nuclear costs « nuclear-news

Britain can’t afford its nuclear weapons, nor can USA

To preserve vital conventional military forces, the [USA] service chiefs will likely have to cut into the $54 billion spent each year on nuclear weapons-related programs.

British Budget Collapse Foreshadows Cuts to Come in U.S. Defense Budget, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Joe Cirincione, 21 Oct 10, Great Britain’s cuts, particularly to its nuclear forces, are the canary in the defense budget mine. Continue reading →

October 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | 2 Comments

Tanzania could lose precious water, and money, with uranium mining

Water is already scarce there and it would be imprudent to let one company consume huge amounts of water at the expense of area inhabitants…If global demand for uranium were to decrease, the estimated value of these deposits would also drop. Therefore, it is unclear how much revenue uranium mining would really bring to Tanzania……

….the average Tanzanian citizen has seen limited benefits from mining projects while the lion’s share of the profits go to foreign mining companies…..

Take care that uranium mining turns into blessing, not curse, for Tanzania, Daily Nation By SHAABAN FUNDI, October 20 2010 Continue reading →

October 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, Uranium, water | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium, water | Leave a comment

Nuclear renaissance bubble losing its puff

the simple reality is that a nuclear renaissance in the U.S. will be impossible if new reactors remain too expensive to build and natural gas remains “dirt cheap” while renewable energy costs continue to decline and consumer demand remains on a downward spiral……

underestimated costs, ignored risks, political ballyhoo and prodigious but inadequate subsidies — now make clear that we are dealing not with a renaissance but with a bubble. The main remaining question is just how much taxpayer money will go into keeping it inflated.”

Reactor under microscope South Maryland News, Constellation, officials working to keep CC3 project going, Oct. 20, 2010, By MEGHAN RUSSELL“.………..even if EDF agreed to take the project under its wing, many skeptics, like the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, doubt the conditions are right for a “nuclear renaissance” and believe Calvert Cliffs 3 was doomed from the start. Continue reading →

October 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors, renewable energy | Leave a comment

Another dead nuclear reactor problem – Hanford

The other cocooned reactors are being left in long-term storage for 75 years to let radioactivity decay to more-manageable levels.

Energy Department wants to remove Hanford reactor | Seattle Times Newspaper,The Associated Press Tri-City Herald.20 Oct 10, TRI-CITIES, Wash. —The Energy Department wants to tear down the K East Reactor at Hanford rather than cocooning it like five other old reactors on the nuclear reservation. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | decommission reactor, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear decommissioning, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Gabon human rights groups force AREVA to assist sick uranium workers

The mine workers became ill after working in the COMUF mine, which produced more than 26,000 tonnes of uranium over 38 years and was controlled by Areva from 1986 until it closed down in 1999.Production stopped due to falling uranium prices but Areva has since secured new permits to look for uranium in the region, in the south of Gabon.

Areva, Gabon launch plan to help ill uranium workers by Phal Mezui Ndong Gualbert, David Lewis, Michael Roddy LIBREVILLE Oct 19 (Reuters) – Gabon and French mining giant Areva have launched a health initiative to treat more than 1,000 former miners who fell ill after working in a uranium mine in the Central African nation. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, health | antinuclear, AREVA, cancer, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Toxic uranium spill still affecting Navajo in New Mexico

People still remember, in part because of lingering illnesses they attribute to the spill,…People got compensated quickly at Three Mile Island – around here, I don’t think anyone got compensated for anything,

Uranium spill elicits traditional approach, Indian Country Today By Carol Berry, Oct 19, 2010 CHURCH ROCK, N.M. – About 10 miles north of this predominantly Navajo community, Highway 566 transects Red Water Pond Road, which is blocked at the entrance to an abandoned United Nuclear Corp. mine site from which nearly 1 million gallons of toxic wastewater spilled into the nearby Puerco River 31 years ago. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Damage causes delays in nuclear plant in Bulgaria

Safety Damage Delays Bulgarian Nuclear Plant Repairs Energy | October 19, 2010, A problem with one of the two functioning reactors of Bulgaria’s Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) – Unit 6, can trigger serious delays in its switching back to the country’s electric network, the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and Economy announced..

Safety System Damage Delays Bulgarian Nuclear Plant Repairs: Safety Damage Delays Bulgarian Nuclear Plant Repairs – Novinite.com – Sofia News Agency

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactors | Leave a comment

Breach of nuclear security at Sellafield nuclear plant

information on the stick that suggested that the International Atomic Energy Agency technicians visiting the site were not sufficiently briefed on health and safety regulations…..

Nuclear Station Suffers USB Data Breach | eWEEK Europe UK, 19 Oct 10, An investigation has begun after a USB stick containing sensitive information about Sellafield was found in a hotel room * By: Tom Jowitt * October 19, 2010 The data breach threat posed by USB sticks has once again been exposed after nuclear processing company Sellafield began an investigation into the loss of a USB device, said to contain information about its business operations. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

Australian state of Victoria will keep ban on nuclear power

Parties agree Victoria will remain nuclear-free state, The Age, RICHARD WILLINGHAM, October 20, 2010 VICTORIA will remain a nuclear-free state, regardless of who wins next month’s state election. Nuclear power is not needed in Victoria because it is expensive, dangerous and obsolete given the state’s abundance of energy options, say Premier John Brumby and Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, politics | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear costs, renewable energy | Leave a comment

Uranium mining in Africa – vulnerable to terrorism

France has large economic interests in Africa. One is the mining of uranium for nuclear power. Recently several French in the industry were taken hostage in Niger. A French hostage being held in Mali was killed last summer.

France Terror Warning, Fox News, October 18, 2010 – by: Amy Kellogg French sources tell Fox News that the latest threat of a potential terrorist attack in Europe and particularly France is being taken seriously in Paris. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, uranium | Leave a comment

Taxpayer will cop the bill for UK’s nuclear reactor wastes

The industry will only invest in new reactors if the government fixes a disposal levy to cover their contribution towards disposal in such a repository. The taxpayer will be liable for any shortfall if the actual costs exceed this levy decades from now.

Taxpayer could be hit by nuclear waste bill for new reactors• Fears new disposal levy could underestimate cost• Radioactive waste ‘could be traded like commodity’ Tim Webb * guardian.co.uk, 18 October 2010 The nuclear industry could end up passing on to taxpayers the costs of disposing of waste from new reactors under government plans, according to official documents seen by the Guardian. Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | AUSTRALIA, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Radiation risks of nuclear medicine need more oversight

CT scans of the abdomen use an amount of radiation equivalent to getting 1,500 dental X-rays, she said. CT scans of the heart and brain can use even more. The increased number of CT tests and increased amount of radiation used has boosted the amount of radiation exposure experienced by the general population…….

More oversight urged for X-ray technicians, Rapid City Journal, by Lynn Taylor Rick, October 18, 2010 “…………South Dakota is one of seven states in the nation that doesn’t require specific credentials for medical imaging operators, Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

New UK Trident nuclear submarines not ready before 2028

The decision means that the first of the new generation of nuclear submarines may not enter service until 2028 – around five years after the first Vanguard submarine is due to be withdrawn.

Trident nuclear deterrent replacement faces delay of up to five years guardian.co.uk, Wintour and Watt, 18 Oct 10, New generation of nuclear submarines may not enter service until 2028….. Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

No subsidy for nuclear power plants, says UK govt

there will be no levy, direct payment or market support for electricity supplied or capacity provided by a private sector new nuclear operator, unless similar support is also made available more widely to other types of generation,” said Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy and climate change.

Subsidy for eight nuclear reactors rejected, FT.com, By Sylvia Pfeifer October 18 2010 Ministers said they would not rule out taking on “financial risks” as the government paved the way for eight new nuclear reactors, but they insisted there would be “no subsidy” for new nuclear power. Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactors | 1 Comment

Western countries funding multi $billion cleanup of Russia’s arctic nuclear wastes

Although Russian authorities pledged transparency about the region’s nuclear issues, foreign journalists are denied access to a number of sites.

Russian Arctic’s ‘nuclear dump’ gets a facelift By Pierre-Henry Deshayes , Google hosted news, (AFP) –18 Oct 10, MURMANSK, Russia — An electronic sign along a busy street posts the outside temperature, the wind strength — and the radioactivity level.Welcome to Russia’s Kola Peninsula, a region that still bears the scars of its dubious past as the Soviet Union’s “nuclear dump”. Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment