USA’s Nuclear Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) stalled for years
New Mexico nuclear waste site may be hobbled for years WP, By Laura Zuckerman September 7 It may be years before an underground nuclear waste dump in New Mexico shuttered by a radiation leak is fully operational, and costs for decontamination and other activities to restore the facility are not yet clear, Energy Department officials said.
A recovery plan is being crafted for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, but details are not expected to be finalized for weeks, Dana Bryson, the deputy manager of the Energy Department field office that oversees the dump, said during a public meeting last week.
He said the primary issue tied to a Feb. 14 radiation incident at the plant, managed by contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership, was that requirements for disposal were not met in materials shipped to the facility……..
The head of the New Mexico Environment Department warned of “significant penalties” for the waste dump and Los Alamos for violations of state hazardous-waste permits.
The state was gathering information about the radiation release, the handling of radiological debris and other practices at Los Alamos to determine the extent of violations, a New Mexico Environment Department official said.
“Based on increasing information reported to the state from both sites, the state has already identified violations that could lead to penalties,” agency spokesman Jim Winchester said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-mexico-nuclear-waste-site-may-be-hobbled-for-years/2014/09/07/280efe6c-36bf-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html
Fukushima Radiation Continues As Experts Warn Of ‘American Fukushima’
Experts Warn of ‘Inevitable’ Fukushima Disaster in California Nation of Change ANTHONY GUCCIARDI NATURAL SOCIETY / NEWS REPORT Wednesday 3 September 2014 Since the catastrophic meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in March of 2011 irreparably altered the state of the planet for the known future, the incident has been shrouded in nothing but bureaucratic cover ups and government-backed disinformation. Now, within our own borders, top experts turned whistleblowers are warning of a nuclear nightmare that could surpass Fukushima and Chernobyl alike by leaps and bounds.
Initially listed as a Level 4 incident on the International Nuclear Event Scale, pressure from scientists on an international level ultimately led to Fukushima’s classification as a maximum Level 7 accident within the INES system — with some suggesting an entirely new level was needed to describe the true impact and atrocity of the nuclear meltdown. Now, even after witnessing what happens when a major power plant is placed within the crosshairs of earthquake activity, a ‘new Fukushima’ is sitting off the Central Coast within California’s Diablo Canyon.
And top level nuclear experts, including a senior federal nuclear inspector turned whistleblower, are warning that the California-based plant is a sitting radioactive duck amid the nearby faults that have actually been found to be more dangerous than previously thought. Back in 2008, a new fault known as the Shoreline fault was discovered just offshore from the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility: a discovery that truly changes everything about the ‘safety’ of the California plant.
The whistleblower and former federal inspector of the plant, Michael Peck, has even presented his case highlighting the serious hazards of the plant he used to oversee to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in a highly confidential report. National organizations are already calling attention to Peck’s finding and reports, with senior strategist Damon Moglen of Friends of the Earth International stating:
“We agree with him that Diablo Canyon is vulnerable to earthquakes and must be shut down immediately. Rather than the NRC keeping this a secret, there must be a thorough investigation with public hearings to determine whether these reactors can operate safely.”
Yet it appears that the general public is not even being made aware of what’s really going on, let alone the real threat that they face on a national and international level.
As usual, the general public is not being told about ways in which they can prepare themselves for a nuclear meltdown. Instead, government officials were caught back in February stockpiling iodine stores in excess of 14 million doses in a purchase order that came conveniently after reports began surfacing over another possible meltdown at the Fukushima plant. The doses will be enough for many officials and federal employees, however the public will be forced to fend for themselves — and they will not even be told about the necessity of iodine nor how they can better prepare their families for a radioactive scenario.
The reality is that even getting a hold of low quality potassium iodide, which I would not ever personally take over a higher quality form of pure iodine, is becoming difficult as the population becomes aware of Fukushima’s expansive dangers. Many manufacturers are now stockpiling raw iodine and holding on to the element as a form of investment with the knowledge that Fukushima may very well meltdown in the coming months. For this reason, we have had a very hard time securing nascent iodine formulas that many in the field of preparedness have been stockpiling for quite some time.
Fukushima Radiation Continues As Experts Warn Of ‘American Fukushima’
But even outside out Peck’s analysis and years of experience as a nuclear inspector at the federal level, numerous high level scientists and researchers have been speaking out about the continuation of Fukushima’s devastating effects and the need to further stabilize and shutdown nuclear plants along the fault lines throughout the United States — and California is not the only region in question. Even another earthquake affecting Japan could lead to the ‘evacuation of North America’, according to scientists David Suzuki…………….http://www.nationofchange.org/experts-warn-inevitable-fukushima-disaster-california-1409758143
USA poll finds renewable energy favoured far more than coal, gas, nuclear power
Energy efficiency, renewable energy rules favored by voters, poll finds, Cleveland.com By John Funk, The Plain Dealer on September 05, 2014 COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio voters favor the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency mandates that Republican lawmakers just put on ice for two years, a new poll suggests.
Commissioned by a coalition of environmental groups and conducted jointly by two national polling companies, one which 
works for Republican candidates and the other for Democratic candidates, the poll interviewed 405 registered Ohio voters and has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.
The survey found that voters would favor political candidates by a two-to-one margin who favor more wind and solar energy development over those who think the state’s reliance on coal, gas and nuclear power is adequate. A total of 64 percent favored the green candidates while only 31 percent said they would be more likely to vote for candidates supporting traditional energy production.
The poll also found that 69 percent of voters would favor candidates who believe requiring electric utilities to help customers use less electricity would save ratepayers money, while just 23 percent would vote for candidates who argue that such mandated efficiency programs cost ratepayers more than they save.
Other key findings include:
– Democrats and independents, 82 percent and 61 percent respectively, favor candidates who would push for clean energy, while Republican voters are split evenly at 47 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed.
– A majority of voters, whether Democrat, Independent or Republican, like the idea of gradually requiring utilities to generate or at least sell more and more power generated by wind, solar and other renewable technologies. About 87 percent of Democratic voters said they favored such renewable growth, 70 percent of independents and 56 percent of Republicans said they were in favor.
– The end of coal-fired power plants is blowing in the wind. Three quarters of all those surveyed said they favored cleaner sources of energy and 91 percent said they supported diversifying how electricity is generated.
—- Everyone loves the idea of energy efficiency, at least generally speaking. A total of 85 percent of Republican voters said they strong support energy efficiency, 81 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of independents.
– Large majorities of those surveyed said they favored policies that would make residential rooftop solar more affordable. They also support job training programs for wind and solar installers………
The survey was designed and conducted by pollsters at Public Opinion Strategies, the largest Republican polling company in the nation, and by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin,, Metz & Associates, a national Democratic opinion research company. The two companies have conducted joint research projects for political campaigns and businesses in 42 states. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/energy_efficiency_renewable_en.html
Costs are killing the nuclear industry in USA – 3 new reactors, but 8 shutting down
TVA’s costly reactor illuminates nuclear challenge Duane Gang, USA TODAY September 3, 2014 “…..The Watts Bar project also illustrates the challenges facing the U.S. nuclear industry. Nuclear plants are expensive, complicated and time-consuming to build. They require huge sums of upfront capital — the new Watts Bar reactor could cost as much as $4.5 billion, nearly double earlier estimates.
Only two other utilities across the USA have new nuclear reactors under construction. The South Carolina Electric & Gas Company has two units underway in Jenkinsville, S.C. The Southern Company also is building two near Waynesboro, Ga.
By contrast, eight reactors have decommissioning in progress, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as companies find it too expensive to repair aging units or can’t compete economically with cheap natural gas…….http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/02/tva-nuclear-reactor-challenge/14990433/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
$30 million grant to protect Washington DC from nuclear threats
Washington DC gets $30 million grant to protect against nuclear threats THE BLAZE< Sep. 3, 2014 Pete Kasperowicz The Department of Homeland Security announced that it has awarded Washington DC a $30 million grant to expand its ability to detect and deter nuclear and radiological threats.
The grant, which will be distributed to Washington DC over five years, was made by DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which runs a program called Securing the Cities. That program started in 2006 and provided aide to New York City, and was then expanded to the Los Angeles/Long Beach area………http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2014/09/03/washington-dc-gets-30-million-grant-to-protect-against-nuclear-threats/
Red Wing and Prairie Island Indian Community say new NRC waste ruling is no good
the only sensible thing to do is to STOP MAKING RADIOACTIVE TRASH
Red Wing officials disappointed in feds’ decision on spent nuclear fuel, MINN POST, By Joe Kimball | 09/03/14 Red Wing city officials and leaders of the Prairie Island Indian Community say they are unhappy with a recent Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruling that does little to resolve the ongoing dispute over storage of spent nuclear fuel.
The Prairie Island nuclear power plant is on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, and is adjacent to the Indian reservation.
A story in the Rochester Post Bulletin says the NRC ruling:
“…opens the door for on-site nuclear waste storage for 100 years or more. The language also lifts a suspension on licensing additional nuclear facilities even without the creation of a national repository for nuclear waste.”
Not good, says Red Wing City Council member Peggy Rehder, who has lobbied in Washington, D.C., on the issue, and wasn’t surprised with the ruling……
And Ron Johnson, president of the Prairie Island Indian Community’s Tribal Council, said in a statement:
“…the NRC affirmed a new rule and generic environmental impact statement that concluded that spent nuclear fuel — some of the most dangerous and toxic substances known to mankind — can be safely stored 600 yards from our homes indefinitely if no geologic repository is ever built. No other community sits as close to a nuclear site and its waste storage.”
According to the paper, Xcel Energy says it has “38 casks containing nuclear waste near Red Wing and is permitted to store waste in 64 casks when the current operating licenses end in 2033 and 2034.” http://www.minnpost.com/political-agenda/2014/09/red-wing-officials-disappointed-feds-decision-spent-nuclear-fuel
USA government plans radioactive trash trains to… nowhere
Putting the cart before the horse, the U.S. Department of Energy recently asked companies for ideas on how the government should get the rail cars needed to haul 150-ton casks filled with used, radioactive nuclear fuel.
They won’t be moving anytime soon. The latest government plans call for having an interim test storage site in 2021 and a long-term geologic depository in 2048.
No one knows where those sites will be, Continue reading
Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s touching religious faith in future arrival of a solution to wastes of
the only sane action is to stop making radioactive trash
Nuclear Waste Is Allowed Above Ground Indefinitely NYT, By MATTHEW L. WALDAUG. 29, 2014 As the country struggles to find a place to bury spent nuclear fuel, theNuclear Regulatory Commission has decided that nuclear waste from power plants can be stored above ground in containers that can be maintained and guarded indefinitely.
The decision, in a unanimous vote of the commission on Tuesday, means that new nuclear plants can be built and old ones can expand their operations despite the lack of a long-term plan for disposing of the waste.
The chairwoman of the commission, who voted with the majority but dissented on certain aspects, said Friday that the vote risked allowing Congress to ignore the long-term problem.
“If you make the assumption that there will be some kind of institution that will exist, like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, that will assure material stays safe for hundreds or thousands of years, there’s not much impetus for Congress to want to deal with this issue,” the chairwoman, Allison M. Macfarlane, said Friday. “Personally, I think that we can’t say with any certainty what the future will look like. We’re pretty damned poor at predicting the future.”………
The commission approved a generic environmental impact statement, under which nuclear activities can continue, but did not address the impact to the environment if the stored nuclear waste were abandoned, which would leave it vulnerable to attack or allow the containers to break down.
Ms. Macfarlane said it was wrong to predict institutional control indefinitely. “Best not to say anything about something so uncertain,” she said, “and just to work with what we can know for sure.”
