Safety problems add to costs, overruns, in AREVA’s new nuclear plants
Areva, the state-controlled French nuclear engineering company, is already battling construction delays and cost overruns at both Flamanville and Olkiluoto, in Finland, where it is building the first of its EPR plants.
Safety Fears Raised at French Reactor, NYTimes.com, By PATRICIA BRETT July 26, 2010, PARIS — Anti-nuclear activists are seeking to halt construction of France’s latest-generation nuclear power plant at Flamanville, on the Normandy coast, arguing that changes introduced to solve problems with the reactor’s fuel pellet cladding have invalidated the plant’s original building permit. Continue reading
American nuclear companies nervously awaiting Indian Parliament over Civil Liability Bill
The bill triggered a storm when it was first presented to lawmakers in May, with the opposition arguing it will shield American technology suppliers from compensation claims.
GE, Westinghouse Await Nuclear Bill as Singh Set to Face Stormy Parliament, Bloomberg, By Bibhudatta Pradhan – Jul 26, 2010, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faces an opposition buoyed by support for a recent nationwide strike when parliament meets today, promising a rough ride for legislation such as a bill to enable the entry of U.S. nuclear power companies……….. Continue reading
USA’s extremist Tea Party movement favours Israel attack on Iran
theme among Tea Party leaders, such as Sarah Palin……..promoting instead an aggressive, unilateralist view of world affairs and unchecked military spending.
Tea Party Caucus members endorse Israeli attack on Iran, FP, By Josh Rogin Monday, July 26, 2010….21 members of the new caucus have now come out explicitly endorsing Israel’s right to strike Iran’s nuclear program. Continue reading
Nuclear power future in Germany very much in doubt
According to a law passed in 2002 by the then-ruling SPD and the Green coalition, all of Germany’s nuclear power plants are to go off line by 2022……
Opposition party pledges to fight nuclear power extension | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 26.07.2010 Richard Connor , German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition has been put on notice that it will face a fight over any change to the law on nuclear energy without approval from the country’s upper house of parliament. Continue reading
Control rods, cladding, MOX fuel – unsafety of AREVA’s new nuclear reactors
EDF engineers had concluded by 2007 that the entire core of the reactor should be reconfigured.
Safety Fears Raised at French Reactor, NYTimes.com, By PATRICIA BRETT July 26, 2010 “……….among the leaked documents, one dated February 2007 — just before the construction of the Flamanville plant was approved — reported that technical studies by EDF had shown that the EPR’s original core design had failed to meet safety criteria for a control rod ejection accident at high power Continue reading
Why not adopt safer, non radiation, airport scanners?
Given that the two types of machines are both deemed effective by the T.S.A., why doesn’t the agency just abandon backscatters and use the millimeter wave machines, which don’t pose radiation issues?
Radiation Questions Over a Body Scanner – NYTimes.com. By JOE SHARKEY July 26, 2010“………travelers also do not fully trust the security agency’s assurances that the new machines are safe, that they can’t be defeated by a terrorist and that personal privacy will be protected — at least, to the extent the agency has claimed. Continue reading
Uranium processing costs soar
there are still “significant” issues hindering DOE from bringing projects to completion on time and within budget.
More questions about cost of UPF, Frank Munger’s Atomic City Underground | knoxnews.com, 26 July 2010, Todd Jacobson of Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor is reporting that the Government Accountability Office is raising concerns that the cost of the Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 may reach or even exceed the top end of current estimates ($1.4 billion to $3.5 billion). Continue reading
Poland’s nuclear company’s volley of nuclear spin
State-controlled Polska Grupa Energety (PGE) is attempting to build public support for nuclear power.
PGE Sponsors Women’s Volleyball Team to Promote Polish Nuclear Power Plans; Bloomberg, By Nathaniel Espino – Jul 27, 2010 A Polish women’s volleyball team will change its name to Atom after receiving sponsorship from Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA, the country’s largest utility, which plans to build the country’s first nuclear power station. Continue reading
New Brunswick – more delays on nuclear power plant
N.B. government asks feds to comment on nuclear delay – CTV News. The Canadian Press Jul. 26, 2010 FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s energy minister says there are rumours of further delays in the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant Continue reading
Australian Aboriginals’ legal challenge against nuclear waste dump
The traditional owners have launched a legal challenge against the federal government and the Northern Land Council over plans for the nuclear waste dump at Muckaty station, near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.
Nuclear dump opposed by elders, Sydney Morning Herald, EDWINA SCOTT, July 26, 2010 Aboriginal landowners have protested in Resources Minister Martin Ferguson’s electorate to oppose the establishment of Australia’s first radioactive waste dump on their land. Continue reading
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
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.
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).
Call to USA citizens to push for safety in nuclear industry
ActNow! Don’t React Later!ActNow! is a new campaign of Beyond Nuclear designed to avert an atomic catastrophe similar – or possibly even worse – than the oil disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.
Just like the U.S. Minerals Management Service that failed to oversee Big Oil, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows the nuclear industry to cut safety margins. Lax oil industry oversight is destroying the Gulf. Lax nuclear industry oversight could cost countless lives today, threaten human health for generations, and leave vast areas of our country uninhabitable indefinitely. Continue reading
Video: Queen Noor of Jordan talks about “Countdown to Zero”
Global Zero, which includes
more than 250 former heads of state, foreign and defense ministers, national
security advisers, top military commanders and faith leaders, has developed a
plan for the phased, verified elimination of nuclear weapons that is realistic and
achievable.
VIDEO about the film. Nuclear Weapons: Countdown to Zero « MomsRising Blog , MomsRising
Blog, July 23rd, 2010 by Queen Noor of Jordan, MomsRising, I am one of you- a loving mother deeply concerned about the world my children and theirs will inherit from us. That is the most important reason thatI became a founding leader of Global Zero (globalzero.org) and consulted on our new must see film, Countdown to Zero.
The film is a stunning documentaryabout the escalating global nuclear crisis, produced by the Academy Awardwinning team behind an Inconvenient Truth, and premieres in cities acrossAmerica this month. It is an account of the dangers, hidden but still terrifyinglyreal, that we face today from the increasing proliferation of nuclear weaponsaround the world……..
As a founding leader of the Global Zero movement, I believe that the only
solution to nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism is the elimination of all
nuclear weapons. It is possible, despite the inevitable predictions of those locked
into a cold war mindset who may say otherwise. Global Zero, which includes
more than 250 former heads of state, foreign and defense ministers, national
security advisers, top military commanders and faith leaders, has developed a
plan for the phased, verified elimination of nuclear weapons that is realistic and
achievable. Nuclear Weapons: Countdown to Zero « MomsRising Blog
1 This Month
petition to oppose the rapid increase of space-military industry threatening Jeju Island and the region.
[Petition by April 19th (KST)] Stop the joint military-Hanwha Systems-Jeju Provincial Government Sea Launch!
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/2352741955560
of the week–London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tell the Ukrainian Government to Drop Prosecution of Peace Activist Yurii Sheliazhenko
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity – go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com
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