Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Friday, September 23, 2016

Rouhani Slams Saudis and ‘Zionists,’ Accuses US of Not Complying With Nuclear Deal

Rouhani Slams Saudis and ‘Zionists,’ Accuses US of Not Complying With Nuclear Deal

Activists seek court ruling to bar S.Africa government's plan to expand nuclear power | Reuters Feed

Activists seek court ruling to bar S.Africa government's plan to expand nuclear power | Reuters Feed

Editorial: Gov't should admit nuclear fuel cycle project has failed - The Mainichi

Editorial: Gov't should admit nuclear fuel cycle project has failed - The Mainichi

TASS: Russian Politics & Diplomacy - Russia will not deploy nuclear weapons abroad — ministry

TASS: Russian Politics & Diplomacy - Russia will not deploy nuclear weapons abroad — ministry

New nuclear research facilities for the UK

New nuclear research facilities for the UK


http://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsnew-nuclear-research-facilities-for-the-uk-5013319

Canada activist found guilty of harassing scientists over Fukushima fallout | The Japan Times

Canada activist found guilty of harassing scientists over Fukushima fallout | The Japan Times

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Friday, September 23, 2016


Friday, September 23, 2016
 
 
Jodi Lieberman
 
The roundup is an indispensable daily listing of nuclear-related news and reports, compiled by Jodi Lieberman of the Argonne National Lab. Read it on the website or sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every day!
 
 
 
Ta Minh Tuan, Parris H. Chang, Raymond Jose Quilop
 
Barack Obama is reportedly considering a no-first-use policy for the US nuclear arsenal, and proponents of the move say it would de-escalate potential nuclear crises. But how would a US nuclear no-first-use policy affect security in East and Southeast Asia? A new debate opens at the Bulletin.
 
 
 
James E. Doyle
 
Press reports indicate that key players in the Obama administration are against a no-first-use pledge, but what are the consequences of bringing the issue up only to reject it?
 
 
How to reduce South Asia's nuclear dangers
 
Jayita Sarkar, Rabia Akhtar, Mario E. Carranza
 
A pair of fierce rivals, both nuclear-armed, face off across a contested border—no wonder South Asia has sometimes been called the world's most dangerous place. How can India and Pakistan manage nuclear risk so that danger doesn't become catastrophe? Round one of our debate opens.
 
 
Michael L. Gross, D.Canetti, D.R. Vashdi
 
When ordinary citizens think of cyber threats, most are probably worried about their passwords and banking details, not a terrorist attack. Yet terrorists aim for mental as well as physical destruction, and depending upon who the attackers and the victims are, the psychological effects of cyber threats can rival those of traditional terrorism. Subscription journal.
 
 
 
David Mabb
 
Submarines carrying nuclear weapons embody the fears of the atomic age. They are not where one expects to find fabrics created by a famous 19th century socialist designer.
 
 
What We're Reading
 
What We’re Reading is a new blog at the Bulletin featuring short posts about articles you’ll want to see. This week we look at reports that China already has a cyber superweapon in place that could exploit as many as 70 million personal computers worldwide; the growing threat from microbes that are more dangerous than cancer; how today’s weather patterns are unrecognizable, even to meteorologists; and whether Colin Powell is right in his claim that Israel has 200 nuclear weapons.
 
 
In Chicago in November? Come to the Bulletin’s annual dinner!
 
 
 
Monday, September 26, 2016
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. CDT
 
Join Julian Borger of The Guardian, as he moderates a conversation among experts  Suzanne DiMaggio, Mark Fitzpatrick, and Chung-in Moon about the implications of North Korea’s most recent nuclear test.
 
 
 
Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation invite proposals for analytical work on reducing the risks posed by nuclear materials.
 
 
We depend on your generosity to sustain a powerful network of editors, authors, advisors, and specialists to bridge the gap between science and policy. Please make a gift today through our new secure portal and amplify the voices of reason about issues that threaten our safety.
 
About the Bulletin
 
For more than 70 years the Bulletin has engaged science leaders, policy makers, and the interested public on topics of nuclear weapons and disarmament, the changing energy landscape, climate change, and emerging technologies.
Some images provided by Shutterstock. Receive this message as a forward? Click here to sign up for future mailings. To unsubscribe from ALL future emails from the Bulletin, please click the 'unsubscribe' button below.
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Fukushima Updates 9/22/16

Fukushima Updates 9/22/16

Pacific coastline radioactivity is peaking, but not hazardous… The number of “farm inns” near the F. Daiichi’s evacuation zone is increasing… Namie cattle are now being used to study the effects of low-level radiation exposure… F. Daiichi staff prevents groundwater overflow caused by Typhoon Malakas from reaching the sea… Tokyo forms another Tepco reorganization and management committee. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/117546/117546-6184794664663597060

16th leak-prone waste tank at Hanford emptied | Tri-City Herald

16th leak-prone waste tank at Hanford emptied | Tri-City Herald

Visit Hanford's nuclear processing facilities, virtually

Visit Hanford's nuclear processing facilities, virtually


http://keprtv.com/news/local/visit-hanfords-nuclear-processing-facilities-virtually

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Nuclear energy costs in China, USA and Europe

Nuclear energy costs in China, USA and Europe


http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/09/nuclear-energy-costs-in-china-usa-and.html

Oversight Committee Holds Clinton IT Aide In Contempt Of Congress - "Subpoenas Are Not Optional" | Zero Hedge

Oversight Committee Holds Clinton IT Aide In Contempt Of Congress - "Subpoenas Are Not Optional" | Zero Hedge

UK Stable Molten Salt Reactor Design


UK Stable Molten Salt Reactor Design


http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/09/uk-stable-molten-salt-reactor-design.html

EPA Plans to Allow Unlimited Dumping of Fracking Wastewater in the Gulf of Mexico

EPA Plans to Allow Unlimited Dumping of Fracking Wastewater in the Gulf of Mexico

Department of Energy Task Force Backs Environmental Progress Call to Save Nuclear Power Plants With Temporary Subsidy

Department of Energy Task Force Backs Environmental Progress Call to Save Nuclear Power Plants With Temporary Subsidy



http://www.environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2016/9/22/department-of-energy-task-force-backs-environmental-progress-call-to-save-nuclear-power-plants-with-subsidy-equal-to-that-received-by-wind

Fukushima Updates 9/22/16

Fukushima Updates 9/22/16

Pacific coastline radioactivity is peaking, but not hazardous… The number of “farm inns” near the F. Daiichi’s evacuation zone is increasing… Namie cattle are now being used to study the effects of low-level radiation exposure… F. Daiichi staff prevents groundwater overflow caused by Typhoon Malakas from reaching the sea… Tokyo forms another Tepco reorganization and management committee.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html

Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market Worth 8.55 Billion USD by 2021 - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

Nuclear Decommissioning Services Market Worth 8.55 Billion USD by 2021 - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

EESC European Economic and Social Committee : urges the EU to adopt a more comprehensive nuclear strategy (PINC)

EESC European Economic and Social Committee : urges the EU to adopt a more comprehensive nuclear strategy (PINC)

Nuclear Energy: Reporters get rare look at SC nuke reactor project

Nuclear Energy: Reporters get rare look at SC nuke reactor project

Foreign capital approved for investment in Chinese nuclear projects - Global Times

Foreign capital approved for investment in Chinese nuclear projects - Global Times

EXCLUSIVE - India seeks loan from U.S. for nuclear reactors, snags remain | Reuters

EXCLUSIVE - India seeks loan from U.S. for nuclear reactors, snags remain | Reuters

Costly Japanese prototype nuclear reactor shuts down | E&T Magazine

Costly Japanese prototype nuclear reactor shuts down | E&T Magazine

Japan must rethink long-term nuclear power strategy- Nikkei Asian Review

Japan must rethink long-term nuclear power strategy- Nikkei Asian Review

Japan likely to scrap experimental nuclear power reactor | Science | AAAS

Japan likely to scrap experimental nuclear power reactor | Science | AAAS

India's Nuclear Power Sector Could Get Billions-Dollar Loan from U.S.

India's Nuclear Power Sector Could Get Billions-Dollar Loan from U.S.

Pipeline Shutdown Disrupts Gasoline Supply in the Southeast

Pipeline Shutdown Disrupts Gasoline Supply in the Southeast
http://www.theenergycollective.com/todayinenergy/2388523/pipeline-shutdown-disrupts-gasoline-supply-in-the-southeast

Nuking the Planet

Nuking the Planet:  I’m sure you remember Barack Obama, the guy who entered the Oval Office pledging to work toward “a nuclear-free world.”  You know, the president who traveled to Prague in 2009 to say stirringly: “So today, I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons... To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same.” That same year, he was awarded the Nobel Prize largely for what he might still do, particularly in the nuclear realm.  Of course, that was all so 2009!
Almost two terms in the Oval Office later, our peace president, the only one who has ever called for nuclear “abolition” -- and whose administration has retired fewer weapons in our nuclear arsenal than any other in the post-Cold War era -- is now presiding over the early stages of a trillion-dollar modernization of that very arsenal.  (And that trillion-dollar price tag comes, of course, before the inevitable cost overruns even begin.)  It includes full-scale work on the creation of a “precision-guided” nuclear weapon with a “dial-back” lower yield option.  Such a weapon would potentially bring nukes to the battlefield in a first-use way, something the U.S. is proudly pioneering.
And that brings me to the September 6th front-page story in the New York Times that caught my eye.  Think of it as the icing on the Obama era nuclear cake.  Its headline: “Obama Unlikely to Vow No First Use of Nuclear Weapons.” Admittedly, if made, such a vow could be reversed by any future president. Still, reportedly for fear that a pledge not to initiate a nuclear war would “undermine allies and embolden Russia and China... while Russia is running practice bombing runs over Europe and China is expanding its reach in the South China Sea,” the president has backed down on issuing such a vow. In translation: the only country that has ever used such weaponry will remain on the record as ready and willing to do so again without nuclear provocation, an act that, it is now believed in Washington, would create a calmer planet.
You must be kidding!
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176189/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_war%2C_peace%2C_and_absurdity/#more

EM’s Idaho Site Crews Complete Buried Waste Cleanup Accomplishment

DOE Office of Environmental Management

EM News Flash | Sept. 22, 2016


p
An aerial view of the Idaho Site’s Radioactive Waste Management Complex.

EM’s Idaho Site Crews Complete Buried Waste Cleanup Accomplishment

IDAHO FALLS, IdahoEM’s Idaho Site program and contractor Fluor Idaho have completed a significant cleanup accomplishment that further protects the underlying Snake River Plain Aquifer, the primary drinking and irrigation water source for more than 300,000 Idahoans.
   Workers recently satisfied a provision of a 2008 agreement among the DOE, state of Idaho and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by packaging a total of 7,485 cubic meters of exhumed hazardous and radioactive waste generated at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons production plant near Denver and buried in Idaho in the 1950s and 1960s. The amount of waste exhumed is equivalent to nearly 36,000 55-gallon drums of material.
   Per the agreement, crews will continue to remove radioactive and hazardous waste from a combined area of 5.69 acres of the unlined 97-acre landfill called the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. To date, Fluor Idaho and two previous contractors have exhumed waste from 4.24 acres, and the project remains about two years ahead of schedule. Fluor Idaho will continue exhumation until all of the 5.69 acres are exhumed.
   Once exhumed, characterized and repackaged, the waste is shipped out of Idaho for disposal. Following completion of waste exhumation, a soil cap will be installed over the entire SDA.

p
Waste exhumation underway at EM's Idaho Site.

p
Targeted waste in a drum packaging station for visual examination.

   To complete the 2008 agreement between the DOE, state of Idaho the EPA, just two of nine different areas within the 97-acre SDA are left to be exhumed.
   The waste exhumation project, which began in 2005, targets removal of the highest concentrations of solvents and transuranic radionuclides, such as plutonium and americium, buried in the landfill.
   Currently, crews are 56 percent complete on the eighth area, and are working to remove hazardous and radioactive buried waste within a steel-framed, fabric-sided building. Waste exhumation in that building is expected to continue into 2017. Construction of the building over the ninth and final area within the SDA began in July of 2016 and should be complete in 2017.
   Waste exhumation will begin post-construction and is expected to be completed in 202

33 giant Chinese infrastructure projects that are reshaping the world


33 giant Chinese infrastructure projects that are reshaping the world


http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-infrastructure-projects-reshaping-the-world-2016-9?op=0#/#110-million-the-pingtang-telescope-was-finally-turned-on-in-september-of-2016-and-is-now-the-worlds-second-largest-radio-telescope-its-dish-measures-1640-feet-across-1

NRC Blog Update Election Year, the Hatch Act and NRC Employees


Election Year, the Hatch Act and NRC Employees

Eric Michel
Attorney
flagLike most Americans, the employees of the NRC are watching the 2016 elections and considering who to vote for in November. But unlike most Americans, there are a number of political activities which NRC employees – as part of the federal government – cannot do.
The prohibitions are contained in the Hatch Act, a law first passed in 1939. The act restricts executive branch employees in their actions related to partisan elections – and not just at work. The intent behind the restrictions is to maintain a politically neutral federal workforce, free from partisan influence or coercion.
As outlined in the NRC’s Management Directive 7.10, NRC employees cannot engage in political activity while on duty or while inside a federal building. They can’t wear a partisan political button, display a campaign sign in their office or use their government computer to send an email advocating for or against a partisan political candidate or political party.
Even while off duty, NRC employees cannot solicit or receive funds on behalf of a partisan candidate or political party. You also won’t find NRC employees on any ballot for a partisan election – that’s prohibited, too.
Activities most NRC employees are allowed to do on their own time includes:
  • Register and vote
  • Assist in voter registration drives
  • Contribute money to political organizations
  • Distribute campaign literature
  • Attend political rallies and fundraisers
  • Volunteer for a campaign
They can also run for office in a nonpartisan campaign, such as for a seat on a school board.
Career Senior Executive Service employees are under a few additional restrictions. Senate-confirmed Presidential appointees, such as the NRC Chairman and Commissioners, have their own specific rules.
Penalties can range from being reprimanded to being fired to being fined up to $1,000.
More information about what NRC and other federal government workers can and cannot do related to elections can be found here.

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Gordon Shearer has been active in the LNG industry for more than 25 years. He is a senior adviser with Poten & Partners, which he rejoined in 2015. From 2007 until 2013 he was CEO of Hess LNG (a joint venture of Hess Corporation and Poten & Partners).

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Kansai Electric Prepares to Enhance Takahama 1 and 2 | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Kansai Electric Prepares to Enhance Takahama 1 and 2 | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Monju May Face End | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Monju May Face End | ANS Nuclear Cafe

The Hidden Costs Of Obama’s Cheap Gas

The Hidden Costs Of Obama’s Cheap Gas

Hinkley C: The Shock of Faith in the Wrong Technology

Hinkley C: The Shock of Faith in the Wrong Technology

End to breeder reactor, plutonium pile-up are twin problems for Japan's reprocessing policy | The Japan Times

End to breeder reactor, plutonium pile-up are twin problems for Japan's reprocessing policy | The Japan Times

Panel votes to extend nuclear power tax credit | TheHill

Panel votes to extend nuclear power tax credit | TheHill

Hillary Clinton Says She Supports Nuclear Energy | National Review

Hillary Clinton Says She Supports Nuclear Energy | National Review

Vapor protections could put Hanford deadlines at risk | Tri-City Herald

Vapor protections could put Hanford deadlines at risk | Tri-City Herald

Climate change agreement crosses threshold

Climate change agreement crosses threshold
The Paris Climate Change Agreement crossed the first of two thresholds required for it to enter into force after 31 governments yesterday formally submitted their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/EE-Climate-change-agreement-crosses-threshold-2209167.html

The benefits of standardisation for nuclear projects

The benefits of standardisation for nuclear projects
The importance of standardisation in the evaluation of reactor designs is key to making nuclear power plant projects more efficient and cost-effective, Jerry Head, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy told delegates at the World Nuclear Association's 41st Annual Symposium in London last week. Head outlined seven areas where such an approach can bring harmony to the process of managing projects from the design licensing stage through to decommissioning.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-The-benefits-of-standardisation-for-nuclear-projects-22091601.html

Reactor restarts pivotal to Japan's energy policy, says IEA

Reactor restarts pivotal to Japan's energy policy, says IEA
The restart of Japan's nuclear power reactors is "critical" to the success of the country's energy policy, according to the International Energy Agency. However, it says nuclear power can only be restored provided that the highest safety standards can be met and public trust regained. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Reactor-restarts-pivotal-to-Japans-energy-policy-says-IEA-2209164.html

Join us tomorrow for #NuclearGoingForward

Nuclear Matters
Michele --
Mark your calendar! We’d like to invite you to tune into a livestream tomorrow starting at 8 a.m. EST.
Together with Nuclear Matters, Bloomberg BNA is hosting an event to discuss the clean energy benefits and value of nuclear power. Industry and policy experts will participate in a lively conversation on the questions facing the industry and the future of nuclear energy. Former EPA Administrator Carol Browner, a member of the Nuclear Matters Leadership Council, will be a panelist.
You can livestream the event here: https://vts.inxpo.com/Launch/QReg.htm?ShowKey=34619
Join the conversation on Twitter during and after the event by following @Nuclear_Matters and using the #NuclearGoingForward hashtag. We look forward to seeing your tweets!
For more information, visit the event page.

Regards,

Nuclear Matters
http://action.nuclearmatters.com/ Twitter Facebook

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

An Important Message from the American Nuclear Society

ANS - Connecting to the Nuclear World

An Important Message from the American Nuclear Society
 

As nuclear professionals, we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture.  We face an unprecedented number of premature nuclear plant closures for reasons that have nothing to do with their safety or performance.  However, we are also witnessing intense interest in the design and development of advanced reactor systems.  Even environmentalists who previously opposed nuclear energy are taking notice of this promising technology.

In these turbulent times, it is critically important that the American Nuclear Society continues to speak out on behalf of the entire nuclear community. Since ANS is not aligned with any particular industry or other segment of the nuclear community, we have the unique position of speaking as an independent technical voice that is highly respected and influential in the public policy area.  Every day, ANS works with the Congress, Executive Branch, and state governments to advance forward thinking, technically informed policies in a variety of areas, including:
  • The importance of a robust nuclear research and development portfolio with support for next generation advanced reactor systems;
  • Strong federal stewardship  of university-based nuclear education programs to prepare the next generation of nuclear technologists and engineers;
  • The continued availability of radioactive isotopes for medicine, manufacturing, food irradiation, and medical sterilization;
  • Civilian nuclear technology export regulations designed to maintain U.S. competitiveness in global markets and influence over safety and nonproliferation norms;
  • Complete, unbiased information to state governments on policies that value nuclear power. 
In a political environment so dominated by messaging and spin, our policymakers need a clear-eyed assessment of technical issues and the unbiased, long-term view that ANS can provide.

But, we can’t do it alone. ANS is only as strong as its membership. To continue pursuing our common goals, we need your help.

Please join us on our vital mission to advance nuclear science and technology by becoming an ANS member. As a demonstration of our commitment, we are offering you free membership for the remainder of 2016.  We’ll also waive the $18 membership application fee.  ANS Membership also comes with substantial personal benefits including a free subscription to Nuclear News, our flagship magazine, member discounts on meeting registration, online store purchases, access to online mentoring and collaborating networks with fellow members, and much more. See http://www.ans.org/memberinfo.

Our strong and growing membership is vital to making our voices heard in the halls of Congress, the offices of federal agencies, and the chambers of state legislatures. Join us so that we can continue advancing nuclear policy and the tremendous benefits of nuclear science and technology. 
Join Now!
 
Enter discount code: DLFPF16 to receive your application fee waiver
and free membership through December.
Best regards,
 
Andy Klein
President
American Nuclear Society
 

Six Years in Two Minutes - Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Time Lapse Video - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Six Years in Two Minutes - Vogtle Units 3 & 4 Time Lapse Video - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

China To Build 60 New Nuclear Power Plants In Next Decade | The Daily Caller

China To Build 60 New Nuclear Power Plants In Next Decade | The Daily Caller

Recognition sought for nuclear's unique attributes

Recognition sought for nuclear's unique attributes
The economics and financing of nuclear power projects and the markets in which they operate was discussed last week by a high level panel at the World Nuclear Association's Annual Symposium. While some countries are investing in new nuclear capacity, some market conditions are forcing the closure of existing reactors, participants said. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Recognition-sought-for-nuclears-unique-attributes-2109164.html

Wind Battles Coal for Access to China’s Grid - IEEE Spectrum

Wind Battles Coal for Access to China’s Grid - IEEE Spectrum