antinuclear « nuclear-news

National Anti-Nuclear Gathering at USA Weapons Complex

Nukewatch – July 4th weekend, 2010At Maryville College and the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex, Tennessee.

The Nuclear Resister, Nukewatch and the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA) invite you to join us for a national gathering, culminating with nonviolent anti-nuclear direct action, July 3-5, 2010, to declare our independence from nuclear weapons and nuclear power. The gathering will be held at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee (tentative), with protest and action at the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex in nearby Oak Ridge, where OREPA has sustained a nonviolent campaign for over 20 years. Nukewatch

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, peace, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Resistance to pro Nuclear Bills now in USA Congress

If there are going to be voices to counter the insanity of new bomb plants in the name of arms control, they will have to be ours. If there are going to be people standing to say NO!, they will have to be us.”

Bills making their way through Congress right now include the largest single increasein nuclear weapons funding in history.

(USA) Morning of Resistance’ at Y-12 July 5 | Frank Munger, knoxnews.com, 9 June 2010, “The timing is right–and not just because2010 marks the anniversaries of such auspiciousorganizations and actions. Last year, President BarackObama declared himself committed to a world freeof nuclear weapons. Whatever his ambitions mayhave been, they have gotten waylaid by the statusquo power brokers who are determined to maintain nuclear dominance and a highly funded industry that is determined to build more nuclear reactors at taxpayer expense. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Australia’s nuclear agency calls radiation leak whistleblower a “security risk”

Mr Reid made the safety allegations about the ARI facility on the ABC on May 4…The industry watchdog the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) found five safety and procedural concerns in its report released in January……………

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology whistleblower now ”security risk” St George & Sutherland Shire Leader, BY ROSITA GALLASCH, 09 Jun, 2010 DAVID Reid, the whistleblower who raised safety concerns about ANSTO’s radiopharmaceuticals and industrials (ARI) facility last month, is now regarded as a security risk.ANSTO’s chief executive officer Adi Paterson said Mr Reid, who was a safety officer for six years and an employee for 28, now posed a security threat. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Repeated medical radiation contributes to breast cancer

Do X-rays & other radiation contribute to breast cancer? ALLVOICES, by Anne Hart, Jun 09, 2010 “…….ac a study at Cornell University … showed how it’s well-established that exposure to ionizing radiation can trigger mutations and other genetic damage and cause normal cells to become malignant……In answer to the question “Is ionizing radiation a cause of breast cancer?” Cornell experts say “Yes” and note “… female breast tissue is highly susceptible to radiation effects.”….Radiation builds up. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, radiation, reactors | Leave a comment

Share price plummets because of Uranium One’s risky deal with Russia

Uranium One shares dive as Russia deal questioned Reuters, Jun 9, 2010 Shares tumble 11 pct one day after Russian deal State-owned ARMZ to take controlling stake in company* Analysts cite rising risk, wonder about approval.By Cameron FrenchTORONTO, – Uranium One (UUU.TO) shares deepened their slide on Wednesday, a day after the company agreed to sell a controlling stake to Russia‘s state-owned nuclear company, with some analysts cutting share-price targets and questioning whether the deal will be approved….. Uranium prices have been in decline since hitting a record high in 2007, and were at $40.75 a pound this week… UPDATE 1-Uranium One shares dive as Russia deal questioned | Reuters

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Russia | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear fusion dream becoming a financial nightmare

the cost of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is out of control

Costly nuclear fusion demo worries cash-strapped EU, NewsDaily:, By Pete Harrison BRUSSELS, June 9, 2010 (Reuters) — A funding battle is brewing in Europe over a 16-billion-euro ($21.5 billion) experiment to crack the puzzle of commercializing nuclear fusion — the process that powers the sun. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Confidence in nuclear power safety falling, after oil safety failure

this story is especially pertinent now, as the nation reexamines its energy policy in the wake of the calamitous BP Gulf spill.

Nuclear Reactor Eaten by Leaky Acid, Again : TreeHugger, 9 June 2010, Back in 2002, an Ohio nuclear power plant developed a leak that allowed highly pressurized cooling water containing boric acid to seep out. That acid ate away a football-sized hole into the 6-inch steel lid to the nuclear reactor, leaving the reactor’s integrity at grave risk. The cause of the narrowly averted disaster was thought to have been fixed, but the New York Times reports that signs of even more leakage have been showing up again — Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Churches give mixed report after Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty review conference

Majority puts new pressure on minority’s nuclear weapons, Ekklesia, By Jonathan Frerichs, 9 Jun 2010 Is it time to start work on banning nuclear weapons? “Yes” says a growing majority of governments and civil society groups. “No” insists a tiny nuclear-armed minority. “Premature” say some of their closest allies.That is the barest summary of what happened at the United Nations when 189 countries met recently on what to do about nuclear weapons. Churches seeking specific steps to stop nuclear arms shared long-standing disappointments – plus a few new grounds for hope – with many governments and most of the 120 civil society organisations in New York during May for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

“Morning of resistance to nuclear arms” planned at nuke weapons complex

Morning of Resistance’ at Y-12 July 5 | Frank Munger knoxnews.com’ 9 June 2010, Peace groups and activists pushing for nuclear disarmament are planning to gather in Maryville for the weekend of July 3-5 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nuclear Resister and Nukewatch and anniversary of the first Plowshares Action at King of Prussia, Pa.A couple of trips are planned to the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, which produced the enriched uranium for the A-bomb dropped on Hirsohima and remains a key part of U.S. nuclear weapons complex. On Monday, July 5, a “morning of resistance” is planned at the Oak Ridge plant, according to information distributed by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance.”Some people will likely participate in nonviolent direct action/civil resistance; others will participate in legal activities,” OREPA said in an newletter update titled, “A Time to Resist.” ‘Morning of Resistance’ at Y-12 July 5 | Frank Munger’s Atomic City Underground | knoxnews.com

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, peace, peaceful | Leave a comment

Australian uranium mine to come under Russian control

Moscow moves on global uranium mines The Australian June 10, RUSSIA has moved to boost its holdings in global uranium mines, with state-owned Rosatom agreeing to take a controlling stake in Canada’s Uranium One……If the deal goes ahead, it will put the Honeymoon uranium project in South Australia, scheduled to come into production at the end of the year, under the control of the Russian government…… Uranium One has sold its recently acquired 3 per cent stake in Australia’s Paladin Resources,…….Uranium One owns 51 per cent of Honeymoon Well mine, which means it will come under Rosatom’s control.Honeymoon Well, 75km northwest of Broken Hill, is expected to cost $138m to develop.The other 49 per cent is owned by Japan’s Mitsui…. Moscow moves on global uranium mines | The Australian

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom involved in Iran, France, Australia

Rosatom Agrees to First Asset Sale to Foreign Investor, The Moscow Times, 09 June 2010By Anatoly Medetsky “…..Kiriyenko (pictured) announced that Russia and Iran would jointly run Iran’s first nuclear power plant that Rosatom plans to launch in August. Iran agreed to establish a joint venture with Rosatom to operate the plant because the country doesn’t have enough experience in maintaining such facilities, he said.In other news, Rosatom signed an agreement with the French Atomic Energy Commission to expand cooperation on reprocessing, decommissioning and isotopes technology.

In what could further extend Rosatom’s international reach, the State Duma is scheduled to ratify an accord between Russia and Australia on peaceful nuclear cooperation on Wednesday. Continue reading →

June 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, enriched, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, reactors, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear waste casks, pools, piles, are ticking time bombs

(USA) Ticking time bombs: what should we do with nuclear waste?, SmartPlanet, By Andrew Nusca | Jun 8, 2010 “……..the WSJ report outlines some scary figures:

More than 800 filled casks await a final destination, holding 14,000 metric tons of waste.
Another 49,000 metric tons is being held in spent-fuel pools, waiting to be placed in vessels.
A further 2,000 metric tons of nuclear reactor waste is created every year.

The problem is that the next wave of nuclear reactors are already on the drawing board.

June 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation | Leave a comment

The full story on the health effects of nuclear energy

I recommend that you download, print off, and study at your leisure, the complete article – from
Evatt Foundation: Publication: Nuclear power & public health – 31 May 2010

Nuclear power & public health, Evatt Foundation:, By Peter Karamoskos, 31 May 2010“… there is a linear dose-response relationship between exposure to ionizing radiation and the development of solid cancers in humans. It is unlikely that there is a threshold below which cancers are not induced.” – National Academy of Science, BEIR VII report, 2006

“We need to develop a very firm commitment to the elimination of nuclear power as a source of energy on the earth.” – Russell Train, former US Environmental Protection Agency administrator, 1977″

[t]he [economic] failure of the U.S. nuclear power program ranks as the largest managerial disaster in business history, a disaster on a monumental scale.” – Forbes, 1985

Introduction
The public health implications for a resurgence of nuclear power appear to have taken a subordinate position to the economic and global warming arguments that the industry has advanced to justify its expansion. The purpose of this essay therefore is several-fold: to review the scientific evidence for public health impacts of nuclear power, to assess occupational hazards faced by nuclear industry workers involved in the nuclear fuel cycle, to assess the evidence for nuclear reactor safety and critically challenge the underlying assumptions which may be less than adequate. It will also examine the public health risks of spent fuel from nuclear power reactors. The common thread linking these safety issues is the risk posed to public health by ionising radiation and in particular the cancer risk. The nuclear industry and our understanding of radioactive health hazards, developed in tandem during the twentieth century, however, the relationship to this day has always been uneasy and often in conflict. A brief historical narrative of this joint evolution is reviewed as it is essential to understanding the context and scope of the public health issues at the heart of the nuclear power debate.

If we are to believe the nuclear industry, nuclear power is both safe and vital to our future, yet over half a century of nuclear power has proven both contentions as false……

Evatt Foundation: Publication: Nuclear power & public health – 31 May 2010

June 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

A nuclear disaster next? -Bhopal gas disaster company escapes justice

..in case of a nuclear accident, while providing complete immunity to a foreign nuclear reactor builder from any victim-initiated civil suit or a criminal proceedings both in an Indian court or in a court in its home country.

Bhopal judgment symbolises decayed justice in a deficient democracy(June 08, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Statement issued by the Asian Human Rights Commission The recent judgment delivered by a court in the Bhopal Gas disaster case convicting all the seven accused could have been a welcome one and could have gone a long way in ensuring people’s faith in the country’s judiciary and the rule of law, but for the features of a failing justice regime the investigation and trial exhibits…….. Continue reading →

June 9, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

USA legislators promoting nuclear, playing down climate change

Dems’ Energy Legislation Will Likely Downplay Global Warming AlterNet, SpeakEasy, 7 June 2010, “…………….if Schumer’s assessment is correct, Democrats will pursue a bill on energy policy — new industry regulations, nuclear permits, some alternative energy investments — not climate policy.The legislation, then, will be anything but comprehensive. And barring an electoral miracle in November, cap-and-trade won’t even be considered in Congress again until 2013, at the very earliest.The oil spill crisis was enough to capture the nation’s attention, but it wasn’t enough to generate 60 votes for a modest, common-sense climate bill.