercializing nuclear-power technology and its efforts to control the proliferation of nuclear materials. ”When there’s a conflict, generally speaking, the policy to spread nuclear technology overrides the non-proliferation policy.”

Laser-based uranium enrichment plant sparks controversy 07/05/2012 Laser Focus World  by Gail Overton  Senior Editor  Washington, DC–A July 4 Nature news story from Sharon Weinberger says that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to open a plant that uses laser-based uranium enrichment will be considered in private. Although the controversial laser uranium-enrichment technology is on the cusp of making it cheaper to create fuel for nuclear power plants, some non-proliferation experts are concerned that the efficiency of the laser-based technology will also smooth the path for bomb makers.  Continue reading →

July 6, 2012 Posted by | Reference, technology, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Uranium mine danger to world heritage park in Tanzania

Tanzania gets U.N. nod for uranium mine in game park DAR ES SALAAM, July 5 (Reuters) – Tanzania has received U.N. approval for Australia-based miner Mantra Resources to build a $400 million uranium mine in a world heritage game reserve despite pressure from environmental groups opposed to the project, it said on Thursday.

Green groups have warned that toxic mining activities at the plant would harm the ecologically sensitive Selous Game Reserve in the east African country… http://af.reuters.com/article/tanzaniaNews/idAFL6E8I57YN20120705

July 6, 2012 Posted by | AFRICA, environment, Uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear Free Future Award to Dr Katsumi Furitsu

CBUW Science Team member wins Nuclear Free Future Award  http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/icbuw-science-team-member-wins-nuclear-free-future  International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons.    ICBUW’s Dr Katsumi Furitsu is among the five winners of 2012’s Nuclear Free Future Awards for her work on publicising the impact of the Fukushima disaster. 4 July 2012 – ICBUW Continue reading →

July 5, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, opposition to nuclear, Uranium | Leave a comment

Uranium market stays slumped

Gap Grows Between Uranium Buyers and Sellers, 9 News 4 July 12, A slow week last week ended what was a slow month for uranium trading. Spot prices barely budged on the 15 transactions reported in June by industry consultant TradeTech, with sellers unwilling to drop their prices and buyers not willing to pay more.

With traders comprising the vast majority of both buyers and sellers in the bulk of the transactions reported over the past several months, TradeTech notes the spot uranium price remains stuck between the lack of committed buyers and what are fairly unmotivated sellers at current levels.

Last week’s news that Japan had officially green-lighted the restart of two reactors did see a bit of renewed optimism in the market, but what seems to be an increasingly stubborn spot uranium market remained sluggish, with the announcement yet to produce any sort of uplift in prices.

July 5, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

USA joining with China to develop thorium nuclear reactors

What’s not clear is what, exactly, the U.S. will get from the collaboration….

U.S. partners with China on new nuclear, By Mark Halper Smart Planet  June 26, 2012 E Pluribus Thorium? U.S. Assistant Energy Secretary Peter Lyons and Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Jiang Mianheng have joined forces for thorium development. What’s in it for the U.S.?

The U.S. Department of Energy is quietly collaborating with China on an alternative nuclear power design known as a molten salt reactor that could run on thorium fuel Continue reading →

June 30, 2012 Posted by | China, politics international, Reference, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Malaysian govt insists that Lynas might have to take its radioactive wastes back to Australia

The  Temporary Operating License  will only be issued after Lynas  fulfils two new conditions imposed 

AELB: Lynas committed to returning radioactive waste to AustraliaThe Malaysian Insider By Lisa J. Ariffin June 28, DENGKIL, June 28 — Lynas is committed to return all potentially harmful waste from its rare earths plant here to Australia despite its government’s firm refusal to take it in, Malaysia’s radiation regulator said today.

The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB)  told reporters today the Australian miner would have to send home all residue that could not be turned into commercial products or if a location for a permanent disposal facility (PDF) here could not be determined or approved.

“Lynas will have 10 months to come up with a permanent disposal facility plan for its radioactive residue upon receiving its temporary operating license (TOL),”  said Dr Noor Hasnah Mohamed Khairullah who is special adviser to the AELB director-general.

