Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, July 7, 2012

The everyday denial of climate change

The everyday denial of climate change

For nearly three decades, natural and physical scientists have provided increasingly clear and dire assessments of the alteration in the biophysical world. Yet despite these urgent warnings, human social and political response to ecological degradation remains wholly inadequate. While apathy in the United States is particularly notable, this gap between the severity of the problem and its lack of public salience is visible in most Western nations. As scientific evidence for climate change pours in, public urgency and even interest in the issue fails to correspond.

Forbidden Science: Low Level Radiation and Cancer

Forbidden Science: Low Level Radiation and Cancer

Some things are hard to believe. What you've been told about low-level radiation by the people who are supposed to be responsible authorities is very wrong. The evidence that the official story is wrong is overwhelming

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Indiant Point Nuclear Generating Units 2 and 3


Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Indian Point Nuclear Generating, Units 2 and 3
Power Engineering Magazine
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is issuing for public comment a draft supplement to Supplement 38 to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS), NUREG-1437, ...

Areva confirms joint bid with China's CGNPC for UK's Horizon

Areva confirms joint bid with China's CGNPC for UK's Horizon
Reuters
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, July 7 (Reuters) - French nucleargroup Areva will make a joint bid with China Guangdong NuclearPower Corporation Holding (CGNPC) for the UK's 6-gigawattHorizon project,

Nuclear power safest among conventional options: DAE


Nuclear power safest among conventional options: DAE
IBNLive.com
Vadodara, Jul 7 (PTI) Making a strong pitch for nuclear energy, the Department of Atomic Energy today said nuclear power is the.

The Nuclear Power Conundrum


The Nuclear Power Conundrum
Huffington Post (blog)
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, located in the very populous corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego, has been shuttered since January after it was discovered that damage to the steam tubes that carry radioactive water had led to a small ...

Nuclear power at record levels, despite Fukushima disaster


Nuclear power at record levels, despite Fukushima disaster
Power Engineering Magazine
Sixteen months after the nuclear disaster in Japan, electricity generation from nuclear power worldwide has reached record levels, with a reactor construction boom likely to push those levels steadily higher. รข€�?Fukushima has delayed nuclear ...

Tentative agreement reached in contract for Plymouth power plant


Tentative agreement reached in contract for Plymouth power plant; vote set for ...
Boston.com
Union representatives and company officials at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth reached a tentative agreement Friday night on a four-year contract. That agreement will be brought to members of Local 369 of the Utility Workers Union of America ...

Broken Crystal River nuclear plant is Duke Energy's problem now

Broken Crystal River nuclear plant is Duke Energy's problem now
Tampabay.com
Some speculate the broken Crystal River plant is behind an abrupt power shuffle at the top. It was a marriage proposal made in utility heaven: Progress Energy and Duke Energy joining to form the nation's biggest power company.

How Tepco glossed over Fukushima's vulnerability

How Tepco glossed over Fukushima's vulnerability
BBC News
The devastating conclusion that Japan's Fukushima nuclear meltdown was an accident waiting to happen has grabbed the headlines. But the investigation has also unearthed worrying questions about the catastrophe and its human cost that deserve attention ...



EDITORIAL: Diet panel's report should prompt safety review of all nuclear plants

Asahi Shimbun - ‎16 hours ago‎
The Diet panel set up to look into the Fukushima nuclear crisis has concluded that the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was a "man-made disaster." We share the panel's view that the most fundamental factors behind the disaster were ...
 

The Nuclear Power Conundrum

Huffington Post (blog) - ‎Jul 6, 2012‎
Earthquakes are a fairly common occurrence in Japan, and so, if the earthquake was indeed the cause of the accident, it would call into question the safety of much of Japan's nuclear fleet, including, presumably, the reactors at the Ohi plant. 
 

Fukushima report hides behind the cultural curtain

The Hindu - ‎Jul 6, 2012‎
More than a year after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear accident independent investigation commission released an 88-page report this week delivering the indictment that Fukushima could not be ...
 

FINAL REPORT (3) : 80% of evacuees did not know about Fukushima crisis on 3/11

Asahi Shimbun - ‎Jul 6, 2012‎
More than eight out of 10 people in the evacuation zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant had no idea there was anything wrong on March 11, 2011, according to the Diet investigation into the accident. As the reactors at the plant went out ...
 

Rules for selecting members of new nuclear regulatory organization decided

eco-business.com - ‎Jul 6, 2012‎
By : The Denki Shimbun The Japanese government decided on July 3 rules for selecting the members of the new “nuclear regulatory commission” to be established by September. A qualified candidate shall not have worked for a nuclear operator or group in ...
 
 
 
 

China Energy Update 7/7


Restructuring economy amid slowdown
China Daily
BEIJING - The amount of photovoltaic capacity installed in China will reach 21 gigawatts by 2015, four times more than that in the government's initial plan, local media reported citing sources from the National Energy Administration. Although the ...
Brent crude prices slide under $100 for a barrel [Times of Oman]
Equities.com
"The latest round of news of central banks in Europe and China cutting rates actually raised concerns about the European and Chinese economies," said Victor Shum, senior principal of Purvin and Gertz energy consultants in Singapore. Concerns about ...
Harvard-Nanjing study releases 'bottom up' estimates of China's CO2 emissions
Newstrack India
The Harvard-Nanjing study constructs a "bottom-up" emission inventory that is specific to China's energy and technology mix and combines the results of Chinese field studies of CO2 emissions from diverse combustion processes with a plant-by-plant data ...
Oil prices plummet
Business Recorder (blog)
"With the economies of China and Europe also weakening, this spells lower global demand for energy." The disappointing jobs report kept intact hopes that the US Federal Reserve will move to bolster a sputtering economy. Adding to the bearish tone, the ...
'China Has Business Opportunities But Not Jobs'
Red Pepper
China's increased interest in Uganda's key industries such as oil and energy places his mission as the most vital link between Uganda and Foreign Direct Investments from Asia. During his seven-year tenure, the trade volume between Uganda and China has ...
 

Estimate of China emission said best yet

UPI.com - ‎Jul 6, 2012‎
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 6 (UPI) -- US and Chinese researchers say they've complete the first-ever "bottom up" estimates of China's CO2 emissions, measured both at sources and in the air. Atmospheric scientists from Harvard University and Nanjing ...

How much Co2 is China really releasing into atmosphere?

ScienceBlog.com (blog) - ‎Jul 6, 2012‎
Atmospheric scientists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Nanjing University have produced the first “bottom-up” estimates of China's carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, for 2005 to 2009, and the first statistically ...
 
 

ANS Update: 7/7 112th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers

112th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers

By dyurman on Jul 07, 2012 08:03 am

The 112th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers is up at Atomic Insights The Carnival is the collective voice of blogs by legendary names that emerge each week to tell the story of nuclear energy. If you want to hear the … Continue reading
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INPO-WANO News Update 7/7

INPO - WANO News and Report



NNSA developing new analysis for illicit nuclear materials

NNSA developing new analysis for illicit nuclear materials
Government Security News
The agency charged with security of U.S. nuclear materials and international non-proliferation efforts said it is developing a more efficient technique to detect illicit and potentially dangerous highly enriched uranium (HEU) in refinement processes.
See all stories on this topic »

Engineers Question Whether They Should Fix San Onofre

Engineers Question Whether They Should Fix San Onofre | San ...
Engineers at the damaged San Onofre plant north of San Diego face an uphill battle as they seek a fix for unprecedented decay in generator tubes that has kept ...
www.sandiego6.com/.../Engineers-Question-Whether-They-Sh...

 San Onofre: Are Repair Costs Worth It?
San Diego Reader (blog)
Davis' California Nuclear Initiative group says that the Office's assessment contains “unsubstantiated, false and misleading statements,” including claims that closing nuclear facilities at San Onofre in northern San Diego and Diablo Canyon on the ...
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US science official says more extreme events convincing many Americans climate change is real

US science official says more extreme events convincing many Americans climate change is real



http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/us-climate-official-says-more-extreme-events-convincing-many-americans-climate-change-is-real/2012/07/06/gJQAHNZ5QW_story.html?tid=wp_ipad

Hope Is Not Enough; The Path to Waste Confidence

Hope Is Not Enough: The Path to Waste Confidence
Heritage.org (blog)
From Yucca Mountain to reactor design certifications and post-Fukushima reforms, incoming Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chair Allison Macfarlane has a multitude of issues before her. One of the most critical and least understood is the “waste ...

The Thorium Molten Salt Reactor: Why Didn't This Happen

The Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor: Why Didn't This Happen (and why ...
Google Tech Talk December 16, 2011 Presented by Kirk Sorensen.
workfromhome.reviewila.com/the-thorium-molten-salt-reactor...

Friday, July 6, 2012

Safety certification and reactor brands

Safety certification and reactor brands

Does having a nuclear reactor design certified by the NRC, or any other country, help or hinder access to markets?


When two German nuclear utilities announced they were pulling out of the Horizon project to build up to 6 GWe of nuclear reactors at two sites in theUK, it set off a scramble among other vendors to invest in the project.

Unlike buying a car, you can't just decide that if you don't want an Audi or BMW, that you can just walk over to the Nissan lot to look at Infiniti models. Ordering a nuclear reactor is a bit more complicated and you can't just drive one off the lot.

Japan will probably restart most nuclear reactors during 2013 and China accelerating shift to Gen III Nuclear reactors

Japan will probably restart most nuclear reactors during 2013 and China accelerating shift to Gen III Nuclear reactors

1. Japan's top utility Tokyo Electric Power Co aims to gradually restart the nuclear reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant starting from April 2013, to curb fossil fuel costs.

NRC Board Set to Examine Commercial Laser-Enrichment Plant Proposal

NRC Board Set to Examine Commercial Laser-Enrichment Plant Proposal

Laser isotope separation equipment. A U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission panel is scheduled next week to hold a final, closed hearing on a proposal to establish a nuclear fuel production facility incorporating a laser-based enrichment technology that has raised proliferation concerns (U.S. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory photo). A controversial proposal to establish a commercial laser-enrichment facility in North Carolina will be heard at a final hearing next week by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Nature magazine reported (see GSN, May 24).
Atomic energy giant GE-Hitachi is promoting its laser-enrichment technology as a less costly and less energy-intensive process for enriching uranium to fuel atomic energy reactors.
The NRC board is expected in September to decide whether to issue a permit for the country's first laser-enrichment plant in Wilmington, N.C. Projections are that approval will be granted, according to the scientific magazine.

Debate in US and Europe over the next 1% of new power generation is not that relevant

Debate in US and Europe over the next 1% of new power generation is not that relevant

William Tucker talks about what he sees as the global warming cult versus the nuclear cult.

Much of the debate in North America and Europe ends up being how much should government subsidize wind and solar or push for another few nuclear plants. This is debating what next the 1% per year (10% for a decade) of power generation should be ? Whether that is more wind, solar or nuclear or natural gas is not that relevant.

Report Blames Japanese Government for Nuclear Meltdown

Report Blames Japanese Government for Nuclear Meltdown



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Nv8jaCRYs

$26 A Gallon for Biofuel - Is the Navy Paying too Much to be Green?

$26 A Gallon for Biofuel - Is the Navy Paying too Much to be Green?

At the current RIMPAC, the world’s largest international naval exercise, the US are testing the use of biofuel as part of their plan to ‘green the fleet’ by 2016. The USNS Henry J. Kaiser is carrying 900,000 gallons of biofuel/petroleum mix; 700,000 in the form of hydro-treated renewable diesel fuel, and 200,000 gallons of hydro-treated renewable aviation fuel. The biofuel has been developed from waste cooking oil and algae oil, and cost a staggering $26 a gallon. Republicans in Washington are not happy.The Navy released a statement…Read more...

Energy Development Could Hold the Key for America's Unemployed Masses

Energy Development Could Hold the Key for America's Unemployed Masses

“For many American families, struggling to make ends meet in the jobless recovery, energy development is an answer to a prayer. The fact that the oil and gas boom has been done without taxpayer subsidies—and despite reactionary public policies at the federal level and in some states (such as New York)—means that more economic opportunity is on tap.”In this so-called “jobless” recovery, aka the Great Recession, an estimated 20 million American workers are unemployed or underemployed. One out of every two college…Read more...

Restarting One Nuclear Plant Cuts Fossil Fuel Consumption / About 60,000 Barrels of Crude Oil a Day by James Business Week reports that the turning on of the two reactors at Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui could prevent Japan from burning about 60,000 barrels of crude oil a day: “Theoretically, the restart of the two reactors at Ohi plant would reduce Kansai Electric’s crude-oil requirement roughly by 60,000 barrels a day,” Osamu Fujisawa, an independent oil economist in Tokyo who worked for Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (5002), said in a telephone interview yesterday. Kansai Electric used 510,000 kiloliters of crude in May, or about 103,000 barrels a day. Kansai’s two 1,180-megawatt reactors at its Ohi plant northeast of Osaka will be fully operational this month, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters today in Tokyo. That ends a two-month period when all the country’s 50 reactors were offline for safety checks following the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. Without atomic power, Kansai’s output may fall 14.9 percent short of peak demand in a heat wave similar to the one in 2010, a government panel said in May. Turning some of the nuclear plants back online could also reduce Japan’s souring consumption of imported natural gas: LNG consumption in the country has grown since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011, which saw nuclear power in the country switched off. In 2010, LNG demand was 69.8 million mt/year and increased to 80.1 million mt/year in 2011. Restarting nuclear remains key to future LNG demand in Japan. LNG consumption levels are projected to be lower if existing nuclear power stations are restarted from 2013 and aging reactors decommissioned after 40 years. By 2013, LNG demand could drop to 73.6 million mt/year — versus 83.3 million mt/year if nuclear is not restarted — and by 2020 reach 81.2 million mt/year, the report said. However, Reuters has talked to an expert with a pretty pessimistic assessment of the future of nuclear energy in Japan:

Restarting One Nuclear Plant Cuts Fossil Fuel Consumption / About 60,000 Barrels of Crude Oil a Day

Business Week reports that the turning on of the two reactors at Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui could prevent Japan from burning about 60,000 barrels of crude oil a day:
“Theoretically, the restart of the two reactors at Ohi plant would reduce Kansai Electric’s crude-oil requirement roughly by 60,000 barrels a day,” Osamu Fujisawa, an independent oil economist in Tokyo who worked for Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (5002), said in a telephone interview yesterday. Kansai Electric used 510,000 kiloliters of crude in May, or about 103,000 barrels a day.
Kansai’s two 1,180-megawatt reactors at its Ohi plant northeast of Osaka will be fully operational this month, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters today in Tokyo. That ends a two-month period when all the country’s 50 reactors were offline for safety checks following the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. Without atomic power, Kansai’s output may fall 14.9 percent short of peak demand in a heat wave similar to the one in 2010, a government panel said in May.
Turning some of the nuclear plants back online could also reduce Japan’s souring consumption of imported natural gas:
LNG consumption in the country has grown since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011, which saw nuclear power in the country switched off. In 2010, LNG demand was 69.8 million mt/year and increased to 80.1 million mt/year in 2011.
Restarting nuclear remains key to future LNG demand in Japan. LNG consumption levels are projected to be lower if existing nuclear power stations are restarted from 2013 and aging reactors decommissioned after 40 years. By 2013, LNG demand could drop to 73.6 million mt/year — versus 83.3 million mt/year if nuclear is not restarted — and by 2020 reach 81.2 million mt/year, the report said.
However, Reuters has talked to an expert with a pretty pessimistic assessment of the future of nuclear energy in Japan:

A New Era for the NRC -- Occupational Health & Safety

A New Era for the NRC -- Occupational Health & Safety
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Allison Macfarlane as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's new chair, replacing the embattled Gregory Jaczko.
ohsonline.com/articles/2012/07/02/a-new-era-for-the-nrc.aspx

"Implications of improved radiation protection standards for Fukushima evacuees"



"Implications of improved radiation protection standards for Fukushima
evacuees"

The American Nuclear Society’s annual meeting for 2012 featured the
President’s Special Session on "Low-Level Radiation & Its Implications
for Fukushima Recovery."  Rod Adams at the ANS Nuclear Cafe discusses
the recent history and current status of radiation protection
regulation, and asks whether Fukushima shows the time is ripe to again
attempt to bring sense and science to a reevaluation of the linear
no-threshold model (LNT) and the sometimes deleterious aspects of
regulations that use LNT as their basis.

http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2012/07/03/improved-radiation-protection-standards-fukushima-evacuees/

New Generation of Nuclear Industry Workers Needed

New Generation of Nuclear Industry Workers Needed

Jul 6, 2012
- 3:26 - 

Arizona Public Service chief nuclear officer Randy Edington says he is looking to train new engineers as workers retire.


http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1724005302001/new-generation-of-nuclear-industry-workers-needed

Attorney General Raises Public Health and Safety Concerns In Opposing Indian Point Relicensing Application


Attorney General Press Release Header
 

June 28, 2012
 
 
Attorney General Raises Public Health and Safety Concerns
In Opposing Indian Point Relicensing Application
 
 
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said today he opposes relicensing two Indian Point nuclear reactors in Buchanan, N.Y. until a thorough and complete investigation is made of environmental impacts from continuing their operation for 20 years, including spent fuel storage, the potential threat to public drinking water supplies and relocating large numbers of people in the event of an accident.
 
The Attorney General raised significant public health and safety concerns for the residents of Connecticut in his written comments submitted to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, where the relicensing application Indian Point Units 2 and 3 is under review. The facility is owned by Entergy Nuclear Northeast.
 
“An accident or attack at Indian Point that resulted in a release of radioisotopes could result in a major plume of wind-driven radioactive debris that would immediately impact human health and safety in Connecticut,” Attorney General Jepsen wrote.
 
“There is no federal first response organization or system in place to address a major incident or release at Indian Point… State and local officials will be the ones to respond in an emergency and the full financial burden of both responding to the initial incident, and to any evacuation and resettlement of displaced persons, will fall on state and local budgets,” Jepsen wrote.
 
Approximately one-third of Connecticut’s population, including Litchfield and Fairfield counties and Bridgeport, the state’s largest city, are within a 50-mile radius of the plant, which is the “ingestion pathway” emergency planning zone. Important surface water resources are also located within this zone, including major river systems and numerous lakes and reservoirs of public importance.
 
Jepsen said that continued operation of the plants would “result in the accumulation of two more decades’ worth of spent nuclear fuel at a facility that is already overloaded.” Without a federal long-term storage facility, the spent fuel will remain on site indefinitely. “The environmental consequences of this result in the post-operating period have never been analyzed,” Jepsen wrote.
 
“The NRC is obligated by law to complete a thorough and accurate environmental analysis of potential impacts of relicensing of Indian Point and to take a ‘hard look’ at these adverse impacts before approving an extension of the operating license…If the NRC cannot ensure full evaluations and safe solutions to all of these problems, then it cannot relicense this facility,” Jepsen wrote.
 
Assistant Attorney General Robert Snook is handling this matter for the Attorney General with Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Massicotte, head of the Environment unit and Associate Attorney General Joseph Rubin.

 
 
###
 
Media Contact:
Susan E. Kinsman
860-808-5324 (office)
860-478-9581 (cell)
 
Twitter: @AGJepsen
 

Japan's nuclear meltdown could have been prevented

Japan's nuclear meltdown could have been prevented
Washington Post
AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE and tsunami set off the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in March 2011, the business of splitting atoms and capturing the energy for civilian purposes was cast under a dark shadow. The question was raised whether ...

Tokyo and Washington on Fukushima

New York Times (blog) -
By MATTHEW L. WALD ReutersThe crippled No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. The plant's 2011 disaster was a preventable one resulting from collusion between the government, regulators and industry, a Japanese commission reported on ...

Viewpoint: Can Japan learn lessons from the Fukushima disaster?

BBC News -
By Malcolm Grimston Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Imperial college The report by the Japanese parliament into Fukushima is a refreshingly damning indictment of the relationship between the prime minister, politicians, regulators and the Tokyo ...

Will India learn from Fukushima and make its nuclear plants safe?

Times of India -
NEW DELHI: The searing indictment by an independent commission set up by the Japanese parliament (the Diet) of the government and the private utility operator for being responsible for the Fukushima nuclear disaster on March 11 last year is being seen ...

Japan leaders, utility slammed for 'man-made' nuclear disaster

Boston Herald -
By Carol J. Williams / Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — An independent parliamentary commission accused the Japanese government and the nation's leading utility of "collusion" in avoiding vital nuclear safety improvements that would have prevented the ...

Probe says Fukushima nuke disaster was 'man-made'

MarketWatch -
BOSTON -- A Japanese government probe has concluded that last year's Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster was caused by collusion between the plant's operator and government regulators which resulted in critical safety lapses, CNN reported Thursday.

Fukushima Disaster Was Man-Made, Probe Finds

Businessweek -
By Tsuyoshi Inajima, Jacob Adelman and Yuji Okada on July 05, 2012 The Fukushima nuclear disaster was the result of “man-made” failures before and after last year's earthquake, according to a report from an independent parliamentary investigation.

FINAL REPORT (2) : Concern for people's lives was not a priority

Asahi Shimbun -
Concern for people's lives seemed to be the last thing on the minds of officials at Tokyo Electric Power Co. or the central government as they scrambled to contain the nuclear disaster in Fukushima Prefecture last year.
 

