Time to move nuclear wastes to dry cask storage
as the second anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan draws near, some members of Congress say it is time to reduce the risk posed by spent fuel by moving some of it to dry casks.Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, will take over as the committee’s chairmanwhen Congress begins its new session next month. In an interview on Monday, he pointed out that the department collects about $750 million a year in waste disposal fees at the rate of one-tenth of a cent per kilowatt-hour generated by the reactors that feed those utilities. Yet the government is spending nearly nothing, he noted……
Mr. Wyden said the committee would have to take a broad look at the issue of the Energy Department’s nuclear waste fund. “The utilities are obviously unhappy they’re paying the money,’’ which is being “hijacked” for other purposes, he said — namely, deficit reduction. The fund now has a balance of $25 billion. “There is a lot of frustration” about the money and the lack of progress, he said. Continue reading
South Dakota: precious water endangered by “in-situ” uranium minng
as for water quality, we know from the history of in situ leach
uranium mining that the groundwater will be contaminated. Leaks and
spills are common. Every in situ uranium mine has them. And at the end
of the process — when things have supposedly been “cleaned up” — the
groundwater has always been left polluted with radioactivity and with
things like arsenic, selenium and lead.
FORUM: In situ uranium mining will pollute water
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinion/forum-in-situ-uranium-mining-will-pollute-water/article_ecc53035-6f34-5293-8d5f-08b0e619bee0.html
January 12, 2013 Plans to mine uranium north of Edgemont remain
controversial — and with good reason. The company involved, Powertech
Uranium, is a foreign corporation that has never mined anything. They
want to use 9,000 gallons per minute of our water. And they will leave
the water contaminated with radiation and other things — like every
other “in situ” leach uranium mine in U.S. history.
In situ leach mining involves pumping a solution underground, where it
loosens the uranium from the rock, and then pumping the uranium-filled
solution back to the surface. Continue reading
Nuclear wastes problem: let’s not forget MILITARY nuclear wastes
Come January, Another Try on Nuclear Waste, By MATTHEW L. WALD, NYT, December 18, 2012, “……..As for the search for a permanent burial site, Mr. Wyden said the government should be looking for volunteers but that the site would have to be technically suitable. He also said he would like to explore separating the military wastes from the civilian wastes, and perhaps sending them to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, which is in a salt deposit near Carlsbad, N.M. The repository is now used for plutonium-contaminated materials but not high-level waste.
The military wastes have been dear to Mr. Wyden’s heart for 30 years: many of them are in leaking tanks at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Washington, across the Columbia River from his home state, Oregon. But those wastes would have to be solidified before they could be buried, and the Energy Department has had great difficulty doing that.
Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, a Democrat who is head of the committee until the end of the lame duck session, has already introduced a bill to reform the process of picking a site, but action is unlikely this year. The lame duck session has failed so far to deal with its central task, a budget and tax compromise. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/come-january-another-try-on-nuclear-waste/?smid=fb-share
At long last – cleanup of radiation area at Staten Island
Radiation clean up to start in Staten Island’s Gateway National
Recreation Area, SI Live.com By Deborah Young/Staten Island Advance
January 11, 2013 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The long-awaited survey and
clean-up of radiation-contaminated ballfields, along with more than
200 acres of green space in Gateway National Recreation Area’s Great
Kills Park should begin next week, according to the National Park
Service (NPS), under whose stewardship the land falls.
In a shift from a plan announced last year, when Park Service
contractors were slated to survey the area and then come up with
clean-up recommendations for a later time, the process set to begin
Monday will include both the identification of hot spots and the
remediation of toxins…..
As of November, six radium spots had been removed from the 223-acre
swath of the park that had once been landfill, with the primary
contaminant found to be Radium-226, a radionuclide formerly used in
medical treatment.
After that, even more potential hot spots were discovered, prompting
the National Park Service to rethink its more limited plan, and
instead include more sweeping investigations of the area, as well as
immediate elimination of the radiation.
The radiation-affected area — which comprises a large portion of the
488-acre park — has been closed to the public.
Meanwhile, environmentalists, avid users of the park, local residents
and lawmakers have demanded for years to know why the remediation
process has been so slow….
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/radiation_clean_up_to_start_in.html
Cheaper for Duke Energy to close Crystal River nuclear plant
Rating agency thinks nuclear plant will be closed, Tampa Bay Times, By
Ivan Penn, Times Staff Writer, Jan 11, 2013 In its latest evaluation
of Duke Energy, the Fitch rating agency concludes this week that the
utility probably will permanently close the crippled Crystal River
nuclear plant.
In giving Duke a “stable” outlook, Fitch noted that a repair of the
Crystal River plant would pose too much of burden on Duke but shutting
it down would guarantee some protections provided by a settlement
agreement with the state.
“Fitch believes it is unlikely management will elect to repair Crystal
River 3 given the rising cost estimates, construction risks and low
gas-price environment, and instead will pursue the retirement option
and recovery of invested capital,” the rating agency stated…..
