nuclear technology « nuclear-news

Nuclear Summit kept quiet about dangers of recycling nuclear fuel

Recycling fuel should end: Evans, Sydney Morning Herald, April 15, 2010, WASHINGTON: A former Australian foreign minister, Gareth Evans, was at the centre of a dispute over reactor suppliers recycling nuclear fuel even as US officials sought to skirt the issue during a summit in Washington organised by the President, Barack Obama.

Mr Evans is co-chairman of the Australian government’s international non-proliferation and disarmament commission. On Monday, at a conference of experts which is being held in parallel with Mr Obama’s nuclear security summit, he called for an end to fuel recycling.Mr Evans and a former US ambassador-at-large, Robert Gallucci, said recycling created stockpiles of dangerous materials ripe for theft………
The issue was not among those central to the Obama summit. Administration officials said last week they had deliberately avoided some of the more contentious issues that would not have won support from all participants. Gareth Evans

April 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, enriched, fast breeder, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Earthquake danger for transporting Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)

Quake rattles Chilean-U.S. uranium move , SANTIAGO, Chile, April 14 (UPI) — A Chilean-U.S. nuclear waste disposal arrangement was nearly derailed, with dangerous consequences for North and South America, when a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck Chile Feb. 27, interfering with deliveries of radioactive waste to U.S. processing plants. Continue reading →

April 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, SOUTH AMERICA | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Uranium ivestors – bleak outlook following Nuclear Security Summit plan to recycle nuclear fuel

Nuclear Summit Changes Uranium Outlook ninemsn 14/04/2010 By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck US President Obama’s success in convincing world leaders the best way forward is through the conversion of hundreds of thousands of tons of weapons-usable nuclear fuel into non-military fuel for power stations might be good news for world peace, but probably not so for investors in uranium companies.

This week’s nuclear summit in Washington has ended with a general pledge by participants from all over the globe to convert hundreds of thousands of tons of weapons-usable nuclear fuel by 2014, plus an intention to set a 2012 summit in South Korea to measure progress.This inevitably means the supply-outlook has dramatically changed for the sector this week. Nuclear Summit Changes Uranium Outlook

April 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, business and costs | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, recycling, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear Security Summit failed to tackle nuclear disarmament

Obama’s Nuclear Summit: The Big Truth That’s Missing | Mother Jones, David Corn, 13 April 2010, “………there is an important connection the president neglected to mention. Nuclear security is not the path to nuclear disarmament. Nuclear disarmament is the path to nuclear security. The nuclear weapons complex depends on highly-enriched uranium. As long as there are nuclear weapons, there will be HEU. As long as there is HEU, there will be the possibility of HEU theft and smuggling. Continue reading →

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Nuclear Security Summit lifts commercial prospects for ‘Megatons to Megawatts’

USEC Inc., a global energy company, is a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.

USEC CEO: Nuclear Security Supported by Innovative Industry Program – MarketWatch 13 April 2010, ProgramMegatons to Megawatts on Schedule to Eliminate Equivalent of 20,000 Nuclear Warheads USEC Inc. President and CEO John Welch issued the following statement today in support of President Barack Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit:

“This week’s historic summit in Washington is a timely reminder of the threat facing our world from potential nuclear action by terrorists. USEC and others in the commercial nuclear industry have worked for many years in close coordination with our governments to support the security and elimination of nuclear weapons material around the world in order to reduce this threat….. Continue reading →

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, technology, USA | antinuclear, disarmament, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Weapons plutonium for USA and Russia’s fast neutron reactors

US, Russia, Sign Protocol to Dispose of 17 Thousand Weapons’ Worth of Plutonium, Political Punch April 13, 2010 As the first Nuclear Security Summit began coming to a close, Secretary o f State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed that their countries would each dispose up at least 34 metric tons of excess weapon-grade plutonium – 68 metric tons total — enough material for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons. Continue reading →

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, technology, USA | antinuclear, enriched, fast breeder, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Mexico sending its highly enriched uranium to USA

Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium Los Angeles Times April 13, 2010 The nations of North America said they will work to eliminate highly enriched uranium from Mexico’s research reactors, an effort to protect against the proliferation of nuclear materials, the White House announced on Tuesday.The agreement was announced on the second
“The conversion of the reactor’s use of highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium fuel will enable the elimination of all the remaining highly enriched uranium from Mexico. Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

April 14, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | SOUTH AMERICA, technology | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactor, uranium | Leave a comment

Old Russian nuclear warheads to become fuel for U.S. commercial nuclear reactors

Nuclear twist sees Russian warheads warming US homes Herald Sun AFP , April 13, 2010, IN A strange twist of Cold War enmity on the melt, uranium from what once were Russian nuclear warheads is used to heat and light American homes, thanks to the Megatons to Megawatts Program – a successful example of nuclear non-proliferation. Continue reading →

April 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, disarmament, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Ukraine will get rid of its Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)

Ukraine to dispose of enriched uranium, Sydney Morning Herald April 13, 2010 – AFP Ukraine pledged on Monday to dispose of its stocks of highly enriched uranium by 2012, as the United States vowed to work with the nation still haunted by the Chernobyl accident over two decades ago….

Ukraine to dispose of enriched uranium

April 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Ukraine | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear ships not allowed in New Zealand waters

US Navy ship visits not on the cards – PM, The National Business Review April 13, 2010 – Visits of US Navy ships into New Zealand waters were not discussed when Prime Minister John Key met United States Vice-President Joe Biden today and Mr Key said it was not a burning issue for either country…….Under that legislation, the prime minister has to approve that any warship that comes in is not carrying any nuclear explosive device, and is not nuclear-powered…..Mr Key is in Washington attending a nuclear security summit. US Navy ship visits not on the cards – PM | The National Business Review – New Zealand – business, markets, finance, politics, property, technology and more

April 13, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | New Zealand, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear technology, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Russia to set up “uranium bank” to expand demand for nuclear power

...The bank will allow countries that join the facility to obtain uranium from the stockpile, supplied entirely by Russia, if commercial uranium markets are frozen for political reasons.

Russia’s Rosatom Corp to create a uranium fuel bank with the International Atomic Energy Agency Seeker 401, 12 April 2010, Rosatom Corp., Russia’s state-run nuclear holding company, said its agreement to create a uranium fuel bank with the International Atomic Energy Agency will help expand demand for nuclear power. Continue reading →

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Russia | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, uranium | Leave a comment

Exelon nuclear power plant’s radiation monitor not working

Radiation monitor at Oyster Creek nuclear plant is inoperable, officials say NJ.com, By The Associated Press, April 10, 2010, A monitor that measures radiation emissions at the nation’s oldest operating nuclear plant has been found to be inoperable…….Exelon Corp., which owns the plant, recently notified the state Department of Environmental Protection about the problem. But it’s not clear how long the equipment — known as a stack monitor — has been out of service. Radiation monitor at Oyster Creek nuclear plant is inoperable, officials say | – NJ.com

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear technology, radioactive, reactor | Leave a comment

Laser technology increases nuclear power danger

Laser Nuclear Technology Might Pose Security Risk by Richard Harris NPR 12 April 2010, “…..a new technology that’s been developed to enrich uranium. It’s intended to make fuel for nuclear power plants — but it could be used for weapons, too. Continue reading →

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

African countries seeking enriched uranium and nuclear power

others are fearful about security at nuclear power plants in Africa, worried that loose enriched uranium will fall into the wrong hands and be used to build a weapon

Beyond Iran: African Countries Seek Nuclear Power INDYPOSTED, 11 April 2010 by | Ted Webb We hear about Iran’s development of nuclear energy in the news all the time, but many other countries are also working to enrich uranium, including Senegal and other African countries.

Right now South Africa has the continent’s only two nuclear power reactors, ABC News reports. But Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Algeria, Tunisia, Moroccco, Egypt, Ghana and Niger are all working to achieve nuclear energy.

Some hope nuclear power will help Africa economically, bring electricity to more people and prevent outages. But others are fearful about security at nuclear power plants in Africa, worried that loose enriched uranium will fall into the wrong hands and be used to build a weapon. Beyond Iran: African Countries Seek Nuclear Power

April 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

As nuclear industry materials proliferate, the threat of nuclear terrorism is real

More than 1600 tonnes of highly enriched uranium and 500 tonnes of plutonium are estimated to have been produced worldwide for civilian and military use – enough material to build 120,000 nuclear bombs. Estimates vary as to how much of it remains unsecured and at risk of falling into terrorist hands……

Obama wrestles with nuclear nightmare that won’t go away Sydney Morning Herald ,SIMON MANN IN WASHINGTON, April 10, 2010 So, what if terrorists did get their hands on a nuclear weapon? It doesn’t bear thinking about. Except, thousands of people are thinking about it now. Continue reading →

April 10, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment