nuclear secrecy « nuclear-news

Double standards in nuclear policy on Iran and Israel

Israel and Iran simply highlight the hypocrisy of a larger nuclear policy that endorses a double standard.

The Nuclear Double Standard, Antiwar.com, by Charles V. Peña, March 12, Earlier this week, Israel announced its intention to pursue nuclear power to generate electricity. According to Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, Israel wants to achieve energy independence from coal, which it has to import in significant quantities:…..(Israel, however, practices a policy of nuclear ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying whether it has nuclear weapons – yet it is generally accepted that Israel has such weapons).. Continue reading →

March 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, Religion and ethics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Uranium investors worried by corruption in Kazakhstan

Kazakh ex-uranium boss jailed for corruption, Daily Times , 12 March 2010, ASTANA: A Kazakh court sentenced a former uranium tycoon to 14 years in jail for theft and corruption on Friday in a case that has alarmed foreign investors working in the former Soviet republic. Continue reading →

March 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, Kazakhstan, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, uranium | Leave a comment

Virginia Beach’s water threatened by uranium mining

Virginia Beach city officials have said they oppose the mining proposal because it could threaten the city’s water supply which includes Lake Gaston…..

Experts at Va. symposium see risks in uranium mining | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com. March 12, 2010By Rex Springston, Richmond Times-Dispatch | MCT Regional News Virginian-Pilot writer Cindy Clayton contributed to this report.Mining uranium can create health and economic problems, experts said yesterday.A company called Virginia Uranium Inc. wants to mine uranium in Pittsylvania County in south-central Virginia. Continue reading →

March 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, USA, water | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive, uranium | 1 Comment

Safety check required for U.S. Nuclear Plants

US Nuclear Power Plants To Undergo Safety Check By Madhuri Dey
Washington,March 12th, 2010, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received an appeal from Entergy Nuclear Operations to be granted some more time to upgrade the security systems in the Pilgrim Station Nuclear Power Plant.
The upgradation of the security systems have been a measure that has been approved by the administration of President Barack Obama, after it came to light that there are enormous loopholes in the security systems of the power plants. The recommendation was issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with the aim of safeguarding the materials contained in the plants, and in turn protect the plants as well. In fact, it is not only the Pilgrim Station Nuclear Power Plant, but a number of other plants too that has given a petition for an extension.

March 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin | Leave a comment

Nobody knows the future of USA’s nuclear wastes

“I would like to address an “elephant in the room” –What about the Blue Ribbon Commission? The Energy Collective 12 March 2010,

blue_ribbonSolutions to the issue of spent nuclear fuel won’t be decided solely at the NRC, nor with or without funding or a license application to review. A Blue Ribbon Commission, appointed by Energy Sec. Chu, will hold its first meeting March 25 & 26 in Washington, DC, to hash out policy alternatives. It will take them 18 months to produce a draft report. Alternatives include finding another geologic repository for spent fuel, reprocessing, use of fast reactors, and a lot of other ideas. No one has a lock on the future of what this body does.

A tale of two speeches

March 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Stalemate on U.S. Russia’s nuclear arms reduction talks

Russia U.S. Arms Deal stalled, Fox News, March 11, 2010 – by: Dana Lewis, A high level Russian government source tells me an nuclear arms agreement to replace the expired START Treaty, (Strategic Reduction Arms Treaty) which was “weeks away” from being finalized in November, and “days away” from a final draft in Dcember, and “close to being finished” in January, is “still not done and not being done for a reason”, “stalled”, “threatened”, and “going sideways” in March.

The source says Russia is disappointed and frusturated with the Obama adminstration because it is “being run now by the hawks”…..The Russians are angry America is now talking about locating a missle defense shield in Romania and Bulgaria. And the source says Russia, now firmly see’s nuclear talks and discussion of a missile defense shield firmly linked.

Russia U.S. Arms Deal stalled « Liveshots

March 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Smuggling of nuclear materials continues

Nuclear Smugglers Still At Work, National Journal Online, By James Kitfield, March 11, 2010 The world is fast approaching a nuclear tipping point, many experts warn. And one key reason is a global smuggling network that traffics in nuclear technologies, materials, and know-how. National Journal spoke recently with David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security and a former weapons inspector in Iraq, about this network and what it means to the world’s stability and safety… Continue reading →

March 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Middle Eastern countries being sold short on nuclear disarmament

Israel which is strongly suspected of having a nuclear arsenal has refused to sign the NPT, as have both India and Pakistan, which have carried out weapons tests.

Mideast feels ‘tricked’ by nuclear arms treaty, (AFP) – Google News 11 March 2010, GENEVA — Middle Eastern countries feel tricked by the 40-year-old nuclear non proliferation treaty, an Egyptian diplomat warned on Wednesday, less than two months before crucial talks on the arms control deal. Continue reading →

March 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | MIDDLE EAST, weapons and war | cancer, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

New U.S buildup of nuclear-armed cruise missiles?

Air Force requests funds for new nuclear armed cruise missile. POLITICO.com, Laura Rozen, 11 March 2010, The U.S. Air Force “plans to spend more than $800 million to build a new nuclear-armed cruise missile for its bomber aircraft,” National Journal/Global Security Newswire’s Elaine Grossman reports, digging into the Obama administration’s FY 2011 Pentagon budget request: Continue reading →

March 11, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

UK concerns about safety of French European Pressurised Reactor (EPR).

“the design of the EPR presents a serious risk of a major nuclear accident – a risk deliberately taken by EDF to increase its profitability.”

Design flaws in new nuclear reactors ‘could lead to UK’s Chernobyl’ | Ekklesia, 9 March 2010, Local authorities have written to the nuclear watchdog following new concerns over the design safety of nuclear reactors planned for the UK and of fears about a Chernobyl-type accident. Continue reading →

March 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK | antinuclear, EDF, France, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, reactor | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry’s “Safety Cultures” questioned

Aging Reactors Put Nuclear Power Plant ‘Safety Cultures’ in the Spotlight The New York Times By PETER BEHR , March 9, 2010 “…..”The resurgence in interest [in nuclear power] is dependent upon the sustained faith and reliability performance of the current fleet,” NRC Commissioner Kristine Svinicki said last year. “The nuclear industry remains … just one incident away from retrenchment.”..

Aging Reactors Put Nuclear Power Plant ‘Safety Cultures’ in the Spotlight – NYTimes.com

March 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactor | Leave a comment

France’s Sarkozy keen to sell nuclear reactors, but just to help poor countries!

+jordanFrench President Sarkozy Says Nuclear Power Key To Economic Growth, Clean Environment, Examiner.com March 9, Examiner, Michael Zey “…In his speech Sarkozy reiterated France’s support for the continued development of nuclear energy throughout the world. However, Sarkozy made an even more important pronouncement: aggressive development of technologies such as nuclear power is key to lifting the developing nations out of poverty and increasing the net wealth of the planet…..Of course, the French president’s own candidate for best new nuclear plant design is the one France’s own Areva has developed. Areva has designed the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), a third-generation reactor design that France considers the most advanced in the world.

+jordanFrench President Sarkozy Says Nuclear Power Key To Economic Growth, Clean Environment

March 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, spinbuster | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactor | Leave a comment

India’s nuclear power industry stalled in Parliament

Now, nuclear liabilities bill under a cloud, Business Standard, New Delhi March 10, 2010, The Bharatiya Janata Party, the largest opposition party that helped pass the women’s Bill, has now told the government that it would do nothing to jeopardise the Finance Bill and the Vote on Account — which needs to be passed by March 16 when Parliament goes into recess.

But it would not help it pass the critical Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill…..The nuclear liabilities Bill is considered essential to jump-start civil nuclear commerce. …If the UPA could have banked on SP and RJD’s support, it could have ignored the opposition’s objections. But in the current environment, it is entirely possible that if the Bill is introduced in the lower House, it could be defeated.

Now, nuclear liabilities bill under a cloud

March 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, reactor | Leave a comment

France taking a moral posture on its nuclear sales pitch

French PM: EPR Reactor Is World’s Safest In Its Class – WSJ.com, By Adam Mitchell Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES PARIS (Dow Jones) 10 March 2010, –France’s flagship EPR-type nuclear reactor is the world’s safest in its class and the French nuclear-safety arrangements are the most complete in the world, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday.Fillon’s speech to a nuclear conference contrasts with recent allegations by an anti-nuclear group, Sortir du Nucleaire, which cast aspersions on the EPR-type reactor’s safety….
The prime minister also said that France ….. has a “responsibility” to promote civil nuclear technology around the world.

UPDATE: French PM: EPR Reactor Is World’s Safest In Its Class – WSJ.com

March 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, spinbuster | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

President Obama the nuclear industry’s Golden Boy

Obama’s Nuclear Dreams: Resurrecting a Noxious Industry, He may soon be called the nuclear industry’s Golden Child. t r u t h o u t |, 10 March 2010, No president in the Obama’s Nuclear Dreams: Resurrecting a Noxious Industrylast three decades has put more taxpayer dollars behind atom power than Barack Obama. And there may be good reason why the president is salivating over the prospect of building new nuclear power plants around the country. … Continue reading →