Manhattan Radiation-Detection Lab To Close Due to Federal Budget Cut, The Chief ,By BOB HENNELL, Jun 16, 2017 The Department of Homeland Security will be closing its city-based National Urban Security Technology Laboratory which services the NYPD and the FDNY radiation-detection equipment used to detect an improvised nuclear device or a so-called dirty bomb, THE CHIEF-LEADER has learned. In addition to providing technical support to the city’s first-responders, the lab, under the post-9/11 Securing the Cities program, provides similar assistance to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as well as local departments across the region.
Casualty of Trump Budget
In a letter obtained by this newspaper dated June 1, Adam R. Hutter, the NUSTL’s director, wrote to the lab’s Securing the Cities partners that to satisfy cuts required by President Trump’s proposed budget for the Federal fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 the DHS will close the facility that helps “to detect and protect against radiological and nuclear threats by conducting functional tests of law enforcement radiation detection equipment for Securing the Cities (STC), through an agreement with the New York City Police Department.”
The lab at 201 Varick St. in lower Manhattan was established in 1947 as part of the Manhattan Project and has been a global leader in studying background atmospheric radiation. It provided critical scientific research that helped make the case for the 1963 Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. which banned testing on atomic bombs in the atmosphere, underwater or in outer space.
“NUSTL is honored to have tested nearly 20,000 units in support of the homeland security enterprise,” Mr. Hutter wrote. “Please be assured that we will continue to provide you with testing and support services until NUSTL’s closure is finalized.”
Union VP ‘Stunned’
“We were stunned,” said John Kada, who works at the lab and is the vice president of Local 42 of the American Federation of Government Employees. “Over the years we have built really good relations with first-responders throughout the region. We have one-on-one relations that grew out of our calibrating their equipment and providing the latest in training materials in this critical area.”…..http://thechiefleader.com/manhattan-radiation-detection-lab-to-close-due-to-federal-budget/article_9fa74bf6-3b11-11e7-b2ad-931dab76e901.html
June 19, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
radiation, USA |
Leave a comment
Why wait until 2025 to close Diablo Canyon? The Tribune, BY BEN DAVIS JR. 17 JUNE 17, PG&E has reached an agreement (currently being reviewed by the state Public Utilities Commission) with environmental groups not to seek re-licensing for Diablo Canyon, thus ending energy production in 2025.
Some, including the Mothers for Peace in San Lois Obispo, are still working to close Diablo sooner. The administrative law judge in these PUC proceedings has agreed that considering closing the plant earlier than 2025 is a legitimate issue that can be addressed.
Pro nuclear groups have suggested such an early closure would be a blow to our state’s fight against global warming. However, even assuming nuclear power may be needed globally while transitioning from fossil fuels, Diablo itself has no impact on global warming and, as the most dangerously situated nuclear power plant in the U.S., according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the California Energy Commission (CEC), it is not worth the risk to California……..
Contrast these minimal potential contributions to climate change with the fact that PG&E’s recent NRC required studies (2015) show that nearby faults can subject Diablo to double the ground shaking that occurred at Fukushima, well beyond what Diablo is currently licensed for. The NRC has meetings scheduled this year to consider these new findings.
And there’s more. PUC President Michael Picker in 2015 requested a cost effectiveness study from PG&E detailing “the costs, benefits and safety issues of cycling the Diablo Canyon units to mitigate over-generation problems on the grid.”
According to the energy commission, this means “… if renewable sources and DCPP are running at capacity then there is a risk that the load on the grid may exceed specifications making it necessary to curtail GHG free renewable generation.”
California has an over generation problem in which nuclear power is actually competing with renewables for grid space, making it necessary to curtail renewables when we have too much energy— thus contributing to global warming.
To date, PG&E has not replied to Picker’s information request.
Furthermore, Diablo uses ocean water for cooling, a practice being phased out because it is devastating to ocean life, and Diablo is the largest such plant in the state, larger than all the rest combined.
Thus we have a dangerously situated, minimally insured nuclear power plant killing marine life to contribute a small amount of energy to a state with a large surplus, while competing for grid space with renewables.
The need for accurate, balanced information in considering our energy future is precisely why I support both the Mothers for Peace in calling for an early closure of Diablo Canyon in current PUC proceedings, and the current legal actions of the World Business Academy to require the State Lands Commission to complete an Environmental Impact Report before allowing continued operation of Diablo Canyon.
When the public is presented with balanced environmental/economic information it will be eminently clear that nuclear power is not worth the risks to California.
Anti-nuclear activist Ben Davis Jr. drafted an initiative the led to the eventual closure of Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant in Sacramento County. He also tried unsuccessfully to get an anti-nuclear initiative on the November 2016 ballot, which, if passed, would have resulted in the closure of Diablo Canyon Power Plant. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article156805984.html
June 19, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
climate change, USA |
Leave a comment
Nevada sues Texas for trying to kick-start Yucca Mountain funding http://news3lv.com/news/local/nevada-wants-us-court-to-reject-texas-bid-to-prod-nuke-dump-06-15-2017, by Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada wants a federal appeals court to dismiss a bid by the state of Texas to kick-start government funding and licensing for a long-fought plan to entomb the nation’s most radioactive waste in the desert outside Las Vegas.
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval on Wednesday called his state’s filing against a Texas lawsuit pending before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals an important step in Nevada’s effort to prevent burial of 77,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain.
Congress approved Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste storage in 2002, over Nevada’s objection.
It then cut off funding after former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid became Democratic majority leader in 2007.
Nevada notes the Trump Administration is already seeking $120 million from Congress to restart the licensing process.
It accuses Texas of trying to usurp the budget process.
June 19, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
Legal, USA |
Leave a comment
Bill to expedite Yucca Mountain licensing clears 1st hurdle, Martin Review-Journal Washington Bureau, June 15, 2017 WASHINGTON — A bill to expedite the licensing and development of Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site in Nevada was passed by a subcommittee Thursday, clearing the first hurdle for legislation expected to be taken up in the House this year.
The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on environment approved the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act on a voice vote. The bill now goes to the full committee for approval…..
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who is not on the committee, attended the hearing and spoke on the House floor later to denounce the bill as one that ignores serious challenges from Nevada, which has denied the federal government water rights to develop the site.
Titus said the bill “usurps the state’s water rights, one of our strongest legal defenses against the repository.”
During the hearing, the ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., agreed. He said the bill as written would “essentially override the state of Nevada’s objection over its water rights.”
Tonko said that would also draw opposition from lawmakers in other Western states, where water rights have been a long source of contention…..
The House bill mirrors the Trump administration call for a restart of licensing for Yucca Mountain. The president included $120 million in his budget blueprint for fiscal year 2018, which begins Oct. 1.
The Department of Energy first sought an application for a license with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop and operate Yucca Mountain in 2008. The DOE tried to withdraw the application in 2010 and President Barack Obama defunded the program in 2012.
More than $15 billion has been spent studying the site and preparing for the licensing procedure, which includes adjudication of legal challenges.
200 challenges
Nevada has filed more than 200 challenges, mostly citing safety over groundwater and transportation issues.
Titus on Thursday handed lawmakers a state-produced research paper that showed moving nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain would cross through 329 congressional districts nationwide by rail or highway.
Yucca Mountain licensing also faces legal challenges in U.S. circuit courts.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval this week reiterated his pledge that the state would oppose the Yucca Mountain project.
“The state of Nevada will continue to fight and defeat this dangerous project at every opportunity and in any venue,” Sandoval said in a statement……https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/bill-to-expedite-yucca-mountain-licensing-clears-1st-hurdle/
June 19, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
politics, USA, wastes |
Leave a comment
Jim Mattis says he’s open to rethinking triad, nuclear cruise missile, Washington Examiner, by Jamie McIntyre | Jun 14, 2017 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress Wednesday he has an open mind about possibly scaling back some nuclear systems, as long as deterrence is not sacrificed, as he faces a more than $1 trillion bill to rebuild America’s arsenal over the next three decades.
Mattis’ comments came under questioning from California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been waging a lonely fight against one nuclear weapons system in particular, the Long Range Stand-Off, or LRSO, air-launched nuclear cruise missile.
“I do not see it as an effective deterrent weapon,” Feinstein said. “I see it as Russia taking action to counter it and with the cost and the fact that we’ve got new ballistic missile submarines, new bombers, new intercontinental ballistic missiles and new warheads, I wonder why we need to develop this specific weapon? The cost is going to be inordinate.”
Mattis is referring to the Pentagon’s Nuclear Posture Review, a top-to-bottom assessment of U.S. nuclear capabilities and strategy, including the Cold War era “triad” of bombers, submarines and ground missiles designed to ensure the U.S. could counterattack after a first strike……
Feinstein seemed to be encouraged when Mattis said he would be consulting with former Defense Secretary William Perry, who has advocated eliminating one leg of the triad by phasing out the land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Perry is also strongly opposed to developing new nuclear cruise missiles, which he says are “uniquely destabilizing” weapons, because an adversary cannot tell a conventional missile from a nuclear-armed version, risking miscalculation in a crisis.
“I register loud and clear the potential destabilizing view that some people see this weapon bringing and I’m taking that on board,” Mattis said. “But I’ve got to do more study.”
Feinstein said she has had extensive discussions with people in the military and has concerns that the LSRO may in fact represent a new generation of nuclear missiles not just an upgrade of older air-launched missiles.
“It’s got features which concern me greatly,” she said. “I’m not sure for the cost that we’ll end up with a practical deterrent.”…..http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jim-mattis-says-hes-open-to-rethinking-triad-nuclear-cruise-missile/article/2625999
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
USA, weapons and war |
Leave a comment
Donor Lobbying for Nuclear-Plant Tax Credits Brags of Dinners With Trump, Bloomberg, by Bill Allison
and John McCormick June 14, 2017,
-
Developer earlier gave millions to Democratic committees
-
GOP senators called tax-credit allocation ‘very troubling’
-
After Franklin L. Haney made his first million-dollar contribution to a super-PAC, his dream of owning a nuclear power plant took a big step forward.
That gift went to a group to help re-elect President Barack Obama in 2012. Haney followed up with two more million-dollar donations in 2012 and 2014, both of which went to a committee run by former aides of then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
- Between the first million and the third million, U.S. officials cleared Haney’s company to eventually receive as much as $2 billion in tax credits for owners of nuclear plants that use advanced technology. Federal documents obtained by Bloomberg News show that the approvals came despite two complications: First, the plant in question depends on 40-year-old technology. Second, Haney didn’t own it.
Haney ultimately purchased the unfinished, decades-old nuclear plant in northern Alabama at auction last November. Now, he has what may be an even bigger challenge — getting the mothballed plant into working order and finding customers for its power. That will require billions of dollars and some serious political help: For one thing, the tax credits he qualified for are set to expire in 2021, well before his facility could split its first atom.
While lobbying to extend the credits, Haney made a familiar political move: He gave a fourth million-dollar donation, this one to the inaugural fund of President Donald Trump…..
- During meetings, he mentions that he has dined at least a dozen times with Trump since the election, said the people, who asked not to be named because Haney made the comments in private settings. Haney, who didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment, is a member of Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida. The White House referred questions to the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Security Council, neither of which responded to requests for comment.
- Gaining Trump’s support could be invaluable to Haney’s nuclear ambitions. Over the next 18 months, Trump will have the authority to appoint five of the nine board members who oversee the Tennessee Valley Authority, the government-owned utility that supplies power to 9 million customers in seven states, including Alabama. TVA represents the most likely customer for Bellefonte’s electricity, and Haney said in bid documents that he wants to sell power to the utility. But there’s a problem: TVA has already decided it doesn’t need Bellefonte……
- Haney began trying to get into the nuclear-power industry, at an unfinished site in the Alabama countryside. The Bellefonte plant includes two partially built nuclear reactors, cooling towers and other facilities on 1,400 acres. TVA began construction in 1974 — then abandoned it in 1988. Today, one of the units is about 55 percent complete, and the other is about 35 percent finished.
Haney’s 15-year quest to own the plant reached a climax in November, when he won Bellefonte in an auction, bidding $111 million. The only other bidder planned to sell the plant’s parts as scrap in India or elsewhere. Haney has two years to close the sale, which is conditional on his acquiring federal regulatory approvals and commitments for financing.
‘White Elephant’
In the meantime, Haney has been lobbying officials on legislation that would extend the tax credit allocations that he’d already won for Bellefonte, federal lobbying disclosures show. But even if he wins an extension, many industry experts say they doubt Bellefonte can be profitable. Competition from low-cost natural gas and renewable energy sources has created difficult market conditions for nuclear plants nationwide. At least five have been retired in the past five years…….https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-06-14/million-dollar-donor-touts-dinners-with-trump-in-nuclear-quest
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
politics, USA |
Leave a comment
Energy Department Invests Nearly $67 Million to Advanced Nuclear Technology, Energy Gov,
JUNE 14, 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced nearly $67 million in nuclear energy research, facility access, crosscutting technology development, and infrastructure awards in 28 states. In total, 85 projects were selected to receive funding that will help advance innovative nuclear technologies….
These awards provide funding for nuclear energy-related research through the Nuclear Energy University Program, Nuclear Science User Facilities, and Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies programs. In addition, a number of nuclear technology developers will receive access to unique research capabilities and other assistance consistent with the goals and objectives of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative…..
Nuclear Energy University Program
DOE is awarding over $31 million through its Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) to support 32 university-led nuclear energy research and development projects in 23 states. NEUP seeks to maintain U.S. leadership in nuclear research across the country by providing top science and engineering faculty and their students with opportunities to develop innovative technologies and solutions for civil nuclear capabilities.
Additionally, 19 universities will receive approximately $6 million for research reactor and infrastructure improvements providing important safety, performance, and student education-related upgrades to a portion of the nation’s 25 university research reactors as well as enhancing university research and training infrastructure.
Integrated Research Projects
The Department is awarding $11 million for three Integrated Research Projects (IRPs), which address well-defined but highly complex technical issues impacting key NE mission objectives. IRPs are multi-million, three-year projects executed by university-led consortiums that typically include multiple universities, industrial and international research entities, and the unique resources of the DOE national laboratories. IRPs comprise a significant element of DOE’s innovative nuclear research objectives and illustrate the Office of Nuclear Energy’s (NE) strategy to pursue R&D solutions most directly relevant to the near-term, significant needs of the NE R&D programs.
Crosscutting Research Projects
Additionally, nearly $6 million will be awarded for six research and development projects led by Department of Energy national laboratories, industry, and U.S. universities. Together, they will conduct research to address crosscutting nuclear energy challenges that will help to develop advanced sensors and instrumentation, advanced manufacturing methods, and materials for multiple nuclear reactor plant and fuel applications.
Nuclear Science User Facilities – Public Private Partnerships
Lastly, DOE has selected five university, four national laboratory, and five industry-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support 6 of these projects with a total of $2.3 million in research funds, and all 14 of these projects will be supported by over $10 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through the NSUF.
By supporting the five industry-led projects, DOE is accelerating its implementation of the GAIN initiative by providing these nuclear technology developers with access to world-class neutron and gamma irradiation and post-irradiation examination services. The GAIN initiative provides the nuclear community with a single point of access to the broad range of capabilities, people, facilities, materials, and data across the DOE complex and its National Laboratory capabilities. Visit here for details.
Since 2009, the Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy has awarded approximately $472 million to 103 U.S. colleges and universities to continue American leadership in energy innovation and to train the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists through its university programs. Visit neup.gov for more information on today’s awards and Energy.gov for information on all of the Energy Department’s efforts to continue American leadership in nuclear energy innovation. https://energy.gov/articles/energy-department-invests-nearly-67-million-advanced-nuclear-technology
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
Education, USA |
Leave a comment
DOE shells out $67M for advanced nuclear technology research http://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-shells-out-67m-for-advanced-nuclear-technology-research/445065/ Robert Walton@TeamWetDog June 15, 2017
Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Energy yesterday announced nearly $67 million funding for nuclear energy research this week, including facility access and infrastructure awards in 28 states, to support 85 projects in total.
- DOE said in a statement that the funding “sows the seeds for safer, more efficient, clean baseload energy” that will support the economy and energy independence.
- Among the awards, DOE will provide $31 million through its Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) to support 32 university-led nuclear energy research and development projects in 23 states.
-
Dive Insight:
The federal government has been signaling its interest in nuclear development, particularly advanced reactors and modular designs, for several years now. But the bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric, a nuclear development firm working on two projects in the United States, could add a new sense of urgency to the research as the time and cost of traditional nukes continues to face pressure.
“Investing in the future of nuclear energy is an important strategic priority for the Energy Department,” DOE Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ed McGinnis said in a statement, “Nuclear energy technologies contribute to our economy, our environment, and our national security.”
In addition to the NEUP funding for universities, DOE also said 19 universities will receive approximately $6 million for research into reactor and infrastructure improvements. The agency will also award $11 million for three integrated projects which address well-defined but highly complex technical issues.
DOE also said almost $6 million will be awarded for six research and development projects led by Department of Energy national laboratories, industry, and U.S. universities, to address crosscutting nuclear energy challenges that will help to develop advanced sensors and instrumentation, and advanced manufacturing methods.
Finally, DOE said it has selected five university, four national laboratory, and five industry-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities. The agency will support six of these projects with a total of $2.3 million in research funds, and all 14 of these projects will be supported by over $10 million in facility access costs.
- But more traditional nuclear projects are continuing—despite turmoil in the industry.
Georgia Power and its parent company, Southern Co., have reached an agreement with Westinghouse to complete the long-delayed Vogtle nuclear plant expansion. The announcement helps alleviate fears the project may be permanently halted and the nuclear industry on hold, but it is also a reminder of the costs involved.
Under terms of the agreement, Westinghouse parent company Toshiba has guaranteed $3.68 billion in payments to Georgia Power for completion of the project. Vogtle is billions over budget and years behind schedule, and the completion date for two new reactors has been extended multiple times.
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
Education, USA |
1 Comment
National Guard ‘neo-Nazi’ aimed to hit Miami nuclear plant, roommate says, Tampa Bay Times, Dan Sullivan, Times Staff Writer, 13 June 17 TAMPA — Brandon Russell, a National Guardsman and self-described neo-Nazi, had plans to blow up power lines in the Florida Everglades and launch explosives into a nuclear power plant near Miami, his roommate Devon Arthurs told police.
Prosecutors on Tuesday played portions of a recorded interrogation Arthurs gave in the hours immediately after he was arrested in the killings of Jeremy Himmelman and Andrew Oneschuk. In the video, Arthurs offers a justification for the killings, claiming that Russell, the surviving roommate, was preparing to commit acts of terrorism.
“The things they were planning were horrible,” Arthurs said. “These people were not good people.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the video excerpts in an effort to get U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun III to revoke an order granting Russell bail, arguing that he poses a danger to the community.
Late Tuesday, the judge stayed the order. Russell will remain jailed while the judge reconsiders the issue.
Russell, 21, faces explosives charges after bombmaking materials were found at his Tampa Palms apartment May 19 during the murder investigation. Arthurs, separately, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in state court.
In the video, Arthurs sits beside a table in a white-walled interrogation room, his right leg resting over his left knee. He gestures with both hands as he casually describes Russell’s neo-Nazi beliefs and supposed plans to commit terrorist acts.
He said Russell studied how to build nuclear weapons in school and is “somebody that literally has knowledge of how to build a nuclear bomb.”
When a Tampa police detective asked Arthurs if his friends had any specific terrorist intentions, he said they had a plan to blow up power lines along Alligator Alley, the stretch of Interstate 75 linking Naples with Fort Lauderdale.
He also said they had a plan to fire mortars loaded with nuclear material into the cooling units of a nuclear power plant near Miami.
He said the damage would cause “a massive reactor failure” and spread “irradiated water” throughout the ocean……
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine Thomas noted during the hearing that the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station is near Miami. She also noted that when bomb squad members arrived at Russell’s apartment, their pagers alerted them to the presence of “two radiation sources.” The criminal complaint says those were thorium and americium, both radioactive metals.
Russell’s defense attorney, Ian Goldstein, noted that authorities have not charged him with possession of nuclear materials……http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/judge-sets-release-conditions-for-neo-nazi-in-tampa-palms-explosives-case/2327088
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA |
Leave a comment
Nevada moves to dismiss lawsuit that could restart Yucca Mountain licensing http://mynews4.com/news/local/nevada-files-motion-to-dismiss-lawsuit-that-could-restart-yucca-mountain-licensing by Matthew Seeman, CARSON CITY, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — The state of Nevada has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that aims to restart licensing for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site.
Gov. Brian Sandoval’s office released a statement announcing the motion, saying in a statement the suit, filed by Texas, would “undercut Nevada’s opposition” to Yucca.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals previously granted Nevada’s motion to intervene as a party in the lawsuit.
The governor’s office says the motion to dismiss, filed June 12, “is the first of several legal challenges” state officials, including Attorney General Adam Laxalt, plan to bring forward.
“Yucca Mountain would come at the direct expense of the health and safety of Nevadans and this petition would diminish Nevada’s ability to make its case against this ill-conceived project,” Sandoval said in a statement regarding Texas’s lawsuit.
The suit would require the Nuclear Regulator Commission to start and finish licensing proceedings for the Yucca site within a one-year time frame.
The motion filed by Nevada argues that Texas missed the 180-day window to bring civil action over the federal law that created Yucca in the 1980s.
The Silver State also argues that federal courts cannot force the White House to require a certain level of funding from Congress for the licensing process.
President Donald Trump has asked for $120 million in his 2018 budget to restart licensing at Yucca Mountain, a move that Sandoval, Laxalt and almost all members of Nevada’s Congressional delegation oppose.
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
politics, USA |
Leave a comment
House panel votes to extend tax credit for nuclear power, The Hill, BY NAOMI JAGODA – 06/15/17, The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved a bipartisan bill that would lift a deadline for the nuclear power production tax credit.
The panel passed the bill by voice vote.
The legislation would lift a requirement that nuclear facilities be placed in service by 2020 to be eligible for the credit. It would also allow public and nonprofit entities to transfer credits to other partners on the facilities, such as the projects’ designers.
The bill, which was introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Tom Rice (R-S.C.), is of particular importance in South Carolina and Georgia, where new nuclear power plants are being constructed.
“We need to give these plants the certainty of the tax credits as Congress originally intended…..http://thehill.com/policy/finance/337967-house-panel-votes-to-extend-tax-credit-for-nuclear-power
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
politics, USA |
Leave a comment
Bevin signs measure lifting nuclear moratorium. , Lexington Herald Leader, BY DAVID ZOELLER, 15 June 17 Gov. Matt Bevin came to Paducah Wednesday to sign the “Robert J. Leeper Act” lifting Kentucky’s 33-year-old moratorium on nuclear power plant construction.
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
politics, USA |
Leave a comment
UCS, DAVE LOCHBAUM, DIRECTOR, NUCLEAR SAFETY PROJECT | JUNE 14, 2017, As described in a recent All Things Nuclear commentary, one of two emergency diesel generators (EDGs) for the Unit 3 reactor at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station in Arizona was severely damaged during a test run on December 15, 2016. The operating license issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) allowed the reactor to continue running for up to 10 days with one EDG out of service. Because the extensive damage required far longer than 10 days to repair, the owner asked the NRC for permission to continue operating Unit 3 for up to 62 days with only one EDG available. The NRC approved that request……..http://allthingsnuclear.org/dlochbaum/back-story-on-palo-verde
June 16, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
safety, USA |
Leave a comment
Florida neo-Nazi plotted bombings at nuclear reactors and synagogues: prosecutors, HTTPS://WWW.RAWSTORY.COM/2017/06/FLORIDA-NEO-NAZI-PLOTTED-BOMBINGS-AT-NUCLEAR-REACTORS-AND-SYNAGOGUES-PROSECUTORS/ BRAD REED, 13 JUN 2017 A federal document filed by prosecutors this week alleges that a Florida-based neo-Nazi planned to kill civilians by planting explosives at targeted sites ranging from synagogues to power lines to nuclear reactors.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that prosecutors are alleging Tampa resident Brandon Russell had bombmaking materials at a garage adjacent to his apartment that he planned on using for the mass killing of civilians.
Officers arrested Russell after finding explosives in the garage at the same time they were investigating Russell’s roommate, Devon Arthurs, who is himself a former neo-Nazi who allegedly murdered his two other roommates after they mocked his conversion to Islam.
Russell admitted to police that the explosives in the apartment were his, and prosecutors say that Arthurs described Russell’s plans to plant them at nuclear reactors while being interrogated by police.
Prosecutors presented this new evidence in a fresh bid to get U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun to deny Russell bail. McCoun ruled last week that Russell was entitled to bail, although he still hasn’t set the specific amount.
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA |
1 Comment
U.S. Experiences Sixth Nuclear Retirement Announcement in Seven Years, Power Engineering Jun 13, 2017 With Exelon’s announced intentions to retire the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, the United States now has six nuclear plants in the country that are operating but will soon retire, the Energy Information Administration reported.
There are now 99 nuclear reactors at 60 nuclear stations in operations in the United States. Since the first reactor came online in 1957, more than 30 nuclear reactors have retired, including some that were test projects or experimental designs……
The six plants now slated to retire in the next nine years include four that have retirement dates more than a decade before their operating licenses expire — Palisades, Pilgrim, Oyster Creek, and Three Mile Island. New nuclear plants receive 40-year operating licenses, though 90 percent of operating nuclear facilities received license extensions for another 20 years.
Indian Point’s license extension was challenged by the state of New York, and owner Entergy subsequently chose to retire the plant. Pacific Gas & Electric chose not to seek a license renewal for Diablo Canyon.
Exelon has said that Three Mile Island has not been profitable for the past five years, and is seeking subsidies from Pennsylvania to keep it open. http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2017/06/u-s-experiences-sixth-nuclear-retirement-announcement-in-seven-years.html
June 14, 2017
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
business and costs, USA |
Leave a comment
