nuclear-news

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

No energy security in nuclear power for South Africa

Activists slam SA nuclear decision, 2011-09-16  Environmental organisation Greenpeace has urged the Minister of Energy to reconsider the role of nuclear energy in South Africa,  Duncan Alfreds, News24, Cape Town – Environmental groups have slammed the government’s decision to build nuclear plants, saying it will not lead to energy security for South Africa.

“As for nuclear energy as being our answer to whatever Eskom thinks it will be, that’s not entirely true. If Eskom is concerned with electricity security, energy security and safe electricity supply, nuclear is not going to be able to provide that,” Ferial Adams of Greenpeace Africa told News24.
Energy Minister Dipuo Peters announced on Thursday that the building process to build new nuclear plants which would produce 9 600MW, would begin by 2012….. http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Activists-slam-SA-nuclear-decisi

September 17, 2011 Posted by | politics, South Africa | Leave a comment

Sadety worries delay nuclear power in South Africa

South Africa Delays Bids for Nuclear Plants on Safety Concerns, Bloomberg By Jana Marais – Sep 15, 2011  South Africa postponed the opening of bids for its nuclear power-plant build program to next year because of safety concerns following the meltdown of reactors in Fukushima, Japan, South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said.

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the state-owned South African power utility, will be the main driver of the country’s nuclear power plants and will invite partners, Peters told reporters in Johannesburg today…http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-15/south-africa-delays-bids-for-nuclear-plants-on-safety-concerns.html

September 17, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, South Africa | Leave a comment

Nuclear power for Nigeria? just a bad joke

The idea of Nuclear plant operation in Nigeria is a joke,   Segun Balogun interviews  Doyin Olagbeg,  September 11, 2011’ Doyin Olagbegi is a US based Nigerian and the convener of the Nigerian Million March.

Doyin Olagbeg “……….The date was Thursday February 3rd 2011. I read an article by i in a Nigerian newspaper titled “Government intensifies effort to generate power from nuclear sources.” I could not believe what I just read. As a nation we are not able to effectively manage a conventional power grid and, here we are “intensifying effort” at Nuclear power. This, to me, is a brazen “Bait and Switch” scheme, perpetrated to suction our money for the next 100 years…….

We are about to embark on another white elephant project, a very dangerous one for that matter.

All Nigerians should be mad too. Nuclear power is no child’s play. In the United States, no community wants such a project in their neighbourhood. It’s called a “NIMBY” (Not In My Back Yard) in the wake of the nuclear disaster in Japan due to earthquake. ….

All things considered, the idea of Nuclear plant operation in Nigeria is a joke like many other projects such as the Ajaokuta project, the refineries. Nigerians, we need to wake up, and stop this nuclear train idea before, it leaves the station. Otherwise, we’ve got another giant sucking “black hole” scheme coming…..

We know that the firms that eventually get the nod would have foreign names but their directors would still be our corrupt elites. Also, our big concern is that the government assets will be ridiculously de-valued, and then the assets would varnish with a lightning speed…. http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5740768-147/the_idea_of_nuclear_plant_operation.csp

September 12, 2011 Posted by | Nigeria, spinbuster | Leave a comment

Wikileaks reveals poor security of radioactive materials at Mulago

WikiLeaks: America feared theft of nuclear material from Mulago, Daily Monitor (Uganda)  12 Sept 11, The US government feared the theft of nuclear and radiological materials from Mulago Hospital in 2007 and had to send nuclear experts from Kansas to investigate the theft of the materials that were meant to treat cancer patients.

In the leaked diplomatic cable, the US ambassador in Uganda, Mr Jerry Lanier, also warned that poor storage of the materials in the hospitals is risky and dangerous to Uganda’s security. The radiological materials, which were meant to treat cancer, were stolen from the store at the hospital by suspected robbers. Continue reading →

September 12, 2011 Posted by | AFRICA, safety | Leave a comment

Farmland ruined by radioactive “superdumps” from uranium mining

He blames the recent toxic and radioactive spillages on Mine Waste Solutions, a subsidiary of Canadian First Uranium, which is reprocessing mining waste from 15 old slimes dams – some of which are located on his expansive farm – in the Klerksdorp area….

Superdumps are huge dams that store toxic waste form the smaller, historical dumps that are reprocessed for gold and uranium.

(South Africa) Radioactive spillages condemn farmlandAugust 31 2011  IOL Science Tech, By Sheree Bega INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS Johan Kondos can only use a small portion of his land to grow lucerne.   “……This lone field, and a few beloved cattle, is all Kondos has left of his farm in Hartbeesfontein in the North West.

Like many of his neighbours, he blames surrounding mining operations for contaminating his farm, situated about 5km from the Vaal River.

“Some of the pollution is historic but some of it is so recent, it’s still wet,” he explains.

“I’ve had calves born with two heads on my farm. At one time I was having 70 percent abortions and very high mortality with my animals. They drank from the Koekemoerspruit and ate the lucerne I produced.

He blames the recent toxic and radioactive spillages on Mine Waste Solutions, a subsidiary of Canadian First Uranium, which is reprocessing mining waste from 15 old slimes dams – some of which are located on his expansive farm – in the Klerksdorp area.

As part of this, the company is also constructing a controversial central tailings storage facility, or superdump, about 2km from the Vaal River, touting it as a model rehabilitation plan, where the mining waste from the 15 tailings dams is piped. Superdumps are huge dams that store toxic waste form the smaller, historical dumps that are reprocessed for gold and uranium.

In July, the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) shut down Mine Waste Solutions’ operations after its inspection revealed spillages and leakages of tailings materials along the company’s extensive pipeline and on the properties of farmers like Kondos.

But a week later, Mine Waste Solutions was back on line, stating it said it had been given conditional approval to restart operations provided it follow an “enhanced pipeline maintenance programme” and submit monthly reports.

Radioactive spillages condemn farmland – IOL SciTech | IOL.co.za

September 5, 2011 Posted by | environment, South Africa, Uranium | Leave a comment

Radioactive uranium drums found on beach in Namibia

There are a number of reasons why the latest incident is of great concern:

• it puts into question the level of security at Namibian uranium mining operations, with the worry being that radioactive uranium oxide could get into the “wrong hands”….

Drums of radioactive uranium found on beach, Care 2 by , August 30,  Last week, Namibian authorities discovered four unguarded barrels of radioactive uranium oxide on a beach near the coastal town of Swakopmund.

Continue reading →

September 2, 2011 Posted by | Namibia, safety, Uranium | Leave a comment

Floods cause production drop in Namibia’s uranium mines

Namibia Q2 uranium production down | Industrial Fuels and Power August 30th, 2011 NewsroomUranium production in Namibia decreased from 2.35mlb to 2.09mlb in the second quarter of 2011 when compared with the previous quarter.“This was largely due to adverse weather conditions, with some of the mines becoming flooded with the abnormally heavy rains seen this year,” financial group Capricorn Investment Holdings said.Namibia’s uranium is produced by Rio Tinto and Australia’s Paladin Energy.
Namibia Q2 uranium production down | Industrial Fuels and Power

September 2, 2011 Posted by | business and costs, Namibia, Uranium | Leave a comment

Beleagured uranium mining industry now fearing nationalisation of mining in Africa

Mining nationalisation threat is real, says government adviser, MATT CHAMBERS, THE AUSTRALIAN, September 01, 2011 A SENIOR South African government adviser says investor worries about nationalisation of the mining industry are justified. Continue reading →

September 1, 2011 Posted by | politics, South Africa | Leave a comment

Theft of nuclear materials in Namibia

Namibia arrests four in suspected nuclear theft, Aug 29, 2011 11. WINDHOEK (Reuters) – Namibian authorities have arrested four people they suspect of stealing drums of radioactive material from a mine in the country that is a major exporter of uranium, officials said on Monday.

The four were arrested on Friday in the coastal town of Swakopmund, the drums have been recovered and the material is thought to have come from Areva’s Trekkopje mine, they said.Axel Tibinyane, regulator of the Atomic Energy Board of Namibia, said the contents of the drums are radioactive….

Areva’s Trekkopje is one of the few mines in Namibia that has processing facilities for yellow cake — a form of uranium ore that can be enriched for nuclear fuel or, if enriched to a much higher level, for use in weapons.The four suspects were expected to appear in court later on Monday.http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE77S0F520110829?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

August 30, 2011 Posted by | Namibia, safety | Leave a comment

Legal action planned against uranium mining in Tanzania

LHRC’s warning over uranium  
The Citizen, , 15 August 2011 23:13
By Bernard Lugongo, The Citizen Reporter, Dar es Salaam. The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) is planning to take the government to court should it go ahead with uranium mining projects in Bahi and Manyoni districts in Dodoma and regions respectively.

The LHRC cautioned yesterday that it was against the projects because they would lead to serious health and environmental impacts on the people living in the area…….

LHRC also asked the government to learn from other nations, such as Niger, that have already experienced negative effects of uranium mining…..thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national-news/13781-lhrcs-warning-over-uranium.html

August 16, 2011 Posted by | AFRICA, Legal, Uranium | Leave a comment

Tanzania: poor protection from ionising radiation

Atomic energy body’s radiation fears  
 27 July 2011 23:00
By Zephania Ubwani, The Citizen Bureau Chief, Arusha. The Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) has raised a red flag over lack of effective protection infrastructure in areas such as industries, mines and other work places where radiation technology is used.

The commission says lack of effective radiation protection infrastructure poses occupational risks to workers through exposure to ionising radiation.The commission’s acting director general, Mr Firmin Banzi, says although Tanzania had seen increased use of nuclear technology such as atomic energy, many facilities that were operating throughout the country lacked effective radiation control.

This, according to him, exposed workers and members of the public to harm resulting from the use of ionising radiation sources such as industrial radiography and irradiators as well as other nuclear gauges…..http://thecitizen.co.tz/news/-/13215-atomic-energy-bodys-radiation-fears

July 28, 2011 Posted by | AFRICA, safety | Leave a comment

Rossing uranium mine workers on strike for fairer pay

“It is the second largest employer after Namdeb. Rössing already made a loss last year, so this is big stuff.”

Rössing workers defy court order, Namibian 15 July 11, By: DENVER KISTING, YESTERDAY afternoon, Rössing Uranium employees ignored an order by Judge President Petrus Damaseb, who had ruled that their three-day strike was illegal and they must return to work immediately.

This means that by this morning, the accumulated loss for the uranium giant as a result of the strike amounted to approximately N$22,5 million. In court papers filed at the High Court in Windhoek yesterday, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mpho Mothoa, said Rössing has lost approximately N$2,5 million per shift. It has three shifts per day. Continue reading →

July 15, 2011 Posted by | employment, Namibia, Uranium | Leave a comment

UN assisting renewable energy development in Nigeria

UN, Bank Of Industry to invest in renewable energy in Nigeria, NEXT, By Bassey Udo June 20, 2011  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bank Of Industry (BOI) are to invest about $4.48 million in renewable energy projects in the next three years to boost the productive capacities of micro- small- and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in the country’s rural and urban areas.Renewable energy projects in volve the utilisation of wind, biomass, small hydro, and solar energy options to generate electricity. The Access to Renewable Energy (AtRE) project package unveiled yesterday in Abuja at the formal launch of the partnership, is expected to facilitate access to affordable and reliable energy supply alternatives independent of the current supply from the national grid, which has been a source of national concern in recent times.  …..UN, Bank Of Industry to invest in renewable energy in Nigeria

June 20, 2011 Posted by | Nigeria, renewable | Leave a comment

South Africa moves radioactive wastes to Northern Cape

Low-level nuclear waste moved to Northern Cape, Mail & Guardian JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Jun 15 2011 Low-level radioactive waste packages accumulated from the 1960s at the Nuclear Energy Corporation South Africa (Necsa) in the North West have been removed to a waste disposal site, the corporation said on Wednesday. ….The trip to Vaalputs took two days over about 1 200km…..http://mg.co.za/article/2011-06-15-lowlevel-nuclear-waste-moved-to-northern-cape/

June 16, 2011 Posted by | South Africa, wastes | Leave a comment

A legal win for Namibia’s groundwater against uranium mining

issue is the question of who has the legal standing to go to court to ask for protection for the environment, which is unable to speak for itself…plan to extract large quantities of water from an underground water source in such a dry, environmentally sensitive and hitherto unspoilt area.

Uranium company loses desert water plan appeal, the Namibian, 20 May 11, By: WERNER MENGES  A LEGAL challenge to a Canadian-owned mining company’s plan to use underground water to set up a uranium mine in the Namib Desert south-west of Usakos is heading back to the High Court after an appeal judgement that was given in the Supreme Court yesterday.

An issue that has never before had to be decided by a Namibian court is expected to be at the core Continue reading →

May 21, 2011 Posted by | Legal, Namibia, water | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »