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Hot summer causing costly cutbacks of nuclear power

Last week, TVA violated its permit with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management when the river temperature topped 90 degrees……..

Hot river forces costly cutback for TVA | Chattanooga Times Free Press, By: Dave Flessner 23 Aug 2010, The Tennessee Valley Authority has lost nearly $50 million in power generation from its biggest nuclear plant because the Tennessee River in Alabama is too hot. Unless the summer cools down, TVA could lose millions of dollars more, pushing up fuel costs and consumer electric bills even after seven consecutive monthly increases. Continue reading →

August 31, 2010 Posted by | climate change, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Medical radiation doses to be recorded in California

provide physicians the information they need to track dosage levels and prevent patients from receiving overdoses of radiation.”

California bill to record radiation dose moves forward August 30, 2010 by Heather Mayer, DOTmed News In a move to protect patients from excess radiation exposure during CT scans, the California State Assembly last week approved a bill that would require radiation dosage levels to be recorded on the scanned image and in a patient’s health record, as well as reporting those doses to patients, their physicians and the California Department of Health. Continue reading →

August 31, 2010 Posted by | Legal, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Coal plants emit ionising radiation

Coal Plant Owner Is Fined Over Cesium Radiation Exposure – NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD, 30 Aug 2010, A power plant has overexposed its workers to radiation, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a fine. The plant, though, is not a reactor; it runs on coal. Continue reading →

August 31, 2010 Posted by | environment, USA | , | Leave a comment

“Temporary” nuke waste disposal becoming Permanent, and expensive

If the plant closes in 2012, it would be mothballed, or put into SAFSTOR, until its decommissioning fund reaches the level necessary to clean up the site, which could take up to 60 years.

NRC considers long-term on-site storage of waste, Brattleboro Reformer, By JOSH STILTS,    Aug. 30 2010 BRATTLEBORO – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted earlier this month to explore the option of storing nuclear waste at decommissioned sites past the current 30-year standard……. Continue reading →

August 31, 2010 Posted by | decommission reactor, USA | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA’s grand solar opportunity depends on USA Senate

One factor could snarl that time line: the expiration of federal incentives, specifically the Treasury Dept.’s cash grant program, which currently covers 30% of a project’s costs, as long as construction has begun by the end of 2010. SEIA and other groups are pushing to have the qualifying construction start date extended by two years, to the end of 2012…….

Members of the US Senate Finance Committee didn’t return calls asking when they would vote on extending the program…….

Solar power: Brighter long-term investment outlook, The Economic Times, 29 Aug 2010, With utilities adopting standards to increase the amount of solargenerated electricity in coming years, the US could bolster its presence in the global solar-power market. The quickening growth pace could present attractive opportunities for investors, Continue reading →

August 30, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Doctor urges more caution in radiation breast screening

Unfortunately, she said, “this is something that isn’t well understood, not just by the public — but by physicians who order the tests.”….

Radiation, Risks Are Focus of Breast Screening Studies, New York Times, By RONI CARYN RABIN : August 24, 2010 When Dr. Deborah Rhodes orders a diagnostic test that involves radiation, she consults a chart in her office that lists the amount of radiation exposure from each test. She considers the patient’s total past exposure, and then carefully weighs the risks and benefits of each test and any alternative approaches she can take. Continue reading →

August 28, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , , , | 1 Comment

NASA’s friend Paul McCartney condemns their radiation testing on monkeys

The Former Beatle is unhappy about NASA using poor animals for outer space radiation testing.

Paul McCartney asks NASA to stop animal testing Oneindia , 27 Aug 2010, Beatles Superstar Sir Paul McCartney and NASA have a strong relationship but right now they are involved in some monkey business. Continue reading →

August 28, 2010 Posted by | Religion and ethics, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium mining executives on “independent” uranium study panel

The Southern Environmental Law Center, for instance, objects to Henry A. Schnell, who is with the mining business unit of Areva, the French-owned nuclear services company. The company is the world’s largest producer of uranium

Questions raised about Va. uranium study members, BusinessWeek, By STEVE SZKOTAK , RICHMOND, Va. As an independent scientific panel is assembled to study the risks of uranium mining in Virginia, environmental groups are questioning whether some of its provisional members can be impartial because of their ties to the nuclear power industry or mining interests. Continue reading →

August 28, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dangerous nuclear wastes – what a mess at Hanford!

“This is one of the most challenging cleanup projects at the Hanford Site, because the records don’t tell us exactly what’s buried here,

Hazardous materials removed from burial ground in Hanford – KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA , 27 Aug 2010, RICHLAND, Wash.— Workers are making their first entry into one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s most hazardous waste burial grounds containing radioactive and hazardous materials at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. Continue reading →

August 28, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Award winning media investigation into medical radiation

the newspaper reported on a fast-evolving medical world in which safety has lagged behind technical innovation. It found that financial incentives have driven the medical radiation boom,…..The award recognized papers that creatively used digital tools in the role of being a community’s watchdog

NY Times’ radiation investigation wins APME award, Google hosted news, (AP) –26 Aug 2010, NEW YORK — An investigation into the dangers of the increasing use of radiation in diagnosing and treating disease earned The New York Times a Public Service Award Wednesday from the Associated Press Managing Editors association. Continue reading →

August 26, 2010 Posted by | media, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Whole body scanning at airports raises radiation risks

certain travelers may be particularly vulnerable to emissions from the scanners including seniors, women prone to breast cancer, expectant mothers and children for which the impact hasn’t been fully evaluated….…

(USA) Lawmakers continue to voice concerns over whole-body imagers | Center for Investigative Reporting, G. W. Shultz, August 24, 2010, It wasn’t a lead story when scientists from the University of California at San Francisco first publicly expressed their unease earlier this year about the possible negative health effects caused by full-body airport scanners now being used across the United States to stop explosives from making it onto jet airliners. Continue reading →

August 26, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium mining study group members’ conflict of interest

“Unfortunately, it appears that several members of the provisional committee may have conflicts of interest….”

(USA) Regional groups voice concerns over uranium study committee, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune, August 25, 2010 The Roanoke and Dan River basin associations want the National Academy of Sciences to investigate the backgrounds and professional relationships of several appointees to a provisional committee that will study uranium mining in Virginia. Continue reading →

August 26, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, Uranium, USA | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Careless use of radioactive materials at Army hospital

Feds: Radiation exposure at Walter Reed. The Washington Post, by Christian Davenport, 26 Aug 2010, Two packages of radioactive material sat under a counter in the main lobby of Walter Reed Army Medical Center for 44 hours, possibly exposing patients and staff to elevated radiation, according to an investigation by federal regulators……Walter Reed officials determined radiation levels at the concierge desk were two millirems an hour, which exceeds allowable limits. The average American is exposed to 620 millirems a year, according to Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman.The violations at the Northwest Washington hospital follow a similar violation there in 2008….Post Now – Feds: Radiation exposure at Walter Reed

August 26, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Climate change effects could stop nuclear industry

.the effects of climate change could make it to impossible to run nuclear reactors.

The Nuclear Industry Needs A Cap On Carbon To Survive, Wonk Room 26 Aug 2010, “……..the effects of climate change could make it to impossible to run nuclear reactors. For example, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has drastically reduced power generation at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant this summer: The Tennessee Valley Authority has lost nearly $50 million in power generation from its biggest nuclear plant because the Tennessee River in Alabama is too hot Continue reading →

August 26, 2010 Posted by | climate change, USA | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Airport scanning: radiation dangers raised in U.S. Congress

certain travelers may be particularly vulnerable to emissions from the scanners including seniors, women prone to breast cancer, expectant mothers and children for which the impact hasn’t been fully evaluated….…

Lawmakers continue to voice concerns over whole-body imagers | Center for Investigative Reporting, G. W. Shultz, August 24, 2010, It wasn’t a lead story when scientists from the University of California at San Francisco first publicly expressed their unease earlier this year about the possible negative health effects caused by full-body airport scanners now being used across the United States to stop explosives from making it onto jet airliners. Continue reading →

August 25, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , | Leave a comment