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/rating-agency-thinks-nuclear-plant-will-be-closed/1270052
South Texas nuclear reactors – fire on Jan 8, relicensing hearing on Jan 15
Fire at South Texas Project Nuclear Reactor Site – Just Before Re-licensing Hearing, Herald Online, January 11, 2013 By Sustainable Energy & Economic Development Coalition AUSTIN, TEXAS, JAN. 11, 2013 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –– A fire that shot 50 foot flames into the air erupted January 8th in the main transformer at the South Texas Project site near Bay City, Texas, about 90 miles southwest of Houston. Reactor 2, which was out of commission for five winter months in 2011-2012, has not been operating since the fire.
The fire occurred just one week prior to a hearing on re-licensing the two South Texas Project reactors, which will be held January 15th from 2-5 pm and 7-10 pm at the Bay City Civic Center, 201 Seventh St…… “Any nuclear reactor is at risk from fires, explosions, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, lack of cooling water and terrorist attacks, as well as accidents due to human error and mechanical failure,” said Karen Hadden, Director of the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition.
“This is like a used car deal – made fourteen years in advance. Why not wait until 2025 to see what shape the reactors are in before even considering re-licensing? The reactors, now 24 and 25 years old, are licensed to run 40 years – until 2027 and 2028. It’s time to plan for their replacement, not court disaster by giving aging reactors twenty additional years.”
The NRC Event report and hearing information are online at www.NukeFreeTexas.org.
NASA’s drones will explore climate change effects below the tropsphere
NASA To Use Drone For Climate Research, Information Week Government, Patience Wait, 11 Jan 13, NASA this month will begin using a drone capable of flying 12 miles above the Earth’s surface in an effort to understand how atmospheric changes affect climate…… NASA’s new project is called the Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment, or ATTREX. The tropopause is the atmospheric layer between the troposphere, which is the lowest portion of the atmosphere, and the stratosphere. “There are vortices in the atmosphere that spin off the North Pole over the Pacific,” said Don Sullivan, a NASA employee working on the IT portion of ATTREX. “A lot of stuff that originates in Asia winds up in North America. We don’t know if it’s original material” or chemically compounded in the atmosphere.
The Global Hawk is capable of flying at 65,000 feet and staying aloft for 30 hours, allowing for air sampling over an extended period. It has been outfitted with about a dozen scientific instruments and sensors to measure trace gases, temperature, water vapor, radiation and other cloud properties…..
Six ATTREX flights are scheduled to take place between mid-January and mid-March. Those will be followed by flights over Guam and Australia next year.
Drones are a cheaper way for NASA to pursue some aspects of its mission, compared to rocket launches. ATTREX is an example of the agency’s Venture-class projects, which are designed to be implemented rapidly and at lower costs…. http://www.informationweek.com/government/information-management/nasa-to-use-drone-for-climate-research/240146117
VIDEO Uranium mining in Virginia, and its risks for North Carolina
Hawood suggested the General Assembly write and pass a strongly-worded
resolution against uranium mining to try and influence Virginia’s
lawmakers in Richmond
VIDEO Uranium mining in Virginia would affect NC Rivers
http://myfox8.com/2013/01/10/uranium-mining-in-virginia-would-affect-nc-rivers/
January 10, 2013, by Mitch Carr EDEN, NC —
Virginia’s General Assembly is considering lifting a moratorium on
mining uranium that has been in place since 1982, and doing so could
have a dramatic effect on North Carolina’s recreational waterways.
The potential mine is on a farm near Gretna and Chatham in
Pittsylvania County, Virginia. The company attempting to mine the ore
that contains the uranium, Virginia Uranium, Inc., estimates the lode
to be 119 million pounds.
…….., many of the locals don’t support it, and an hour and a half
southwest of Chatham in Eden, NC, the Dan River Basin Association
definitely does not support it.
Tiffany Hawood is the executive director, and she agrees mining
uranium will bring jobs to the area.
“If you’re talking about jobs for cleaning up environmental risks,
then yeah, maybe,” Hawood said.
Hawood believes the mining puts the Dan and Smith Rivers, which run
through Rockingham County and are popular for tubing and canoeing, at
risk.
“I can’t think of one good reason to do this,” Hawood said.
North Carolina would experience the fallout of a mining disaster but
has no authority to stop Virginia from getting rid of the ban.
Hawood suggested the General Assembly write and pass a strongly-worded
resolution against uranium mining to try and influence Virginia’s
lawmakers in Richmond…. http://myfox8.com/2013/01/10/uranium-mining-in-virginia-would-affect-nc-rivers/
The risks of “accidental” nuclear war between USA and Russia
Analyzing and reducing the risks of inadvertent nuclear war between the United States and Russia. Insititute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
Seth Baum, 10 Jan 13 “…..Background: Inadvertent Nuclear War
Inadvertent nuclear war as defined in this paper occurs when one nation mistakenly concludes that it is under attack and launches nuclear weapons in 
what it believes to be a counterattack. A US-Russia nuclear war would be a major global catastrophe since these countries still possess thousands of nuclear weapons. Despite the end of the Cold War, the risk remains. This paper develops a detailed mathematical “fault tree” model to analyze the ongoing risk of inadvertent US-Russia nuclear war. Continue reading
Incident at Hanford nuclear site meeting
Paper: Engineer files police report after incident at nuclear site — Says she was grabbed, physically prevented from leaving meeting http://enenews.com/paper-engineer-files-police-report-after-incident-at-nuclear-facility-says-she-was-grabbed-physically-prevented-from-leaving-meeting
January 9th, 2013
Title: DOE engineer files police report alleging incident at meeting
Source: Tri-City Herald
Author: By Annette Cary
Date: January 9, 2013
A Department of Energy engineer has filed a police report alleging she was physically prevented from leaving a Hanford meeting in December.
[…] The confrontation reportedly happened between two DOE employees and involved a disagreement about how much money should be paid to Bechtel National, which is building the Hanford vitrification plant.
The woman reported that as she tried to leave the meeting someone grabbed her arm to keep her from walking out, said Capt. Mike Cobb of the Richland police. […]
“The Department of Energy will not tolerate harassment, intimidation or other inappropriate behavior from its employees,” DOE said in a statement when asked about the police report. “Any and all allegations will be investigated promptly and thoroughly.” […]
See also: Battle over Bechtel clean-up at Hanford escalating after police reports filed -Enformable
Gun toting nuclear plant operator disappears
Nuclear plant operator accused in carjacking vanishes By Clifford
Tribune
January 10, 2013
“……..Prosecutors seek to hold trial in absentiaAuthorities
wondered why a well-paid nuclear plant operator might steal a
12-year-old car at gunpoint. But an even more pressing question arose
when Buhrman disappeared after posting bond. A GPS device that had
been attached to his leg was found Sept. 28 in his deserted Coal City
house, its strap sliced in half, authorities said. Continue reading
Court puts Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the spot, about public participation
“Now the burden isn’t on the public to show why they need to be part of the exemption process,’’
“The burden is on the N.R.C. to show why they shouldn’t be.
Court Seeks More Public Input on Nuclear Safety, NYT, By MATTHEW L. WALD, 9 Jan 13 A federal appeals court has ruled that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must either allow more public participation in its decisions about fire safety at the Indian Point 3 nuclear reactor or to show why such input is impractical or inappropriate.
A lawsuit brought by Richard L. Brodsky a former 
New York State assemblyman and opponent of Indian Point, involves exemptions granted by the commission from compliance with some fire regulations. Like many reactors around the country, Indian Point installed a fire retardant called Hemyc around critical electric cables in the 1980s to meet a rule that the cables had to be safe from fire for one hour. But the material turned out to be nowhere near as fire-resistant as advertised. Continue reading
“Unusual event” – fire emergency at Texas nuclear plant
ABC 13: Fire erupts at U.S. nuclear plant in Texas, emergency declared http://enenews.com/abc-13-fire-erupts-at-u-s-nuclear-power-plant-in-texas-emergency-declared
January 9th, 2013
Title: Fire closes part of nuclear plant; no one injured
Source: Victoria Advocate
Author: Caty Hirst
Date: January 8, 2013
[…] “The good news is no one was injured,” said South Texas Project spokesman Buddy Eller. […]
The fire, in Unit 2 of STP Generating Station near Bay City, was declared an “unusual event,” the lowest level of emergency classification, according to a company news release. […]
The cause of the fire is under investigation […]
See also: Fire strikes South Texas Project nuclear power plant transformer -AP
North Carolina will fight proposal for uranium mine in Virginia
NC opposition builds to proposed Virginia uranium mine, WRAL.com, 8
Jan 13, MANSON, N.C. — As legislation that would allow uranium mining
in Virginia advances through that state’s legislature, opposition to
the move is growing in North Carolina.
A group of Virginia lawmakers voted Monday to approve a bill that
would lift a 31-year-old ban on uranium mining and allow the practice
in Chatham, Va., where a 119 million-pound deposit of uranium – the $7
billion vein is the largest in the U.S. – is located.
The bill now goes to the full legislature, which convenes Wednesday.
“North Carolina will be fighting this,” Continue reading
Tentative step towards uranium mining in Virginia, but opposition persists
While environmental groups have led the charge against mining, the
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation took the unexpected step of opposing
mining, and municipal groups have also joined in the opposition.
Virginia Beach, which draws public drinking water from southern
Virginia, has also taken a stand against mining, as well as other
cities in Hampton Roads.
Virginia uranium mining wins 1st legislative test January 7, 2013
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Proposed uranium mining in Virginia easily
survived its first legislative test Monday, with lawmakers
recommending the development of regulations for the mining of the
radioactive ore.
Those rules — and whether a 30-year ban on such mining is lifted —
ultimately would need to be approved by the General Assembly.
The Coal and Energy Commission voted 11-2 in support of legislation
proposed by Sen. John Watkins that would have the effect of limiting
mining to one company and the only known, commercially viable deposit
of uranium in the state: Virginia Uranium Inc…..
Asked why he would limit uranium mining in the state, Watkins said:
“Because I want the bill to pass.”
……..Robert G. Burnley, a former director of the Virginia
Department of Environmental Quality who now is affiliated with the
Southern Environmental Law Center, said the legislation is a “de
facto” vote on ending the 31-year ban. Continue reading
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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