nuclear « nuclear-news

Israel’s Armageddon Scenario – Nuclear Terrorism

The Armageddon Scenario, CBN News, Chris Mitchell, 24 May 2010, Just today, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies – BESA – published a new report called “The Armageddon Scenario: Israel and the Threat of Nuclear Terrorism.”…. The author of the report is Chuck Freilich, Israel’s former deputy national security advisor. Freilich focuses on the threat of nuclear terrorism and advises that Israel adopt an “… uncompromising deterrent policy such as the ‘retaliate first, no questions asked’ approach ….”You can read the report at www.besacenter.org

The Armageddon Scenario

May 24, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Essential to remove nuclear industry pressure from Radiation and Health Study

Beyond Nuclear, 22 May, 2010, The time for a full-scale bona-fide health study on the impacts of radiation exposure to communities downwind and downstream of US nuclear power facilities is long overdue. The responsibilities to assure that this study is fair and independent are immense.

Given the growing political promotion of nuclear power currently underway, the study’s development, execution and interpretation will no doubt be a tug-of-war. The effort for an independent health study on the impacts from nuclear power facilities raises many of the same questions that have dogged the nuclear industry from the exposure of “down winders” in St. George, Utah to atomic testing fallout, the communities around the Three Mile Island accident, the Massachusetts cancer study around the Pilgrim nuclear power plant and entire countries contaminated by the Chernobyl explosion.

One continuing focus among many will to be to monitor how the NAS policy will be applied to the review and vetting of hundreds of potential committee members for final committee selection. The recusal of Dr. Meserve with his obvious”impaired objectivity” is a good first step and welcome sign. However, the task to watchdog this massive government effort in the public interest is only beginning.

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

Radiation study chairman resigns as conflict of interest is exposed

(USA) Nuclear industry leader pulls out of radiation health study

Beyond Nuclear, 22 May 2010 In a May 10, 2010 letter, Dr. Richard Meserve resigned as Chair of the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) from all committee activity related to a massive national health study that is taking shape around nuclear power facilities in the United States.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has requested that the NAS conduct a health study around past, present and future nuclear power facilities. As Beyond Nuclear identified in an April 29, 2010 letter requesting that the NAS conduct a conflict-of-interest review, Dr. Meserve currently serves on the Board of Directors for Luminant Corporation which owns the Comanche Peak nuclear power station in Texas and Pacific Gas and Electric which operates the Diablo Canyon reactors in California. Dr. Meserve also serves on an advisory board to UniStar Nuclear Corporation (Constellation Energy and Electricite de France) which has applied to the NRC to build new reactors around the United States.

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Britain’s top scientist calls for nuclear disarmament laboratories

Martin Rees calls on UN to establish nuclear disarmament laboratoriesThe president of the Royal Society, Sir Martin Rees, wants the UN to set up the laboratories to verify that countries are keeping their promises on nuclear disarmament, Ian Sample, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 19 May 2010
Britain’s most senior scientist has called on the United Nations to establish a network of laboratories specialised in detecting and dismantling nuclear weapons. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | antinuclear, disarmament, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Alternative Nuclear Non Proliferation Meeting held

You can watch a video of the event right here.

The proposed ‘solutions’ to tackle proliferation risks are merely excuses to allow for a global expansion of the nuclear energy.

The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference Greenpeace urges delegations to recognise proliferation risks of nuclear energy expansion,by jmckeati – May 21, 2010 The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is undergoing its latest five-yearly review at the United Nations in New York right now.

Yesterday Greenpeace held an official NPT side event where independent experts highlighted the growing nuclear weapons proliferation risks linked to the expansion of nuclear power across the world. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, uranium | Leave a comment

U.S. to pre-announce missile tests,(with a loophole clause)

The United States … will provide pre-launch notification of commercial and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space launches as well as the majority of intercontinental ballistic and submarine-launched ballistic missile launches.

Obama decides to unilaterally announce secret U.S. missile tests, satellite launches Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2010, President Obama has decided to pre-announce to the world once-secret American ballistic missile tests and satellite launches.The Democratic administration’s goal is to show a friendlier face to other countries and to coax Russia to do the same. Continue reading →

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Russia’s nuclear power sales now going to Bangladesh

Dhaka signs deal with Moscow on nuclear power The Daily Star, 22 May 2010, DhakaBangladesh on Friday signed a crucial framework agreement with Russia on cooperation for its maiden nuclear power plant.A foreign office statement said State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman signed the Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes with Director General of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation or “Rosatom” Sergey Kirienko, former Russian prime minister, in Moscow.

Dhaka signs deal with Moscow on nuclear power

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | ASIA, business and costs | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology | Leave a comment

U.S. nuclear power loan guarantee goes to French company AREVA

DOE Picks Areva for Nuclear Facility – WSJ.co By CASSANDRA SWEET 21 May 2010, Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.The U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday that it has approved a $2 billion loan guarantee for French nuclear power developer, AREVA.

“…..The loan guarantee is part of a broader effort by the Obama administration to stimulate the development of a U.S. supply base for producing enriched uranium.

A condition of the loan guarantee is that Areva obtain a combined construction and operating license for the Idaho facility from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The French state owns directly and indirectly around 93% of Areva…..the decision to award Areva a guarantee drew criticism from Ohio, where USEC has a partly-constructed enrichment facility. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R.,Ohio) said the DOE’s decision contradicts a promise by President Obama “to support the American company applicant and build a facility in Ohio.” Ms. Schmidt estimated that the Ohio plant would create 4,000 jobs. DOE Taps Areva to Build Enrichment Plant – WSJ.com

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, AREVA, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, reactor, uranium | Leave a comment

Nuclear plant in Georgia faces more safety inspections

Regulators step up inspections of Ga. nuke plant By RAY HENRY Google hosted news, (AP) – 22 May, 2010, ATLANTA — A nuclear power plant operated by The Southern Co. will face more federal inspections because the electronics controlling an emergency power system on one of its reactors failed to work, federal regulators said Friday.The problems affected an automatic control system for one of the diesel generators attached to a nuclear reactor at Plant Hatch near Baxley in southeast Georgia. The commission said the problem was a low-to-moderate safety risk and ordered an additional round of inspections since it previously identified another problem at the plant related to an emergency diesel generator.In a February report, NRC inspectors said the plant failed to satisfy preventive maintenance requirements on parts of the electrical system that automatically start up the backup diesel generators. The power plant relies on power from those generators to safety shut down its nuclear reactor should the plant lose electricity. The Associated Press: Regulators step up inspections of Ga. nuke plant

May 22, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety | antinuclear, nuclear, reactor | Leave a comment

Navajo fight to protect land from uranium mining

Navajo to Protest Uranium Mining Expansion Censored News, 20 May 2010, On May 25-27 a delegation of Navajo community leaders will come to Denver to protest US Government support for expanding the nuclear industry that has already had a devastating impact on Native American and Chicano communities in New Mexico.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Mining Association will host a “Uranium Recovery” conference designed to make it easier for mining companies to move forward with a new era of uranium mining. Continue reading →

May 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation | 1 Comment

Failures of AREVA’s, Westinghouse’s and Hitachi’s new nuclear reactors

Free nuclear advice for the Polish Energy Group , Greenpeace International by jmckeati – May 20, 2010 “…………The Polish Energy Group (PGE) wants to build two new nuclear reactors. Which designs are they considering? Oh dear. AREVA’s EPR, Westinghouse’s AP1000 and GE Hitachi’s ABWR and ESBWR……… Continue reading →

May 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, EUROPE | antinuclear, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium, Westinghouse | Leave a comment

Strange life of Trident nuclear submarine crew

instructions include allying with the US, travelling to Australia if Europe has been destroyed and, ultimately, firing the weapons.

Life on Trident: three months under the waves with 48 nuclear warheads Patrick Barkham, The Guardian, 20 May 2010 “…..Powered by a nuclear reactor, the submarines are almost silent and virtually undetectable. While on patrol, direct communication with navy bosses back home ceases, so potential enemies cannot intercept any signals. The crew are almost completely cut off from the outside world……… Continue reading →

May 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Tribal women’s campaign for uranium-mining free water

….only the federal legislature can provide for the land’s permanent protection from mining…….

Grand Canyon uranium threatens tribal water, High Country News, Caitlin Sislin | May 18, 2010 Last week, a delegation of leaders from Arizona’s Havasupai Tribe traveled to Washington D.C., to advocate for the protection of the Grand Canyon region from a potential onslaught of uranium extraction activities. These four women – tribal council members and traditional elders – voiced their concern for the safety of the land, the purity of the water and the health of the community, and called for the passage of the Grand Canyon Watershed Protection Act (H.R. 644). Introduced in 2009 by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) this law would ban mineral exploration and the establishment of new mining claims pursuant to the 1872 Mining Law, on about one million acres of public lands surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. Continue reading →

May 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, water | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, uranium, water | Leave a comment

Pay many $thousands and get a nuclear bomb proof bunker

Luxury nuclear apocalypse bunkers launched, newslite.tv, May 19, 2010 A US firm has started taking reservations from apocalypse scaredy-cats who want to book their place in a luxury nuclear bomb-proof bunker. Continue reading →

May 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Tactical nuclear weapons will remain in Europe

A Nuclear Europe | ATTACKERMAN, Spencer Ackerman, 20 May 2010, Looping back to the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review, one of the decisions that document deferred was about the future of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. The NPR figured that NATO’s forthcoming report on its new Strategic Concept was the right venue for determining if Europe (specifically, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and Germany) should still host the so-called ‘tacs.’ So as it turns out the Strategic Concept recommendations task force delivered its work to NATO civilian headquarters in Brussels earlier this week. And here’s what the task force said on the subject: As long as nuclear weapons remain a reality in international relations, the alliance should retain a nuclear component to its deterrent strategy — at the minimum level required by the prevailing security environment. Under current security conditions, the retention of some U.S. forward-deployed systems on European soil reinforces the principle of extended nuclear deterrence and collective defence. A Nuclear Europe | ATTACKERMAN