wastes « nuclear-news

Hanford toxic nuclear waste – cleanup deadlines proposed

New Hanford radiation cleanup deadlines proposed , Seattle pi. 23 April 2010, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TRI-CITIES, Wash. — The Department of Energy and its regulators have agreed to new cleanup deadlines for radioactive waste that has been temporarily buried since 1970 at the Hanford nuclear reservation.The Tri-City Herald reports the deadlines would allow more time for some work but also add new deadlines. They include deadlines for when some of the waste must be shipped to a national repository in New Mexico known as WIPP, for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant….The cleanup changes have been in discussion for more than a year. A 45-day public comment period begins May 3. New Hanford radiation cleanup deadlines proposed

April 23, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Local government opposes nuclear waste dump plan

Canton slams radioactive waste plans, World Radio Switzerland, 21 April 2010, Plans for a radioactive waste disposal unit in the canton of Schaffhausen has come under fire in a study published by the local government.The National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste outlined two possible sites for the unit: one in Zurich Weinland and one near Sudranden in the canton of Schaffhasusen.That’s just a few kilometers from the city of Schaffhausen, where 80 percent of the canton’s population live and work.Today’s report says a disposal centre would have a detrimental effect on the town of Schaffhausen, and on the development of both the canton’s economy and population.The report estimates it would lose between 15 and 33 million francs in tax revenue a year and the population would drop by up to 5,000 people. WRS | Canton slams radioactive waste plans

April 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Nuclear colonialism – sending radioactive wastes to developing countries?

Radioactive Waste Came From Abroad, Officials Say | India, THE FASTER TIMES, Jeremy Kahn, 19 April 2010, Last week, I reported on the disconcerting case of a bunch of radioactive Cobalt 60 turning up in a West Delhi scrap dealer’s shop, resulting in the poisoning of at least six people and a considerable amount of panic.Now,

The Wall Street Journal talks to nuclear scientists investigating the incident. They say that while they have not yet determined the source of radioactive metal, they are certain that it did not come from an Indian source…….As I mentioned in my initial post on this – the developing world has unfortunately become the dumping ground for all sorts of hazardous waste from the developed world. Radioactive Waste Came From Abroad, Officials Say | India

April 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Cobalt-60 – another radioactive isotope from the nuclear industry

Cobalt-60 Radiation in Delhi : What is Cobalt 60 ? India Buzzing 9 April 2010,Cobalt-60 (60Co) is a radioactive isotope of cobalt. Due to its short half life of 5.27 years 60Co is not found in nature. It is produced artificially by neutron activation of 59Co. 60Co decays by negative beta decay to the stable isotope nickel-60 (60Ni). The activated Ni-atom emits two gamma rays with energies of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV.

Cobalt-60 Radiation in Delhi : What is Cobalt 60 ? | India Buzzing

April 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, wastes | antinuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Stimulus spending goes to nuclear waste cleanup states

it’s not clear to me that this has much of a stimulative effect on the American macroeconomy

Gotcha on stimulus spending? Washington Examiner, By: Michael Barone, 2 April 2010, “…………lots of stimulus dollars went to the 4th district of Washington, which is on the other side of the Cascades from Olympia, and which with the South Carolina 3rd is the only non-state capital district among the top 25 districts on de Rugy’s list. What these two districts have in common is the presence of two Energy Department nuclear manufacturing sites—the Hanford Site and the Savannah River Site.

These have had huge pollution problems, and have been part of a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar cleanup process. I gather that the Energy Department was in a position to ramp up this process quickly and got a lot of stimulus funds to do so.

This may be a worthy use of federal dollars; these sites were contaminated because we were sloppy in the development of nuclear weapons during World War II and the Cold War, and it may very well make sense to clean them up. In effect we’re paying for past wars, as we do when we pay for veterans’ benefits. But it’s not clear to me that this has much of a stimulative effect on the American macroeconomy. Gotcha on stimulus spending? | Washington Examiner

April 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Mountainous cost of nuclear wastes and still no plan

The DOE now has no place to put the waste and no plan

Seeking a ‘Plan B’  for nuclear waste: With Yucca Mountain site dead, billions paid into project are in limbo By Margaret Newkirk , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 2, 2010 “…….. Georgia electric customers paid the U.S. government more than $701 million over nearly three decades, in exchange for a service now 12 years overdue.Today, the U.S. government is as far away from delivering on its part of the bargain as it has ever been. Continue reading →

April 3, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radioactive, reactors, uranium, wastes | Leave a comment

Uranium mining leaves behind toxic and EXPENSIVE wastes

at each step of this process, the material leaves behind progressively more toxic – and expensive – waste.

