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Stuxnet “spies” arrested in Iran

Iran arrests ‘nuclear spies’ – The Times of India, 4 Oct 10, LONDON: Iran has arrested several “spies” who were involved in an attempt to sabotage the country’s nuclear programme, said Iranian intelligence minister Heydar Moslehi.The arrest followed an attack on Iran’s industrial computer network by a software bug Stuxnet that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, including its main Bushehr power plant, British newspaper The Guardian reported Sunday.
Iran had discovered the “destructive activities of the arrogant (western powers) in cyberspace” and “different ways to confront them have been designed and implemented”, The Guardian quoted Moslehi as saying.

The Stuxnet attack infected more than 30,000 computers in Iran. Suspicions have also been growing in recent days that the Stuxnet worm may have been designed as much to spy on the systems as to destroy them.

Iran arrests ‘nuclear spies’ – The Times of India

October 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy | Leave a comment

Nuclear cooling pond an environmental and terrorist danger

Not only does nuclear waste pose an environmental risk, opponents say, the ever-growing collection of spent fuel rods inside the power plant also makes it an inviting target for terrorists…..

Nuclear waste to lingerTown unhappy as Pilgrim rods stay, PLYMOUTH The Boston Globe By Robert Knox October 3, 2010 A new ruling by nuclear power regulators that concludes it’s safe to store nuclear waste at a nuclear power plant for 60 years after the plant closes — the previous limit was 30 years — has led Plymouth officials to concede that nuclear waste will remain in town longer than anybody wants. Continue reading →

October 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Sri Lanka worried about safety of Indian nuclear plant

Sri Lankan government to discuss safety precautions of nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu with the Indian authorities Oct 03, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has expressed concern over the safety precautions adopted by a nuclear power plant being set up in Tamil Nadu in Southern India.The government has initiated a dialogue with Indian authorities on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant that is currently under construction in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu in South India.
Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka has been quoted in the local media as saying that Sri Lanka would discuss the safety precautions adopted by the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. Sri Lanka : Sri Lankan government to discuss safety precautions of nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu with the Indian authorities

October 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ASIA, safety | AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, uranium | Leave a comment

Theft of uranium discovered in India

Man caught with uranium in Purulia – The Times of India, 4 Oct 10, PURULIA: A criminal with alleged links to gangs across the country and even Afghanistan was nabbed in Purulia with nearly 1 kg of uranium on Sunday. The market value of the radioactive element is said to be about $7 million……Man caught with uranium in Purulia – The Times of India

October 4, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

Security of Supply Obligation – the nuclear industry’s latest con

From being a piece of history, the nuclear industry – a fading dinosaur that has wasted billions and left a toxic legacy that will cost billions more – is pushing itself back into the headlines, rebranded as the only source of the cheap, secure and clean energy demanded by modern Britain……the nuclear industry’s real agenda: a new system of subsidies to ensure it is never again exposed to the chill winds of a free market. The industry even has a name for it: the Security of Supply Obligation.

When PR Goes Nuclear – Hybrid Guide, 29 Sept 10, In the plush surroundings of the Army & Navy Club on London’s Pall Mall, Mike Alexander, chief executive of British Energy, was holding court. Assembled before him were more than a hundred leading figures from the UK’s energy industry – all there at the behest of the Energy Industries Club, an industry body that keeps its membership secret.. Continue reading →

October 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, Ukraine | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactors | Leave a comment

Secret code inside Stuxnet worm suggests Israel is the source

The Secret Code Inside The Supervirus Attacking Iran Nuclear Power | Gizmodo Australia, By Jesus Diaz on September 30, 2010 Software engineers analysing the code inside Stuxnet, the supervirus that is focusing its attacks in Iran power plants, have found a secret code word that may point to its country of origin. The origin may be, oh surprise, Israel. Engineers reportedly found the word “Myrtus” inside the virus, which could be an allusion to the Book of Esther…… the Stuxnet virus didn’t kill anyone or caused any fatal damage to Iran’s nuclear plant. Designed to attack Siemens’ Simatic S-7 controllers—used in nuclear power plants as well as oil pipelines and electrical power grids—the worm has been found in China, India, and Indonesia, but it has been especially virulent in Iran. According to experts consulted by the New York Times, the secret code may not be a sloppy or whimsical reference from its developers, but a tool of psychological war. In recent years, Iran has been feeling the heat in their nuclear program, with scientists defecting and their secrets being compromised. The signature may just be a way of telling them “may no mistake, we are onto you.” The Secret Code Inside The Supervirus Attacking Iran Nuclear Power | Gizmodo Australia

October 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, reactor | Leave a comment

Ontario’s nuclear comedy show

a storyline where the plant is paid millions of dollars not to generate electricity. Too ridiculous? Well, head on over to Ontario in Canada where the people there ‘paid Bruce Power nearly $60 million in 2009 to not generate electricity for the province’…The people of Ontario got ‘a bargain’ for handing over $60 million for something they didn’t need and didn’t get.

Nuclear power in Canada: busy doing nothing Greenpeace International, by Justin – September 30, 2010 Regular readers are probably asking themselves how our plans for a comedy show set in a nuclear power plant are progressing. Continue reading →

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

Questions on Stuxnet’s ability to get into world’s top nuclear facilities

Among the questions that experts would like to answer concern the origin of the virus, its exact purpose and how it was able to spread between the protected and isolated infrastructures of some of the world’s top nuclear facilities.

All Eyes On Stuxnet At Annual Virus Researcher Summit, threat post September 29, 2010, The world will know more about the mysterious Stuxnet virus by week’s end, after top virus researchers reveal the findings of their post mortem on Stuxnet at the annual Virus Bulletin Conference. Continue reading →

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

In situ mining subject to stricter rules and higher fees

New rules take effect for Colorado uranium mines | San Francisco Examiner, Associated Press. 09/30/10 PDTDENVER — New rules for uranium mining in Colorado are now in effect.State lawmakers passed three bills in 2008 that prompted the changes, and the new rules took effect Thursday.The legislation was aimed at protecting groundwater during in-situ uranium mining, which involves injecting a chemical mixture into a site to draw uranium out. The laws also updated mining fees and pushed for disclosure of more information during prospecting activities.Now, all uranium mines must have detailed environmental protection plans. Applicants for in-situ leach uranium mines have to show the technology they want to use has been used before without harming groundwater quality, and they can’t be in violation at another operation. New rules take effect for Colorado uranium mines | San Francisco Examiner

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, radiation, uranium | Leave a comment

Slow progress in cleaning up uranium groundwater contamination

State records and Denver Water testing data indicate the pumping has failed to reduce uranium levels that far exceed drinking-water standards in Ralston Creek, which flows into Denver Water’s Ralston Reservoir.

Cotter Corp. puts a price on clean By Bruce FinleyThe Denver Post, 30 Sept 10, The federal government reimbursed Cotter Corp. nearly $3 million for cleanup of its toxic uranium mill near Cañon City — and could pay $3.3 million more for work in the future. But the work mopping up tailings and contaminated groundwater that began in 1984 is not scheduled to be complete until 2027. Continue reading →

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uranium, USA, water | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, uranium | Leave a comment

New laser uranium enrichment technology fraught with problems

Regulatory agencies are worried that laser enrichment of uranium could lead to the proliferation of nuclear weapons….GE and Hitachi “are betting that there will be an upsurge of nuclear power plant construction—that’s a huge and extremely risky bet.”….laser enrichment has been held back by substantial technical hurdles.

Laser Uranium Enrichment Makes a Comeback The controversial technology poses proliferation risks, but nuclear firms press on, IEEE Spectrum: By Sandra Upson 1 October 2010 Two technology giants, GE and Hitachi, are betting big on a nuclear renaissance. Continue reading →

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

UK’s new Trident nuclear missiles likely to be postponed – forever

Postponing most of the investment until after the next general election—due by 2015—would make it easier for an incoming government to ditch Trident or, more likely, prevaricate for so long that it amounts to the same thing. That prospect pleases Lib Dems but dismays many Tory MPs,

(UK) The nuclear deterrent Gunning for Trident, The Economist, 1 Oct 10, The coalition government is divided over whether and to what extent Britain should remain a nuclear powerSep 30th 2010 “… Continue reading →

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Mohawks join opposition to shipment of nuclear wastes over Great Lakes

Mohawks will not stand for nuclear shipment By Michelle Lalonde, Montreal Gazette September 30, 2010 The Mohawk community of Kahnawake is determined to stop a plan by Ontario’s Bruce Power to ship 16 massive steam generators from its nuclear facility in southwestern Ontario along the St. Lawrence Seaway for recycling in Sweden.”The fact that the Seaway was built through our territory without our approval in the first place is bad enough,” said Clinton Phillips, the chief responsible for environmental issues on the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.

“To use it to transport nuclear waste literally through our backyard would be adding insult to injury in a huge way. There is absolutely no way we’ll stand for it.”……………

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, indigenous issues | antinuclear, indigenous, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, reactors | Leave a comment

Iran investments in nukes – banned by Russia

Russia bans Iranian investments in nuclear industry English.news.cn MOSCOW, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — Russia has prohibited Iranian investments in any commercial activities involving uranium production or use of nuclear material and technology, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.The decree was issued by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last Wednesday to comply with the U.N. Security Council resolution No. 1929…….Earlier this week, Russia scrapped plans to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran as they fall under the U.N. sanctions.

Iranian officials responded that the country would sue Russia if Moscow fails to deliver the system to Iran.Russia bans Iranian investments in nuclear industry

October 1, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Small modular nuclear reactors, costly, dangerous, and proliferation risk

SMRs are not only unlikely live up to the hype, but may well aggravate cost, safety, and environmental problems,….”Amidst the evaporating hopes for a nuclear renaissance, nuclear power proponents are pinning their hopes on small modular reactors without thinking carefully about the new problems they will create

IEER/PSR: ‘Small Modular Reactors’ No Panacea for What Ails Nuclear Power – Fact Sheet Explores Cost, Safety and Waste Issues Glossed Over by IndustryWASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire – The same industry that promised that nuclear power would be “too cheap to meter” is now touting another supposed cure-all for America’s power needs: the small modular reactor (SMR). Continue reading →