nuclear costs « nuclear-news

Escalating costs of taxpayer funded uranium mining cleanup

Hot Rocks: Hidden Cost and Foreign Ownership of “Clean” Nuclear Fuel Emerging,THE HUFFINGTON POST, D.A. Barber, 1 April 2010, Western U.S. supporters of “clean” nuclear power say it means more jobs at uranium mines and mills. But critics say the escalating costs of past uranium facility clean-up, billion-dollar subsidies, and the fact that most of the companies are foreign-owned, has seemingly gone unnoticed. Continue reading →

April 2, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

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 Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Cancer and birth deformities in Serbia – depleted uranium’s deadly legacy

Permanent consequences “The half-life of uranium 238 is very long – 4.5 billion years,” reminds nuclear physicist Miroslav Simic, stating that “this way of throwing away nuclear waste on civilian, but also military targets, is not human as the consequences are permanent.”

Depleted Uranium, Dirty Bombs: NATO’s Deadly Gifts To Kosovo, Serbia Piotr Bein’s blog 29 March 2010, By Ljubica Vujadinovic, Belgrade: A leading Serbian expert in the field says NATO’s use of depleted uranium ammunition in it’s aggression against Serbia has caused an enormous increase in cancer rates and the number of newborns with genetic malformations. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | depleted uranium, EUROPE | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors, uranium, wastes | 2 Comments

Israel might use tactical nuclear weapons on Iran

Israel could use tactical nuclear weapons on Iran Israel Matzav, March 28, 2010, The Washington Post reports that a Washington think tank suggests that Israel could use tactical nuclear weapons in a strike against Iran. Despite the 65-year-old taboo against carrying out — or, for that matter, mooting — nuclear strikes, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says in a new report that “some believe that nuclear weapons are the only weapons that can destroy targets deep underground or in tunnels

Israel Matzav: Israel could use tactical nuclear weapons on Iran

March 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Iran building more nuclear sites?

Iran Suspected of Planning More Nuclear Sites FOXNews March 28, 2010 Comments recently made by a top Iranian official reportedly prompted U.N. inspectors to search for at least two more nuclear sites in the country.
Western intelligence agencies and U.N. inspectors suspect Iran is planning to build more nuclear sites despite international demands that it open up its operations for inspection, The New York Times reported. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Resuscitating the nuclear industry by linking it to nuclear non proliferation

Access To Civil Nuclear Energy Voice of America News.com 29 March 2010“Our efforts to reinvigorate the U.S. domestic nuclear industry go hand-in-hand with our efforts in the international arena.”
Speaking about the vital role that nuclear energy plays in our low-carbon future, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman said the United States is working to reinvigorate its domestic nuclear industry. At the same time, he said the U.S. is working with other nations “to ensure that all countries can access nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in a manner that minimizes proliferation risks.”….. Continue reading →

March 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

The nuclear lobby jumps on the “peace” bandwagon

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

Christina Macpherson.29 March 2010 In April-May there will be international conventions and conferences aimed at reducing the spread of nuclear weapons.
Unfortunately the nuclear lobby is well and truly on this bandwagon. The “peace” message will be joined with the message to increase “civil” nuclear energy, and the George W. Bush initiated plan of “cradle to grave” nuclear fuel cycle of leasing uranium.

Never mind that scientific opinion has already discredited nuclear power as “safe” or “clean”, and discredited George W. Bush’s plan – the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, The GNEP is still being touted as the magic formula that will not only “solve” the nuclear waste problem (by returning wastes to their uranium mining origin). Now the GNEP is going to promote peace too!

March 29, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina's notes, spinbuster | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | 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 Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, radioactive, reactor, reactors | 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 Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear costs | 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 Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, USA, water | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | 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 Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

How the war industry contributes to global warming, and not to humanity

“Lockheed Martin has 21 paid lobbyists on Parliament Hill,” “and none from environment, women or peace groups, which can’t afford it.”

War on Earth, THE COAST, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Against the people’s wishes, governments and the war industry choose destruction over protection.by Chris Benjamin, 25 March 2010,

If money talks, what does it say that Canada spends 12 times more on the Department of National Defence than it does on Environment Canada, and 120 times more on defence than it does on climate change mitigation? Continue reading →

March 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Natural gas in reality much cheaper than nuclear energy

Cheaper natural gas makes it hard to build nukes The Dallas Morning News, Elizabeth Souder, 25 March 20201, Natural gas at $3 per million British thermal units is simply too cheap for a power company to consider building a nuclear power plant, according to Energy Future Holdings chief executive John Young.What do the two have to do with each other? Everything.In Texas, as in many places, natural gas markets set the price of electricity. The higher natural gas goes, the more money power generators get for their product…..the higher natural gas prices rise, the fatter the profit margins for nukes.

March 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs | Leave a comment

Revival of U.S. nuclear industry in doubt due to waste problem

Waste issue hurting U.S. nuclear revival-panel Lack of plan for waste seen hurting nuclear development Commission told to move beyond Yucca Mountain site Some lawmakers oppose plan to shut down Yucca By Ayesha Rascoe, WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) – The lack of a permanent home for the nation’s radioactive waste is dampening prospects for a resurgence of the U.S. nuclear industry, federal commissioners said at their first public hearing on the subject. Continue reading →

March 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear “spinoff” company rejected – ‘financially shaky’

NY regulators reject Entergy nuclear spinoff Google News, By GEORGE M. WALSH (AP) –26 March 2010, ALBANY, N.Y. — New York utility regulators on Thursday rejected Entergy Corp.’s plan to spin off its six nuclear power stations into a separate company.The state Public Service Commission acted after its staff determined the deal wasn’t in the public interest, primarily because the resulting company — Enexus Energy Corp. — could be financially shaky….

The Associated Press: NY regulators reject Entergy nuclear spinoff

March 26, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin | Leave a comment