Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

NRC eyes power uprates as alternative to building more nuke plants

NRC eyes power uprates as alternative to building more nuke plants

PallTimes.com - ‎Dec 29, 2011‎
By AARON CURTIS SCRIBA — A Nuclear Regulator Commission spokesman says that power uprates at nuclear stations nationwide, including one recently approved at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station Unit 2 in Scriba, is a suitable alternative to increase plant ...

Nuclear Power Stations Site Suitability Criteria

Nuclear Power Stations Site Suitability Criteria


[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 251 (Friday, December 30, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 82201-82202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33577]


========================================================================
Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 251 / Friday, December 30, 2011 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 82201]]



NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Parts 50, 51, and 52

[NRC-2011-0297]


General Site Suitability Criteria for Nuclear Power Stations

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for 
public comment draft regulatory guide DG-4021, ``General Site 
Suitability Criteria for Nuclear Power Stations.'' This guide describes 
a method that the NRC staff considers acceptable to implement the site 
suitability requirements for nuclear power stations.

DATES: Submit comments by February 25, 2012. Comments received after 
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC 
is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before 
this date. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in 
connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed 
or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time.

ADDRESSES: Please include Docket ID NRC-2011-0297 in the subject line 
of your comments. For additional instructions on submitting comments 
and instructions on accessing documents related to this action, see 
``Submitting Comments and Accessing Information'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document. You may submit comments by any 
one of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov 
and search for documents filed under Docket ID NRC-
2011-0297. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher, 
telephone: (301) 492-3668; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov.
     Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Chief, Rules, 
Announcements, and Directives Branch (RADB), Office of Administration, 
Mail Stop: TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001.
     Fax comments to: RADB at (301) 492-3446.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacob Philip, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: (301) 251-7471 or 
email Jacob.Philip@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Submitting Comments and Accessing Information

    Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be posted 
on the NRC Web site and on the Federal rulemaking Web site, 
http://www.regulations.gov. Because your comments will not be edited to 
remove any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against 
including any information in your submission that you do not want to be 
publicly disclosed.
    The NRC requests that any party soliciting or aggregating comments 
received from other persons for submission to the NRC inform those 
persons that the NRC will not edit their comments to remove any 
identifying or contact information, and therefore, they should not 
include any information in their comments that they do not want 
publicly disclosed.
    You can access publicly available documents related to this 
document using the following methods:
     NRC's Public Document Room (PDR): The public may examine 
and have copied, for a fee, publicly available documents at the NRC's 
PDR, O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC 
are available online in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-
rm/adams.html. From this page, the public can gain entry into ADAMS, 
which provides text and image files of the NRC's public documents. If 
you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing 
the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC's PDR reference staff 
at 1-(800) 397-4209, (301) 415-4737, or by email to 
pdr.resource@nrc.gov. DG-4021 is available electronically under ADAMS 
Accession Number ML102380302. The regulatory analysis may be found in 
ADAMS under Accession No. ML102380311.
     Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Public comments and 
supporting materials related to this notice can be found at 
http://www.regulations.gov by searching on Docket ID NRC-2011-0297.

Further Information

    The NRC is issuing a revision to an existing guide in the NRC's 
``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe and 
make available to the public information such as methods that are 
acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the 
agency's regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating 
specific problems or postulated accidents, and data that the staff 
needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses.
    The draft regulatory guide (DG), entitled, ``General Site 
Suitability Criteria for Nuclear Power Stations,'' is temporarily 
identified by its task number, DG-4021, which should be mentioned in 
all related correspondence. DG-4021 is proposed Revision 3 of 
Regulatory Guide 4.7, dated April 1998.
    This guide discusses the major site characteristics related to 
public health and safety and environmental issues that the NRC staff 
considers in determining the suitability of sites for light-water-
cooled nuclear power stations. Applicants may use the guidelines in 
identifying suitable candidate sites for nuclear power stations. The 
decision that a station may be built on a specific candidate site is 
based on a detailed evaluation of the proposed site-plant combination 
and a cost-benefit analysis comparing it with alternative site-plant 
combinations, as discussed in Regulatory Guide 4.2, ``Preparation of 
Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Stations.''

Backfitting and Issue Finality

    Issuance of this draft regulatory guide in final form does not 
constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109 (the Backfit Rule) 
and is not otherwise inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 
10 CFR part 52. This regulatory guide will not apply to any

[[Page 82202]]

construction permits, operating licenses, early site permits, limited 
work authorizations issued under 10 CFR 50.10 for which the NRC issued 
a final environmental impact statement (EIS) preceded by a draft EIS 
under 10 CFR 51.76 or 51.75, or combined licenses, any of which were 
issued by the NRC prior to issuance of the final regulatory guide. The 
NRC has already completed its siting determination for those 
construction permits, operating licenses, early site permits, limited 
work authorizations, and combined licenses. Therefore, no further NRC 
regulatory action on siting will occur for those licenses, permits, and 
authorizations, for which the guidance in the regulatory guide would be 
relevant.
    This regulatory guide may be applied to applications for early site 
permits, combined licenses, and limited work authorizations issued 
under 10 CFR 50.10, which includes information under 10 CFR 51.49(b) or 
(f), where the application is docketed by the NRC as of the date of 
issuance of the final regulatory guide, as well as future applications 
for construction permits, early site permits, combined licenses, and 
limited work authorizations, which includes information under 10 CFR 
51.49(b) or (f), where the application is submitted after the issuance 
of the final regulatory guide. Such action does not constitute 
backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109(a)(1) and is not otherwise 
inconsistent with the applicable issue finality provisions in 10 CFR 
part 52, inasmuch as such applicants or potential applicants are not 
within the scope of entities protected by the Backfit Rule or the 
relevant issue finality provisions in Part 52.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of December 2011.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Harriet Karagiannis,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Guide Development Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2011-33577 Filed 12-29-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

Will the nuclear power industry regain public trust?



Will the nuclear power industry regain public trust?

Young People and Nuclear Power

Young People and Nuclear Power


From ANS Nuclear Cafe:


What questions do young people have about nuclear power?  Recently, Howard Shaffer and Meredith Angwin had opportunities to hear their questions.  Meredith Angwin discusses the questions as well as the answers, and the implications for nuclear education...

http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2011/12/27/young-people-and-nuclear-power/

2011 on Brave New Climate

2011 on Brave New Climate

So the year 2011 draws to a close. What a tumultuous year it was, particularly for nuclear energy! For climate change, alas, the freight train just keeps gathering steam.
For 2012, I will expect the unexpected, but also hope to see some better signs of progress towards the downfall of fossil fuels. But really, let’s be honest, that is a decadal rather than year prospect.
Anyway, to the BNC year in review. Below I list some of the most read, most commented and most stimulating or controversial subjects of the past BNC year.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review

Blog Post: Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review

from Nuclear Power Industry News

2011 in Review: Nuclear Safety Issues Take Centre Stage

2011 in Review: Nuclear Safety Issues Take Centre Stage

Fukushima
The nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan on 11 March, and the ensuing concerns on nuclear safety issues dominated the global nuclear agenda for much of 2011, and gave renewed focus for a strengthened nuclear safety regime. (Photo: G. Verlini/IAEA)
The nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan on 11 March, and the ensuing concerns on nuclear safety issues dominated the global nuclear agenda for much of 2011. For the IAEA, the accident gave renewed focus for a strengthened nuclear safety regime and initiated a number of priority activities to support a wide-ranging Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. At the same time, the IAEA continued with programmes to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for science and development.
The following are some of this year's news highlights as reflected in the pages of IAEA.org:
January 2011
  • The IAEA continued its efforts to strengthen and make more secure the fragile supply chain of a vital medical isotopes by improving the reliability of supplies, reduce proliferation risks and bridge remaining transport issues.
  • A comprehensive review of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) programme for the introduction of nuclear power found that the country understands the long-term commitments and responsibilities.
February
March
  • For the observance of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the IAEA focuses on the contribution of women working in science; the challenges the Agency face in finding well-qualified women for its professional posts; and its work to interest young women in pursuing careers in science.
  • The United Kingdom signs an agreement to contribute £4 million, or approximately $6.4 million, to the IAEA's Nuclear Security Fund.
  • On 11 March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami of unprecedented proportions struck Japan, causing massive damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Center (IEC) was activated and liaised with the Japanese authorities to monitor the situation.
  • In a video statement on the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, Director General Amano expressed his sincerest condolences for the lives and homes lost.
  • As the severity of the nuclear accident at Fukushima unfolds, the IAEA's Incident Emergency Centre goes into full response mode and publishes updates around the clock. The daily updates and briefings to Member States and media continue until June 2011.
  • The massive volume of traffic to the IAEA's web site brings down its web servers. Service is eventually restored, and prompted extended use of social media, i.e. Twitter and Facebook to bring out updates to a wider public. IAEA Facebook account : Twitter account.
  • The IAEA creates a comprehensive portal page containing news, resources and other information pertinent to the Fukushima Daichi nuclear accident in Japan.
  • On 18 March 2011, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano met then Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and other senior officials in Tokyo to discuss the current nuclear safety emergency in Japan.
  • At a special briefing for IAEA Member States on the Fukushima nuclear accident, Director General Yukiya Amano announced that a high-level IAEA Conference on Nuclear Safety will take place in Vienna in June.
April
May
  • A group of international experts under IAEA auspices and led by Mr. Mike Weightman from the UK leaves Vienna for a fact-finding mission to Japan.
  • The World Organization for Animal Health officially announces the global eradication of rinderpest, a highly contagious viral disease afflicting cattle, buffaloes, yaks and several wildlife species, and caused immense livestock losses and crushing economic damage.
June
  • A team of international nuclear safety experts concludes its fact-finding mission to Japan and submits a preliminary assessment of the safety issues linked with the Fukushima nuclear accident.
  • The IAEA Conference on Nuclear Safety adopts a Ministerial Declaration that calls for improvements in global nuclear safety, and requests the Director General to prepare a draft Action Plan to address issues related to nuclear safety, emergency preparedness and response and radiation protection of people and the environment.
  • Malaysia releases the final report of an IAEA expert mission that reviewed radiation safety at the Lynas Project, a rare earth processing facility under construction near Kuantan in Pahang state.
July
August
September
  • The new Safeguards Clean Laboratory Extension, which provides the Department of Safeguards with vastly improved analytical capabilities, is officially opened.
  • A special ceremony held at the Vienna International Centre commemorates the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York.
  • The 55th Annual IAEA General Conference takes place in Vienna with a strong focus on nuclear safety.
  • The achievement of a world free from rinderpest, a highly contagious viral disease afflicting ruminants that caused immense livestock losses and devastating economic damage throughout history, was celebrated at the IAEA's 55th General Conference in Vienna.
  • Experts from around the world gather at the IAEA's Scientific Forum, entitled Water Matters, to discuss and highlight the importance of nuclear techniques in managing water sustainably.
  • Videos produced specifically for the IAEA's Scientific Forum on Water highlight the role of nuclear techniques in water management, as well as pressing water issues in Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Ecuador, Kenya, and the Philippines.
  • The IAEA General Conference approves the Agency's Action Plan on Nuclear Safety.
  • In Monaco, the IAEA Environment Laboratories holds a commemorative event at the Oceanographic Museum to mark its golden anniversary.
October
  • In Beijing China, the need for a deepened parnership between the IAEA and WANO is stressed by Director General Yukiya Amano.
  • The IAEA hosts an International Conference on the Safe and Secure Transport of Radioactive Materials.
  • The IAEA International Remediation Expert Mission concludes its work in Japan, with the final report to be presented to the Japanese Government a month later.
November
December 2011
  • The IAEA implements a technical cooperation project on marine environment following the Fukushima nuclear accident.
  • A statement from IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano welcomes the announcement from Japan that the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have achieved a "cold shutdown condition" and are in a stable state.
  • Nuclear techniques are being widely used in the global fight against avian influenza.
  • Support for IAEA's initiative against cancer continues in 2011 with Member States and partner organizations stepping up contributions to the Programme of Action on Cancer Therapy (PACT).
For a full account of these and other stories in 2011, please visit the IAEA.org News Archive.
-- By Iulia Iliut and Rodolfo Quevenco, IAEA Division of Public Information

(Note to Media: We encourage you to republish these stories and kindly request attribution to the IAEA).

The Yakuza and the Nuclear Mafia: Nationalization Looms for TEPCO

The Yakuza and the Nuclear Mafia: Nationalization Looms for TEPCO

atomic power review Fukushima / TEPCO update for December 28, 2011

atomic power review 

Fukushima / TEPCO update for December 28, 2011

 
 
Atomic Power Review provides a set of updates on situations relative to Fukushima Daiichi:  An announcement by Fukushima Prefecture with wide implications; a report by TEPCO on core, pressure vessel, and containment damage; and TEPCO's announcement of an attempt to 'scope' No. 2 containment.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Canadian Medical Association Journal: Japanese Response to Fukushima Even Worse than Communist Russian Response to Chernobyl … “The Japanese Government Was Lying Through Its Teeth”

Canadian Medical Association Journal: Japanese Response to Fukushima Even Worse than Communist Russian Response to Chernobyl … “The Japanese Government Was Lying Through Its Teeth”

India Ponders Developing Extensive Fracking Industry


India Ponders Developing Extensive Fracking Industry

Reuters: Radiation tests underway on dead and diseased seals in Alaska — Suffering bleeding lesions, hair loss

Reuters: Radiation tests underway on dead and diseased seals in Alaska — Suffering bleeding lesions, hair loss

We need to talk about Sellafield, and a nuclear solution that ticks all our boxes

We need to talk about Sellafield, and a nuclear solution that ticks all our boxes

There are reactors which can convert radioactive waste to energy. Greens should look to science, rather than superstition.

George Monbiot

Safe, zero-carbon and proven: is fourth-generation nuclear the energy solution?

Safe, zero-carbon and proven: is fourth-generation nuclear the energy solution?

Natural Gas - The U.S.'s 21st Century Energy Form?

Natural Gas - The U.S.'s 21st Century Energy Form?

15 Stocks to Ride the Energy Boom of the Next Decade

15 Stocks to Ride the Energy Boom of the Next Decade

Three Ways Japan Can Put a National Disaster to Good Use: View

Three Ways Japan Can Put a National Disaster to Good Use: View

Iran's oil bluff shows energy security is found in freedom from oil, not in Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

Iran's oil bluff shows energy security is found in freedom from oil, not in Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

Report: U.S. nuclear renaissance unlikely after Fukushima

Report: U.S. nuclear renaissance unlikely after Fukushima

Dispelling The Clean Coal Fairy Tale


Dispelling The Clean Coal Fairy Tale

The President of Thorium from NEI Nuclear Notes by Mark Flanagan

The President of Thorium

from NEI Nuclear Notes

Fault lines in Japanese nuclear regime

Fault lines in Japanese nuclear regime
30 December 2011
The Japanese government's response as the Fukushima nuclear accident developed saw flawed organisation and communication, while the site was inadequately prepared and operators made mistakes.

In Europe, debate grows over new nuclear power

In Europe, debate grows over new nuclear power

The Yakuza and the Nuclear Mafia: Nationalization Looms for TEPCO

The Yakuza and the Nuclear Mafia: Nationalization Looms for TEPCO

NRC to reveal details about Ohio nuke plant cracks

NRC to reveal details about Ohio nuke plant cracks

NEI Recaps Noteworthy Developments from 2011

Nuclear Energy Industry Year-End Update, December 2011

Defining the Fuature of Generation: ONE WINNER MAY BE NUCLEAR

Defining the Fuature of Generation: ONE WINNER MAY BE NUCLEAR

Millstone faulted in NRC audit

Millstone faulted in NRC audit

Impressive start by state's A.G.

Impressive start by state's A.G.

Indian Point Licensing Renewal Challenged

Indian Point Licensing Renewal Challenged

Tough Road Ahead for Nuclear Power

Tough Road Ahead for Nuclear Power

NRC to reveal details about Ohio nuke plant cracks

NRC to reveal details about Ohio nuke plant cracks

Fukushima nuclear cleanup could take 30 years

Fukushima nuclear cleanup could take 30 years

The big stories affecting you in 2011

The big stories affecting you in 2011

NUCLEAR ACCIDENT INTERIM REPORT / Law dysfunctional in face of unimaginable disaster

NUCLEAR ACCIDENT INTERIM REPORT / Law dysfunctional in face of unimaginable disaster

U.S. Fukushima Medical Study Estimates 14,000 Dead U.S. Infants from Fallout

U.S. Fukushima Medical Study Estimates 14,000 Dead U.S. Infants from Fallout

Canadian companies flock to N. Dakota’s Bakken oil play

Canadian companies flock to N. Dakota’s Bakken oil play

News On U.S. And Israeli Plans To Counter Iran`s Nuclear Program

News On U.S. And Israeli  Plans To Counter Iran`s Nuclear Program

US, Israel discuss ‘triggers’ for Iran attack -- Jerusalem Post
US Prepared For Military Option Against Iran -- Eurasia Review
U.S., Israel Discuss Triggers for Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Infrastructure -- Daily Beast
US military chief to visit Israel to reassure on Iran -- Jerusalem Post
When will we know we’ve run out of time on Iran? -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
The Gathering Storm: A pessimistic prognosis for 2012 -- Chemi Shalev, Haaretz
Best Option to Stop Nukes? The Military. -- Evelyn Gordon, Commentary
Kroenig's case for war with Iran -- Stephen M. Walt, Foreign Policy
An accelerating covert war with Iran: Could it spiral into military action? -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Clock Ticking for West to Act on Iranian Nuclear Program

Clock Ticking for West to Act on Iranian Nuclear Program

Did the "Godfather" of Pakistan's Nuclear-Weapons Program Aid India's, Too?

Did the "Godfather" of Pakistan's Nuclear-Weapons Program Aid India's, Too?

TEPCO Believes Mission Accomplished & Regulators Allow Radioactive Dumping in Tokyo Bay

TEPCO Believes Mission Accomplished & Regulators Allow Radioactive Dumping in Tokyo Bay

IAEA International Experts Meeting

IAEA International Experts Meeting

Please see the Announcement and Call for Papers for the International Technical Experts' Meeting on Reactor and Spent Fuel Safety in the Light of the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant at IAEA Vienna 19 – 22 March 2012 
http://lnkd.in/wDRmE2

Thursday, December 29, 2011

NUCLEAR ACCIDENT INTERIM REPORT / Without water, reactor cores heated up

NUCLEAR ACCIDENT INTERIM REPORT / Without water, reactor cores heated up

Seals with damaged flippers and hair loss 'are being killed by radiation from Fukushima plant', biologists warn

Seals with damaged flippers and hair loss 'are being killed by radiation from Fukushima plant', biologists warn

  • Seals washed up with hair loss and bleeding lesions
  • 9.0-magnitude quake caused meltdown at Japanese plant in March

Conflict over handling nuclear crisis revealed

Conflict over handling nuclear crisis revealed

atomic power review Fukushima / TEPCO update for December 28, 2011

atomic power review

Fukushima / TEPCO update for December 28, 2011

2012 Federal Budget Boosts Funding for Nuclear Power Research

2012 Federal Budget Boosts Funding for Nuclear Power Research

Does Fracking Cause Earthquakes?

Does Fracking Cause Earthquakes?

NRC to hold meeting to discuss shield building cracks at Davis-Besse nuclear power plant

NRC to hold meeting to discuss shield building cracks at Davis-Besse nuclear power plant

Nuke questions may stall power projects, experts warn

Nuke questions may stall power projects, experts warn

Is Another Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe Imminent?

Is Another Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe Imminent?

By Oilprice.com Dec 29, 2011 11:45 am

Taiwan's three nuclear plants and a fourth now under construction are located in regions near that sea that leave the sites facing the double threat of earthquakes and tsunamis.

Japanese Utilities Look to Broaden Support for Nuclear Power

Japanese Utilities Look to Broaden Support for Nuclear Power

Report: U.S. nuclear renaissance unlikely after Fukushima

Report: U.S. nuclear renaissance unlikely after Fukushima

Japan urges India on NPT for nuke cooperation


Japan urges India on NPT for nuke cooperation

French Train China Nuclear Experts

French Train China Nuclear Experts

Disaster in Japan to increase resistance to nuclear power, critic says

Disaster in Japan to increase resistance to nuclear power, critic says

Nuclear power: The case for a safe, alternative energy source

Nuclear power: The case for a safe, alternative energy source

Feds prepping report on radiation case at INL

Feds prepping report on radiation case at INL

Boon for local nuclear manufacturing plant

Boon for local nuclear manufacturing plant

Westinghouse Nuclear Reactor an Important Step to New Sources of Energy

Westinghouse Nuclear Reactor an Important Step to New Sources of Energy

Office of New Reactors; Notice of Availability of the Final Staff Guidance; Section 13.5.1.1, Revision 1 on Administrative Procedures--General

Office of New Reactors; Notice of Availability of the Final Staff Guidance; Section 13.5.1.1, Revision 1 on Administrative Procedures--General

Panel to examine Exelon's request for NRC license renewal


Panel to examine Exelon's request for NRC license renewal

Agency Smackdown, Round 2: A Critique of ‘the Nuclear Party’ By MATTHEW L. WALD

Agency Smackdown, Round 2: A Critique of ‘the Nuclear Party’

From the NRC Blog: Recent Uprate Approved for Upstate New York by Moderator

U.S. NRC Blog

Recent Uprate Approved for Upstate New York

by Moderator
Enough news space has been devoted over the years to the prospects for new reactors in the U.S. to lay waste to several small forests and countless electrons. However, there is a different means by which the nation’s share of nuclear-generated electricity can be increased, and it does not involve earth-movers, the construction of new buildings or other changes visible to the casual observer.
Another option available to nuclear power plant owners is to pursue a power uprate, which essentially means an increase in the maximum amount of power a reactor can generate. But before a power uprate can be implemented, it must first undergo a thorough review by the NRC.
Just last week, the NRC approved a 15 percent power uprate for the Nine Mile Point 2 nuclear power plant in upstate New York. That approval was the culmination of an NRC review that began with the submittal of the application on May 27, 2009.
During the course of the agency’s evaluation of the proposal, NRC staff scrutinized data regarding the proposal and posed dozens of technical questions to the plant’s owner, Constellation. They included queries about the effects of greater stresses on piping and the plant’s steam dryer, a component at the top of the reactor vessel, as a result of operations at higher power levels.
The NRC does not proceed to a final decision until all such questions are answered to our full satisfaction.
Uprates are not a new development. In fact, the NRC approved the first uprate back in 1977 and has to date okayed 140 such applications. All told, the uprates have led to an increase in power output nationwide of about 6,000 megawatts electric.
There are three different kinds of power uprates: “measurement uncertainty recapture” uprates, “stretch” uprates and “extended” uprates. Here’s a brief description of each:
Measurement uncertainty recapture uprates – They involve an increase of less than 2 percent and are achieved by implementing enhanced techniques for calculating reactor power levels. State-of-the-art devices are used to more precisely measure feedwater flow, which is used to calculate reactor power.
Stretch uprates – The increases are typically between 2 and 7 percent and usually involve changes to instrumentation settings but do not require major plant modifications.
Extended uprates – Power boosts of this type have been approved for increases of up to 20 percent. They usually involve significant modifications to major pieces of non-nuclear equipment, such as high-pressure turbines, condensate pumps and motors, main generators and/or transformers. The Nine Mile Point 2 uprate would fall into this category.
For more information on power uprates, visit the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/power-uprates.html.
Neil Sheehan
Region I Public Affairs Officer

Extreme heat, electrical load, and political instability: the connection and the solution

Extreme heat, electrical load, and political instability: the connection and the solution

Nuclear Power Play: Ambition, Betrayal And The 'Ugly Underbelly' Of Energy Regulation

Nuclear Power Play: Ambition, Betrayal And The 'Ugly Underbelly' Of Energy Regulation

NRC ENDORSES AP1000 AMENDED DESIGN

NRC ENDORSES AP1000 AMENDED DESIGN
Reaching a major milestone, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Thursday granted a final Design Certification Amendment to Westinghouse’s AP1000 pressurized water reactor design, paving the way for utilities in the U.S. to build nuclear plants using the third-generation reactor design. Read More »

MACT REACTIONS: RENEWED CONCERNS ABOUT COSTS, RELIABILITY

MACT REACTIONS: RENEWED CONCERNS ABOUT COSTS, RELIABILITY
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) issuance of its final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)—a rule that will mandate all coal- and oil-fired power generating units limit emissions of heavy metals and acid gases using “maximum achievable control technology” (MACT)—last week provoked a range of reactions, including renewed concerns about its costs and impact on grid reliability. Read More »

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ORDERS EXELON, CONSTELLATION TO DIVEST COAL PLANTS BEFORE MERG

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ORDERS EXELON, CONSTELLATION TO DIVEST COAL PLANTS BEFORE MERGER
Exelon Corp. and Constellation Energy Group must sell three electricity generating plants in Maryland before the companies can proceed with their proposed $7.9 billion merger to level competition for wholesale electricity in the mid-Atlantic region, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said last week. Read More »

Turkey deal boosts Russia’s pipeline project



Turkey deal boosts Russia’s pipeline project
http://link.ft.com/r/QM42II/VLA6V4/WL1GSD/C4DVC3/U1VV6S/E4/h?a1=2011&a2=12&a3=29

China rail crash blamed on bad management

China rail crash blamed on bad management High-speed network will be more cautiously expanded across the country, after a report into the collision in July that killed 40 people and sparked outrage
http://link.ft.com/r/19JYUU/7AE4F3/EW4YCB/62MGBY/XHZZCH/28/h?a1=2011&a2=12&a3=29

Are Medical Journals a Threat to National Security?

Are Medical Journals a Threat to National Security?

Scientists are butting heads with the government over whether scientific openness trumps national security

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes Gnomes from the Northern Kingdom defend Jaczko

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

 

Gnomes from the Northern Kingdom defend Jaczko

Peter Bradford and Mark Cooper have words for the other four NRC commissioners. They're wrong.

Agency Smackdown, Round 2: A Critique of ‘the Nuclear Party’

Agency Smackdown, Round 2: A Critique of ‘the Nuclear Party’

New Take on Impacts of Low Dose Radiation

New Take on Impacts of Low Dose Radiation

Berkeley Lab Researchers Find Evidence Suggesting Risk May Not Be Proportional to Dose at Low Dose Levels

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Turbine Problem Trips Reactor at Louisiana's River Bend Nuclear Plant

Turbine Problem Trips Reactor at Louisiana's River Bend Nuclear Plant

The Household Cost of Abandoning German Nuclear Power: Electric Bills May Increase by 20 Percent

The Household Cost of Abandoning German Nuclear Power: Electric Bills May Increase by 20 Percent

State of fearful climate science

State of fearful climate science

Calgary Oil Transforms Canada to Energy Superpower of Immigrants

Calgary Oil Transforms Canada to Energy Superpower of Immigrants

Editorial: Solar power failures adding up

Editorial: Solar power failures adding up

Island of Japanese Debris the Size of California to Hit West Coast of North America

Island of Japanese Debris the Size of California to Hit West Coast of North America

Giant Island of Debris from Japan Is On Its Way

As the CBC notes, an island of debris the size of California is expected to hit North America:

China plans Asia's biggest coal-fired power plant

China plans Asia's biggest coal-fired power plant

New IAEA Publications

New IAEA Publications

Core Knowledge of Instrumentation and Control Systems in Nuclear Power Plants
IAEA Nuclear Energy Series NP-T-3.12
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1495_web.pdf

Computer Security at Nuclear Facilities
IAEA Nuclear Security Series 17
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1527_web.pdf

Assessment and Management of Ageing of Major Nuclear Power Plant Components Important to Safety: Steam Generators
IAEA TECDOC 1668: http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/TE_1668_web.pdf

Optimization of Water Chemistry to Ensure Reliable Water Reactor Fuel Performance at High Burnup and in Ageing Plant (FUWAC)
IAEA TECDOC 1666: http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/TE_1666_web.pdf

Viability of Sharing Facilities for the Disposal of Spent Fuel and Nuclear Waste
IAEA TECDOC 1658: http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/TE-1658_web.pdf

BOSS: Borehole Disposal of Disused Sealed Sources A Technical Manual
IAEA TECDOC 1644: http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/te_1644_web.pdf


for more new IAEA publications, please check http://www-pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/New_Scientific_and_Technical_Publications

Nuclear, coal and other energy news

Visualizing Asian Energy Consumption

Visualizing Asian Energy Consumption

An animation shows the rapid rise of coal consumption.

The 2011 Year: So long!

The 2011 Year: So long!

Americans love CLEAN electricity.

Americans love CLEAN electricity.

Nuclear electricity is a source that is both safe and clean, not to mention affordable and reliable.

Japanese Gov't to enhance tsunami measures, panel doubles quake focal area

Japanese Gov't to enhance tsunami measures, panel doubles quake focal area

Alexander Praises Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Approval of AP1000 Design Certification

Alexander Praises Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Approval of AP1000 Design Certification
Says U.S. invented nuclear power but has “fallen behind in embracing new reactor technology and hasn’t built a new reactor in 30 years”

As Nuclear Plants Age, No Easy Energy Solutions

As Nuclear Plants Age, No Easy Energy Solutions

South Korea firm on nuclear power growth

South Korea firm on nuclear power growth

Experts: Even Higher Costs and More Headaches Ahead for Nuclear Power in 2012

Experts: Even Higher Costs and More Headaches Ahead for Nuclear Power in 2012

Tepco seeks $9 bln more for Fukushima compensation

Tepco seeks $9 bln more for Fukushima compensation

Japan OK helps nuclear reprocessing, not new reactor

Japan OK helps nuclear reprocessing, not new reactor

Tough times for French nuclear giant Areva

Tough times for French nuclear giant Areva

Pilgrim nuclear plant shut down because of safety relief valve leak

Pilgrim nuclear plant shut down because of safety relief valve leak

Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant reacts to Japan’s Fukushima disaster

Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant reacts to Japan’s Fukushima disaster

Locals wonder whether plant would be prepared to handle a similar crisis

South Korean Nuclear Power Glitches Unsettle Government


South Korean Nuclear Power Glitches Unsettle Government

PDF Print E-mail
Written by John Daly   

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Benefits of Shale Gas Far Outweigh the Negatives of Fracking


The Benefits of Shale Gas Far Outweigh the Negatives of Fracking

PDF Print E-mail
Written by Barry Stevens   

Petrol Politics: How Much Should an Oil Spill Cost?

