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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Turmoil over nuclear plant’s use of water

Nuclear Plant’s Use of River Water Prompts $1.1 Billion Debate With State, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD August 24, 2010 BUCHANAN, N.Y. — Just beneath the wind-stippled surface of the Hudson River here, huge pipes suck enough water into the Indian Point nuclear plant every second to fill three Olympic swimming pools. And each second they take in dozens of organisms — fish and crabs, but mostly larvae — that are at the center of a $1.1 billion debate:….

New York State argued recently before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that Indian Point poses such a safety risk that its two reactors should be shut down when their licenses expire in 2013 and 2015.

Indian Point Nuclear Plant’s Toll on River Stirs Debate – NYTimes.com

August 24, 2010 Posted by | USA, water | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Japan warns India against nuclear weapons testing

Japan should stop working with India on atomic energy if it conducts nuke tests,  The Mainichi Daily News, 24 Aug 2010, During negotiations on a bilateral civil nuclear pact, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told his Indian counterpart that Tokyo will immediately discontinue its cooperation with India over atomic energy technology if it conducts a nuclear test…….India conducted nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. Cooperation with any country like India on atomic energy could make the NPT a dead letter and give Iran and other countries that are suspected of developing nuclear weapons even though they are parties to the treaty an excuse to develop nuclear arms…………Japan should stop working with India on atomic energy if it conducts nuke test – The Mainichi Daily News

August 24, 2010 Posted by | Japan, weapons and war | , , | Leave a comment

Arrests of Catholic protestors at site for nuclear weapons facility

The new plant, which will make non-nuclear parts for nuclear weapons, is set to be the nation’s first new major nuclear weapons production facility in 32 years……

Catholic activists arrested at Kansas City nuclear weapons facility, National Catholic Reporter, Aug. 17, 2010By Joshua J. McElwee KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Singing choruses of “we shall not be moved” while scattering sunflower seeds, 14 activists were arrested here Aug. 16 after blocking an earth moving vehicle on the site of a proposed nuclear weapons manufacturing facility. Continue reading

August 24, 2010 Posted by | Religion and ethics, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Why the silence about floods and landslides in nuclear areas?

Christina Macpherson's websites & blogs

Climate change is already having its impact in extreme weather conditions.

But nobody’s talking about the impact of these weather events on the nuclear industry.

Except for Russia, where government was forced to admit to (and to play down), the  danger to its nuclear facilities, threatened by 400 wildfires.

What about the risks of flooding in nuclear powered Pakistan?  What about flooding and mudslides in China’s Sichuan province, home of earthquakes and of nuclear waste dumps?

What about radioactive dust blowing around in the prolonged drought in uranium-mining Niger?  Where is the mainstream media in all this?

Oh – I forgot – it’s not polite to talk about such things, not when our betters are trying so hard to sell nuclear power plants to everybody!   – Christina Macpherson, 23 August 2010,

August 23, 2010 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radioactivity from Chernobyl persists in Europe’s wild animals and birds

Chernobyl radiation still impacts wildlife…Spokesman.com – Aug. 21, “.. unlike other wild game, boars often feed on mushrooms and truffles which tend to store radioactivity and they plow through the contaminated soil with their snouts, experts say. Cesium-124, one of the byproducts of the Chernobyl meltdown, has a half-life of 30 years, which implies it will be around for a few more years.
Since this story broke, and upon doing a brief bit of additional research, I have since found that boars are not the only wildlife that have high levels of radiation.

Wild birds, deer and free-ranging cattle throughout portions of Europe all still bear some of the radioactive byproducts left over from Chernobyl and thus are hazardous to consume. Chernobyl radiation still impacts wildlife… – Community Comment – Spokesman.com – Aug. 21, 2010

August 23, 2010 Posted by | environment, EUROPE | , , , | Leave a comment

Conflict of interest in regulation of Atomic Energy in India

the provisions of the Bill will unduly favour the foreign suppliers of nuclear equipment…..Like IAEA, Indian the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is dependent on the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) whose mandate is charged with promoting nuclear power in India……

India’s Sham Nuclear Liability Bill, By Toxic Watch, 22 August, 2010, Countercurrents.org “….Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and ex-officio Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, one of the drafters of the Bill is guilty of ignoring the consequences of possible nuclear disaster because his text has privatized profits and made liabilities public. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | , , , | Leave a comment

Safety dangers in Taiwan nuclear power plant

The nuclear plant, in Kungliao, Taipei County, on the country’s north coast, has a decades-long history of problems.

Taipower faces fine over fourth nuclear plant: AEC – Taiwan News Online, 23 Aug 2010, Taiwan Power Corporation was facing a fine over its fourth nuclear plant even before it had started official operations, the Atomic Energy Council said yesterday. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | safety, Taiwan | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Iran nuclear power plant no “proliferation risk” says U.S.

U.S. Says Iran Nuclear Plant No Proliferation Threat – Radio Free Europe, 23 Aug 2010, Washington says it sees no “proliferation risk” from the launch of Iran’s first nuclear power plant.Russia, which built the plant, began loading nuclear fuel into the facility in the Gulf city of Bushehr on August 21.U.S. State Department spokesman Darby Holladay told news agencies that Moscow’s agreement to supply nuclear fuel and remove spent fuel rods minimized the risk they would be used to make nuclear weapons.”Russia’s support for Bushehr underscores that Iran does not need an indigenous enrichment capability if its intentions are purely peaceful,” Holladay told the Reuters news agency…….U.S. Says Iran Nuclear Plant No Proliferation Threat – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2010

August 23, 2010 Posted by | Iran, politics international | , , , | Leave a comment

Germany to keep nuclear fuel tax, phase out nuclear power

At the weekend Peter Müller, the leader of the small state of Saarland and a member of Ms Merkel’s CDU party, said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper that his regional government did not support any move to extend the life of the plants and would vote against any law change [that would allow nuclear plants to continue]

Merkel stands firm on nuclear tax plan, FT.com, By James Wilson August 22 2010 Angela Merkel on Sunday stood by plans for a tax on nuclear power as debate intensified over her government’s energy policy following public criticism by leading business people. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | Germany, politics | , , , , | Leave a comment

Russia’s collapsing nuclear industry saved by selling nuclear plant to Iran

The launch is something of a turning point for the Russian nuclear industry, which was near collapse before getting the Iranian contract for Bushehr.

Bushehr Launch Boosts Rosatom, The Moscow Times, 23 August 2010, By Olga Razumovskaya Russia and Iran on Saturday jointly launched the Bushehr atomic power plant, the first in the Middle East, bringing the Islamic republic into the ranks of the world’s 29 nuclear power generating nations. Both sides hailed the startup as a landmark……… Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, Russia | , , , , , | Leave a comment

How low doses of ionising radiation can cause cancer

Apoptosis is the study of programmed cell death….the body’s natural cell-suicide program can fuel tumour development.”….this could happen if cellular DNA was damaged, say, by repeated exposure to low doses of radiation

Cells’ demise provides clues about cancer | The Australian, 21 Aug 2010, Research into apoptosis is taking place worldwide, with several large drug companies pouring money into the area, but critical work is being undertaken in Australia. Continue reading

August 21, 2010 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, health | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Radioactive impact of Chernobyl still affecting Europe

24 Years After Chernobyl, Radioactive Boars Still Roam Germany |  Discover Magazine, 21 Aug 2010, A quarter-century after the catastrophe, Chernobyl can’t stay out of the news.When fires broke out in Russia this month, people worried that the flames would spread to areas still affected by the radiation, with unknown consequences. And this week, we learned that Chernobyl-related radiation is actually on the rise somewhere else: in German boars. Continue reading

August 21, 2010 Posted by | general | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renewable energy growth outpaces coal, gas and nuclear

Both the US and Europe added more renewable power capacity in 2009 than they added coal, gas, and nuclear capacity. Globally, 80,000 megawatts of renewable capacity was added, with China adding nearly half the total

Renewable Energy Investment is Growing – 24/7 Wall St., Paul Ausick, 21 Aug 2010, An international policy network called the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, or REN21, has released its global status report for 2010. Continue reading

August 21, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AREVA postpones USA nuclear component making to unspecified date

Areva nuclear component manufacturing facility delayed to 2013, Washington (Platts) Steven Dolley, -20Aug 2010 Areva will delay until 2013 the start of manufacturing nuclear power reactor components at a facility being built in Virginia, a company spokesman said Friday…..Areva spokesman Jarret Adams said Friday in an interview that the start-up date for the Newport News facility was postponed because of reduced economic growth and other factors that have “caused some of our customers to slow plans” to build new power reactors. Adams would not name those customers and declined to provide more specific expected dates for completion of construction or the start of manufacturing. Platts: RSS Feed Detailed News

August 21, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear Waste – Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future

Globally, each year, nuclear power reactors create enough spent fuel to fill a football field to a depth of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet), with a weight of about 10,500 tons.

U.S. Nuclear Waste Panel Slammed for Ignoring Public Fears, Environment News Service, WASHINGTON, DC, August 20, 2010 (ENS) “…….The Commission is made up of 15 members who have a range of expertise and experience in nuclear issues, including scientists, industry representatives, and respected former elected officials. Continue reading

August 21, 2010 Posted by | USA, wastes | , , , , , | Leave a comment