radiation « nuclear-news

Gabon human rights groups force AREVA to assist sick uranium workers

The mine workers became ill after working in the COMUF mine, which produced more than 26,000 tonnes of uranium over 38 years and was controlled by Areva from 1986 until it closed down in 1999.Production stopped due to falling uranium prices but Areva has since secured new permits to look for uranium in the region, in the south of Gabon.

Areva, Gabon launch plan to help ill uranium workers by Phal Mezui Ndong Gualbert, David Lewis, Michael Roddy LIBREVILLE Oct 19 (Reuters) – Gabon and French mining giant Areva have launched a health initiative to treat more than 1,000 former miners who fell ill after working in a uranium mine in the Central African nation. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | AFRICA, health | antinuclear, AREVA, cancer, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Toxic uranium spill still affecting Navajo in New Mexico

People still remember, in part because of lingering illnesses they attribute to the spill,…People got compensated quickly at Three Mile Island – around here, I don’t think anyone got compensated for anything,

Uranium spill elicits traditional approach, Indian Country Today By Carol Berry, Oct 19, 2010 CHURCH ROCK, N.M. – About 10 miles north of this predominantly Navajo community, Highway 566 transects Red Water Pond Road, which is blocked at the entrance to an abandoned United Nuclear Corp. mine site from which nearly 1 million gallons of toxic wastewater spilled into the nearby Puerco River 31 years ago. Continue reading →

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues, Uranium, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Non ionizing radiation is effective in medical diagnosis

Study reveals diagnostic strategies eliminate ionizing radiation exposure in IBD patients, THE MEDICAL NEWS, 19 Oct 10, At the American College of Gastroenterology‘s (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio, Texas, several studies of the effectiveness of non-X-ray techniques to evaluate Crohn’s disease revealed that diagnostic strategies such as capsule endoscopy (CE) and magnetic resonance enteroscopy (MRE) are useful in managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and avoiding ionizing radiation……
Study reveals diagnostic strategies eliminate ionizing radiation exposure in IBD patients

October 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Taxpayer will cop the bill for UK’s nuclear reactor wastes

The industry will only invest in new reactors if the government fixes a disposal levy to cover their contribution towards disposal in such a repository. The taxpayer will be liable for any shortfall if the actual costs exceed this levy decades from now.

Taxpayer could be hit by nuclear waste bill for new reactors• Fears new disposal levy could underestimate cost• Radioactive waste ‘could be traded like commodity’ Tim Webb * guardian.co.uk, 18 October 2010 The nuclear industry could end up passing on to taxpayers the costs of disposing of waste from new reactors under government plans, according to official documents seen by the Guardian. Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, UK | AUSTRALIA, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, reactors | Leave a comment

Radiation risks of nuclear medicine need more oversight

CT scans of the abdomen use an amount of radiation equivalent to getting 1,500 dental X-rays, she said. CT scans of the heart and brain can use even more. The increased number of CT tests and increased amount of radiation used has boosted the amount of radiation exposure experienced by the general population…….

More oversight urged for X-ray technicians, Rapid City Journal, by Lynn Taylor Rick, October 18, 2010 “…………South Dakota is one of seven states in the nation that doesn’t require specific credentials for medical imaging operators, Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Western countries funding multi $billion cleanup of Russia’s arctic nuclear wastes

Although Russian authorities pledged transparency about the region’s nuclear issues, foreign journalists are denied access to a number of sites.

Russian Arctic’s ‘nuclear dump’ gets a facelift By Pierre-Henry Deshayes , Google hosted news, (AFP) –18 Oct 10, MURMANSK, Russia — An electronic sign along a busy street posts the outside temperature, the wind strength — and the radioactivity level.Welcome to Russia’s Kola Peninsula, a region that still bears the scars of its dubious past as the Soviet Union’s “nuclear dump”. Continue reading →

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Russia, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Radioactive waste – depleted uranium headed for Nevada?

Nuclear Waste Shipment Could Be Headed To NV – KTVN Channel 2 , 17 Oct 10, RENO, Nev. (AP) — A shipment of 9,400 drums of depleted uranium oxide could be headed to Nevada. State officials say the U.S. Department of Energy is considering a plan to send the radioactive waste from a cleanup site in South Carolina to the Nevada National Security Site, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site……Stutsman also declined to comment on a published report that DOE wants to permanently dispose of the material at the Nevada site about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Nuclear Waste Shipment Could Be Headed To NV – KTVN Channel 2 – Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video –

October 18, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uranium, USA, wastes | antinuclear, depleted, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Utah State must rule on vexed question of “blended” radioactive wastes

The Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah has challenged the idea of blending wastes to get around limits at the Utah site and urged state authorities to prohibit it.

Utah: NRC ruling leaves nuke waste rules to state, The Washington Post, By PAUL FOY, The Associated Press, October 15, 2010; SALT LAKE CITY — Federal regulators have put off a decision on whether blended radioactive waste can be buried in Utah.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided this week to develop a new set of rules assessing the dangers of blended waste based on the risks at individual disposal sites….. Continue reading →

October 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, USA, wastes | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive | 1 Comment

Radioactive contamination, kidnappings, as uranium mining continues in Niger

shortcomings in the protection of workers against radiation, and increasing numbers of people living at Arlit or Akokan, a nearby town, cited this as the cause of their ill health…..uranium mining continues despite kidnappings

Safety concerns dog French uranium mines in Niger Still no sign of medical provisions Areva promised in 2009 Hervé Kempf * Guardian Weekly, 15 October 2010 For years uranium mining in Niger proceeded without giving rise to any major problems for companies, but things changed at the turn of the century. Since then the population of the mining town Arlit has become increasingly concerned that radioactivity may be exceeding regulatory limits. Continue reading →

October 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Niger, safety, Uranium | antinuclear, AREVA, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive | 1 Comment

Radiation exposure of South African nuclear workers

Koeberg radiation leak being probed: News24: South Africa: News, 15 Oct 10, Pretoria – The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) says it has launched a probe into an incident last month at Koeberg nuclear power station in which 91 workers were exposed to radiation……. Continue reading →

October 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, South Africa | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, reactor | Leave a comment

Radioactive tritium leaking from 20 USA nuclear plants

Last week brought more disturbing discoveries of radioactive tritium leaking into groundwater from Vermont Yankee, the aging nuclear plant in southern Vermont….In fact, the nuclear industry has contaminated groundwater with radioactive tritium at nuclear power plant sites all across the country.

Nuclear Power’s Threat to Clean Water | Greenpeace USA, by Jim Riccio – October 15, 2010 , Today is blog action day, an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day, and this year the topic is water. Continue reading →

October 16, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, water | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, water | Leave a comment

Compensation for nuclear workers for radiation induced cancers

Former Ames Lab workers eligible for compensation – chicagotribune.com, 15 Oct 10, AMES, Iowa —Federal authorities have decided to make compensation available faster for former Ames Laboratory workers who developed cancer from radiation exposure.U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said Thursday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a directive stating all employees of the Department of Energy who worked at the lab from 1955 through 1960 for 250 consecutive days would be eligible for compensation.Harkin called the announcement “welcome news” for the workers and families. He says they handled “incredibly dangerous” materials in the early days of the Cold War…… Former Ames Lab workers eligible for compensation – chicagotribune.com

October 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment

Ionising radiation danger – NASA astronaut warns

Radiation is the single biggest threat to the health of astronauts.

Space Station Living, Radiation and Monkeys Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chaio discusses his personal space radiation experiences and why monkeys shouldn’t be our guinea pigs .Discovery news, Oct 14, 2010 Continue reading →

October 15, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive | Leave a comment

Russia boosting nuclear sales – will take back radioactive wastes

Sergei Kiriyenko, a former prime minister, told reporters there that sales would triple by 2030, to $50 billion annually……Under legislation that might have been more difficult to push through a freer political system, Russia allows the importation of spent nuclear fuel from reactors elsewhere.

Russia Seeks to Build Europe’s Nuclear Plants – NYTimes.com, Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear company, is competing with Westinghouse and Areva of France to build new reactors at the Temelin station in the Czech Republic.By ANDREW E. KRAMER October 11, 2010 MOSCOW — The Russian nuclear industry has profited handsomely from building reactors in developing countries, including India, China and Iran. Now it is testing the prospect of becoming a major supplier to the European Union, too…….. Continue reading →

October 12, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, Russia | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, reactors, uranium | Leave a comment

USA: S3322 legislation to promote nuclear industry

Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) called for a “nuclear renaissance” and introduced S. 3322 to establish the United States Nuclear Fuel Management Corporation. …..The legislation has transparent ties to the nuclear industry….are they truly nonpartisan representatives of the public or are they already in the pockets of the nuclear industry?.

The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future: Doing Important Work or Already Irrelevant?, DC Bureau, 08 October 2010, by Hannah Karns President Barrack Obama established the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC) by presidential memorandum on January 20, 2010 to review and recommend solutions to a problem that has plagued the nuclear weapons and power industry for generations: how to safely dispose of radioactive waste. Continue reading →