Petrol Politics: How Much Should an Oil Spill Cost?

Keystone Kops By Kenneth P. Green

Keystone Kops

Coal extraction poses climate challenge for Obama administration

Coal extraction poses climate challenge for Obama administration

Japan Panel Cites Failure in Tsunami

Japan Panel Cites Failure in Tsunami

The Dirty Politics of Clean Energy

The Dirty Politics of Clean Energy

Editorial, Washington Times
Disturbing revelations continue to emerge about how more than half a billion dollars of taxpayer dollars were shoveled into the Solyndra solar-panel boondoggle. It is becoming increasingly clear that the only “green” involved in this scandal is money.
Read Full Article

Energy Industry Trends to Watch in 2012

Energy Industry Trends to Watch in 2012

2011 in Energy and Environmental Policy

2011 in Energy and Environmental Policy

Brad Plumer, Washington Post
After Republicans took control of the House in the 2010 midterms, many observers predicted that it would be a fairly quiet year on the energy and environmental fronts. After all, the odds of a big cap-and-trade bill making it through House Speaker John Boehner’s caucus were zero. The two parties no longer even agreed on whether climate change is real. What could Congress possibly accomplish?

The Big Picture: Keeping Radiation Risks in Perspective

The Big Picture: Keeping Radiation Risks in Perspective

Rebuild | Energy crunch is the quake's dominant legacy for most of Japan

Rebuild | Energy crunch is the quake's dominant legacy for most of Japan

 

Tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster could be catalysts for long-overdue economic reforms

NRC OKs power increase at Nine Mile Point 2

NRC OKs power increase at Nine Mile Point 2

Panel to examine Exelon’s request for NRC license renewal

Panel to examine Exelon’s request for NRC license renewal

UPDATE 1-Hitachi signs interim deal for Lithuania nuclear plant

UPDATE 1-Hitachi signs interim deal for Lithuania nuclear plant

South Korea Names Two Possible Sites for New Nuclear Reactors

South Korea Names Two Possible Sites for New Nuclear Reactors

Shutdown leaves Japan with six nuclear reactors up

Shutdown leaves Japan with six nuclear reactors up

Update from the American Nuclear Society Young People and Nuclear Power

American Nuclear Society

Young People and Nuclear Power

By pbowersox on Dec 27, 2011 01:00 am

By Meredith Angwin What questions do young people have about nuclear power? Recently, Howard Shaffer and I had two opportunities to hear their questions for ourselves. University students:  Our first interaction with students and their questions was at the University of … Continue reading →
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How to Make Nuclear “OK”

How to Make Nuclear “OK”

The “strategic partnership” between India and Russia received another symbolic boost with the visit of India’s prime minister to Moscow from December 15 to 17. While the bilateral relationship between the two countries has always been important considering India’s defense equipment has largely been of Soviet/Russian vintage, the connection has also been of special significance for India’s nuclear ambitions. Indeed, a prominent showcasing of this was to be the commissioning of the first unit of the Russian built nuclear power plant at Kudankulam. Two units of the power plant have been under construction for the good part of the last decade, and the first unit was due to become critical before the end of this year. But work on the plant, which was nearly 90 percent complete, came to a halt several months ago as a result of public protests expressing fears about nuclear safety. The nuclear establishment and the central ... Read More...

atomic power review Fukushima Daiichi - brief update

atomic power review

Fukushima Daiichi - brief update

Two interesting stories are being carried at this moment by NHK News, Japan. I have seen no repetition of them elsewhere as of now. Briefly...

 

U.S. Geological Survey assessment finds Artic oil, natural gas resource potential is immense

U.S. Geological Survey assessment finds Artic oil, natural gas resource potential is immense

Can We Build Tomorrow's Breakthroughs?

Can We Build Tomorrow's Breakthroughs?
by David Rotman
Manufacturing in the United States is in trouble. That's bad news not just for the country's economy but for the future of innovation.
Read More »

Wind Turbine Safety Increasingly Important as Industry Expands

Wind Turbine Safety Increasingly Important as Industry Expands

The Year in Energy by Kevin Bullis

The Year in Energy
by Kevin Bullis
Surprising successes helped offset disappointing failures in solar, biofuels, and nuclear power.
Read More »

Monday, December 26, 2011

Report slams response to nuclear crisis

Report slams response to nuclear crisis The operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and its regulators failed in their duty to prepare for and respond to a major emergency, contributing to the worst nuclear accident in a quarter century, according to a committee investigating the disaster
http://link.ft.com/r/VKY5JJ/VLALSM/M9QF42/ZG03C9/PF8TFT/36/h?a1=2011&a2=12&a3=26

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes Predictions, speculations, and raw random ideas for 2012

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

Predictions, speculations, and raw random ideas for 2012

Another fearless look ahead

 

Analysis: Indonesia: Powering up

Analysis: Indonesia: Powering up

A Pandora's Box in the Middle East

A Pandora's Box in the Middle East

Premature to relicense Seabrook N-plant

Premature to relicense Seabrook N-plant

To the editor:
I am writing to express my concern about the relicensing of Seabrook nuclear power plant. It seems very premature.
I recently learned of a document published by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, dated May 2011. The report stated that Seabrook is experiencing foundation problems. The concrete foundation has moderate to severe degradation problems due to groundwater infiltration. The report indicates a severe decrease in the strength and integrity of the concrete. The problem is specifically located in tunnel B, which houses electrical cables that support the cooling system should a meltdown occur. The situation was found in tunnel B, but the NRC also reported that they do not know the extent or scope of the degradation throughout the whole foundation.
Why the NRC would relicense a power plant 18 years before the plant's current license expires is worrisome.

U.S. Must Mirror France - Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Fission

U.S. Must Mirror France - Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Fission

2011 in Energy: The Year of...



By Geoffrey Styles, December 26, 2011
At the start of 2011, I thought the hallmark of the year's energy events and trends might involve regulation, with the White House seeking to implement measures that couldn't garner enough support in Congress to become laws. But for every major new regulation issued, such as last week's release of the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants, others were delayed or deferred,...  » Continue...

Kirk Sorensen On Why Molten Salt Thorium Reactors Didn't Succeed the First Time? By Rod Adams

By Rod Adams, December 26, 2011
Kirk Sorensen is the founder of Flibe Energy. He has been prospecting in libraries for years to learn more about a path not taken (yet). He is convinced that the way forward for energy in the United States and around the world is the molten salt thorium reactor that can produce an almost unlimited amount of power for millennia.The concept works by starting with an initial charge of a fissile...  » Continue...

Japan 'was unprepared' for nuclear disaster: official probe

Japan 'was unprepared' for nuclear disaster: official probe
The operators of the tsunami-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant and government regulators were woefully unprepared for disaster, the first official probe into the March 11 catastrophe said Monday.

Report Condemns Japan's Response To Nuclear Accident

Report Condemns Japan's Response To Nuclear Accident

'2012: What’s in Store...’

'2012: What’s in Store...’

Indian Pt. and Fukushima: Alike or Not?

Indian Pt. and Fukushima: Alike or Not?

Japan 'was unprepared' for nuclear disaster

Japan 'was unprepared' for nuclear disaster

Investigation Committee on the Accidents at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company

Investigation Committee on the Accidents at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company

Fukushima Probe Highlights Nuclear Regulator

Fukushima Probe Highlights Nuclear Regulator

JASON on Severe Space Weather and the Electric Grid

JASON on Severe Space Weather and the Electric Grid

Apple Posits Fuel-Cell Powered Laptops

Apple Posits Fuel-Cell Powered Laptops

Technology areas to watch in 2012 through 2016

Technology areas to watch in 2012 through 2016

1. Energy Revolution - Mass produced fission, fusion, and maybe cold fusion
2. Memristors and other significant computing and electronic improvements.
3. Robotics
4. Urbanization Broad Group skyscrapers, Tata flat packed buildings
5. Space
6. Supersmartphones, exoskeletons and wearable systems
7. Hyperbroadband
8. Energy Efficiency - superconductors, thermoelectrics, improved grid
9. Additive manufacturing
10. Not so mundane - neuromorphic chips, quantum computers, photonics
11. Automated transportation (leading to robotic cars and planes)
12. Supermaterials
13. Improve medicine and public health
14. Synthetic biology and recombineering
15. Sensors everywhere
16. Education transformed and accelerated innovation

Creative Reconstruction

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes The 84th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

The 84th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers is up  Atomic Power Review   

ANS Nuclear Cafe Jaczko fiasco in Congress

 ANS Nuclear Cafe

Jaczko fiasco in Congress



http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2011/12/21/jaczko-fiasco/

Jim Hopf at the ANS Nuclear Cafe analyzes and evaluates the serious issues raised by NRC Commissioners concerning NRC Chairman Jaczko, which spilled over into the political arena and into Congressional Hearings last week

U.S. is Only 3 Years Behind China in Nuclear Reactors Courtesy of New Approval

U.S. is Only 3 Years Behind China in Nuclear Reactors Courtesy of New Approval

Request for providing severe accident mitigation evaluation for license renewal:

Request for providing severe accident mitigation evaluation for license renewal:
http://www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2011/jul/Atomic_Safety_Licensing_Board_Ruling.pdf

Northland rock considered for nuclear waste storage

Northland rock considered for nuclear waste storage

With Nevada’s Yucca Mountain out of the running as the permanent graveyard for U.S. nuclear waste, scientists now are looking for other places to entomb the stuff, including rock formations common in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. That’s the message from a 114-page study from the Sandia National Laboratory that surfaced last week.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Announces Top 10 Science Stories of 2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory Announces Top 10 Science Stories of 2011

Finding an End to Energy Gridlock A new book outlines an energy strategy that might actually work.

Finding an End to Energy Gridlock

A new book outlines an energy strategy that might actually work.

The Chinese Solar Macine


The Chinese Solar Machine
by Kevin Bullis
Chinese manufacturers have ­dominated the international ­market for conventional solar ­panels by ­building bigger ­factories faster. Now they will need to ­innovate to maintain their lead.
Read More »

A Solar Trade War Could Put Us All in the Dark

A Solar Trade War Could Put Us All in the Dark
by Martin Green
Solar technology is the result of decades of global competition and collaboration—a trade war would undermine its future.
Read More »