nuclear technology « nuclear-news

Dim future for nuclear energy in South Africa

with the global economic slowdown, things have not improved much. Investments are not forthcoming from international lending banks.

South Africa still in pursuit of its nuclear future | The Energy Collective July 27, 2010 Pebble Bed project is shut down. Future reactor investments up in the air.This is not a good time to be looking to invest in nuclear energy in South Africa. Continue reading →

July 28, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, South Africa, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactor, uranium | Leave a comment

Safety problems add to costs, overruns, in AREVA’s new nuclear plants

Areva, the state-controlled French nuclear engineering company, is already battling construction delays and cost overruns at both Flamanville and Olkiluoto, in Finland, where it is building the first of its EPR plants.

Safety Fears Raised at French Reactor, NYTimes.com, By PATRICIA BRETT July 26, 2010, PARIS — Anti-nuclear activists are seeking to halt construction of France’s latest-generation nuclear power plant at Flamanville, on the Normandy coast, arguing that changes introduced to solve problems with the reactor’s fuel pellet cladding have invalidated the plant’s original building permit. Continue reading →

July 27, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor, uranium | 1 Comment

How workers’ uranium exposure levels can be fudged

levels of residual radiation at the site AFTER the structure itself was removed and buried in Piketon, Ohio, were used to approximate radiation doses of workers when it was in operation…..“there’s no reason to believe that host decontamination measurements would be meaningful to reconstruct doses 18 years earlier during operations.”

Panel Discussing Raising Huntington Radiation Exposure Levels at Atomic Plant Some Could Jump Ten Fold By Tony Rutherford, Huntingtonnews.net, 21 July 2010, Continue reading →

July 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, recycling, reprocessing, uranium | Leave a comment

Why is the media spouting nuclear energy propaganda?

If something looks too good to be true, it usually is. Journalists need to look further than industry press releases and the word of nuclear boosters. If they want to write propaganda for the industry then they should quit their jobs and go and work there.

Clean’ nuclear power is just a dirty rumour, Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – July 20, 2010 Despite it being a complete fiction, it looks like the meme of nuclear power being a ‘clean’ energy source is taking hold in the media.

The latest news outlet to pass on the virus is Bloomberg… Continue reading →

July 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, media | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, uranium | 1 Comment

Global uranium, nuclear industry in serious trouble – Australian Senator

“Recently we have been hearing a lot about ‘surging uranium prices’ and a ‘global nuclear renaissance’ but you only need to chart uranium miners’ share prices and the world uranium price to see the reality is strangely at odds with the hype,” Senator Ludlam said.“The year started with BHP Billiton cutting estimated production from its proposed Yeelirrie project by a third, Mega Uranium delaying commencement of its proposed Lake Maitland project by two years and Toro Energy dropping plans to mine uranium at Napperby in the Northern Territory.

“Worldwide, the global civil nuclear industry is in serious trouble and nuclear weapons disarmament negotiations are suppressing world uranium prices.
“The Australian Greens continue to be the one political party that opposes uranium mining and nuclear energy at a State and Federal level.”

Greens step up anti-uranium mining campaign, 21st July 2010, Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam will deliver a straightforward message to uranium miners and investors at the Australian Uranium Summit in Fremantle today

“The industry remains unsafe, unwanted and uneconomic. Pursuing investments in this least sustainable of industries will end in tears,” Senator Ludlam said……. Continue reading →

July 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, business and costs | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

AREVA’s Olkiluoto nuclear reactor a total financial disater

“It’s a total disaster for Areva,” Schneider says. Areva will have to sell another 12 reactors to cover the cost overruns thus far or else French taxpayers will,”

Nuclear Energy Steals Billions from Other Technologies « Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist, w2w0 July 2010, “…..The other reason is the French.France gets about 77 percent of its power from 58 reactors and is often cited as the model for other countries. “France is a special case. The entire industry is 85 percent owned by the government,” says Mycle Schneider, a Paris-based energy and nuclear policy analyst.

The industry gets direct and indirect subsidies, government loans and loan guarantees “on practically anything they want”, Schneider told IPS. Continue reading →

July 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, France | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | 3 Comments

Airport scanning could be done without ionising radiation

Contraband such as a weapon or some kind of concealed explosive would show up as dark spots using the TS4, but the shape of the body would be one multicolored blur (which eliminates the need for same-sex operators) and there’s no radiation involved.

Next-gen body scanner sees through clothes without radiation | DVICE, By Kevin Hall Jul 19, 2010 With full body scanners people have two big concerns: the amount of harmful radiation involved, and if it will reveal the details of one’s body. A company called ThruVision is demoing a next-gen system that’s radiation-free and doesn’t give anything away. Continue reading →

July 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Navajo’s stand against uranium mining supported by scientists

“I’ve never seen such poor science, poor accountability and poor traceability,” said Mike Wallace, a groundwater hydrologist who has worked in the nuclear industry at WIPP in New Mexico and the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada.

Scientists Back Navajos’ Uranium Mining Fight: Tribe fears contamination of drinking water BRENDA NORRELL Indian Country 19 July 2010, RED ROCK, N.M. – Navajos fighting proposed uranium mining in an area once devastated by a radioactive spill, were bolstered by scientists who criticized the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for approving new uranium mining that could result in the contamination of drinking water for 15,000 Navajos and ultimately lead to kidney failure.” Continue reading →

July 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, uranium, water | Leave a comment

Despite public opposition, Turkish govt opts for uneconomic nuclear reactors

the economics of the deal are pitiful. Tetas, the Turkish grid company, is committed to a 15-year deal to buy electricity from the reactors at a price of US$124 per megawatt hour. That, unbelievably, is more than double the market prices for electricity across the EU right now. So much for nuclear power being affordable and competitive.

Turkish Parliament votes for nuclear madness | Greenpeace International, 17 July 2010, Well, they did it. Despite 170,000 people expressing their opposition, the Turkish Parliament yesterday voted in favour of the agreement between Turkey and Russia to build four nuclear reactors at Akkuyu on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Continue reading →

July 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Turkey | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors | Leave a comment

American Indians confront USA’s ‘Blue Ribbon’ Nuclear Waste Commission

Tribes: Nuclear waste can’t be stored at Hanford, Google hosted news, (AP) – 15 July 2010, RICHLAND, Wash. — Northwest American Indian tribes say highly radioactive waste cannot be permanently stored at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site.Members of the Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla and Wanapum tribes on Wednesday addressed a commission appointed by President Barack Obama to examine U.S. disposal of radioactive waste. It was prompted by his decision not to proceed with the Yucca Mountain waste repository in Nevada…..

The Associated Press: Tribes: Nuclear waste can’t be stored at Hanford

July 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, USA | antinuclear, indigenous, nuclear, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Pyroprocessed plutonium could quickly become nuclear weapon

a country with South Korea’s nuclear expertise could quickly turn pyroprocessed plutonium into weapons

U.S. Wary of South Korea’s Plan to Reuse Nuclear Fuel, By CHOE SANG-HUN New York Times, July 13, 2010 “……..South Korean engineers are championing a new technology called pyroprocessing, which the Bush administration endorsed. They call it “proliferation-resistant” because the plutonium produced through pyroprocessing is not pure and cannot be used directly for nuclear weapons.
Skeptics say the technology is far more dangerous than leaving the spent fuel intact in storage because a country with South Korea’s nuclear expertise could quickly turn pyroprocessed plutonium into weapons-usable material should it decide to break out of the nonproliferation treaty…….
Washington is wary of South Korea’s motives. Seoul embarked on its short-lived nuclear arms program in the early 1970s when President Richard M. Nixon reduced the number of American troops in South Korea to 40,000 from 60,000. In 2004, South Korea revealed to the International Atomic Energy Agency that its scientists had dabbled in reprocessing and enrichment without first informing the agency. U.S. Wary of South Korea’s Plan to Reuse Nuclear Fuel – NYTimes.com

July 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | South Korea, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, plutonium | Leave a comment

Energy insecurity with nuclear power

Nuclear power and energy insecurity, Greenpeace International, by jmckeati – July 14, 2010 “………..Energy security is often cited as one of the major benefits of nuclear power…… The theory goes that those countries with nuclear reactors make themselves less reliant on gas and oil imports from unstable regions such as the Middle East.What the theory ignores is that these countries are exchanging one reliance for another: from fossil fuels to uranium. Like oil and gas, uranium is a finite resource and someone controls the supply of it. Any nuclear nation that does not have supplies of its own uranium is therefore reliant on other countries. That’s not what we’d call energy security.

Nuclear power and energy insecurity | Greenpeace International

July 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

Uranium mining not economic in the long run

Stakeholders need to consider the not-so-obvious long-term costs, as well as the much-touted short-term benefits of permitting uranium development throughout Virginia…….As deposits of economic interest are identified, the people near those deposits will find themselves stakeholders in public policy decisions regarding uranium mining. Who are these stakeholders-to-be?

Who bears the economic and environmental risks of uranium mining? ALTAVISTA JOURNAL, By Katie Whitehead, July 14, 2010Virginia Uranium Inc. (VUI) and its public relations firm have framed uranium mining in Virginia as an opportunity for billions in benefits Continue reading →

July 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

AREVA keen to sell untested ATMEA 1 nuclear reactor to Jordan

Breuzژ also highlighted the nuclear technology being offered by AREVA ….The 1,000-1,150MW model reactor, ….has yet to be built or brought online anywhere in the world.

France stands by Jordan’s nuclear programme’ | Jordan Times, By Taylor Luck, 13 July 2010, AMMAN – France supports Jordan’s right to enrich uranium as outlined in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the top French diplomat in Amman said on Tuesday. Continue reading →

July 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Jordan, politics international | antinuclear, AREVA, enriched, France, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium | 1 Comment

Uranium mining executive boasted on political upheaval in Australia

‘Policymakers around the world can learn a lesson when considering new taxes to plug a revenue gap or play to local politics,” he said.

Indeed they can, particularly if they note the ousting of a sitting prime minister by his own party.

Big-talking giants may come down with a thud, Sydney Morning Herald, Ian Verrender, July 13, 2010 If the European Union had reservations about the iron ore tie-up between the mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, it no doubt would have been stunned by Tom Albanese’s extraordinary remarks in London last week…….. Continue reading →

July 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA, politics | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment