Posted: 01 Jun 2012 11:26 PM PDT
The
Economist has a decent piece up about natural gas fracking, Shale gas:
Fracking great. I say only “decent” because it underplays the side
effects of fracking, like ground water contamination, the spread of
who-knows-what chemicals, etc., but it does end with this graf:
Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, June 2, 2012
House members slam Obama on Yucca Mountain policy
House members slam Obama on Yucca Mountain policy
The Hill (blog) - May 31, 2012
By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/31/12 08:57 PM ET Republicans and Democrats in
the House slammed the Obama administration's plan to close the nuclear
waste disposal site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, as both praised a bill
that would keep that site open, ...
Judge Losing Patience with Government on Nuclear Waste Fees
The BLT: Blog of Legal Times (blog) - Jun 1, 2012
Although there are no plans on the horizon for a new nuclear waste
repository to replace Yucca Mountain, the Department of Energy can
continue collecting fees from energy producers to pay for it - at least
for now. But in a sharply-worded opinion ...
Court rules on Nuclear Waste Fund payments
Power Engineering Magazine -
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on June
1, 2012, ruled that the Department of Energy (DOE) failed to justify
continued payments by consumers of electricity from nuclear power plants
into the Nuclear Waste Fund, ...
New reactor design forecasts future successes, challenges
New reactor design forecasts future successes, challenges
The Augusta Chronicle - 5 hours ago
By Rob Pavey Construction under way at the VC Summer nuclear plant in
Jenkinsville, SC, reveals reactors that look much the same as those at
Plant Vogtle. Regulators who detected nonconforming rebar at Vogtle
Nuclear Power Plant's expansion site didn't ...
China ends nuclear power moratorium
| China ends nuclear power moratorium UPI.com BEIJING, June 2 (UPI) -- China's cabinet said it had approved a nuclear energy plan that would allow for new nuclear projects after a year of putting industry progress on hold. China had suspended new work on any new nuclear projects in the aftermath ... |
Exaggerated myths about nuclear accidents CAUSE negative health effects Rod Adams
Exaggerated myths about nuclear accidents CAUSE negative health effects
http://atomicinsights.com/
Nuclear Industry Encouraged by EPA Cooling Water Intake Proposal
Nuclear Industry Encouraged by EPA Cooling Water Intake Proposal
WASHINGTON,
D.C., June 1, 2012—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
issued a notice of data availability (NODA) as a step toward a final
rule governing cooling water intake structures for U.S. thermal power
plants related to the protections of aquatic life.
Court of Appeals Rebukes DOE on Nuclear Waste Fund Fee
Appeals court hits DOE over nuclear waste fee
CBS News -
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court says the Energy Department did not
complete a review required to continue collecting $750 million a year
in fees from operators of nuclear power plants. Bu the US Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia did ...
Court of Appeals Rebukes DOE on Nuclear Waste Fund Fee
MarketWatch (press release) -
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The United States
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the Department
of Energy (DOE) failed to justify continued payments by consumers of
electricity from nuclear power plants ...
US Given Six Months to Justify Nuclear-Waste Fees
BusinessWeek -
By Tom Schoenberg on June 01, 2012 The US Energy Department must
justify the $750 million it collects annually from the atomic power
industry for waste disposal given that it no longer plans to develop a
depository at Yucca Mountain.
U.S. Given Six Months to Justify Nuclear-Waste Fees
Bloomberg - 1
The US Energy Department must justify the $750 million it collects
annually from the atomic power industry for waste disposal given that it
no longer plans to develop a depository at Yucca Mountain. A three
judge panel of the US Court of Appeals in ...
Yucca Mountain once again looked at to store nuclear waste
FoxReno.com -
The question of where to store nuclear waste has congress again looking
at Yucca Mountain. Two years ago federal regulators began moving away
from a plan to store spent nuclear fuel at the site. They were concerned
about the safety of shipping ...
Court rules on Nuclear Waste Fund payments
Power Engineering Magazine -
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on June
1, 2012, ruled that the Department of Energy (DOE) failed to justify
continued payments by consumers of electricity from nuclear power plants
into the Nuclear Waste Fund, ...
Judge Losing Patience with Government on Nuclear Waste Fees
The BLT: Blog of Legal Times (blog) -
Although there are no plans on the horizon for a new nuclear waste
repository to replace Yucca Mountain, the Department of Energy can
continue collecting fees from energy producers to pay for it - at least
for now. But in a sharply-worded opinion ...
US Given Six Months to Justify Nuclear-Waste Fees
| US Given Six Months to Justify Nuclear-Waste Fees BusinessWeek By Tom Schoenberg on June 01, 2012 The US Energy Department must justify the $750 million it collects annually from the atomic power industry for waste disposal given that it no longer plans to develop a depository at Yucca Mountain. |
| Judge Losing Patience with Government on Nuclear Waste Fees The BLT: Blog of Legal Times (blog) Although there are no plans on the horizon for a new nuclear waste repository to replace Yucca Mountain, the Department of Energy can continue collecting fees from energy producers to pay for it - at least for now. But in a sharply-worded opinion ... |
San Onofre: Still Dirty, Still Dangerous
San Onofre: Still Dirty, Still Dangerous
CounterPunch
San Onofre is still shut down. The lights are still on. But what happens next? The utility doesn't seem to be doing much of anything to prevent “rolling blackouts” in the San Diego area this summer, except quietly pressuring — or shall we say ...
CounterPunch
San Onofre is still shut down. The lights are still on. But what happens next? The utility doesn't seem to be doing much of anything to prevent “rolling blackouts” in the San Diego area this summer, except quietly pressuring — or shall we say ...
Public acceptance – what holds back the nuclear industry?
| Public acceptance – what holds back the nuclear industry? |
| 01 June 2012 |
http://www.neimagazine.com/
Friday, June 1, 2012
Previously-Secret 1955 Government Report Concluded that Ocean May Not Adequately Dilute Radiation from Nuclear Accidents
Previously-Secret 1955 Government Report Concluded that Ocean May Not Adequately Dilute Radiation from Nuclear Accidents
The operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant has been dumping something like a thousand tons per day of radioactive water into the Pacific ocean.Remember, the reactors are “riddled with meltdown holes”, building 4 – with more radiation than all nuclear bombs ever dropped or tested – is missing entire walls, and building 3 is a pile of rubble.
The whole complex is leaking like a sieve, and the rivers of water pumped into the reactors every day are just pouring into the ocean (with only a slight delay).
Most people assume that the ocean will dilute the radiation from Fukushima enough that any radiation reaching the West Coast of the U.S. will be low.
For example, the Congressional Research Service wrote in April:
Scientists have stated that radiation in the ocean very quickly becomes diluted and would not be a problem beyond the coast of Japan.And a Woods Hole oceanographer said:
***
U.S. fisheries are unlikely to be affected because radioactive material that enters the marine environment would be greatly diluted before reaching U.S. fishing grounds.
“The Kuroshio current is considered like the Gulf Stream of the Pacific, a very large current that can rapidly carry the radioactivity into the interior” of the ocean, Buesseler said.But – just as we noted 2 days after the earthquake hit that the jet stream might carry radiation to the U.S. by wind – we are now warning that ocean currents might carry more radiation to the at least some portions of the West Coast of North America than is assumed.
“But it also dilutes along the way, causing a lot of mixing and decreasing radioactivity as it moves offshore.”
The Cost of an Incoherent Energy Policy
The Cost of an Incoherent Energy Policy
Terry McAuliffe, Virginian Pilot
The recent decision by Gamesa to cancel installation of an offshore wind turbine prototype along Virginia's coast is the latest indication that the U.S. is falling behind on renewable energy. . .
The recent decision by Gamesa to cancel installation of an offshore wind turbine prototype along Virginia's coast is the latest indication that the U.S. is falling behind on renewable energy. . .
Replacing Coal w/ Nat Gas Still Bad For Climate Crises
Replacing Coal w/ Nat Gas Still Bad For Climate Crises
Mijin Cha, Demos
As natural gas becomes more affordable, power plants are switching over from coal to save money. Since last March, power plants increased their natural gas use by 40 percent. Over the same time period, coal use fell to 57.6 million tons. . .
As natural gas becomes more affordable, power plants are switching over from coal to save money. Since last March, power plants increased their natural gas use by 40 percent. Over the same time period, coal use fell to 57.6 million tons. . .
Is There a UK Nuclear Power Plan B?
Is There a UK Nuclear Power Plan B?
Damian Carrington, Guardian
Is the government conducting contingency planning for a scenario in which no new nuclear plants are commissioned in the UK in next few years? . .
Is the government conducting contingency planning for a scenario in which no new nuclear plants are commissioned in the UK in next few years? . .
Who Will Pay for Nuke Plants' $8.3B Loan?
Who Will Pay for Nuke Plants' $8.3B Loan?
Merrill Goozner, Fiscal Times
The builders of the first new U.S. nuclear power plant in more than a generation "“ barely under construction but already over budget "“ are nearing an agreement with the Department of Energy for a massive federal loan. . .
The builders of the first new U.S. nuclear power plant in more than a generation "“ barely under construction but already over budget "“ are nearing an agreement with the Department of Energy for a massive federal loan. . .
Carbon Dioxide Now at Troubline New Milestone of 400 PPM
Posted: 01 Jun 2012 05:31 AM PDT
Rebecca
Leber reports that “the world’s air has reached what scientists call a
troubling new milestone for carbon dioxide, the main global warming
pollutant.”
Shale gas 'golden rules; from the IEA - will enough of the industry engage? And how?
Posted: 01 Jun 2012 06:05 AM PDT
Lest
there be any doubt, the call for understandable rules, regulations and
disclosure requirements for the hydraulic fracturing of unconventional
natural gas (aka fracking) from shale deposits deep underground is
gaining steam not just in the U.S. but throughout much of the
industrialized world.
Millstone Power Station, Connecticut Nuclear Plant, To Look at Flood
| Millstone Power Station, Connecticut Nuclear Plant, To Look At Flood ... Huffington Post (AP) — Millstone Power Station, Connecticut's sole nuclear plant, is focusing on how best to guard against flooding and earthquakes to comply with tougher federal standards following the nuclear plant meltdown in Japan last year, the new chief of the ... |
NRC to finalize nuclear safety guidelines in August
NRC to finalize nuclear safety guidelines in August
Reuters
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has drafted several guidelines to ensure proper implementation of three orders the agency issued to nuclear power plants in March, in response to lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March ...
Reuters
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has drafted several guidelines to ensure proper implementation of three orders the agency issued to nuclear power plants in March, in response to lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March ...
Scientist Nominated To Lead NRC Has Livermore Connection
| Scientist Nominated To Lead NRC Has Livermore Connections Livermore Independent A scientist with connections to Livermore has been nominated to head the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Allison MacFarlane, a nuclear waste expert, was nominated by President Obama last week to serve out the remainder of the term of Gregory ... |
PennEnergy: This Week's Most Popular Oil & Gas News
This Week's Most Popular Oil & Gas News
• Editor's picks: May's Top Ten in Petroleum
• Statoil Iraq oil field exit process completed
• Major U.K. refinery to shut down
• BP lifts Force Majeure on Libyan oil exploration
• IEA sees growth for natural gas under new standards
• Oil well begins drilling for Strongbow Resources
• North Sea oil leak prompts internal investigation
• DECC releases statement on Coryton refinery
• API calls EPA "out of touch with reality"
• Nord Stream's second pipeline sections to be joined together underwater
• Shell plans sale of Canadian oil sands project
• Editor's picks: May's Top Ten in Petroleum
• Statoil Iraq oil field exit process completed
• Major U.K. refinery to shut down
• BP lifts Force Majeure on Libyan oil exploration
• IEA sees growth for natural gas under new standards
• Oil well begins drilling for Strongbow Resources
• North Sea oil leak prompts internal investigation
• DECC releases statement on Coryton refinery
• API calls EPA "out of touch with reality"
• Nord Stream's second pipeline sections to be joined together underwater
• Shell plans sale of Canadian oil sands project
Human Capital - Private Equity Activity in the US Oil & Gas Industry
Human Capital - Private Equity Activity in the US Oil & Gas Industry
Confidence in North America’s oil and gas industry continues to gain momentum and the amount of financial backing the industry is receiving is proof. The first quarter of 2012 showed the highest amount of private equity interest in 20 years.
Full Article
Confidence in North America’s oil and gas industry continues to gain momentum and the amount of financial backing the industry is receiving is proof. The first quarter of 2012 showed the highest amount of private equity interest in 20 years.
Full Article
China plans crude oil futures
China plans crude oil futures
China, the second-largest consumer of oil in the world, could soon launch a crude oil futures contract that could be accessible to international investors, according to Reuters.
Full Article
China, the second-largest consumer of oil in the world, could soon launch a crude oil futures contract that could be accessible to international investors, according to Reuters.
Full Article
News from Canada on reactor licensing including SMRs
News from Canada on reactor licensing including SMRs
The Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission has finally documented its pre-licensing "Vendor Design
Review" process in a regulatory guide, GD-385, which is now posted at
the following link:
http://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/readingroom/infobulletins/view_bulletin.cfm?bulletin_id=290
http://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/readingroom/infobulletins/view_bulletin.cfm?bulletin_id=290
Tokyo Electric Power Company's Radiation Lies
| Tokyo Electric Power Company's Radioactive Lies Dissident Voice ... Company (Tepco) to tell the truth about the status of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) or is Tepco really “Tipco,” a company based on shaky practices that now claims their radioactive storage building won't tip over in another earthquake? |
China Energy Update 5/31
| Yingli Green Energy and US Soccer Bring the Power of Solar and the Power of ... MarketWatch (press release) BAODING, China and WASHINGTON, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE:YGE) ("Yingli Green Energy" or the "Company"), a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated ... | ||
| ||
| Commentary: US, China renewable energy trade war continues Digitimes The report stated that the US imported about US$222 million worth of China-made wind towers in 2011. Wind and solar power are clean and renewable energy sources that can help the US lower its dependencies on crude oil or nuclear. | ||
| Oil Falls On Fresh Signs Of Global Slowdown NPR Sobering economic news from China and Europe also contributed to the drop. West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for oil in the US, fell $3.30, or 3.7 percent, to $83.23 per barrel, the lowest price since early October. The drop adds to a 17 percent ... | ||
| Preliminary Victory for US Wind Turbine Tower Manufacturers in China Trade Case CleanTechnica The Commerce Dept. preliminarily affirmed its determination that China's subsidizing its wind tower turbine manufacturers violates international WTO trade rules. The preliminary ruling carries with it countervailing duties (CVDs) that range from ... | ||
| China-Bound Crude Shipments Seen Falling 13% This Week Bloomberg About 12 percent of the fleet of the largest oil tankers signaling future destinations is bound for China, the world's biggest energy consumer. The ships would haul about 115.6 million barrels of oil, assuming a conversion factor of 7.33 barrels a ton. | ||
| China could restart nuclear power programme Bangkok Post Energy-hungry China could restart its nuclear projects, suspended after Japan's Fukushima disaster in March last year, while new safety standards have been adopted in active plants, the government said. A view of a nuclear power plant as seen through ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Shares of energy firms fall on dismal jobs report CBS News At the same time, Europe is embedded in a financial crisis and China's government is working to prevent its economic growth from slowing too quickly. Oil and natural gas prices fell sharply on the commodities markets after the report was released. |
No Blue Fin Tuna Radiation Health Concerns
No Blue Fin Tuna Radiation Health Concerns
Within the past week there have been a number of reports about trace levels of radioactive Cesium found in blue fin tuna off the coast of California. Given the sophistication of detection equipment, the particles have been traced from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. There's no cause for concern as the radiation levels are minute and, in fact, less than radiation naturally found in the Pacific Ocean. Read more
Within the past week there have been a number of reports about trace levels of radioactive Cesium found in blue fin tuna off the coast of California. Given the sophistication of detection equipment, the particles have been traced from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. There's no cause for concern as the radiation levels are minute and, in fact, less than radiation naturally found in the Pacific Ocean. Read more
Chubu Electric to develop research hub at nuclear plant
Chubu Electric to develop research hub at nuclear plant
Chubu Electric Power will establish a research hub at its Hamoaka nuclear plant in Japan. The center will concentrate on enhancing the operations of units 3, 4 and 5 and promoting the safe decommissioning of units 1 and 2, the company said. The Mainichi (Japan)/Kyodo News (6/1)
Chubu Electric Power will establish a research hub at its Hamoaka nuclear plant in Japan. The center will concentrate on enhancing the operations of units 3, 4 and 5 and promoting the safe decommissioning of units 1 and 2, the company said. The Mainichi (Japan)/Kyodo News (6/1)
Russia signs nuclear construction deal with Belarus
Russia signs nuclear construction deal with Belarus
Russia has signed a deal to help Belarus build a nuclear plant, said Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Rosatom. The company's Atomstroyexport unit will construct the plant, which will consist of two 1,200-megawatt reactors. Russia will direct $204 million for the project's initial construction phase, Kiriyenko said. RIA Novosti (Russia) (5/31)![]()
Russia has signed a deal to help Belarus build a nuclear plant, said Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Rosatom. The company's Atomstroyexport unit will construct the plant, which will consist of two 1,200-megawatt reactors. Russia will direct $204 million for the project's initial construction phase, Kiriyenko said. RIA Novosti (Russia) (5/31)
House lawmakers laud bill to help revive Nevada repository
Several House lawmakers praised a measure that would revive the Yucca Mountain repository project in Nevada and criticized the Obama administration for the project's termination. A provision in the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes $25 million for the project, which would keep the site active in the long term, said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. "This will ensure that we keep Congress in the driver's seat for nuclear waste policy," he said. The Hill/Floor Action blog (5/31)
Proposed N.M. deconversion facility clears NRC safety study
Proposed N.M. deconversion facility clears NRC safety study
International Isotopes' proposed uranium deconversion facility in New Mexico won't place the health and safety of its workers and the public at risk, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's final safety evaluation report. "The NRC approval of the [Safety Evaluation Report] is certainly a major milestone in the company’s efforts to license and construct the first-ever 'green' depleted uranium deconversion and fluorine extraction processing facility in the U.S.," said Steve Laflin, the company's president and CEO. American City Business Journals/Albuquerque, N.M. (5/31)
International Isotopes' proposed uranium deconversion facility in New Mexico won't place the health and safety of its workers and the public at risk, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's final safety evaluation report. "The NRC approval of the [Safety Evaluation Report] is certainly a major milestone in the company’s efforts to license and construct the first-ever 'green' depleted uranium deconversion and fluorine extraction processing facility in the U.S.," said Steve Laflin, the company's president and CEO. American City Business Journals/Albuquerque, N.M. (5/31)
NRC offers no firm schedule for Neb. plant's restart
NRC offers no firm schedule for Neb. plant's restart
There is no solid schedule for the restart of the Omaha Public Power District's Fort Calhoun nuclear plant in Nebraska, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The plant has been offline because of flooding nearby and safety concerns. OPPD hopes to resume operations there in September but says it will alter the schedule if more issues are discovered. OPPD's president and CEO, Gary Gates, noted clear progress at the facility. Canadian Business/The Associated Press
There is no solid schedule for the restart of the Omaha Public Power District's Fort Calhoun nuclear plant in Nebraska, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The plant has been offline because of flooding nearby and safety concerns. OPPD hopes to resume operations there in September but says it will alter the schedule if more issues are discovered. OPPD's president and CEO, Gary Gates, noted clear progress at the facility. Canadian Business/The Associated Press
ANS Update: How the laws of physics constrain our sustainable energy options
How the laws of physics constrain our sustainable energy options
By pbowersox on Jun 01, 2012 01:00 amWhat is life going to be like after fossil fuels? Professor David MacKay, chief scientific adviser to the Department of Climate Change in the United Kingdom, takes a pro-arithmetic view of the future of sustainable energy in this very interesting and … Continue reading →
Read in browser »
VIDEO: Planned Outages at Diablo Canyon Provide Economic Benefit for Coastal Communities
VIDEO: Planned Outages at Diablo Canyon Provide Economic Benefit for Coastal Communities
http://www.pgecurrents.com/
"NRC Public Meeting in Brattleboro: The Politics of Intimidation"
"NRC Public Meeting in Brattleboro: The Politics of Intimidation"
Meredith Angwin at the ANS Nuclear Cafe gives a first-hand account of her experience at a recent Nuclear Regulatory Commission annual review public meeting held in Vermont.
The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant received the highest safety ratings, but that did not turn out to be the focus of the meeting -- to put it mildly.
http://ansnuclearcafe.org/
Generation mPower ramps up reactor operations
Generation mPower ramps up reactor operations
Charlotte Business Journal
Things are moving fast at Generation mPower, the joint venture The Babcock & Wilcox Co. set up in Charlotte with Bechtel Corp. to market and build B&W's 180-megawatt small modular nuclear reactor. B&W announced the venture a year ago.
Charlotte Business Journal
Things are moving fast at Generation mPower, the joint venture The Babcock & Wilcox Co. set up in Charlotte with Bechtel Corp. to market and build B&W's 180-megawatt small modular nuclear reactor. B&W announced the venture a year ago.
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