Is America’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakening standards for nuclear safety?
EPA Documents Raise Doubts Over Intent of New Nuclear-Response Guide
National Journal By Douglas P. Guarino, Global Security Newswire September 11, 2013 WASHINGTON —Newly obtained government documents are prompting concern among critics that Environmental Protection Agency officials are seeking to use the organization’s new guide for nuclear-incident response to relax public health standards, but the agency is denying the claim.
The Freedom of Information Act release comes as the agency has yet to finish collecting public comments on the so-called protective-action guide, which it issued in April after years of internal infighting and public controversy. The document is meant to give federal, state and local officials advice on responding to a wide range of radiological incidents, such as “dirty bomb” attacks, nuclear power plant meltdowns and industrial accidents.
The documents obtained by Global Security Newswire show EPA officials have suggested at meetings around the world that the new guide could allow for the use of long-term cleanup standards dramatically less stringent than those the agency has enforced for decades at hundreds of sites throughout the United States, critics say.
In some cases, EPA officials have not only suggested that a drastic event akin to the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown in Japan would necessitate more flexible guidelines, but also have made statements that critics say challenge the very science behind the agency’s everyday radiation rules. Continue reading
Public meeting about decommissioning process for san Onofre Nuclear Power PLant
NRC sets first public meeting on decommissioning San Onofre nuclear plant http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/09/12/39216/nrc-sets-san-onofre-nuclear-plant-meeting-in-carls/
Ed Joyce | September 12th, 2013 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Thursday it will hold a public meeting September 26 in Carlsbad to talk about the decommissioning process for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in northern San Diego County.
It will be the agency’s first public meeting on closing the plant operated by Southern California Edison.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Omni LaCosta Hotel, 2100 Costa del Mar Road. Doors will open at 5 p.m. to accommodate security screening.
An NRC press release says technical staff will give a presentation describing the process and regulations covering the decommissioning with a Q&A session to follow.
“We think this meeting is very important for the community,” said Gene Stone with San Clemente-based Residents Organized for a Safe Environment. It’s one of several groups in Orange and San Diego counties that pushed for the plant’s closure.
Stone says a coalition of environmental groups “will create a committee focusing on safety of nuclear waste storage, the timeliness of the process and the costs associated with decommissioning.”
The nuclear plant, which is located on the coast near the border of San Diego and Orange counties, has been shut down since January 2012 after radioactive steam escaped from damaged tubes inside one of the reactors. In June of this year, Southern California Edison announced it would seek the permanent closure of the plant.
Edison International Chairman Ted Craver told reporters in June that closing the plant would take decades and result in spent nuclear fuel being stored “for a very long time” at the plant.
According to Craver, the company has a $2.7 billion decommissioning fund that can be used to close San Onofre. But the money to make up for the loss of the San Onofre plant will come from ratepayers, insurance claims, shareholders and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which made the equipment that led to the problems at San Onofre.
The California Public Utilities Commission has set an October 1 hearing to determine just how much ratepayers will pay.
Earlier this month, Southern California Edison opened the San Onofre Digital Document Library. The utility said the library provides the public with documents related to the design of the steam generators that were cited as a reason for the plant’s problems.
Along with Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric owns 20 percent of the plant and the City of Riverside owns nearly 2 percent.
The plant is located about two miles south of San Clemente.
Plymouth residents suspicious of Entergy’s nuclear waste plan
Many experts believe that storing spent fuel assemblies in dry casks is safer long-term than continuing to store them in Pilgrim’s over-crowded spent fuel pool. However, it is important to note that Entergy plans to keep the spent fuel pool full until Pilgrim stops operating, and to move the minimum number of spent fuel assemblies into dry casks.
“We, in fact, support dry cask storage,” said one of the petitioners. “We just want to make sure Entergy is doing it as safely as possible, and not at our expense. Long after Entergy is gone Plymouth will be stuck with a toxic nuclear waste dump.”
OF NUCLEAR INTEREST: Radioactive waste storage facility being built in Plymouth http://www.wickedlocal.com/wareham/topstories/x1655334658/OF-NUCLEAR-INTEREST-Radioactive-waste-storage-facility-being-built-in-Plymouth?zc_p=1 By Sara Altherr Wicked Local Plymouth
Sep 11, 2013 Last year, without fanfare, Louisiana-based Entergy Corporation started work on a nuclear waste storage facility, using “dry casks” to store radioactive spent nuclear fuel at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS). Various estimates put the cost of the facility between $165 million and $400 million. In Pilgrim’s reactor, nuclear fuel assemblies heat water to make steam that turns turbines to create electricity. Pilgrim’s reactor holds 580 fuel assemblies. After a few years, the fuel is “spent,” and needs to be replaced. However, the spent fuel is highly radioactive and will remain dangerous for thousands of years. Continue reading
Transferring spent nuclear fuel rods to dry casks does not increase worker danger
Radiation from Accelerating the Transfer of Spent Fuel from Pools to Casks, Union of Concerned Scientists David Wright, co-director and senior scientist September 11, 2013
To see this, consider the results of an August 2012 study by the Energy Power Research Institute (EPRI), “Impacts Associated with Transfer of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Spent Fuel Storage Pools to Dry Storage after Five Years of Cooling, Revision 1,” which estimates the increase in radiation dose to workers loading fuel into casks in scenarios of accelerated transfers.