“If they fail to find a location for the PDF, or if the plan is not approved, then Lynas has to return the residues back to Australia.  Continue reading →

June 29, 2012 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, Malaysia, politics international, Uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Thorium nuclear reactors not possible for decades to come

India needs to wait for few decades to use thorium in reactor DNA, , Jun 27, 2012, Bhubaneswar PTI Describing India as self-reliant in nuclear technology, Atomic Energy Commission on Wednesday said the country has to wait for a few more decades to use thorium as the base for nuclear reactors.

“Using thorium as the base for reactors will take time. We have to wait a few decades to make it possible,” Atomic Energy Commission Chairman R K Sinha said….. Replying a question on the possible use of thorium as the base for the nuclear reactors, he said the country needs to wait…..

June 28, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, India, Uranium | Leave a comment

North Carolina’s water faces danger from Virginia uranium mining

Virginia uranium mining ‘would be a huge mistake’ for NC HENDERSON, N.C.WRAL News : Beau Minnick, 27 June 12, — As Virginia considers lifting a 30-year-old ban on uranium mining, some North Carolina residents have been crossing the border to share their concerns about the possible environmental effects on this state.

Lifting the ban, which has been in place since 1982, would allow a Chatham, Va., company to tap into the nation’s largest undeveloped resource of uranium. The question is how that could impact Kerr Lake and surrounding bodies of water, which straddle both states. Continue reading →

June 28, 2012 Posted by | Uranium, USA, water | Leave a comment

Same old price doldrums for the uranium industry

Spot uranium price unchanged at $50.75/lb U3O8 in weak market, Washington (Platts)–26 Jun2012 The spot price for uranium was unchanged over the last week at about $50.75/lb U3O8, prompting one analyst to describe the market as”stuck” with few buyers or sellers anxious to make a deal.

TradeTech on Friday kept its weekly price at $50.75/lb, saying that spot uranium demand “continues to be dominated by highly price sensitive and discretionary demand, and while spot supplies are currently sufficient to meet demand [and] sellers are not actively seeking to push material to the market.”… http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/8439315

June 27, 2012 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs, Uranium | Leave a comment

New Zealand to do limited testing of soldiers for depleted uranum poisoning

Kiwi soldiers tested for uranium poisoning, TVNZ June 25, 2012  Soldiers returning from Afghanistan are having urine tests to check if they have absorbed radioactivity from American depleted uranium munitions…. The issue will come before Parliament on Wednesday during the first reading of the Depleted Uranium (Prohibition) Bill, backed by Labour MP Phil Twyford. Continue reading →

June 25, 2012 Posted by | depleted uranium, New Zealand, Uranium | Leave a comment

National Academy of Sciences’ report indicates “keep uranium mining ban in Virginia”

Here are just three of the report’s key findings:

» “Extreme natural events (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, intense rainfall events, drought) have the potential to lead to the release of contaminants if facilities are not designed and constructed to withstand such an event, or fail to perform as designed.”

» “The decay products of uranium provide a constant source of radiation in uranium tailings for thousands of years, substantially outlasting the current U.S. regulations for oversight of processing facility tailings.”

» “Because almost all uranium mining and processing to date has taken place in parts of the United States that have a negative water balance (dry climates with low rainfall) federal agencies have limited experience applying laws and regulations in positive water balance (wet climates with medium to high rainfall) situations.”

All the credible science says, ‘Keep the ban’ Go Dan River, By: Robert G. Burnley | GoDanRiver June 17, 2012 I began my career as a water quality scientist in Virginia 40 years ago — six years before uranium deposits were discovered beneath farmland in Pittsylvania County. Since shortly after that discovery, Virginia law has banned uranium mining.

It is my firm belief, based on review of the highly anticipated National Academy of Sciences’ report released last December, that the ban needs to remain in place. Continue reading →

June 20, 2012 Posted by | environment, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

“Flimsy” new safety conditions for Malaysia’s rare earths project

“The two conditions are flimsy and general in nature. They are not specific enough and will in no way safeguard or appease the fears of residents living in the area,”

 The group plans to challenge the government decision in court …

.. The ministry said the refinery would only be allowed to operate once Lynas complies with all the requirements, including the two extra conditions…… the government review has blocked the company from bringing in raw material. 

Malaysia imposes 2 more conditions on controversial rare earth plant by Australian miner,Washington Post, By Associated Press, June 14, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s government has imposed two new conditions on a rare earth refinery set up by Australian miner Lynas to assuage public fears of radioactive pollution. Continue reading →

June 16, 2012 Posted by | Malaysia, politics, Uranium | Leave a comment

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