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French govt intent on promoting nuclear industry

French PM Stesses Importance Of State Role In Nuclear Sector THE WALL STREET JOURNAL  By A.H. Mooradian and William Horobin, Dow Jones Newswires JANUARY 20, 2010 PARIS (Dow Jones)–French Prime Minister Francois Fillon Wednesday said the French state plans to continue playing a major role in the country’s nuclear industry, after meeting with the heads of two energy firms.

Fillion met with Henri Proglio, chief executive of Electricte de France SA (EDF.FR), which is one of the world’s largest operators of nuclear power plants, and Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of Areva SA (CEI.FR), the state-owned French nuclear engineering group.

French PM Stesses Importance Of State Role In Nuclear Sector – WSJ.com

January 21, 2010 Posted by | France, politics | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lawsuit on uranium mining, and accountability for wastes

Even as the expansion of uranium mining in Colorado is being challenged, conservation and citizen groups and elected officials are working to ensure that taxpayers do not pay to clean up contamination left behind by the uranium industry in the event of a new boom cycle.

Court Decision Aids Uranium Lawsuit The WATCH by Karen James , Jan 20, 2010 Efforts Also Underway For More Industry Accountability Continue reading

January 21, 2010 Posted by | Legal, USA | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anxiety as the Western world losing dominance of the nuclear industry

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

First and Second World countries are starting to look better, when compared with what is coming.

With very dubious safety and occupational health regulations, and with a big lack of transparency, South Korea embarks on a nuclear sales program to the Middle East.

China and India enthusiastically aim for nuclear power – also both with dubious safety, and secrecy.

Nuclear opponents have become accustomed to criticising France, UK, USA, Russia, Japan, Israel.  But these First and Second World countries are starting to look better, when compared with what is coming.

For the U.S.A. and U.K. we have a chance of learning through free media about nuclear incidents. And possibly even for France.  Not so sure about Russia. But at least they’ve all had experience of this so very dangerous industry. But for China, and the Asian and Middle East nations there’s likely to be an unhealthy combination of inexperience and news censorship.

Now we have countries with little experience or expertise and with dubious or no oversight of plants and of waste dumps, or uranium mines. And – countries that purport to want only ‘peaceful’ nuke power,  Yet with obvious other power resources – e.g. Saudi Arabia,  why would they want nukes?  The answer that springs to mind is – for nuclear weapons.

And nuke weapons are not the only worry. How vulnerable are these “non-Western” nukes to accident, theft of plutonium, terrorism, and response to mistaken attack?

January 20, 2010 Posted by | Christina's notes, politics international | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turkey planning nuclear weapons

Turkey Plans to Produce Nuclear Weapons. – The Orange Room – forum.tayyar.org  20 Jan 2010 OTTAWA, According to a piece published in the July 26 edition of theOttawa Citizen, the Turkish government has ordered the Turkish NuclearEnergy Commission to prepare a report detailing prospects of making Turkeya stronger nation due to its nuclear capabilities, by producing nuclearweapons……. Continue reading

January 20, 2010 Posted by | Turkey, weapons and war | , , , , | Leave a comment

Pakistan’s Abdul Khan leaking nuclear info again?

Leaking secret information: LHC seeks reply from Dr AQ Khan by 25th Daily Times –  Pakistan  January 20, 2010 LAHORE: Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought a reply from nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadir Khan by January 25 on allegations that he disclosed sensitive information regarding Pakistan’s nuclear programme to foreign media. Continue reading

January 20, 2010 Posted by | Pakistan, secrets,lies and civil liberties | , , , , | Leave a comment

British protest against nuclear power

Protest planned against new nuclear power stations Bristol 24-7 January 19, 2010 A protest against the building of new nuclear power stations near Bristol will take place outside the Council House tomorrow, in advance of a debate to decide if the city will officially oppose the development. Continue reading

January 19, 2010 Posted by | general | , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear energy a No No for Wisconsin

Other provisions in the bill, experts say, make it unlikely any nuclear plant would open in Wisconsin in the foreseeable future.

New energy bill not a green light for nuclear power  By LAVILLA CAPENER and MIKE IVEY | The Capital Times January 18, 2010

The new clean energy bill trumpeted by Gov. Jim Doyle has been called everything from a forward-thinking green initiative to a jobs-killing mandate that would cripple the Wisconsin economy.

One thing it’s not, however, is a green light for nuclear power. Continue reading

January 19, 2010 Posted by | Legal, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear waste company subjected black workers to more radiation

EEOC: Black workers got more radiation MEMPHIS, Jan. 16 (UPI) — A Tennessee company that processes nuclear waste has agreed to settle federal claims black employees were subjected to higher levels of radiation than others.
The Studsvik Memphis Processing Facility, formerly known as Radiological Assistance Consulting and Engineering, or RACE, has signed a consent agreement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported.

The EEOC alleged the company assigned black employees to work with radioactive waste and manipulated dosimeters to show lower levels of radiation than the actual ones. Black employees were also paid less and subjected to other kinds of discrimination.

EEOC: Black workers got more radiation – UPI.com

January 18, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fishing community in India fights nuclear power

At a recent protest meeting in Sakhri Nate, activists managed to gather the entire village, including the women who rarely speak up. Hamid Abdur Rehman says: “We don’t want this project. Our future generations will be affected.”….

Fisherfolk join the fight against nuclear plant in Jaitapur THE HINDU  SAKHRI NATE, Ratnagiri district, January 18, 2010 Meena Menon The narrow roads in this fishing village wind down to a crisp blue creek full of frenetic activity. Across the creek is the location of the proposed Jaitapur project being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)…………. Continue reading

January 18, 2010 Posted by | India, politics | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Risk to air travelers with full-body radiation scanners

Full Body Scanners Pose Health Risks to Travelers, Says Czech Nuke Official YOP NEWS  by Surjit Singh  01/16/2010 The Chief of the Czech nuclear watchdog has insisted that she is against the use of full-body scanners as an airport security measure as these pose threats to the travelers’ health. Continue reading

January 18, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, health | , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear company was ‘purveying misinformation’

at the least, the company was guilty of purveying misinformation.………Did the underground system of pipes ever get a look? How can the plant be called safe if it didn’t? How vulnerable are the pipes? Is Vermont’s groundwater in danger? Why did everyone overlook the pipes in the first place?

Pressure builds: Rutland Herald Online January 17, 2010 The revelation that the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant has been leaking radioactive tritium Continue reading

January 18, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thousands of underground nuclear pipes may be failing

“Under current regulations, miles and miles of buried pipes within nuclear reactors have never been inspected and will likely never be inspected,”

Nuclear plant pipe failures can threaten safety | The Orange County Register January 15, 2010   By TERI SFORZA

A rash of recent failures in the buried piping systems of nuclear reactors – including one at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station – Continue reading

January 18, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uranium’s risks to groundwater need thorough investigation

Downstream study of uranium’s risks The Virginian-Pilot
January 17, 2010
“..…….Federal regulations are geared toward mining in arid climates, and even so, they have sometimes failed to address contamination of groundwater systems surrounding uranium deposits in western states. Continue reading

January 17, 2010 Posted by | environment, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where to store Nuclear Waste for hundreds of thousands of years?

politics, and not the welfare of future generations, is at the center of the nuclear waste issue. To protect those generations, a site must be found where radioactive waste can be allowed to slowly decay over hundreds of thousands of years, far away from any living creatures

Germany’s Endless Search for a Nuclear Waste Dump  SPIEGELONLINE 15 Jan 2010 Germany has been looking for a permanent storage site for its nuclear waste for over 30 years. The history of the Gorleben salt dome, a potential nuclear repository, is one full of deception and political maneuvering. And if opponents to the plans have their way, the search might even have to start again from scratch………….. Continue reading

January 17, 2010 Posted by | Germany, wastes | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Future uncertain for USA’s nuclear industry

US govt says loans for nuclear plants complicated REUTERS Jan 15, 2010  Loan guarantees may be enough for only 2 new reactors
* Chu says reactors can store spent fuel on site 50 years

* Utilities should not complain about waste storage costs

By Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said on Friday that the process for approving federal loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants has become “complicated,” Continue reading

January 17, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , | Leave a comment