The EPRI Study……. http://allthingsnuclear.org/radiation-from-accelerating-the-transfer-of-spent-fuel-from-pools-to-casks/
Nevada board extends contract for Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump license
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste license renewed Carson City, NV (KTNV) — The fight over Yucca Mountain rages on. A Nevada board has extended a contract with a Washington, D.C. law firm to continue the proposed nuclear waste dump just 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
$5 million has been approved to continue the contract; money they said will go quickly when it runs out.
Officials said the federal government only has $11 million left in its nuclear waste licensing account A Nevada board has extended a contract with a Washington, D.C. law firm to continue the proposed nuclear waste dump just 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
$5 million has been approved to continue the contract; money they said will go quickly when it runs out.
Officials said the federal government only has $11 million left in its nuclear waste licensing account.So far, the Department of Energy has already spent $670 million on licensing.
US Congress to hear about NRC’s plans for radioactive trash
the only sane thing is to stop making the stuff!
Energy Week Ahead: NRC’s Chief to Testify on Nuclear-Waste Plans Bloomberg, By Brian Wingfield – Sep 8, 2013 Congress returns from a five-week recess to take up several perennial issues: turmoil in the Middle East, rising government debt and where to dump more than 65,000 tons of waste from the nation’s nuclear power plants.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Allison Macfarlane and Peter Lyons, the Energy Department’s assistant secretary for nuclear energy, testify tomorrow at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the waste issue.
While U.S. lawmakers were away from Washington, a federal appeals court on Aug. 13 ruled the NRC is “flouting the law” by not completing its safety review for a dump at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. The agency, which stopped work after President Barack Obama’s administration killed funding for Yucca in 2010, is reviewing options on the matter through Sept. 30.
Now lawmakers just have to agree on a place to dispose of the spent-fuel rods, a debate that has been underway since at least President Ronald Reagan’s first term, when he signed a law to set up a permanent repository. For now, the material is stored at about 75 operating and closed nuclear plants……. The nation’s backlog of commercial nuclear waste is rising so high, even Yucca Mountain won’t be able to hold it all, a independent commission established by Obama reported last year. …..http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-09/energy-week-ahead-nrc-s-chief-to-testify-on-nuclear-waste-plans.html
Nuclear Regulatory Commission trying to instill confidence in its Waste Confidence Rule
NRC ‘Waste Confidence’ meetings to focus on spent nuclear fuel Augusta Chronicle By Rob PaveyStaff Writer Monday, Sept. 9, 2013 Federal regulators will hold a series of meetings this fall to discuss the fate of spent nuclear fuel that could be left behind after commercial power reactors are shut down and closed.
The 12 meetings, held by Nuclear Regulatory Commission, are part of the process of devising a “waste confidence rule” to assess the environmental impact of continued storage until the material can be sent to an underground repository. The closest meeting to Augusta will be held Nov. 4 in Charlotte, N.C., at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, 8629 J.M. Keynes Drive. An open house begins at 6 p.m., and the formal meeting will be held from 7 to 10 p.m.
Disposal of spent nuclear fuel that continues to accumulate at the nation’s 104 operating commercial reactors has been a perennial dilemma and a source of national debate…… The issue of long-term storage and disposal of spent fuel is an important issue nationwide, and especially in Georgia and South Carolina, said Tom Clements, Southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth.
The solution favored by Friends of the Earth includes removing spent fuel from storage pools, and storing it on-site in protected casks, until a geologic repository can be completed.
Under the Blue Ribbon Commission’s proposals, such a repository must be sited through a “consent-based” process that requires support and coordination from state and local officials who are willing to host such a project. The issue of long-term storage and disposal of spent fuel is an important issue nationwide, and especially in Georgia and South Carolina, said Tom Clements, Southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth.
Wind power to dismantle nuclear weapons
The Largest Federal Wind Farm Will Power The Dismantling Of Nuclear Weapons, Stan Alcorn, Co exist 10 Sept 13 “…..The largest federal wind power plant is now being built to power a facility that does most of the nuclear weapons dismantling in the United States.
At the Pantex in the wind-rich Texas panhandle, electricity will soon come from five massive turbines, to help “green the nuclear security enterprise.”….. The case for the project is largely economic. The 47 million kilowatt hours of energy the five massive turbines will deliver should provide of 65% of the plant’s energy needs. That will save $2.8 million annually over the course of the 18-year contract, according to Siemens–money that will be used to pay back the original investment…. it’s a smart investment in the long run. And Marks says it’s only the beginning. “We hope to expand the wind farm even beyond these five turbines,” she says. “There’s plenty of property there, and plenty of wind.” http://www.fastcoexist.com/3016748/the-largest-federal-wind-farm-will-power-the-dismantling-of-nuclear-weapons
Miserable market for uranium stops Colorado uranium mill build
Plan to build uranium mill in SW Colorado on hold The Associated Press September 8, 2013 DURANGO — A Toronto-based energy company is holding off on its plan to build a uranium mill in southwest Colorado.
The Durango Herald reports (http://bit.ly/15H4qMC ) Stephen Antony, president and CEO of Energy Fuels Resources Inc., told investors during a conference call Friday the company won’t build the Pinon Ridge mill in Montrose County unless there is an unexpected turnaround in uranium prices…..http://gazette.com/plan-to-build-uranium-mill-in-sw-colorado-on-hold/article/1506008he gaztte,
Obama administration’s contradictory claims about attacking Syria
Critics see contradictions in Obama administration’s Syria claims LA Times, By Paul Richter September 8, 2013, WASHINGTON –- The planned military strikes on Syria would be “targeted, limited” and wouldn’t seek to topple the government of President Bashar Assad or even force it to peace talks.
They would also be punishing and “consequential” and would so scare Assad that he would never use chemical weapons again. U.S. airstrikes would change the momentum on the battlefield of the Syrian civil war. But the war will grind on, unchanged, perhaps for years.
As administration officials lay out their case in favor of a punitive attack on Syria, they have been making all of these seemingly contradictory contentions, confusing supporters and providing rhetorical weapons to their opponents.
The contradictions stem from the basic challenge the White House faces: how to reassure the large anti-war contingent in the Democratic Party, as well as conservative opponents of overseas intervention, that strikes won’t open the way to another war, while convincing hawks and more militant internationalists that the strikes will do enough to make the mission worthwhile.
It’s possible to square most of the administration’s arguments – if one believes that a military strike can be so precisely calibrated as to harm the Assad government just enough, but not too much. But as a political case, the effort has so far proven hard to sell.
If officials lean too far in one direction, they risk losing supporters on one side or the other. But when they voice both sides of their case, they risk presenting an argument that is incoherent…….. http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-contradictions-obama-syria-20130908,0,4466835.story
USA has not shown proof of Assad-caused chemical strike in Syria
Where’s the proof? Classified, says US, though poised to strike despite lack of evidence The State Journal, BEIRUT (AP) 9 Sept 13, — The U.S. government insists it has the intelligence to prove it, but the American public has yet to see a single piece of concrete evidence — no satellite imagery, no transcripts of Syrian military communications — connecting the government of President Bashar Assad to the alleged chemical weapons attack last month that killed hundreds of people.
In the absence of such evidence, Damascus and its ally Russia have aggressively pushed another scenario: that rebels carried out the Aug. 21 chemical attack. Neither has produced evidence for that case, either. That’s left more questions than answers as the U.S. threatens a possible military strike.
The early morning assault in a rebel-held Damascus suburb known as Ghouta was said to be the deadliest chemical weapons attack in Syria’s 2½-year civil war. Survivors’ accounts, photographs of many of the dead wrapped peacefully in white sheets and dozens of videos showing victims in spasms and gasping for breath shocked the world and moved President Barack Obama to call for action because the use of chemical weapons crossed the red line he had drawn a year earlier.
Yet one week after Secretary of State John Kerry outlined the case against Assad, Americans — at least those without access to classified reports — haven’t seen a shred of his proof.
There is open-source evidence that provides clues about the attack, including videos of the rockets that analysts believe were likely used. U.S. officials on Saturday released a compilation of videos showing victims, including children, exhibiting what appear to be symptoms of nerve gas poisoning. Some experts think the size of the strike, and the amount of toxic chemicals that appear to have been delivered, make it doubtful that the rebels could have carried it out. http://www.state-journal.com/ap%20general%20news/2013/09/08/sunday-september-8-2013
Secret preparations for USA-Russia “proxy” war over Syria
WORLD WAR 3 IS STARTING I have spoken to my connections in the Russian media and they are all confirming that World War 3 is the hottest topic right now amid the populace, and the fact of the matter is that all of the top level military officials over there are looking at this Syrian incident as the catalyst — as the spark.
What we’re looking at right now is the beginning of World War 3 unless we manage to stop it.
We encourage you to continue checking out Infowars and Storyleak for more updates on this and the latest news and information we find out on this developing situation.
HIGH LEVEL SOURCE CONFIRMS Secret US Nuclear Warhead Transfer to East Coast http://www.storyleak.com/exclusive-high-level-source-confirms-secret-us-nuclear-warhead-transfer-east-coast/by Anthony Gucciardi & Alex Jones 3 Sept 13,
A high level source inside the military has now confirmed to us that Dyess Air Force base is actively moving nuclear warheads to the East Coast of the United States in a secret transfer that has no paper trail. According to the high level military source, who has a strong record of continually being proven correct in deep military activity, the Dyess Air Force Commander authorized unknown parties to transfer the nuclear warheads to an unknown location that has been reported to be South Carolina, where the warheads will then be picked up and potentially utilized.
This is of particular interest not only due to the fact that the Syrian situation has escalated to the point of a very realistic hot war scenario, but due to the fact that Dyess has repeatedly denied the existence of nuclear warheads inside the base. (Below, a pilotless nuclear missile)
The brief report from the top level military source, which was written in a rush to get the information out, reads:
“Dyess is beginning to move out nuclear war heads today. I got a tap from DERMO earlier. He said it was the first time they have been even acknowledged since being put there in the 80′s. No signature was required for transfer… There was no directive. He said that Dyess Commander was on site to give authority to release. No one knew where they were going really, but the truck driver said to take them to South Carolina and another pick up will take them from there.”
The fact that this transfer was not signed for and there were no papers is key. Continue reading
Should Southern California ratepayers have to pay $2.4 billion for closed down San Onofre nuclear plant?
California Utility Wants $2 Billion From Ratepayers For Shuttered Nuclear Plant http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2013/09/06/california-utility-wants-2-billion-from-ratepayers-for-shuttered-nuclear-plant/ Forbes, William Pentland, 6 Sept 13 Southern California Edison (SCE) wants at least $2.4 billion fromratepayers over the next seven years to cover the costs of the shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant, according to the Associated Press.
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) in southern California was initially shut down in January 2012 after operators discovered damaged tubing in the facility’s steam generators.
SCE decided to shut down the nuclear reactors permanently in June.
In August, SCE provided a proposal to recover the capital investment in SONGS to the California Public Utilities Commission, which claimed to need the money to compensate shareholders.
The California Division of Ratepayer Advocates has argued ratepayers should not be charged for a plant that is not producing power.
It is hard to disagree.
Calvert Cliffs nuclear reactor shut down
1 of 2 Reactors at Md. Nuclear Plant Shuts Down http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/reactors-md-nuclear-plant-shuts-20179217 LUSBY, Md. September 6, 2013 (AP)Constellation Energy Nuclear Group says it has shut down one of two nuclear reactors at its Calvert Cliffs power plant after a malfunction during testing.
Plant spokesman Kory Raftery says a control rod dropped into the reactor Thursday during tests at the Southern Maryland plant and it was shut down. He said Friday that electrical maintenance will be performed, but it’s not clear when unit 2 will return to service.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan says the plant must shut down within six hours if a rod can’t be withdrawn. He says inspectors will follow the maintenance.
Raftery says there’s no public safety threat, and an investigation found no link to a shutdown in May.
The plant is located along the Chesapeake Bay, about 70 miles south of Baltimore.
New Orleans suburbs resident to pay up for nuclear plant repairs
Entergy seeks bill increase to pay for nuclear plant repairs BY MARK BALLARD, The Advocate, mballard@theadvocate.com September 06, 2013 About 700,000 Entergy customers from the New Orleans suburbs to the Arkansas line already are paying to repair the Waterford 3 nuclear plant that has only 11 years left on its license.
Since January, Entergy Louisiana’s typical residential customers — who buy about 1,400 kilowatt hours of electricity monthly — have been paying $5.81 more each month for the nuclear plant repairs, according to the company’s calculations.
The repair is roughly the cost of building a brand-new generating plant that uses natural gas as fuel and would last another half century, said Casey DeMoss Roberts, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy. The Alliance is a New Orleans-based group that advocates on behalf of residential and small-business customers of big utility companies.
“Do we want to invest that much money into about a 30-year-old nuclear power plant, or should we retire the plant and invest that into a new natural gas or some other new generation source?” Roberts asked……. http://theadvocate.com/home/6913539-125/entergy-seeks-bill-increase-to
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
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