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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Nuclear option for Gulf Oil Spill – potential for catastrophe

DEEP OIL WELL DRILLING ALWAYS BRINGS INCREASED LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVITY

BP NUCLEAR OPTION Spells Mega-Disaster For Gulf Of Mexico, thepeoplesvoice.org, Dr. Tom Termotto, 24 July 2010, National Coordinator Gulf Oil Spill Remediation Conference (International Citizens’ Initiative) There has been much speculation lately about a nuclear device being planned for closing in the BP Macondo Well in the Gulf of Mexico. The consequences of exercising this option go well beyond killing the Gulf of Mexico; there would be far-reaching and profound ramifications for the oceans of the world. Continue reading →

July 25, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA – some good nuclear news

No “Emergency”  funding for nuclear industry, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, First, the Senate last night rejected the House-passed emergency supplemental funding bill by a 51-46 vote.* This is the bill that included $9 Billion in “emergency” loans for new nuclear reactor construction. The House will almost certainly have to accept the Senate version; those loans are now history.

Second, the Senate has given up on passing a climate bill before the November elections. That’s obviously mixed news: we support a strong climate bill. But we weren’t going to get a strong climate bill anyway; what we were going to get was a Christmas-in-July gift to the nuclear power industry. The wealthy nuclear corporations were all ready to unwrap their presents. Not this time.

July 24, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , | 1 Comment

USA – some not so good nuclear news

USA 10 $Billion to nuclear loans, Beyond Nuclear 24 July 2010, Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an energy funding bill for next year that includes $10 Billion in nuclear loans (along with $7+ billion for fossil fuels and about $3 billion for renewables). Those are clearly some misplaced priorities–and $10 billion for new reactors is $10 Billion too much, but it is less than half of the $25 Billion passed by the House Appropriations Committee.

Unfortunately, the Committee also approved two pro-nuclear bills: S. 2052, which would authorize the Department of Energy to spend $50 million/year through 2015 to reduce the cost of new reactors (although it’s hard to see how that kind of money can accomplish that goal, utilities already have plenty of incentive to reduce costs) and S. 2812, which would encourage the development of “small, modular reactors” and seek their design certification by the NRC by 2018 (although it is highly unlikely these could ever prove economical–see Amory Lovins’ factsheet here).

July 24, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

US Senate Energy Committee approves 10 Million Solar Rooftops Bill

Some good solar news, Beyond Nuclear, 24 July 2010, The Senate Energy Committee yesterday approved Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) 10 million solar roofs bill (S. 3460). This bill would provide tax credits and other incentives to encourage people to install solar power on 10 million rooftops across the U.S. It would ramp up mass production of solar panels and thus likely reduce their cost. It’s an easy bill to support. Here is an article that describes the bill.

Article below – quick summary of the Bill

July 24, 2010 Posted by | decentralised, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Decentralised Solar Energy – 10 Million Solar Roofs

Here’s how the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act works: take the example of a homeowner who decides to install a 5-kilowatt solar system which, depending on location, would produce enough electricity to cover most, if not all, of an average electric bill (the solar panels would produce excess power during the day that can be sold back to the utility, covering some or all of the cost of electricity when the sun is not shining).

Here Comes the Sun: Ten Million Solar Rooftops, Renewable Energy World, by Greg Chafee  : July 21, 2010 “……Today 92% of Americans want our country to develop solar energy resources, and 77% believe the federal government should make solar power development a national priority. Continue reading →

July 24, 2010 Posted by | decentralised, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA “Tea Party” campaign against nuclear weapons control

conservative nationwide campaign to convince ordinary Americans to actively oppose the new nuclear reductions treaty with Russia

Tea Party activists come out against START  The Cable,  By Josh Rogin Friday, July 23, 2010 – A lobbying group affiliated with the Tea Party has joined the effort to derail President Obama’s new arms-control agreement with Russia, launching a grassroots campaign by spreading misleading information about the pact to the general public. Continue reading →

July 24, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Pressure on US Senate to adopt Renewable Energy Standard

“A renewable Energy Standard  would provide a down-payment on carbon reduction goals, save and create jobs, and keep America competitive,”

Coalition seeks to salvage renewable power mandate in Senate,  The Hill, By Ben Geman – 07/23/10 Environmentalists and renewable energy trade groups are pressing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to include a national renewable electricity standard, or RES, in the slimmed-down energy package heading for the floor next week. Continue reading →

July 24, 2010 Posted by | renewable, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium spill shuts US highway

U.S. Highway 412 at Bouse Junction east to State Highway 58 at Ringwood has been shut down for containment purposes. They initially reported that the chemical spilled was uranium

Uranium Accident Prompts Road Closure , Evacuations Reported Near Fairview  KOCO Oklahoma City,  July 22, 2010 An accident involving a vehicle carrying cesium has forced the closure of a road in Major County, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. According to a news release from the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, U.S. Highway 412 at Bouse Junction east to State Highway 58 at Ringwood has been shut down for containment purposes. They initially reported that the chemical spilled was uranium.Fairview police said there have been evacuations about 1,000 feet around the area. It has not been determined whether anything is leaking.Authorities at the scene are waiting for officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to arrive from Tulsa.Chemical Accident Prompts Road Closure – Oklahoma City News Story – KOCO Oklahoma City

July 23, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nowhere for Hanford’s high level nuclear waste to go

Hanford’s high level radioactive waste has been expected to go to Yucca Mountain, but the Obama administration is shutting the project down…..

HANFORD: Yucca Mountain funding voted down,  Tri-City Herald, 22 July 2010, Annette Cary, Richland An amendment to restore money to license the Yucca Mountain, Nev., nuclear repository failed in the Senate Appropriations Committee today Continue reading →

July 23, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | , , , , | Leave a comment

No funding for Yucca Mt nuclear waste dump

US Senate panel OKs DOE funding bill with no Yucca Mountain money Washington (Platts)–22Jul2010 The US Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a spending bill for the Department of Energy that provides $10 billion in loan guarantee authority for nuclear projects and, in keeping with the Obama administration’s request, eliminates funding for the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Continue reading →

July 23, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prosperous future for decentralised renewable energy

it highlights the role that far-flung places can play in clean energy innovation. Where electricity and fuel prices are high, new energy technologies are often much more competitive.

Want to See the Future of Energy? Look to Alaska and Hawaii   The Atlantic, Alexis Madrigal  , 21 July 2010, “……….a  hydroelectric turbine for Gustavus Electric Inc. spins in a small metal building not much bigger than a farmland garage.T Continue reading →

July 22, 2010 Posted by | decentralised, USA | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission not concerned with weapons proliferation risks

a systemic flaw at the NRC: The commission does not conduct broad assessments of the proliferation concerns associated with licensing projects…….

Nuclear Licensing Process Raises Proliferation Concerns « The Washington Independent, NRC Not Required to Assess Proliferation Risks When Approving New Technology, By Andrew Restuccia 7/21/10 This Thursday in Wilmington, N.C., officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the government agency responsible for overseeing the country’s nuclear energy activities, are slated to present a report laying out the environmental impacts of a proposed uranium enrichment facility, a key step in approving the facility’s license. Continue reading →

July 22, 2010 Posted by | safety, Uranium, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How workers’ uranium exposure levels can be fudged

levels of residual radiation at the site AFTER the structure itself was removed and buried in Piketon, Ohio, were used to approximate radiation doses of workers when it was in operation…..“there’s no reason to believe that host decontamination measurements would be meaningful to reconstruct doses 18 years earlier during operations.”

Panel Discussing Raising Huntington Radiation Exposure Levels at Atomic Plant Some Could Jump Ten Fold By Tony Rutherford, Huntingtonnews.net, 21 July 2010, Continue reading →

July 22, 2010 Posted by | health, Uranium, USA | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Water is critical issue in Climate Change

These key messages delivered and explained in new report, Protecting the Lifeline of the West: How Climate and Clean Energy Policies Can Safeguard Water, written by Environmental Defense Fund and Western Resource Advocates. It gives more details about why, in the West, climate and clean energy policy is water policy – and why we need the Senate to pass a strong climate and clean energy bill now.

(USA) In the West, Climate and Energy Policy Is Water Policy, Dan Grossmand Bart Miller, 19 July 2010, “………………scientists are concluding that the extended droughts of the past may become the norm of the future. So what should we do about this bleak situation? If we are serious about avoiding the biggest looming crisis of meeting the water needs of the West, we have to understand the energy-water connection and advance clean energy solutions. Continue reading →

July 20, 2010 Posted by | climate change, USA, water | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear lobby has spent $953 million to promote its wares

there is real danger that the nuclear industry will continue to promote itself as a ‘silver-bullet’ solution to climate change……“The worst thing about new nuclear is that it steals billions of public dollars from other more effective things like energy efficiency,”

Nuclear Energy Steals Billions from Other Technologies, By Stephen Leahy*, 20 July 2010, Costs of nuclear skyrocket while costs of renewables falling quickly say energy experts Why is nuclear energy back on the table?One reason is a powerful U.S. lobby where 14 energy companies spent 48 million dollars in 2007 alone to convince American politicians to give the industry huge loan guarantees because they cannot get financing anywhere else, says Ellen Vancko, a nuclear energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based non governmental organisation (NGO). Continue reading →

July 20, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , , | 1 Comment