Radiation Alerts: 8/14/11

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday that the conclusion of the inspections clears the way for a hearing later this year by the commission to decide whether to issue licenses to build the reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville.

South Carolina Electric & Gas and state-owned utility Santee Cooper want to build two 1,100-megawatt reactors at the plant. Officials expect the first reactor to generate power by 2016, and the second in 2019.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already decided the proposed plants wouldn't have any serious environmental impacts.

When will the words "Any Serious environmental impact" mean anything?

-------------------------------------------

Click to see more..

Dangerous New Earthquake Threats Found Under Monju andTsuruga Nuclear Power Plants Before Thought Inactive

------------------------------------------

Click to see more

Vietnam to study seismic risk at nuclear plant site afterfault line found 50-62 miles from proposed station

------------------------------------------

Click to see more

Saudi Arabia's Nuclear Energy Ambitions - 16 New NuclearReactors in 20 Years at estimated $112 Billion Dollar Price Tag

------------------------------------------

Click to see more

US Extends Marketing Low-Enriched Uranium to InternationalNuclear Power Stations To Promote International Nuclear Growth

Sources:

Enformable | Fukushima Video Archive

RadiationAlerts.blogspot.com

and a dozen others

Radiationalerts.org

Donate to RadiationAlerts.org to get us to the next level ofreporting current radiation news

-------------------------------

Confirmed: Earthquake not Tsunami Crippled Plant: Requires Review of all nuclear facilities

Workers at Japan's Fukushima plant say the ground under the facility is cracking and radioactive steam is escaping through the cracks. This is a very serious and alarming development, because it started after two large earthquakes in the last few weeks.

This is indicative of breaking of equipment and piping underground beneath the plant, as these cracks continue to open more radioactivity can potentially be released.

This will make the work environment much more dangerous for workers.

The cooling system at the plant failed after the devastating tsunami hit Japan in March, sparking a nuclear crisis.

But new evidence suggests that Fukushima reactors were doomed to cripple even before the massive wave reached them.

There is a great deal of evidence that reactor 1 was already melting down as a result of the earthquake, not the tsunami, brining the safety of all nuclear reactors in Japan under question. A 9 point earthquake has the potential to occur throughout Japan.

The melted core could be moving out of the building after the aftershocks. The ground is reported to be cracking, and radioactivity is being released. The core has melted, and the dropping radiation levels, water pressure levels, and temperatures are lowering, it may indicate that the core is moving farther away from the sensors.

This is a clear example that natural disasters are much stronger than our ability to prepare for them. There are multiple disasters that nuclear reactors are susceptible to, and we are unable to control the potential effects they might have on nuclear reactors.

Source: www.youtube.com

and

RadiationAlerts.org

Radiationalerts.blogspot.com

Donate to RadiationAlerts.org to get us to the next level of reporting current radiation news

Controversial nuclear station near Cyprus looks likely despite voiced concerns

The Turkish Energy Regulatory Authority is reported to have finalized preparations for the plans to build the power station despite protests of the dangers involved.
Akkuyu sits on an earthquake fault line. Construction is expected to begin in 2013, with energy production slated to beginning in 2017.
The Turkish government aims to begin construction of three nuclear power plants within five years.
The Cyprus Republic has voiced its concern about plans for the Akkuyu plant, particularly following the nuclear disaster in Japan.

In May President Christofias called on the Turkish leadership to realize that seismological areas are not suitable for constructing nuclear plants.
Separately, Hurriyet Daily News reported last month that Turkey was considering building a Russian model nuclear plant in the occupied north to meet the electricity needs of the entire island.

Sources: famagusta-gazette.com
RadiationAlerts.org
Radiationalerts.blogspot.com

Special inspection’ underway at Turkey Point because of cooling system failure and ‘potential generic concern’

‘Special inspection’ underway at Turkey Point because of cooling system failure and ‘potential generic concern’

NRC BEGINS SPECIAL INSPECTION AT TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II, August 16, 2011:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff began a special inspection at FPL’s Turkey Point nuclear power plant today to assess the circumstances surrounding the brief loss of the intake cooling water function at one of the plant’s two nuclear units.

On Aug. 11, Turkey Point Unit 3 lost the function of the intake cooling water system for about 20 minutes when an open valve closed and then failed in that closed position. The intake cooling water system provides cooling to important plant equipment. The NRC staff determined that because the failure resulted in the loss of a safety system and because there is also a potential generic concern, a special inspection was appropriate.

The on-site portion of the inspection will be completed this week, and a report documenting the results should be issued within 45 days of the completion of the inspection.

Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station is a twin reactor nuclear power station located on a 3,300-acre (13 km⊃2;) site 2 miles east of Homestead, Florida, United States, next to Biscayne National Park located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Miami, Florida near the southernmost edge of Miami-Dade County.

In 2002, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) extended the operating licenses for both nuclear reactors from forty years to sixty.

In 2006, FPL informed the NRC that they planned to apply for new units to be built at Turkey Point.

On May 8, 1974, a test was performed on all three of the Emergency Feedwater (EFW) pumps serving Unit 3 while the reactor was operating at power. Two of the pumps failed to start as a result of over-tightened packing. The third pump failed to start because of a malfunction in the turbine regulating valve pneumatic controller. (ref NRC LER 250/74-LTR) In an on-going study (ref NRC Commission Document SECY-05-0192 Attachment 2 NRC.gov) of precursors that could lead to a nuclear accident if additional failures were to have occurred, the NRC concluded (as of 24-Oct-2005) that this event at Turkey Point Unit 3 was the fifth highest ranked occurrence.

In 1992, Turkey Point was directly hit by Hurricane Andrew, causing damage to a water tank and to a smokestack of one of the site's fossil-fueled units.

On February 26, 2008, both reactors were shut down due to the loss of off-site power during a widespread power outage in South Florida, affecting 700,000 customers.

David Hoffman, a nuclear supervisor at Turkey Point, resigned over the incident and was subsequently sued for by Florida Power and Light for return of a bonus. Hoffman countersued, claiming he was pressured to restart the reactors while they were in a condition which in his judgement made it unsafe to do so. Upper management wanted the reactors restarted during xenon dead time, which would have caused the operators at the controls to continuously step control rods to safely manage reactor output.

from

RadiationAlerts.org and

http://www.scoop.it

Nuclear Energy - News August 20, 2011

See Nuclear Energy Weather

San Clemente: Anti-nuclear group want experts to speak (The Orange County Register)
Anti-nuclear advocates are asking San Clemente to let them fly in experts from around the country to testify at a Sept.

CFIA to test salmon for radiation from Japanese nuclear reactor (The Times Colonist)
Salmon caught off the coast of British Columbia will be tested for traces of radiation from the nuclear disaster in Japan, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced.

Nuclear waste removal dig to start on Monday (Leader-Times)
After two decades of changed plans, studies and disappointments, works crews finally will dig and remove the first shovel of radioactive dirt on Monday at the nuclear waste dump along Route 66 in the village of Kiskimere, Parks Township.

NRC Sets Out Timeframe for Nuclear Safety Review (WOWT-TV Omaha)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is moving forward on sweeping safety changes for the U.S. nuclear industry triggered by the crisis in Japan.

Blue Castle Nuclear Project Closer to Filing Licensing Application (World News Report)
Blue Castle Holdings Inc., developer of the Blue Castle Nuclear Project, is progressing rapidly toward completing site characterization activities needed for the filing of a licensing application with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and for State and local permitting.

Did quake or tsunami cause Fukushima meltdown? (New Scientist)
"It is not correct," a spokesman for Japan's nuclear safety watchdog, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency , told New Scientist .

Quake in Japan Is Causing a Costly Shift to Fossil Fuels (HeraldTribune)
The half-century-old, oil-fueled power generators here had been idle for more than a year when, a day after the nuclear accident in March, orders came from Tokyo Electric Power headquarters to fire them up.

Re Distributed by RadiationAlerts.blogspot.com

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Hixson radiation news

Radioactive Sulfur in West Coast 2 weeks after Fukushima disaster – latest evidence that the reactors melted down catastrophically

Posted:

Scientists in California are reporting raised levels of radioactive chemicals in the atmosphere in the weeks following the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The measurements are the latest evidence that the reactors melted down catastrophically.For several years, Mark Thiemens, a chemist at UCSD, and his group have been measuring atmospheric levels of [...]

Admittedly Fighting a Battle They Never Imagined – JSDF Overwhelmed With Critical Operations Not Properly Prepared For

Posted:

All SDF personnel are technically civilians: those in uniform are classified as special civil servants and are subordinate to the ordinary civil servants who run the Ministry of Defense. Over 100,000 SDF troops were called up to respond to the disaster. During the ongoing Fukushima nuclear crisis, SDF personnel engaged in operations including evacuating residents near [...]

Jordanians lash out against planned nuclear reactor

Posted:

Activists encourage govt to search for energy alternatives as Amman makes plans to build nuclear reactor in response to rising oil prices. Jordan has opted for nuclear power as a solution to its energy woes. But politicians and local residents say they will oppose any government bid to build a nuclear reactor in the resource-poor [...]

OPPD sends feds plan to restart Fort Calhoun nuke plant despite flooding in are

Posted:

FORT CALHOUN, Neb. (AP) – The Omaha Public Power District says it has submitted a plan to restart its Fort Calhoun nuclear station to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Much of the nuclear plant about 20 miles north of Omaha has been surrounded by Missouri River floodwaters since at least June, but the plant itself remains [...]

Japan’s largest solar power facility commences operations

Posted:

KAWASAKI — As renewable energies to replace nuclear power draw attention, the largest solar power facility in the country, dubbed Mega Solar, has started operations in Kawasaki. With the addition of another facility to commence operations in December, the combined size of Mega Solar facilities will cover an area the size of seven Tokyo domes. [...]

Nuclear Energy - News August 17, 2011

See Nuclear Energy Weather

The first nuclear reactor since the Fukushima's accident is reactivated.(Latin America News)
The reactivation is featuring for first time since the Fukushima's catastrophe since the last 11 March because of an earthquake and a tsunami, according to news agency Jiji.

TVA bans zombies from nuclear plant meetings (Rome News)
In a July 20, 2011 photo, anti-nuclear protesters march in front of the Market St.

Japan's Hokkaido Electric gets approval for restarted reactor (Q13)
Japan's Hokkaido Electric Power Co won local backing on Wednesday for commercial operation of a nuclear reactor that has been operating in a grey zone, removing uncertainty over its status as Japan weighs the need for a steady supply of electricity against worries over the safety of atomic power.

Turkey set for nuclear talks with other countries after Japanese setback(Today's Zaman)
Turkey has said it is holding talks with other countries on the possible construction of a nuclear power plant in the northern province of Sinop after Japan pulled out of the project.

NRC infighting goes nuclear (Politico)
NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko regularly faces the sharp end of Republican spears for his work to shut down the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, but his biggest clash appears not to be with Capitol Hill but with fellow NRC Commissioner Kristine Svinicki.

Agency urges safety review at Hanford vit plant (HeraldNet)
Actions proposed by the Department of Energy to strengthen the nuclear safety culture at the Hanford vitrification plant represent a start, but DOE should take a closer look at the issue, said the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board in a letter released Monday.

Robot may monitor nuke plants (MSNBC)
A cannonball-shaped robot with no outwardly visible means to move around could soon work its way into the piping systems of aging nuclear power plants to look for signs of rust, corrosion, and unwanted gunk that could cause a leak and contaminate groundwater.

RadiationAlerts.blogspot.com

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Radiation Alerts, re cap from Nuclear Energy between August and July

Radiation Alerts, re cap from Nuclear Energy between August and July

Nuclear Energy - News August 11, 2011

Anti-Nuclear Protest Uses Bikes, Boats and a Mock Evacuation of NYC(TreeHugger)
At 7:45 yesterday morning, a group of cyclists rode from Manhattan's Lower East Side to Grand Central Terminal.

Japan to set up new nuclear safety agency (WHDH)
Japan has decided in principle to set up a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry instead of the Trade Ministry.

Mongolia, Japan to cooperate in nuclear energy (People's Daily Online)
Mongolia's nuclear energy authority and Japan's Atomic Energy Agency discussed nonproliferation and other issues during a two-day meeting that ended Wednesday.

China: nuclear power (Seeker Blog)
In January 2011 a report from the State Council Research Office , which makes independent policy recommendations to the State Council on strategic matters, was published.

a Turkey insists on nuclear energya (Turkish Daily News)
Turkey's determination to build a nuclear power facility continues, said Energy Minister Taner Yyldyz during a meeting with his counterpart from Switzerland, a country that has decided to withdraw from nuclear energy after the recent disaster caused by the collapse of the Fukushima plant in Japan in March.

German nuclear shutdown forces E.ON to cut 11,000 staff (Guardian Unlimited)
Effects of Japanese disaster continue as A 1.7bn closure cost pushes German power firm into first quarterly loss for 10 years A coal-fired power plant run by E.ON near Frankfurt.

Nuclear Energy - News August 9, 2011

Japan to lift some nuclear evacuation advisories (The State)
Japan's government has decided to lift evacuation advisories in some areas more than 12 miles from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, opening the way for tens of thousands of people to return home, officials said Tuesday.

08:50 Huge losses at nuclear plant firm (Wicklow People)
Tokyo Electric Power president Toshio Nishizawa said he did not know how big its losses would eventually be Tuesday August 09 2011 The utility company behind the unfolding Japanese nuclear disaster has reported a 571.7 billion yen quarterly loss, and its president is expecting the red ink to swell further over restoration and compensation costs.

Nagasaki pauses to remember bombing with US representative present (Laos News.Net)
Japan's city of Nagasaki observed a moment of silence Tuesday to mark the atomic bombing of the city, while the US had a representative present at the annual memorial for the first time.

Public input sought on nuclear plant's license extension (Foster's Daily Democrat)
The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two meetings seeking public comment on its preliminary finding there is no environmental impact that would prevent Seabrook Station from a 20-year extension on its operating license.

Global Nuclear Fuels resumes production in Castle Hayne (StarNewsOnline)
Last Modified: Monday, August 8, 2011 at 4:07 p.m. Global Nuclear Fuels resumed nuclear fuel manufacturing in Castle Hayne Monday morning after a three-and-a-half week suspension triggered by the failure of warning horns to operate as designed.

TVA shuffling nuclear chiefs (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Mike Skaggs, 51, is the head of the utility's nuclear development and construction team.

Advisory groups approve Duke/Progress merger (Business Journal)
Clarence Ray Jr., CEO of the Shaw Power Group in Charlotte, will be the keynote speaker for the third annual Nuclear Construction Summit at the RItz-Carloton, Charlotte.

Nuclear Energy - News August 8, 2011

Japan vows to UN to share tsunami, nuclear lessons (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the end of their talks at Kan's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Aug.

Nine Mile Point nuclear plant shuts down (Canadian Business Magazine)
Officials at Constellation Energy are investigating a leakage in a containment structure that caused the shutdown of the Nine Mile Point Unit 2 reactor on Lake Ontario over the weekend.

Suburban Dad: Day Tripping at Indian Point (The Daily North Salem)
We've all probably had our fill of summer travel stories, with their recommendations for this patch of sand over that, or one overpriced country farm stand over another.

Nuclear commission to close Las Vegas office (KTVN Reno)
The federal government says it will close a multi-million dollar Las Vegas facility used for Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearings on the proposed Yucca Mountain repository at the end of August.

Sonic Oc: Nuclear Surfer (Patch)
In honor of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Japan Task Force recommendations, Sonic OC opened its lead-lined vault to retrieve this video gem, originally published April 3: Reader Bill Donati turned me on to his cool surf-rock tune lampooning the nuclear power industry, specifically mentioning the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in the ...

Bayer threatens to quit Germany over nuclear shutdown (Guardian Unlimited)
Marijn Dekkers said Bayer could 'consider relocating its production' in the wake of Germany's move away from nuclear.

Nuclear Energy - News August 7, 2011

If nuclear disaster struck, how fast could Triangle scoot? (News Observer)
Booming with subdivisions and office parks, the region surrounding the Shearon Harris nuclear plant has doubled in population over the past decade, making the Triangle one of the fastest-growing nuclear evacuation zones in the nation.

UN chief heads to Japan as nuclear crisis simmers (Raw Story)
UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrives in Japan on Sunday, where he plans to visit the Fukushima nuclear disaster zone, as the crippled atomic power plant simmers and a food safety scare deepens.

Man conducts experiments to split atoms in his kitchen (The Straits Times)
Richard Handl's blog post on his attempt to set up a nuclear reactor at home and test if he can split atoms in his kitchen.

Leakage causes operators to shut down Nine Mile 2 nuclear plant (The Post-Standard)
The Nine Mile Point 2 nuclear station was shut down this morning after higher than normal leakage was detected in its drywell, the plant's operator said.

66th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing commemorated in Japan (People's Daily Online)
People carry flowers to the alter at the Peace Memorial Park during the service to commemorate the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima at Hiroshima on August 6, 2011.

Nuclear Energy - News August 6, 2011

Federal security concerns since 9/11 have turned U.S. nuclear power plants into armed fortresses (The Plain Dealer)
Multiple physical installations including manned guard towers, layers of fencing and concrete barriers protect FENOC's Perry Nuclear Power Plant.

Feds Worried About Aging Nuclear Waste (GPB)
A federal panel has new concerns about nuclear fuel stored at the Savannah River Site near Augusta.

Sun-powered rocket blasts off to Jupiter (Toledo Blade)
An Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. An hour later, three solar panels popped open to harness the sun's energy.

Japan plans new nuclear watchdog to restore faith (Canada)
Japan's nuclear crisis minister unveiled a plan on Friday to form a more independent nuclear safety regulator by next April in an effort to restore faith in the country's ability to effectively police utility firms after the Fukushima crisis.

Summer nuke plant in S.C. slated for licensing (Business Journal)
SCANA and Santee Cooper plan to add two AP1000 nuclear reactors to the single-unit V.C. Summer plant pictured above.

FPL faces new scrutiny on nuclear plant costs (Business Journal)
FPL wants to upgrade its existing units at Turkey Point in Miami-Dade County and add two more reactors, but faces challenges about how customers will be billed before construction is completed.

Nuclear Energy - News August 5, 2011

Kitchen nuke man: I bought materials on eBay (MSNBC)
A webpage from the blog written by Richard Handl, documenting his experiments to build a nuclear reactor in his kitchen at his home in Angelholm, is pictured August 4, 2011.

Sweet Lab: Swedish Man Arrested After Trying To Build Nuclear Reactor In Kitchen (Hedonistica)
Were the cigarettes and fruit punch part of the experiment? 31-year old Sweden native Richard Handl was arrested recently after trying to set up a nuclear reactor in his kitchen lab.

Governor appoints chief of Nevada nuclear agency (KTNV-TV Las Vegas)
Gov. Brian Sandoval has appointed a veteran consultant to lead Nevada's fight against disposing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

Japanese Industry Minister Fires Three Nuclear Officials, Plans To Resign (WBEZ-FM Chicago)
Japan is firing three top nuclear energy officials, nearly five months after the country suffered the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl accident of 1986.

192-Wheel Truck Rolls Into Riverside County (NBC San Diego)
This 192-wheel truck is carrying a steam generator to Utah. A 400-foot long transport and its192 wheels is carrying a low-level radioactive steam generator from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station .

MUSE Concert to Feature "Musical Interplay and Sharing," Says Co-organizer John Hall (WORC-FM Worcester)
John Hall , co-organizer of this Sunday's benefit concert for the Musicians United for Safe Energy organization at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, says the event will be "a jam-packed show with some great music." With a lineup that also includes Crosby, Stills & Nash , Jackson Browne , the Doobie Brothers and Bonnie Raitt , ...

Nuclear Energy - News August 2, 2011

Swede Tries To Make Nuke Reactor In Kitchen (KIRO-TV Seattle)
Ever wonder what your neighbors are doing after work? Well, residents of one Swedish apartment building found out their neighbor was building a nuclear reactor in his kitchen.

Homemade Nuclear Reactor Project Fails (MyFoxPhilly)
By NewsCore ANGELHOLM, Sweden -- A Swedish man was detained by police for attempting to construct a nuclear reactor in his kitchen, Helsingborgs Dagblad reported Tuesday.

Swedish man arrested over homemade nuclear reactor (The Local)
Swedish police have detained a 31-year-old man in Angelholm in western Sweden who was discovered after having sought advice from the authorities on the legality of building a nuclear reactor in a domestic kitchen.

Protesters continue fight against nuclear power 35 years later (NewburyportNews)
Anti-nuke protesters gathered outside the north gate of NextEra Energy Seabrook yesterday, hoping their presence would resonate amid heightened concern over the safety of nuclear power worldwide.

First Shipment Of AP1000 Nuclear Reactor Vessel To Sanmen... (Power Online)
Westinghouse Electric Company, its consortium team member The Shaw Group Inc., China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation and Sanmen Nuclear Power Company Ltd., today announced that the first AP1000 nuclear reactor vessel successfully arrived at the Sanmen nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province.

PSC to vote on financial plan for nuclear plant (Canadian Business Magazine)
Utility regulators are expected to vote on an agreement abandoning a plan to trim Georgia Power's profits if construction of a new nuclear power plant goes over budget.

Death in seconds: High radiation found at Fukushima (MSNBC)
A worker checks radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. updated 29 minutes ago 2011-08-02T09:14:27 TOKYO - Pockets of lethal levels of radiation have been detected at Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in a reminder of the risks faced by workers battling to contain the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Costs of nuclear energy (Deseret News)
In releasing his energy plan, Gov. Gary Herbert called for a debate on nuclear-generated electricity.

NRC Study Lowers Hazard Estimate For Nuke Plants (Slashdot)
JSBiff writes "With the incident at Fukushima causing much renewed concern about the risks of nuclear power this year, the NY Times brings news that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has released the preliminary version of a safety report due out in April 2012, based upon new science about the behavior of Cesium-137. The report finds that the ...

Hornepayne and Wawa bid to store high level nuclear waste (SooToday)
The township of Hornepayne and the town of Wawa have both entered into a process that could ultimately see radio active nuclear waste stored in unused deep mine shafts in those communities says wawa-news.com . Wawa is situated close to the shore of Lake Superior and about 230 kilometres up Highway 17 North from Sault Ste.

Nuclear history gets rewrite, industry charges (The Orange County Register)
We told you earlier that 71 of America's 104 nuclear reactors have been granted 20 -year license extensions, which gives them operating lives 50 percent longer than originally envisioned.

Japan earthquake survivors find comfort in robot seals (Guardian Unlimited)
Robotic therapeutic Paro pets befriend residents of retirement home 17 miles from stricken Fukushima nuclear plant Reuters guardian.co.uk , An resident of the Suisyoen retirement home with one of the Paro seals Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters For some elderly survivors of Japan 's March earthquake and tsunami, comfort has come in the form of a ...

Nuclear Energy - News August 1, 2011

Xcel wants NRC to change safety rating at nuclear plant (Business Journal)
Xcel wants the NRC to change a safety rating at its nuclear plant near Red Wing.

Hinkley C - Somerset's nuclear money pit? | John Vidal (Guardian Unlimited)
Hinkley Point nuclear power station near Bristol. The control room for Hinkley A, which is now decommissioned.

Volunteer Towns Sought For Nuclear Waste (Slashdot)
Hugh Pickens writes "Brian Wingfield writes in Bloomberg that the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future has sent a draft report to Energy Secretary Steven Chu recommending that US communities should be encouraged to vie for becoming a federal nuclear-waste site as a way to end a decades-long dilemma over disposing of spent radioactive ...

The back and forth over Yucca Mountain as nuclear waste storage site (Chicago Tribune)
The radio venture, headed by former Tribune CEO Randy Michaels, began its 24-hour news programming on Sunday.

Fukushima protesters urge end to nuclear power (Uzbekistan News)
Uzbekistan News.Net Sunday 31st July, 2011 TOKYO: An estimated 1,700 people rallied on Sunday in the capital of Japan's Fukushima region, home to a crippled atomic power plant, on Sunday, calling for an end to nuclear energy, local media reported."Abolish all the nuclear power plants!" and "Give radiation-free Fukushima back to us," the ...

Sen. Kirk's ^ Recommendations for Nuclear Safety (Examiner)
Months after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Senator Mark Kirk has maintained his commitment to short and long term safety improvements for nuclear power plants.

Japan drafts path to less reliance on nuclear energy (Asia Pacific News .Net)
Asia Pacific News.Net Sunday 31st July, 2011 A Japanese government panel has decided on a draft policy guideline aimed at giving direction to the process of reducing the nation's dependence on nuclear power.

Nuclear Energy - News July 31, 2011

BC-AS--Japan-Nuclear,0108 (WLOS)
Japan's prime minister has criticized the country's nuclear safety agency for having acted as a promoter instead of regulator of nuclear energy.

Japan PM criticizes nuclear safety agency (Newsday)
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan speaks during an energy forum held in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, Sunday, July 31, 2011.

Nuclear regulator asked utility to push nuclear power in public forum(Asahi Shimbun)
Nobuaki Terasaka, director of NISA, answers at a Tokyo news conference July 29. In 2006, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency asked a utility to manipulate public opinion in favor of nuclear power at a public forum, a fresh example of collusion between the nuclear watchdog and electric power companies.

Trailer to haul nuclear waste (Deseret News)
A photographer captures the radiation tag on a 399 foot-long trailer assembly which will haul the retired steam generator component from San Onofre, Calif.

CSM: New way to find nuclear waste site? (MSNBC)
Saying the US government "has not inspired confidence or trust" in nuclear waste management, a presidential commission recommended Friday the creation of a new federal corporation to spearhead a "consent-based" approach to finding sites to store highly radioactive spent fuel and military waste.

Japanese government drafts path to less reliance on nuclear energy (Boston Herald)
A Japanese government panel has decided on a draft policy guideline aimed at giving direction to the process of reducing the nation's dependence on nuclear power.

Another earthquake jolts northeastern Japan (WETM-TV Elmira)
Destroyed ships are seen within the exclusion zone, about 6km away from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, on April 12, 2011 in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

China's nuclear power developers seek investors (People's Daily Online)
China's nuclear power developers are turning to equity investors for funding as interest rate hikes and Japan's nuclear crisis have resulted in fewer bank loans.

Nuclear Energy - News July 30, 2011

MomentumNUCLEAR FOLLIES (American Reporter)
DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- When President Barack Obama said, during his State of the Union speech, "But to create more of these clean energy jobs... that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country," I literally howled.

Walker: Nuclear option, not an option (Times Record News)
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Those are the words on the Statue of Liberty.

How Germany plans to succeed in a nuclear free, low-carbon economy(Guardian Unlimited)
Germany has taken some fundamental energy decisions in recent months, ones that are interesting for other countries to study and learn from.

Transfer spent fuel at Trojan closed nuclear plant to 'interim' site, commission says (OregonLive)
The closed Trojan nuclear plant stores spent fuel rods on site. A new report recommends that those be sent to interim sites sooner than later.

How to store nuclear waste? Panel slams US and urges new approach.(Christian Science Monitor)
A presidential blue ribbon commission says the US government 'has not inspired confidence' and recommends that a new agency take over the search for storage sites for nuclear waste.

Vt. nuclear plant to refuel despite uncertainty (Log Cabin Democrat)
The owner of Vermont's only nuclear power plant plans to move forward with a $60 million refueling this fall despite uncertainty about whether the plant will be operating beyond March, when its current operating license expires.

WA Attorney General wants to send nuclear waste to Yucca (KTNV-TV Las Vegas)
Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna called a news conference Friday in Seattle to announce what his office is calling a major new development in the legal fight to clean up radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear reservation.

Lawmaker: US seeks Saudi nuclear energy deal (MaineToday)
A House Republican says the Obama administration plans talks with Saudi Arabia about potential civil nuclear power deals.

Citizens in Western N.C. worried about nuclear waste (Creative Loafing)
It may be a little premature, but citizens in Western North Carolina are busy reminding folks about their fights to keep nuclear waste out of their area some 30 years ago, all while issuing warnings that the stuff could head their way any day now.

Hinckley C nuclear power station: a good thing? | John Vidal (Guardian Unlimited)
Work on the UK's first nuclear power station to be built in 20 years has got the green light, but there is still strong opposition The control room of Hinkley A nuclear power station, now decommissioned.

'Credibility shot to pieces' / Latest utility scandal also sullies govt nuclear safety agency (Daily Yomiuri)
An attempt by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency to stifle public opposition to a plutonium-thermal power generation project at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant during a 2007 community symposium is the latest scandal to involve a nuclear power project.

Japan vows to skirt nuclear shutdown, watchdog embarassed (Scientific American)
Japan will strive to avoid a complete shutdown of its 54 nuclear reactors and avert crippling power shortages in the near term while charting plans to reduce the nation's dependence on nuclear power , the government said on Friday.

This 192-wheel supertrailer is hauling nuclear waste across California [Infrastructure] (Jalopnik)
If you're a nuclear plant owner who needs to haul slightly radioactive steam generators across the United States, there's only one answer: a 192-wheel, 400-foot-long road train that tops out at 15 mph.

Nuclear Energy - News July 29, 2011

Japan PM to unveil plan to reduce nuclear power (Vancouver Sun)
A A A Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan was due on Friday to outline a plan to scale back nuclear power and boost renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, reports said.

Oyster Creek reactor operator charged with DUI (Asbury Park Press Online)
A reactor operator at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant was arrested for driving under the influence, but it's unclear if the operator was headed to or from work or fully off-duty. It's also unclear where the April 4 arrest took place.

Panel: New nuclear waste site needed (The Washington Post)
A blue-ribbon commission assigned by President Obama in January 2010 to come up with an alternative to the plan for a nuclear waste repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain will recommend that at least one new site be found to store waste left over from the nation's nuclear power plants, people familiar with the report said Thursday.

Utilities, LDP long held cozy ties (The Japan Times)
The recent findings that current and former power company executives have been making huge political donations to the Liberal Democratic Party since the 1970s show the industry and party have long had cozy ties.

Nuclear science meets social science in novel summer program (UC Berkeley)
One of the many lessons hitting home for the nuclear industry in the wake of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi power plant disaster four and a half months ago is this: Public trust is hard to earn, and even easier to lose.

Nuclear Waste Piles Up As Repository Plan Falters (National Public Radio)
The two nuclear reactors at the Diablo Canyon power plant on California's central coast provide electricity for about 3 million households.

Support For Nuclear Power Dropping In California (KSRO-AM Santa Rosa)
A new poll finds that Californians' support for building more nuclear power plants has dropped since Japan's nuclear crisis last spring.

Nuclear Energy - News July 28, 2011

In Sweden, A Tempered Approach To Nuclear Waste (National Public Radio)
European geologists have conducted experiments in caverns like this one, at the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory, since 1995.

Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant security faulted (The Baltimore Sun)
Federal nuclear safety inspectors found unspecified "security deficiencies" at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in southern Maryland earlier this year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission disclosed Wednesday.

Whistleblowers say Nuclear Regulatory Commission watchdog is losing its bite (Knoxville News Sentinel)
When he retired after 26 years as an investigator with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Office of the Inspector General, George Mulley thought his final report was one of his best.

Nuclear plant approval may come in 2012 (WGST-AM Atlanta)
Southern Co. might not receive permission to build a new nuclear plant in eastern Georgia until early 2012, which is later than the power company initially planned but should not affect the project's overall timeline or budget, utility CEO Tom Fanning said Wednesday.

Point of View/ Ryoji Noyori, president, Riken: Japan should lead global debate on nuclear energy(Asahi Shimbun)
The central control room of the No. 5 reactor at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Nuclear Energy - News July 27, 2011

Japan's Tepco Turns to Chevron to Fill the Nuclear Power Gap (BNET)
Tokyo Electric Power , the Japanese utility that continues to struggle to contain the worst nuclear disaster in decades, has signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas supply deal with Chevron .

Neb. nuclear plant's flood recovery being planned (Ventura County Star)
Once the Missouri River floodwaters recede, a number of repairs will have to be made before Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant can resume generating electricity.

Fukushima long ranked Japan's most hazardous nuclear plant (The Star Online)
Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world for radiation exposure years before it was destroyed by the meltdowns and explosions that followed the March 11 earthquake.

Giant nuclear parts: stealth ride to Utah (The Orange County Register)
Much of the route is being kept from the public, and most of it will be driven by night.

Oswego County nuclear plant strike is over (The Post-Standard)
Published: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 4:43 PM Updated: Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 5:00 PM David Lassman / The Post-Standard Workers represented by IBEW local 97 went on strike at midnight July 8, 2011 at the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plants in Oswego owned by Constellation Energy Nuclear Group.

Bulgaria Govt Steers Clear of Russia's Lawsuit over Belene (Sofia News Agency)
A file picture dated September, 2008, showing workers during the construction of the first 1 000 MW unit of the second nuclear plant of Belene, Bulgaria.

Nuclear Energy - News July 26, 2011

MomentumDAY 59 (American Reporter)
The other evening in Bellows Falls, Vt., Beausoleil sang "The Problem," a song JJ Cale wrote and recorded in 2004, long before the BP oil spill: Have you heard the news that's going 'round here/The man in charge has got to go/Cause he dances 'round the problem, boy/And the problem is the man in charge, you know... . I could go on, blah blah blah, ...

Another Data Error Found At Genkai Nuclear Plant (Malaysian National News Agency)
Kyushu Electric Power Co. has discovered an additional data input error in analyses of its Genkai nuclear power plant to check its earthquake resistance, Japan's Jiji Press reported quoting the company as saying.

Sweden Tries Taming its "Fox" (KQED)
The Forsmark nuclear power plant is one of three in Sweden where about half the nation's electricity comes from 10 reactors built on the coast.

Civil nuclear deal inked (The Statesman)
Paves way for Atomic power plant exports press trust of india Seoul, 25 JULY: India today signed a "historic" civil nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea, paving the way for the possibility of Seoul exporting its atomic power plants.

Hitachi-GE Launch Human Resource Training Program in the Nuclear Power Field in Southeast Asia(Asahi Shimbun)
Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. today announced that it has started an international human resource training program jointly with the Tokyo Institute of Technology in the field of nuclear power, energy and the environment, mainly for Southeast Asia.

HK utility buys stake in China nuke plant for $11B (Lincoln Daily News)
Hong Kong utility CLP Holdings Ltd. said Monday it has bought a 17 percent stake in a nuclear power plant in southern China for 70 billion renminbi .

IAEA chief visits crippled Japan nuke plant (WHDH)
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that Japan's tsunami-hit nuclear plant is steadily making progress to contain damage from the crisis.

IAEA chief visits crippled Japan nuke plant (Earthlink)
IAEA chief visits crippled Japan nuke plant Yukiya Amano, center, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency speaks to reporters in Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan, after he visited the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Monday, July 25, 2011.

Nuclear Energy - News July 25, 2011

Vt. nuclear plant to refuel despite uncertainty (WHDH)
The owner of Vermont's only nuclear power plant plans to move forward with a $60 million refueling this fall despite uncertainty about whether it will be able to operate beyond March, when its current operating license expires.

Kewaunee nuclear plant moves fuel rods (WTAQ-AM Green Bay)
KEWAUNEE, Wis One of Wisconsin's two nuclear power plants has freed up some critical space to cool spent fuel rods in its main reactor building.

U.S. heat wave causes new look at nuclear energy (CBS News)
Temperatures began going down Sunday in the eastern half of the country, dropping from last week's record triple-digits and easing a heat wave blamed for at least 34 deaths.

the new Stranger Suggests (The Stranger)
If you do not know why a documentary about the dangers of nuclear power is relevant today, then I recommend you do not read the rest of this suggestion and instead read the news.

Sharp President Pushes Solar Power in Japan's Nuclear Wake (Wall Street Journal)
By JURO OSAWA As Japan rethinks its dependence on nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, Sharp Corp.

Books on nuclear power climb best-sellers list after tsunami (Bend Bulletin)
A Japanese nuclear researcher with a four-decade track record of activism and obscurity was walking through Kansai International Airport a few weeks ago when he spotted a display of best-sellers at a bookstore.

Nuclear Energy - News July 24, 2011

Robots to Check Inside Nuclear Reactors (Science Daily)
Inside the Innards of a Nuclear Reactor: Tiny Robots May Monitor Underground Pipes for Radioactive Leaks ScienceDaily - As workers continue to grapple with the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear powerplant in Japan, the crisis has shone a spotlight on nuclear reactors around the world.

Historic Polish shipyard set to 'go green' (Yahoo!)
The Gdansk Shipyard, where the Solidarity movement that ended the communist era in Poland was born, is now trying to lead another Polish revolution ... in offshore wind power.

Making it All Work: How the Fresno Clean Energy Park could serve the... (Visalia Times-Delta)
A group of business people and farmers are working on a project that would help provide energy, water and a cleaner environment for the Valley.

SUNDAY TIMEOUTPowering Japan's future (The Japan Times)
Last year, Japan produced close to one quadrillion watt-hours of electricity - that's 1 followed by 15 zeros.

Ayn Rand as Adolescent Sap, Private Prison Scams, Patraeus Rewrites Vietnam: The Live Wire (FlaglerLive)
The Bletchely Park monument to World War II's codebreakers in Bletchley, England.

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant should survive 7.2 quake (ABC7 KGO)
Last week, California Watch, the Center for Investigative Reporting, Capitol Public Radio and Need to Know aired a report on seismic safety at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operated by PG&E. We didn't have a lot of time to go into it in the television show.

Nuclear Energy - News July 23, 2011

Entergy silent on $60M fuel purchase (Burlington Free Press)
Comments MONTPELIER -- Vermont Yankee's owners remained silent Friday about whether they'll order fuel for the nuclear reactor during a scheduled outage this fall.

Utility executives big political donors in Japan (The Seattle Times)
Japanese utility company executives were by far the biggest individual donors to Japan's former ruling party during its last year in power, accounting for a whopping 72 percent of personal contributions, a news report said.

Tentative contract agreement could end Nine Mile nuclear plant strike(Your News Now)
Constellation Energy Nuclear Group and the Local 97 union have reached a tentative contract agreement.

'70s activist foresaw nuclear disaster (The Japan Times)
When the late Shizuko Sakata started distributing the newsletters she wrote in Nagano Prefecture more than 30 years ago to campaign against nuclear power, her daughter, Masako, was not fully supportive.

Nuclear power's real chain reaction: spiralling costs | Damian Carrington(Guardian Unlimited)
The new delays and bumper cost overruns of EDF's new reactor in France make it very hard to believe that nuclear power can fulfil the promises its supporters make A third-generation European Pressurised Water nuclear reactor , being built by EDF in northwestern France has been delayed by a further two years.

China makes nuclear power breakthrough (Channelnewsasia)
BEIJING : China said Friday it had hooked its first so-called "fourth generation" nuclear reactor to the grid, a breakthrough that could eventually reduce its reliance on uranium imports The experimental fast-neutron reactor is the result of more than 20 years of research and could also help minimise radioactive waste from nuclear energy, the ...

Nuclear Energy - News July 21, 2011

Hitachi maintains reactor sales goal despite nuclear crisis fallout (The Japan Times)
After reviewing the business outlook for atomic power amid the Fukushima plant disaster, Hitachi Ltd.

Protesters ask TVA to stop building nuclear reactors (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Wenona Kuesh, Isabelle McCurdy, Sophie McCurdy and other anti-nuclear protesters march in front of the Market Street.

Duke Energy confirms plan to buy up to 10% of S.C. nuke (Business Journal)
The letter is the first public acknowledgment of a deal the Charlotte Business Journal reported more than five weeks ago that the utilities had agreed to give Duke the option to purchase 5% to 10% of the plant.

Clinton Wraps Up India Visit, Nuclear Impasse Unresolved (Voice of America)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, second right, shows appreciation after watching a performance by the Indian classical dancers at Kalakshetra in Chennai, India, July 20, 2011 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the deluge of topics on the agenda for this week's talks with Indian officials on bilateral cooperation as a ...

Skepticism Greets Reported Progress at Crippled Japanese Nuclear Plant(Voice of America)
Installation work is carried out on a roof at unit 3 turbine building at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima prefecture in Japan, July 18, 2011 Japanese government agencies and the owner of a crippled nuclear power plant say the crisis is being brought under control.

Nuclear Energy - News July 20, 2011

France delays new generation nuclear plant (The Las Vegas Sun)
France's electricity giant announced Wednesday it is delaying its new generation nuclear reactor for two years after a pair of deadly accidents and safety reviews prompted by the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.

Nuke Response Hearing Focuses On Japanese Disaster (Patch)
The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan weighed heavily on minds of those who attended a public hearing on the New Jersey Radiological Emergency Response Plan .

Lee discusses nuclear ties with Mala... (Korea Herald)
News Lee discusses nuclear ties with Malaysian king 2011-07-20 19:55 President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday discussed with visiting Malaysian King Mizan Zainal Abidin bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy development and cultural exchanges, Lee's office said.

Atomic split (BBC News)
The Rhine Canal is placid in the afternoon sun. Barges saunter by, insects buzz, and the occasional bird makes a foray from the marshier banks of the Rhine itself, a kilometre away.

Media get look inside Robinson nuclear plant (The Messenger)
A group of reporters got a rare look inside Progress Energy's H.B. Robinson Nuclear Plant on Tuesday.

India may soon export nuclear reactors' (The Statesman)
Washington, 19 July: India could soon join a select group of countries like USA, China and France which export nuclear reactors, a Congressional report has said.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission expected to rule on 20-year operating...(NJ)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wednesday will decide whether to grant a 20-year operating license extension for the Hope Creek reactor here.

Regulators say Fort Calhoun to get more oversight (KRVN-AM Lexington)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that the failure of a key electrical part during a test last year represented only a low to moderate safety risk.

Commission: U.S. Must Make Nuclear Plants Safer (WBEZ-FM Chicago)
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says American nuclear plants need to be better prepared for the sudden and continued loss of electric power.

EU tightens nuclear waste disposal rules (Raw Story)
The European Union on Tuesday tightened rules on the disposal of radioactive waste with strict conditions on exporting it outside EU borders.

Nuclear Energy - News July 18, 2011

What keeps the Earth cooking? (Free Republic)
Berkeley Lab scientists join their KamLAND colleagues to measure the radioactive sources of Earth's heat flow What spreads the sea floors and moves the continents? What melts iron in the outer core and enables the Earth's magnetic field? Heat.

Is Kan's Nuclear "Opinion" an Election Gambit? (Forbes)
A particularlyA edifying purpose served by Japan's politics is to help demystify, or de-stereotype, Japanese culture.

Democracy, German-style (The Star Online)
The writer shares her observations of electoral processes in Germany. I HAVE experienced two federal elections and several state elections in Germany.

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant safety in question (News10)
After the devastating tsunami damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, seismologists in the United States are focusing on a potentially dangerous fault system near the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California.

"No Nukes - No Kidding," demonstrators proclaimed Friday (Mountain Xpress)
A group of around 50 protestors, accompanied by a small marching band and a large, mock nuclear waste cask, carried signs from Pritchard Park to the Federal Building late Friday afternoon.

SCE&G to store toxic waste in casks, not pools (Lake Wylie Pilot)
The company that runs a Fairfield County nuclear plant says it will store radioactive waste in steel and concrete containers instead of submerging the refuse in water pools.

Nuclear Energy - News July 15, 2011

Officials to discuss Neb. nuclear plant's recovery (KWQC-TV Davenport)
Officials are starting to think about what it will take to clean up the flood damage around Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant and get it running again once the Missouri River recedes.

Worker with expired Mexican ID arrested at nuclear plant (AZCentral)
A contract worker at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station was arrested Wednesday for trying to enter the plant one day after a guard barred the man from the site because his Mexican ID card was expired.

Japan's Prime Minister Calls for Complete Phase Out of Nuclear Power(Inhabitat)
Four months after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan triggering the worst nuclear energy crisis since Chernobyl , the country's Prime Minister has finally addressed Japan's energy future.

House increases money for nuclear waste review (KTUL-TV Tulsa)
The House on Thursday approved more money to review an application to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, deviating from the Barack Obama administration effort to kill the project.

Dounreay clean-up progress hailed (Kirkintilloch Today)
Significant progress has been made in destroying one of the "most hazardous legacies" of Britain's 20th century nuclear research programme, according to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority .

NY debate: What if aging nuclear plant closes? (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
Imagining New York's energy supply without the Indian Point nuclear power plants, some see dirtier air, higher utility bills and an increased risk of blackouts.

Lithuania chooses Hitachi-GE for nuclear project (The Las Vegas Sun)
Lithuania on Thursday chose the U.S.-Japanese consortium Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy as the strategic investor in a nuclear power plant in Lithuania.

Nuclear Energy - News July 14, 2011

Nuclear energy supplier Areva opens office in Chattanooga (Nooga)
Nuclear energy supplier AREVA this week opened a Chattanooga office - a move that company leaders said will increase regional engineering and service support in the Southeast and eventually bring 25 full-time jobs to the city.

U.S. Officials Call for Increased Nuclear Safety (KDRV)
U.S. experts are calling for stepped-up safety measures at nuclear power plants.

NRC report calls new wave of reactors safer (WDUN-AM Gainesville)
Two nuclear reactor designs slated for use in the United States could be safer than existing plants if a prolonged power outage occurred, a federal safety taskforce said Wednesday in a report examining lessons learned from the Japanese earthquake and nuclear crisis.

Son starts national energy initiative (The Japan Times)
Masayoshi Son, president of the Softbank Corp. telecommunications conglomerate, and governors from prefectures nationwide launched a council Wednesday aimed at reducing dependence on nuclear power by promoting renewable energy, such as building solar power plants on idle farmland.

Fukushima pensioner army waits for call-up to frontline duties (Guardian Unlimited)
Japanese volunteers knows as the skilled veterans corps offer to replace younger workers in operation to stabilise nuclear plant Yasuteru Yamada, 72, has formed a group of more than 400 retired nuclear and civil engineers to help at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

1 Neb. nuclear plant on Missouri River lifts alert (Anchorage Daily News)
A low-level alert issued last month as Missouri River floodwaters approached a southeast Nebraska nuclear power plant has been lifted as water recedes, while a similar alert remains in effect for a second plant along the river that has been shut down since April.

Ukraine to reconstruct 'sarcophagus' around Chernobyl reactor (Deutsche Welle)
A quarter of a century after the world's worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine has received enough pledges to begin the long-awaited construction of a new shelter around the ruins of the reactor.

Nuclear Energy - News July 13, 2011

Japan PM calls for nuclear-free future (Guardian Unlimited)
Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan recently survived a no-confidence vote. Photograph: Everett Kennedy Brown/EPA Prime minister Naoto Kan said on Wednesday the Fukushima nuclear crisis had convinced him that Japan should aim at a society that does not depend on nuclear energy and eventually has no atomic plants.

Cooper Nuclear Plant no longer in emergency status (KLKN)
NPPD announced the station near Brownville is no longer under the "Notification of Unusual Event" status as of Tuesday morning.

Task force urges nuclear safety push (Politico)
U.S. nuclear plants should immediately reevaluate their earthquake and flood risks and develop additional safeguards for spent fuel pools and venting systems, according to a new report from a Nuclear Regulatory Commission task force.

Govt panel: Changes needed at US nuclear plants (OregonLive)
Calling the Japan nuclear disaster "unacceptable," an expert task force convened by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that nuclear power plants in the U.S. need better protections for rare, catastrophic events.

Congressmen Pushing To Reopen Yucca Mountain (Slashdot)
Bob the Super Hamste writes "CNN is reporting that a group of congressmen backed by the nuclear industry are pushing to reopen the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site .

Kuwait No Longer Interested In Nuclear Energy (Energy Tribune)
Kuwait is no longer eager to possess nuclear technology or to seek nuclear power for energy purposes, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr.

Nuclear Energy - News July 9, 2011

Nuclear plant troubles waning (The State)
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has signed off on improvements at a Hartsville atomic power plant where a fire and other operating troubles brought national attention and increased federal oversight this year.

Some worry about evacuation plans around nuclear power plants (Foster's Daily Democrat)
Saturday, July 9, 2011 AP photo Debra Dominski on June 28 looks out a doorway of her home in London, Ark.

Nine Mile Point nuclear workers in Oswego County strike after labor talks fail (The Post-Standard)
Today, for the first time in four decades, workers who operate two nuclear power plants in Oswego County went on strike.

Kan under fire from his own team (The Japan Times)
Prime Minister Naoto Kan apologized to his Cabinet on Friday morning over the confusion he caused by his sudden order that "stress tests" be conducted on all nuclear power plants in Japan.

Another nuclear firm faces scandal (South China Morning Post)
Company got staff to pose as ordinary citizens and support restarting nuclear plant at a televised forum The head of a Japanese atomic energy firm apologised yesterday over a bizarre scandal in which employees posed as ordinary citizens and sent e-mails backing the restart of nuclear reactors in southern Japan to a televised public hearing.

Demand growing for nuclear industry managers (The Globe and Mail)
It is too early to say what long-term impact the Fukushima disaster in Japan will have on plans for new nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Energy - News July 8, 2011

German parliament backs nuclear exit by 2022 (Phy)
Anti-nuclear demonstrators outside the Reichstag in Berlin on June 30. The German parliament sealed plans Friday to phase out nuclear energy by 2022, making the country the first major industrial power to take the step in the wake of the disaster at Japan's Fukushima plant.

Spin Zone Alert: Nuclear Still Trumps Renewable Energy (BNET)
Some media outlets have seized on the Energy Information Administration 's recent report that shows domestic production of renewable energy has finally surpassed nuclear and is closing in on oil.

NRC inspectors critical of Perry nuclear power plant for April radiation incident (The Plain Dealer)
The Perry nuclear power plant's managers did just about everything wrong when they sent four workers into a small room under the reactor to retrieve a radiation monitor stuck in the reactor's core, federal regulators said in a report Thursday.

Analysis: Summer to test Japan resolve over nuclear power (Reuters)
Two months of baking heat will test Japan's resolve to wean itself off nuclear power and show whether an energy-saving drive set off by meltdowns at the Fukushima plant will bring lasting efficiency gains the way the 1970s oil crisis did.

Last minute deal needed to stop nuclear plant strike (Your News Now)
For the 450 union employees at the Nine Mile One and Nine Mile Two nuclear plants in Scriba, Friday could be their last day of work before their union calls a strike.

Nuclear reactor at NCSU shut down due to leak (Business Journal)
N.C. State has shut down its reactor due to a leak. The water leak was first detected July 2 and the reactor has been shut off since then, university officials said.

NC State Says Small Reactor Leak Poses No Threat (WPTF-AM Raleigh)
North Carolina State University says a small leak in a nuclear reactor it uses for research poses no public health threat.

Green: Haste vs. Delay on Nuclear Waste (The New York Times)
A dry cask containing spent fuel after its removal from a pool at the LaSalle nuclear power plant in Marseilles, Ill.

Nuclear Energy - News July 7, 2011

Japan nuclear checks criticised (BBC News)
Japan's plan to hold further safety tests on its nuclear plants has drawn widespread criticism, and heaped more pressure on Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

N.J. to hold hearing on part of deal to shut down Oyster Creek nuclear plant (The Newark Star-Ledger)
Oyster Creek could be allowed to operate for the next nine years without building cooling towers.

Japan considers stress tests for nuclear re... (WHTC)
Japan's government is considering conducting stress tests on nuclear reactors to ease safety concerns which have blocked the restart of idled reactors since the March quake and tsunami, but is likely to delay the nation's first nuclear restart since the disaster.

Nuclear opponents protest Vogtle costs (The Augusta Chronicle)
Nuclear opponents, like Bobbie Paul and Glenn Carroll, and the companies building two reactors at Plant Vogtle both recognized that a proposal aimed at the Georgia Power's purse could be fatal to the project.

How the first 24 hours shaped Fukushima nuclear crisis (The Japan Times)
When unit 2 began to shake, Hiroyuki Kohno's first hunch was that something was wrong with the turbines.

Department of Energy awards $333M contract to Babcock & Wilcox venture (Business Journal)
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $333 million contract to a venture that includes The Babcock & Wilcox Co.

Activists posting nuclear 'evacuation route' warnings near San Onofre plant (The Orange County Register)
Don't be surprised if you see signs reading "Warning: San Onofre evacuation route" popping up around south Orange County this week.

Problem At Oconee Nuclear Plant Investigated (WYFF-TV Greenville)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a special inspection team to the Oconee nuclear power plant to evaluate a problem discovered at the plant on June 24.

Vt.: No charges against nuke plant officials (Deseret News)
State prosecutors have decided not to charge Entergy Corp. executives with lying to regulators about the presence of underground piping at its Vermont nuclear power plant, saying the executives showed themselves to be untrustworthy but not criminally liable.

Support for nuclear reactors varies, near to far (The Jersey Journal)
Published: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 2:04 PM Updated: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 2:11 PM Frank Cecala Public opinion on nuclear plants has become more negative since the crisis in Japan, polls show.

Nuclear Energy - News July 6, 2011

Nuclear debates call for public participation (Chemistry World)
Three months after Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant crisis drew worldwide attention talks have begun on the future of nuclear power in China.

A Safer Nuclear Crypt (The Dispatch)
Watching intently as a huge white steel container surfaced from a 42-foot-deep canal, workers set upon it with long-handled tools, like sailors wrestling a flailing whale to the deck of a ship.

Lessen reliance on nuclear power, ex-adviser to Kan says (Asahi Shimbun)
Sumio Mabuchi Japan should lower its dependence on nuclear power generation, rather than scrapping it altogether, said Sumio Mabuchi, former special adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the accident at the Fukushima No.

Nuclear Plants To Undergo Safety Test: Trade Min (Nikkei Net Interactive)
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda said Wednesday the ministry will conduct stress tests on Japan's nuclear power plants to see if they can survive a worst-case scenario, such as natural disaster.

Entergy Helps New York Avoid Nearly 35,000 Tons of Greenhouse Gases (MELODIKA)
Entergy Corporation today announced the purchase of 34,812 tons of greenhouse gas reduction credits from New York 's largest non-hazardous solid waste facility.

Renewable Energy Production Surpasses Nuclear (Domestic Fuel)
Renewable energy production has surpassed nuclear energy production in the U.S. according to the latest issue of Monthly Energy Review published by the Energy Information Administration.

UPDATE 1-Deutsche Bank ups German forward power price forecast (Reuters)
Deutsche Bank raised its German wholesale power prices forecasts for the coming years on Monday, due to the exit from nuclear power and as new coal-fired generation plants may be delayed.

Nuclear Energy - News July 4, 2011

Build safer nuclear plants? We have the power (MSNBC)
In the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in March, the appetite for new nuclear power plants slipped to post-Chernobyl lows.

French nuclear power plant explosion heightens safety fears (Guardian Unlimited)
Blast at EDF's Tricastin power station in DrA me comes days after nuclear authorities found 32 safety concerns at plant An explosion sparked a fire at the Tricastin nuclear power plant.

Tallying the Unknown Bill of Germany's Nuclear Power Sector (The Epoch Times)
MONUMENTAL PROTEST: A Greenpeace activist places a nuclear sign on the Quadriga on top of landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on May 29.

India hints at tough steps against new nuclear trade rules (India Gazette)
India Gazette Sunday 3rd July, 2011 NEW DELHI: India's top diplomat on Sunday hinted New Delhi could ban nuclear reactor purchases from countries refusing to sell sensitive nuclear technology to it after suppliers decided to tighten such trade against countries like India.

Cradle to grave stance urged for nuclear industry (Earth Times)
The devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami which wrought much destruction to north east Japan on March 11th 2011 triggered a nuclear emergency at Fukushima which has had consequences on nuclear policy much further afield: Germany has announced that it will abandon plans to use nuclear power in the future.

Oh say, can you see... a nuclear free country? (Times-Standard)
While we're celebrating Fourth of July tomorrow, I'd like to suggest there's another freedom which Americans should strive for: the freedom of not living under a nuclear shadow.

Nuclear Energy - News July 3, 2011

Nuclear power station tests to remain confidential (Typically Spanish)
The CSN, Nuclear Safety Council, last Thursday ordered new safety tests to be carried out on Spain's nuclear plants, to establish how they would respond to an impact from a commercial plane.

Nuclear plant evacuation plans worry some (The Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter)
The Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, N.J., is seen in 1972. Called 'Oyster Creak' by some critics because of its aging problems, this boiling water reactor began running in 1969 and ranks as the country's oldest operating commercial nuclear power plant.

Japan officials draw up Tepco breakup plan: report (International Business Times)
The plan, drawn up by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, would force Tokyo Electric sell its power distribution business and bring its nuclear power operations under state control, leaving the company with power generation operations using thermal and hydraulic power plants.

Appeals court dismisses nuclear waste lawsuit (The Brattleboro Reformer)
The Obama administration won a legal battle Friday in the long-standing fight over where to bury the nation's nuclear waste, but it's not likely to be the last.

Protest at Indian Point (Nyack Villager)
Protest at Indian Point Five hundred concerned citizens turned out on June 2 for the yearly assessment meeting on Indian Point 2 and 3. A They were there to let the Nuclear Regulatory Commission know that the people of this region do not intend to tolerate the overly chummy relationship the regulators have developed in their dealings with the ...

Some worry about nuclear plant evacuation plans (The Kansas City Star)
Retiree Bret Gross of San Clemente loves Southern California weather and the seashore.

Re-Posted by RadiationAlerts.com and seen on Radiationalerts.blogspot.com

Radiation Alerts

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Radiation Alerts, Current weekly review. There is a lot of activity week of 8-13/20-11

Enformable | Fukushima Video Archive

Confirmed: Earthquake not Tsunami Crippled Plant: Requires Review of all nuclear facilities

Controversial nuclear station near Cyprus looks likely despite voiced concerns

Special inspection’ underway at Turkey Point because of cooling system failure and ‘potential generic concern’

Nuclear Energy - News August 20, 2011

Nuclear Energy - News August 20, 2011

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Hixson radiation news

Nuclear Energy - News August 17, 2011

Nuclear Energy - News August 17, 2011

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Radiation Alerts, re cap from Nuclear Energy between August and July

Radiation Related links II

Radiation Related links I