For decades the commission has allowed nuclear plants to operate under what it called its waste confidence rule, which said that although there was no repository, there would most likely be one by the time it was needed, and in the interim, the storage of the highly radioactive waste in spent fuel pools or in dry casks would suffice. But in June 2012, a court ruled that the commission had not done its homework in studying whether the waste could be stored on an interim basis. As a result, the commission froze much of its licensing activity two years ago.
On Tuesday, however, the commission approved a finding by its staff that waste could be stored — as opposed to disposed of — indefinitely. The vote was 4-0.
Some nuclear opponents say the issue is certain to wind up back in court. At the Natural Resources Defense Council, Geoffrey H. Fettus, the lead lawyer in the original case, said in a statement: “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission failed to analyze the long-term environmental consequences of indefinite storage of highly toxic and radioactive nuclear waste; the risks of which are apparent to any observer of history over the past 50 years. The commission failed to follow the express directions of the court.”……http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/us/spent-nuclear-fuel-is-allowed-to-be-stored-above-ground.html?_r=0
Dubious future for nuclear plants like Palisades, as renewabl energy becomes ever cheaper
With renewable energy growing and coal shrinking, what’s the future of nuclear plants like Palisades? Michigan Live, By Julie Mack | jmack1@mlive.com on August 28, 2014 KALAMAZOO, MI “…..The jury is still very much out on how nuclear power fits into the picture, which leaves the long-term viability of Palisades Nuclear Plant near South Haven in question……. very possible the supply glut of natural gas and the increasing focus on renewables means those sectors will edge out nuclear as the go-to options for new power production.
Mark Cooper, an analyst for the Institute for Energy and the Environment at the Vermont Law School, maintains the proposed federal clean-energy standards won’t help the financial viability of the U.S. nuclear industry, which last opened a plant in 1989……
“Old nuclear reactors suffer from the fact that they’re not particularly efficient,” he said. “The day after the (clean-energy) announcement, those old plants were just as inefficient as the day before.
“In the dynamic state of the energy markets, if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” Cooper said. “And nuclear is not growing. … It’s going extinct.”…..
Meanwhile, renewable energy in Michigan is getting a boost from a 2008 state law that requires Michigan-based utilities to have renewables as 10 percent of their power production by the end of 2015.
“The cost of renewables will drop like a rock once they reach economies of scale,” Cooper said. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy is projecting that wind-generated power will be more cost-efficient than coal and nuclear and even some types of natural gas plants by 2019……..
While solar power remains on the high end, wind is more economical than coal and nuclear, and some types of natural-gas plants.
Wind provided 2.4 percent of Michigan’s electricity in 2013, according to the American Wind Energy Association. That’s up from 1 percent in 2012, and is enough electricity to power 300,000 Michigan households, the AWEA says.
The AWEA estimates Michigan has the potential to produce about 59,000 megawatt hours of electricity through wind power. That’s more than half of the state’s current consumption of electricity.
Shift at Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy, the dominant provider of electrical power in Southwest Michigan, seems to be casting its lot with natural gas and renewables…….. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/08/pros_and_cons_of_electrical_po.html
Petition lodged with NRC to shut down Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant
Petition seeks closure of Diablo Canyon nuclear plant David R. Baker David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail:dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF , August 27, 2014 The environmental group that helped shut down the San Onofre nuclear plant last year is now using the same tactic in a bid to close California’s last nuclear power plant, PG&E’s Diablo Canyon.
The plant, near San Luis Obispo, risks catastrophic failure during an earthquake and should be shuttered pending a public review of its safety, according to a petition that Friends of the Earth filed with federal regulators Tuesday.
The group filed the petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, arguing that Diablo’s design may not be strong enough to withstand earthquakes from fault lines that nearly surround the plant. As proof, the environmentalists cite a recently disclosed report from a former federal inspector at the plant who reached the same conclusion.
Earthquake fears have long shadowed the plant, which opened in 1985 after years of protests. Several fault lines were found only after work on the plant began, with the latest discovery coming in 2008.
Diablo’s operating license requires that it be able to shut down safely following a major quake. But the petition argues that nearby faults are capable of much stronger shaking than Diablo’s design anticipated, rendering the license invalid.
“PG&E cannot run this reactor without a valid license, and they don’t have one,” said Damon Moglen, senior strategic adviser for Friends of the Earth. “There is nobody in this country, PG&E included, who would want to build a reactor today at Diablo Canyon. It would never pass muster.”
It mirrors the strategy the environmental group used to help force the closure of the San Onofre nuclear plant in San Diego County…….Friends of Earth now wants PG&E to seek a license amendment to continue running Diablo.
“They now know that the ground motion of these faults is greater than is contained in their license,” Moglen said. “I think the argument here is extremely straightforward.”
The move follows the disclosure of a 2013 document written by a former NRC inspector stationed at the plant. The inspector, Michael Peck, recommended shutting down Diablo until the commission determined whether the plant’s equipment could survive higher seismic stress levels.
“Continued reactor operation outside the bounds of the NRC approved safety analyses challenges the presumption of nuclear safety,” Peck wrote.
Peck’s opinion was revealed by the Associated Press on Monday, touching off a fresh round of criticism of the plant. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, promised a public hearing into the matter………http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Petition-seeks-closure-of-Diablo-Canyon-nuclear-5714455.php
USA Congressman Dan Kildee fighting proposal for nuclear waste dump near Lake Huron
they must also stop making this radioactive trash
U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee to fight proposed Canadian nuclear waste facility on shores of Lake Huron M Live, By Sam Easter | seaster@mlive.com on August 28, 2014 BAY CITY, MI — Standing at the helm of the tall ship Appledore IV, U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee said the schooner based in downtown Bay City was the “perfect” place to make a few points about protecting the Great Lakes from nuclear waste.
Kildee spoke during the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 28, addressing plans by Ontario Power Generation to build a storage facility for low- to intermediate-level nuclear waste at a proposed underground facility near Kincardine, Ontario.
“Canada is a friend, but it is a country with vast land mass, and I’m sure that the best place for a nuclear storage facility cannot be less than a mile from the shores of Lake Huron,” he said, regardless of whether officials say it’s scientifically sound. A point of contention among Michigan’s state and federal legislators for at least a year, the proposed facililty has also met strong opposition from local governments — officials from Bay County and Essexville both passed resolutions opposing the facility this month.
Kildee on Thursday announced he plant to introduce a Congressional resolution when legislators return from recess on Monday, Sept. 8, that — while lacking regulatory power — would voice the opinion of Congress on the matter. The resolution states that 40 million people in both countries depend on the Great Lakes’ drinking water, and that a nuclear spill “could have lasting and severely adverse environmental, health and economic impacts on the Great Lakes.”
If adopted, the resolution would discourage the Canadian government from building a nuclear storage site in the Great Lakes Basin and urge both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to work with their Canadian counterparts to find an alternate location……..
Multiple officials were present for Kildee’s announcement, including Laura Ogar, Bay County director of environmental affairs and community development, as well as Terry Miller, chairman of the local environmental group Lone Tree Council.
Shirley Roberts is the executive director of BaySail, which owns and operates the Appledore. She said that the Appledore was an appropriate place for the presentation, and that she support’s Kildee’s fight against the facility.
“I have grave concerns about the concept,” she said. http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2014/08/us_rep_dan_kildee_announces_pl.html
Georgia’s new nuclear power plant getting stymied by costs and delays?
Construction time uncertain for Ga. nuclear plant Star Telegram, Aug. 28, 2014 BY RAY HENRY Associated Press ATLANTA — Georgia Power said its $6.7 billion budget to build a new nuclear plant is holding steady, but it reported Thursday that builders face “challenges” sticking to the construction schedule and costs could change in the future…….Georgia Power has so far spent $2.8 billion on the project, according to company filings. The other owners, Oglethorpe Power Corp., the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton, do not report their spending to the Public Service Commission.
The latest cost estimates are uncertain. Utility officials and regulators have previously said Georgia Power does not have a schedule from the companies designing and building the plant, Westinghouse Electric Co. and Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., that detail construction activities past the end of 2015.
“The Company expects the Contractor to employ all possible means to meet the current schedule targets; however, schedule pressures continue to challenge the project,” the report said.
Project schedules have slid since the plant was first approved. The first new reactor was supposed to start producing power in April 2016, with the second following a year later. Georgia Power has since pushed that schedule back to late 2017 and late 2018. Delays are bad for the nuclear industry and electric customers. The longer it takes to build a nuclear plant, the more Georgia Power and its co-owners must pay to finance construction and pay for other charges.
Ultimately, customers pay those expenses unless regulators intervene………
Analysts have been watching Georgia Power’s filings for any signs of additional delays or costs. The current budget does not earmark any money for resolving an ongoing lawsuit between the new plant’s owners and the firms who are designing and building it…….http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/28/6075221/construction-time-uncertain-for.html
Nuclear lobby steps up the propaganda to improve its image
Stop worrying, and love nuclear power: Officials— CNBC Javier E. David | @TeflonGeek 28 Aug 14, Domestic energy policy has largely been co-opted by the shale revolution. Meanwhile, renewable alternatives are finding their sea legs in consumer power. Despite modest attempts to garner broader acceptance, however, atomic power continues to languish because of safety and environmental concerns.
On Tuesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a plan that allows nuclear waste to be stored on-site at active reactors—a decision mired in controversy, and one that underscores the influence of anti-nuclear arguments.
That sort of opposition has prompted the nuclear industry to go on the offensive, and roll out the big guns in an effort to rehabilitate its image. In recent months, the Nuclear Energy Institute has enlisted organized labor, as well as an array of former elected officials from both sides of the aisle, to tout the virtues of nuclear power……..
“Unfortunately we’re confronting a situation where 20-30 plants are at risk of being shut down prematurely,” out of the existing total of about 100, the New Hampshire Republican said, who sat on the Senate’s Energy Committee during his tenure……
Fuel diversity, a catchphrase among those who argue that U.S. energy supply shouldn’t be dominated solely by oil and gas, is a central theme for nuclear backers………
In spite of centrist think tanks like the Third Way who believe nuclear must be part of the energy story, the environmental lobby is steadfastly opposed to expanding existing capacity.
“We continue to believe nuclear power is not safe, and is an incredibly expensive source of electricity,” said John Coequyt, director of the international climate campaign at the Sierra Club. In an interview, he argued that efforts to expand the U.S’ nuclear footprint “will take way too long to be a solution to climate change.”
Lingering memories of Japan’s harrowing disaster in Fukushima, as well as what Coequyt called a few “near misses” here in the U.S., “pretty much killed the willingness of the core of the environmental movement to consider [nuclear expansion] as a solid political strategy.”
Many nuclear plant opponents cite cost constraints as a real barrier to expansion. They may have a point: Xcel Energy is facing the ire of regulators after a five-year rebuilding project of a Minnesota plant saw its price tag balloon to $665 million, double its initial estimate.
“Nuclear reactors become incredibly unprofitable and have to shut down when they have problems they need to address,” said Coequyt. “Even leaving aside the cost, you don’t have the ability to scale like wind and solar, and both are moving incredibly quickly,” he added. http://www.cnbc.com/id/101954991#.
USA Nuclear permits to resume , as NRC renews its religious faith in a future solution to radioactive trash problem
U.S. to Resume Nuclear Permits, Relicensing on Waste Rule http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-26/u-s-to-resume-nuclear-permits-relicensing-on-waste-rule.html
The commission approved a final rule addressing the environmental effects of storing spent nuclear fuel at a plant site, satisfying a court order that it needed to consider the possibility a permanent underground waste repository may never be built in the U.S., according to a statement today.
The Court of Appeals struck down the agency’s “waste confidence” rule in June 2012, saying the regulator also needed to do further studies on spent fuel pool leaks and fires. The agency suspended final licensing decisions on new reactors as well as license renewals for plants and storage facilities while it formulated its response. That suspension will be lifted once the final storage rule becomes effective, 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
“The completion of this rulemaking is an important step that will facilitate final decisions on industry licensing actions pending,” Ellen Ginsberg, general counsel for the Washington-based industry group the Nuclear Energy Institute, said in a statement.
There are currently eight applications to build reactors awaiting agency action, according to its website. About 74 percent of the 100 operating U.S. reactors have been relicensed, allowing them to operate 20 years beyond their original 40-year lifespan.
Among the plants awaiting relicensing are Entergy Corp. (ETR)’s Indian Point reactors in New York and PG&E Corp.’s Diablo Canyon units in California.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Chediak in San Francisco at mchediak@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Susan Warren at susanwarren@bloomberg.netTina Davis, Robin Saponar
Danger to nuclear reactors, of California’s earthquakes
California earthquakes may pose threat to nuclear plant, expert says http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0826/California-earthquakes-may-pose-threat-to-nuclear-plant-expert-says
By Michael R. Blood, Associated Press AUGUST 26, 2014 LOS ANGELES — A senior federal nuclear expert is urging regulators to shut down California‘s last operating nuclear plant until they can determine whether the facility’s twin reactors can withstand powerful shaking from nearby earthquake faults.
Michael Peck, who for five years was Diablo Canyon‘s lead inspector, says in a confidential report that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not applying safety rules it set out for the plant’s operation.
The document, which was obtained and verified by The Associated Press, does not say the plant is unsafe. Instead, according to Peck’s analysis, no one knows whether the facility’s equipment can withstand strong shaking from those faults — the potential for which was realized decades after the facility was built. Continuing to run the reactors, Peck writes, “challenges the presumption of nuclear safety.”
Peck’s 2013 filing is part of an agency review in which employees can appeal a supervisor’s or agency ruling. The NRC, however, has not yet ruled. Spokeswoman Lara Uselding said in emails that the agency would have no comment.
The NRC, which oversees the nation’s commercial nuclear power industry, and Diablo Canyon owner Pacific Gas and Electric Co., say the nearly three-decade-old reactors are safe and that the facility complies with its operating license, including earthquake safety standards.
1 This Month
23-25 October – on Zoom – World BEYOND War’s annual global conferenc
Shut down the radiation-damaged Heysham nuclear reactors now
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
Say No to NASA’s Reckless Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
Say No to NASA’s Reckless Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
-
Archives
- October 2026 (160)
- September 2026 (339)
- August 2026 (330)
- July 2026 (355)
- June 2026 (287)
- May 2026 (306)
- April 2026 (356)
- March 2026 (251)
- February 2026 (267)
- January 2026 (308)
- December 2025 (358)
- November 2025 (359)
-
Categories
- 1
- 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES
- business and costs
- climate change
- culture and arts
- ENERGY
- environment
- health
- history
- indigenous issues
- Legal
- marketing of nuclear
- media
- opposition to nuclear
- PERSONAL STORIES
- politics
- politics international
- Religion and ethics
- safety
- secrets,lies and civil liberties
- spinbuster
- technology
- Uranium
- wastes
- weapons and war
- Women
- 2 WORLD
- ACTION
- AFRICA
- Atrocities
- AUSTRALIA
- Christina's notes
- Christina's themes
- culture and arts
- Events
- Fuk 2022
- Fuk 2023
- Fukushima 2017
- Fukushima 2018
- fukushima 2019
- Fukushima 2020
- Fukushima 2021
- general
- global warming
- Humour (God we need it)
- Nuclear
- RARE EARTHS
- Reference
- resources – print
- Resources -audiovicual
- Weekly Newsletter
- World
- World Nuclear
- YouTube
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
