nuclear-news

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

Fires at three U.S. nuclear plants

Fires break out at three U.S. nuclear plants over the weekend, FACING SOUTH,  By Sue Sturgis , March 29, 2010 Emergencies were declared at two Progress Energy nuclear power plants in the Carolinas over the weekend due to fires. There was also a fire at a nuclear power plant in Ohio on Sunday that sent two firefighters to the hospital. The blazes were put out and disaster averted, but the incidents underscore concerns about U.S. nuclear plants’ failure to comply with fire safety regulations…… Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The problem of overuse of medical radiation

For patients, navigating the debate can be difficult because doctors, patient advocacy groups and manufacturers often endorse positions that are in their economic self-interest. Radiologists, who often own and use CT machines, for instance, often endorse their use; while gastroenterologists, who often own and use camera scopes, often favor their own methods. Patient groups often get financing from drug and device makers, or physician-specialty groups.

Radiation warnings ignored, GDS Publishing, By Jodie Humphries | 03/29/10 Urgent warnings by government experts about the risks of routinely using powerful CT scans to screen patients for colon cancer were ignored by the Food and Drug Administration, according to agency documents and interviews with agency scientists. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , , | 1 Comment

Anti Nuclear Group Seek to Intervene in Nuclear License Renewal

the group has been granted intervener status in previous proceedings and is almost sure to get that designation this time around. It gives the group legal standing in the relicensing proceedings and also gives it greater leverage to file lawsuits if the agency does not meet its demands.

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace files protest over Diablo SanLuis Obispo Tribune Mar. 29, 2010, Anti-nuclear activists want to be declared an intervener in the license renewal process By David Sneed | The anti-nuclear group San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace has filed five formal protests over plans to extend the two operating licenses at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant for 20 more years. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by | Legal, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Financial battle over the future of the nuclear power industry

As elderly nukes stumble toward oblivion, various funds allegedly set aside for decommissioning may be significantly under-funded, deeply exacerbating the financial battles that now the industry.


The Legacy of Three Mile Island: It Could Happen Again At Any Time HARVEY WASSERMAN FOR BUZZFLASH 27 March 2010,“……1) Four northeastern nukes—in Vermont, New Jersey and the two at Indian Point— are under intense public pressure to shut within the next two years. Numerous other elderly reactors are likely to go down long before any new nukes could come on line. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S Nuclear Loan Guarantee to go to France’s AREVA?

The first $2 billion will be allocated to Areva for “front-end nuclear fuel facilities.”

Areva and USEC could get loan guarantees , The Energy Collective, by Dan Yuman, 29 March 2010, DOE runs concept up flagpole with House Appropriations Committee he Chillicothe Gazette, a southern Ohio newspaper, reports March 27 that Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu told the House Appropriations Committee this week he wants to give $2 billion loan guarantees to both USEC and Areva for new uranium enrichment plants.

At the same time Steve Isakowitz, DOE’s Chief Financial Officer, also reportedly sent a letter to Sen. Jeff Bingaman, (D-NM), Chairman of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee.

In it he said the agency will use $4 billion in loan guarantee authority split two ways. The first $2 billion will be allocated to Areva for “front-end nuclear fuel facilities.” The other $2 billion will be used for “innovative technologies.”

Areva and USEC could get loan guarantees

March 29, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Utility out to stymie renewable energy in California

A California Ballot Initiative Could Spell Trouble for Renewable Energy Why Proposition 16 Is Important to Renewable Energy Defenders, SolveClimate,  by Amy Westervelt – Mar 28th, 2010Millions of dollars in campaign cash could drastically affect the course of California’s renewable energy economy in the years ahead. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , | Leave a comment

California’s Proposition 16 designed to stop small scale renewable energy

Why greens oppose Proposition 16, The Press Democrat – Santa Rosa, CA , 27 march 2010, by PeteGolis If you want to know why environmental groups oppose Proposition 16, begin with this: In Healdsburg, a city that operates its own electrical utility, 44 percent of its electrical supply comes from renewable sources. In most of Northern California, served by the PG&E monopoly, 12 percent of the electrical supply comes from renewable sources.In simple terms, groups such as the Climate Protection Campaign oppose Proposition 16 because they believe PG&E isn’t doing enough to develop alternative sources of energy and because Proposition 16 will make it more difficult for local agencies to develop small-scale alternatives to PG&E.

Why greens oppose Proposition 16 – Golis Being Golis – The Press Democrat – Santa Rosa, CA – Archive

March 29, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , | Leave a comment

31 Years later, Still no Justice for Three Mile Island Nuclear Meltdown Victims

……To this day the families of those harmed by radiation at Three Mile Island have been denied the right to make their case in federal court.

The Legacy of Three Mile Island: It Could Happen Again At Any Time , HARVEY WASSERMAN,  BUZZFLASH 27 March 2010, As radiation poured from 3 Mile Island 31 years ago this weekend, utility executives rested easy.  They knew that no matter how many people their errant nuke killed, and no matter how much property it destroyed, they would not be held liable. Today this same class of executives demands untold taxpayer billions to build still more TMIs.  No matter how many meltdowns they cause, and how much havoc they visit down on the public, they still believe they’re above the law. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

How George W. Bush left the taxpayer with a crippling nuclear waste debt

These new contracts will only add to that crushing burden.

With hasty stroke of a pen, Bush DOE transferred billions of dollars in radioactive waste liability onto taxpayers

Beyond Nuclear, 27 March 2020, Between November 4, 2008 (the day Barack Obama was elected President) and January 22, 2009 (two days after he took the Oath of Office), the George W. Bush administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) hurriedly signed new irradiated nuclear fuel contracts with utilities proposing 21 new atomic reactors.

This obligates U.S. taxpayers to ultimate financial liability for breach of contract damages if DOE fails to take possession of these estimated 21,000 metric tons of high-level radioactive waste by ten years after the new reactors’ licenses terminate. Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Illegal radiation experiments on U.S. prisoners

Prisoners forced to submit to radiation experiments for private foreign companies, Gang Stalking World , March 20, 2010, Eddie Milton Garey Jr.The Federal Bureau of Prisons officials have been forcing inmates at USP Big Sandy to submit to random computerized tomographic whole body radioactive scanners. If they refuse to submit to these radiation experiments, prison officials are charging them with disobeying a direct order and subjecting them to a wide range of sanctions, Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | , , , , | 2 Comments

USA-Russia Nuclear Disarmament Agreement – no hope to pass in U.S. Senate?

Can Any Treaty Get 67 Votes? | FDL News Desk, By: David Dayen Friday March 26, 2010 The agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear stockpiles represents a major foreign policy achievement. One problem, though: they’ll need 8 Senate Republicans to cement it into law. In an environment where getting ONE Republican to overcome a filibuster is hard enough, that seems like an almost impossible task.

Can Any Treaty Get 67 Votes? | FDL News Desk

March 27, 2010 Posted by | USA, weapons and war | , , , | Leave a comment

Radioactive legacy continues to affect Navajo people

Toxic legacy for tribes, High Country News, Caitlin Sislin | Mar 26, 2010 Earlier this month, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals approved a controversial permit for uranium mining operations at sites in Church Rock, New Mexico. The operation includes a site associated with the largest release of liquid radioactive waste in United States History — a catastrophe which continues, a generation later, to negatively impact the lives and health of Navajo people residing near the spill site. Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by | indigenous issues, USA, water | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear plants, and their final closure, will leave large radioactive legacy

after 30 years of operation their could be as many as 100 billion lethal doses of radiation sitting right here in Allegany County.

From the Archives, 1989: Radiation Danger Deepens, The Houghton Star, By Kim Kerr and Trina Van Derlip March 27, 2010, This article, entitled “Running Risks: Radiation Danger Deepens,” was printed in the October 2, 1989 edition of the Star, and was written by Kim Kerr and Trina Van Derlip, “……..The problem had its beginning in 1985, when the Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act (introduced in 1980) was passed and amended. This policy shifted the responsibility of low-level waste from the federal to the state governments. Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cancer increasing with increased use of medical radiation

“The problem is that there’s an increased cancer risk even from little amounts of radiation that we don’t feel,”

High-tech screening tests: Too much radiation?  San Francisco News – abc7news.com  March 25, 2010.

Carolyn Johnson

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The Food and Drug Administration is launching a drive to reduce the levels of radiation being used on patients in U.S. hospitals. The agency will hold hearings in Washington next week, focusing on powerful new imaging technology. The devices can often spot disease early, but critics worry their popularity is leading to an overuse of radiation……. Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium mining contaminating groundwater

Utah’s Bingham Canyon mine, for example, has created a plume of contaminated groundwater that covers 72 square miles according to the Environmental Protection Agency.”

Uranium Danger, The Death Valley Journal, March 26, 2010 Uranium is a metallic chemical element found in rock, soil, and water. It is radioactive, and a primary use of it is to fuel nuclear power plants, thereby supplying electricity to cities and people. It also finds use in the construction of nuclear weapons.The half life of uranium 238 is about 4.5 billion years. Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by | environment, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment