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Financial and safety threats in expanding production of plutonium

Some of the intractable challenges facing the President’s Commission -and the public- include some 67,000 metric tons of highly radioactive waste in temporary storage today, the prospect of expanded production of plutonium as both a health and a national security threat, nationwide transportation of highly radioactive waste, to and from, the Savanna River Site over road, rail and waterways and the unresolved problem of finding a secure repository for the long term storage of nuclear waste.

A blue-ribbon, “nuclear” bus ride Mountain Xpress,Ned Ryan Doyle, 21 Jan 2011, How could a nuclear-energy park in South Carolina impact the people of WNC? On January 7th, a “WNC Citizen’s Delegation” chartered a bus to Augusta, GA, for the only public hearing in the Southeast held by President Obama’s appointed “Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future”… Continue reading →

January 21, 2011 Posted by | safety, USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority says all of UK’s high level radioactive waste is at Sellafield

NDA: ‘No plans to send high-level nuke waste to Sellafield’ , Whitehaven News by Alan Irving, 13 January 2011 THE Nuclear Decommissioning Authority says it has no plans whatsoever to send high-level radioactive materials to Sellafield. Copeland’s MP Jamie Reed has raised Parliamentary questions over claims that high-level waste might come to Sellafield from other UK nuclear sites. Continue reading →

January 14, 2011 Posted by | UK, wastes | Leave a comment

France leaves radioactive legacy in uranium mine tailings

When the mines are shut down, the radioactive waste remains, and it seems that the costs for managing this radioactive legacy will have to be largely supported by the society, not the companies.

Radiological hazards from uranium mining: Problems posed by the disposal of tailings, League of Individuals for the Environment, Inc, Bruno Chareyron, 5 Jan 2011, The disposal of radioactive tailings and their control on the long term, has not receivedyet satisfying solutions, taking into consideration their activity, radiotoxicityand long half-lives. Some examples from France (where about 50 million tonsof tailings are stored) and Niger are given below. Continue reading →

January 12, 2011 Posted by | France, Uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Pro nuclear “Blue Ribbon Commission” to continue its international travelling roadshow

“Environmental activists like Peggy Guy held up signs and wore hats that had a clear message for the Blue Ribbon Commission..

.”Stop Making Nuclear Waste”.Guy: “Welcome to the nuclear heartland. You get to the share the roads possibly with thousands of trucks carrying radioactive waste to SRS.”

Nuclear Waste Debate Hits Very Close To Home WJBF–TV, 8 Jan 2011, Augusta, GA –-A national panel is in Augusta to find out what to do with nuclear waste. Friday, the Blue Ribbon Commission got input from politicians, advocates and environmentalists. Continue reading →

January 8, 2011 Posted by | politics international, USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Blue Ribbon Commission wades on through the nuclear waste mess

Federal officials have agreed to clean and close underground tanks holding 37 million gallons of waste, but they don’t have a final resting place for it….A proposed nuclear building boom would add to the unresolved problem…..

“It was never intended that spent fuel would remain on site,” The Southern Co. spokesman Carrie Phillips said. “Nor was it intended that it would remain the responsibility of the company.” (Why shouldn’t the company be responsible? – C.M.)

Nuclear waste panel tours southeast atomic site – Bloomberg. ATLANTA (AP), 7 Jan 2011, — The head of Southern Co.’s nuclear wing is urging a national panel charged with recommending ways to dispose of highly radioactive waste to bury it in the Nevada mountains, while local environmental groups said that waste should stay put until a final solution is found. Continue reading →

January 7, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

USA’s nuclear waste dilemma

Nuclear dumping in SC a concern – – TheState.com, 7 Jan 2011, “……….The panel is expected to recommend to President Obama by mid-summer how to deal with the nuclear waste, which is growing as nuclear power plants continue to produce electricity. The U.S. has generated more than 70,000 metric tons of high-level nuclear waste — lethal material that, in some cases, doesn’t break down for thousands of years. Continue reading →

January 7, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

The basic facts on Texas Radioactive Waste Commission decision

Post your opinion on this site. Texas to US: Send Us Your Radioactive Waste – Commission OKs site, to be fourth such dump in country SHARE YOUR TAKE Texas to US: Send Us Your Radioactive Waste – NewserBy Kate Schwartz,  Jan 5, Commission OKs site, to be fourth such dump in country– In a move sure to delight the nuclear-energy industry and depress environmentalists, a Texas commission yesterday set the ball rolling on legislation that would make the state the final destination for 36 states’ low-level radioactive-waste. Continue reading →

January 6, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

USA’s Blue Ribbon Commission to talk about wastes and new nuclear reactors

The commission has until June to come up new strategies for dealing with the thousands of tons of spent nuclear fuel…….They will also hear about plant Vogtle’s expansion. There Southern Company plans to build the first new nuclear reactors in decades

Commission Plans Nuclear Tour, GPB Newsw, By Noel Brown 5 Jan 2011, AUGUSTA, Ga. — A federal panel charged with finding new ways to store high level nuclear waste will tour the Savannah River Site near Augusta Thursday. The Blue Ribbon Commission for America’s Nuclear Future was created by the Obama administration last year Continue reading →

January 6, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Texas – “bring me your poor huddled masses of radioactive waste”

some environmental groups said the plan would provide an incentive to the nuclear-energy industry to expand without coming up with better places to store its refuse.

“It’s defying logic to make more waste that we don’t have a good place to put,”……Opponents say a conflict of interest exists between the commission,

Texas to Take States’ Radioactive Discards – WSJ.com, 5 Jan 2011, By ANA CAMPOY A  Texas commission Tuesday set in motion the importation of low-level radioactive-waste from 36 other states, a move long sought by the nuclear-energy industry and long opposed by environmentalists.The Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission, which manages the state’s radioactive-waste dump, voted 5-2 to approve rules governing the process for accepting the out-of-state material. Continue reading →

January 6, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Indian government not really concerned about nuclear waste

today, we don’t have a waste management problem. We will have it by the year 2020-2030,”

Nuclear waste not an immediate problem for India: Ramesh – The Economic Times, 4 Jan 2011, NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over waste management at the proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said it was not an immediate problem for India Continue reading →

January 4, 2011 Posted by | India, wastes | Leave a comment

Mon Dieu, Electricite de France is supposed to pay for nuclear waste storage

Under French law, EDF has to build a portfolio of assets to enable it to pay for the decommissioning of France’s 58 nuclear reactors and radioactive waste storage…EDF was supposed to have set aside enough money by the end of June 2011 for decommissioning of all of its nuclear assets and waste storage. A planned power law gave the utility a five- year extension on the deadline to June 2016.

EDF Puts 50% of RTE Grid Operator into Dedicated Fund for Nuclear Charges – Bloomberg, By Tara Patel – Jan 3, 2011 Electricite de France said it will improve its debt ratio with the transfer of half the French power grid Reseau de Transport d’Electricite into a fund that will cover costs for dismantling nuclear reactors……… Continue reading →

January 4, 2011 Posted by | France, wastes | Leave a comment

Blue Ribbon Commission for America’s Nuclear Future targeting South Carolina for waste dump?

South Carolina might be forced to take on an even larger nuclear waste role than it already has.

Blue Ribbon panel to tour SRS, look for solution, The Augusta Chronicle, 3 Jan 2011, Group tasked with finding answer for waste problem By Rob Pavey.In terms of nuclear issues, the eyes of the nation will be on Augusta this week as the Obama Administration’s Blue Ribbon Commission for America’s Nuclear Future visits Savannah River Site and Augusta. Continue reading →

January 2, 2011 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Showdown at the ole Texas nuclear waste dump

a proposed rule change commissioners could vote on Jan. 4 would allow importation of waste from elsewhere. Critics of the plan say the timing is meant to ensure it passes before Shumlin has a say.

Vermont’s nuclear waste showdown in Texas Burlington free Press, 28 Dec 10, Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin’s inauguration is causing a stir in Texas that’s reverberating back here to Vermont.That’s where a commission will meet two days before Shumlin takes office to vote on whether to allow radioactive waste from states to be dumped in a long-planned Texas site that was going to be strictly for Texas and Vermont. Continue reading →

December 29, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

An evil Christmas present for Texas – nuclear waste importing

“This is an evil Christmas present from WCS and Harold Simmons,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith, director of the liberal environmental group Public Citizen of Texas. After a news conference blasting the plan, Smith and other environmentalists rolled a black barrel, with a radioactive symbol on the outside, under the state Christmas tree outside the Texas Capitol

Activists protest nuke waste plan for West Texas Houston Chronicle, 24 Dec  2010 The Associated Press  AUSTIN, Texas — Warning that Texas could soon become the dumping grounds for nuclear waste from around the nation, environmentalists accused state regulators and a politically connected company Thursday of rushing a dump expansion proposal past Texans who are too focused on the holidays to even notice. Continue reading →

December 24, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

UK nuclear waste burial site endangered by earthquake risk

“It would be stupidity to bury high levels of radioactive material underground in areas which can be affected by earthquakes.

Earthquake ‘could hit plans to bury nuclear waste’, Whitehaven News, By Alan Irving, 22 December 2010 WEST Cumbria’s potential for burying highly radioactive nuclear waste could have taken a step back as a result of Tuesday night’s earthquake, say campaigners.Seismic tremors have to be seriously considered as part of a watertight safety review if a site is eventually found which appears to have the right geology. Continue reading →

December 22, 2010 Posted by | UK, wastes | Leave a comment

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