Hot Rocks: Hidden Cost and Foreign Ownership of “Clean” Nuclear Fuel Emerging,THE HUFFINGTON POST, D.A. Barber, 1 April 2010, “…..Unlike coal, which goes straight from the mine to the power plant, uranium goes through several steps to become fuel for “clean” nuclear power plants and then needs to be disposed of. From the mine the ore goes to a mill to be turned into “yellow cake,” which then goes to an enrichment facility to boost its potency. Continue reading →

April 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear plants, and their final closure, will leave large radioactive legacy

after 30 years of operation their could be as many as 100 billion lethal doses of radiation sitting right here in Allegany County.

From the Archives, 1989: Radiation Danger Deepens, The Houghton Star, By Kim Kerr and Trina Van Derlip March 27, 2010, This article, entitled “Running Risks: Radiation Danger Deepens,” was printed in the October 2, 1989 edition of the Star, and was written by Kim Kerr and Trina Van Derlip, “……..The problem had its beginning in 1985, when the Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act (introduced in 1980) was passed and amended. This policy shifted the responsibility of low-level waste from the federal to the state governments. Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Some U.S. States with nuclear wastes want Yucca dump

House members: Block Energy Dept. from abandoning Yucca nuke waste plan, The Hill, By Ben Geman – 03/24/2010 A bipartisan group of House members whose states contain nuclear waste left over from Cold War weapons production hope to block the Energy Department from walking away from the proposed Yucca Mountain waste dump in Nevada. Continue reading →

March 25, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Nuclear ‘renaissance’ threatened by the wastes ‘elephant in the room’

[U.S. government is ] naming an expert panel to find solutions for the waste. The nuclear industry argues it is ready to move ahead regardless of the panel’s deliberations….

ANALYSIS – Toxic waste weighs on revival of nuclear industry Reuters, Mar 17, 2010 By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON Reviving the U.S. nuclear industry could get hung up on the political minefield of how to handle the security, legal and environmental risks posed by a growing mountain of radioactive waste. Continue reading →

March 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Colorado’s risk of uranium radioactive wastes

Colorado lawmakers trying to tighten uranium cleanup rules, KDVR, By Associated Press March 18, 2010, DENVER (AP) — State lawmakers are worried a new national focus on nuclear energy will allow uranium mines in Colorado to postpone cleanup of radioactive wastes.On Thursday, the Colorado House Transportation and Energy Committee approved a bill that would require uranium mines and mills to clean up nuclear wastes while they continue producing nuclear fuel.Under the current law, mines and mills are allowed to postpone cleanup until they finish production and decommission their production facilities.

Colorado lawmakers trying to tighten uranium cleanup rules – KDVR

March 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Public opposition to secrecy of Germany’s nuclear waste disposal

Further work is to continue under mining law, which excludes public consultation,

150 German towns want nuclear power ended, de.indymedia.org,Diet Simon, 17 March 2010, The government has given the go ahead for the Gorleben site in northern Germany to be explored further as a potential final repository for nuclear waste.Storage of nuclear waste is politically charged. There is no definitive agreement on a suitable site and convoys transporting waste to interim sites regularly attract huge crowds of protesters and frequently both demonstrators and police are injured in clashes. Continue reading →

March 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Opposition to re-opening of Germany’s controversial nuclear waste dump

A phase-out of nuclear power has been planned for 2021, and eight of the country’s 17 reactors are currently due to cease output in 2018.

Germany’s Greens protest re-opening of nuclear waste dump, Deutsche Welle | 14.03.2010, After a ten year moratorium, exploration on the future of the Gorleben nuclear waste dump is to resume. The Green party and environmental leaders are protesting the decision.Environmentalists and member of the Green party responded with sharp criticism to reports that the German Environment Ministry would reopen talks on the future of the Gorleben nuclear waste dump. Continue reading →

March 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation | Leave a comment

State law forbids depleted uranium storage in Utah

More than 5,000 drums from the Savannah River Site are in Utah awaiting disposal, and the DOE has planned on disposing nearly 10,000 more drums, too.

Report: SC depleted uranium likely unfit for Utah, Mar 3, 2010 By BROCK VERGAKIS, AP

SALT LAKE CITY (Map, News) – Nuclear waste that’s been buried in Utah’s west desert for several years likely includes some material that’s not allowed under state law, according to an environmental group’s report released Wednesday. Continue reading →

March 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

What on Earth to do about America’s nuclear wastes piling up?

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

And – why on Earth do they want to make more of them???

Debating the Nuclear Waste Problem, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD, March 9, 2010. With Nevada’s Yucca Mountain facility apparently out of the picture as a nuclear waste repository, government nuclear experts say interim measures might be needed for a very long time.

In a speech Tuesday delivered to about 2,700 industry executives, nuclear regulators and other experts gathered for a nuclear energy conference in Washington, Gregory B. Jaczko, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said that his agency needed to determine just how many centuries such fuel can be safely stored above ground, and that it should come up with a policy that would not require amendment for many years.

Debating the Nuclear Waste Problem – Green Inc. Blog – NYTimes.com

March 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes | Leave a comment