The Contrarian: Why I’d Be the First to Return to the Fukushima Evacuation Zone

The Contrarian: Why I’d Be the First to Return to the Fukushima Evacuation Zone



Jeff Wheelwright has published a useful contrarian article about Fukushima evacuation zone safety.

http://m.discovermagazine.com/2012/jul-aug/06-the-contrarian-why-id-return-to-fukushima

NAIIC Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Link

NAIIC Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Link

http://naiic.go.jp/en/

This is the press conference of the naiic report.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IptKGrihEWs&feature=em-uploademail 

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Nuclear Electricity Generation


Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Nuclear Electricity Generation

Systematic Review and Harmonization

  1. Ethan S. Warner,
  2. Garvin A. Heath

A comprehensive meta-analysis of nuclear life-cycle carbon emissions - useful as a reference:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00472.x/full

Laser-based uranium enrichment plant sparks controversy

Laser-based uranium enrichment plant sparks controversy
Laser Focus world
Washington, DC--Although a U.S. laser-based uranium enrichment plan will probably be approved, some non-proliferation experts are concerned that bomb makers will exploit the technology.

Guest Editorial: Thorium - Western Slope Watchdog

Guest Editorial: Thorium - Western Slope Watchdog
By Dave Segal, Monitor Magazine. Someday, thorium may play a major role in your life, providing you with energy that is clean, safe, and relatively cheap.
westernslopewatchdog.com/.../guest-editorial-thorium-clean-gr...

ANS Nuclear Cafe Update: Friday Nuclear Matinee: The Higgs Boson, Explained

Friday Nuclear Matinee: The Higgs Boson, Explained

By pbowersox on Jul 06, 2012 01:00 am

The probable discovery of the Higgs boson, announced on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, marks a great achievement in the history of science (news clips here).  So… exactly what was it that was discovered? Thanks to MinutePhysics.
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American Power: Radical Activities Seize on San Onofre


American Power: Radical Activists Seize on San Onofre in ...
SAN ONOFRE STATE BEACH, Calif. — More than seven million people live within 50 miles of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which is about ...
americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/.../radical-activists-seize-on-...

SONGS' Employees Wary, Continue Work


SONGS' Employees Wary, Continue Work
San Clemente Times
SONGS' Employees Wary Continue Work - THE LATEST: As of this week Southern California Edison has managed to stave off layoffs at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station though workers at the power plant south of San Clemente are wary.

The Future of Nuclear Power in California


The Future of Nuclear Power in California
RenewableEnergyWorld.com
Perhaps more seriously, the San Onofre nuclear plant (SONGS), owned and operated jointly by Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, has been shut down since January due to unexpected and unexplained erosion of numerous pipes in ...


A nuclear feud

Sacramento News & Review - ‎Jul 5, 2012‎
By Christopher Arns Ben Davis Jr., a Santa Cruz resident who helped draft initiatives shutting down Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station more than 20 years ago, is pushing a ballot measure that would shutter California's two remaining power plants at ...

'Shut Down San Onofre': The New Front Line in the Fight Against Nuclear Power
The Nation. (blog)
Not long after the meltdown at Fukushima, workers at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, north of San Diego, discovered radioactive steam leaking into the air. Hundreds of steam tubes had been banging together and vibrating until one of them sprung a ...
 
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Governing Energy - The Iceberg Principle

Governing Energy - The Iceberg Principle
Anyone who has seen the movie, Titanic knows that the damage to the ship that ultimately sank her came from below the waterline and was hidden from view. More often than not, it is the unseen hazard that is more dangerous than the visible peril.
Full Article

PennEnergy's Most Popular Oil & Gas News 7/6

This Week's Most Popular Oil & Gas News
Lundin Petroleum enters into farmout agreements in the Barents Sea
Second production train sanctioned for Australia Pacific LNG project
Research report calculates most valuable time to abandon oil field
Statoil preparing to halt production after notice of lockout
North Carolina hydraulic fracturing legislation applauded by API
Total announces new gas discovery in Southern Norwegian North Sea
Gazprom hosts discussion on Ukranian UGS gas injection progress
Enbridge discusses investigation and procedural changes from Line 6B Accident
Refinery closures to boost the role of Europe in US gasoline markets
Anadarko announces joint-venture agreement for the Gulf of Mexico Lucius Development
Eni enters Kenya with the acquisition of three exploration blocks
Socar, Total and GDF Suez issue a Notice of Discovery for the Absheron discovery

PennEnergy Video News Update
From the new joint venture between the Carlyle Group and Sunoco, to API's thoughts on North Carolina's latest hydraulic fracturing legislation, to the unexpected success Halliburton and PEMEX have encountered in Mexico, all of the week's biggest headlines are in the PennEnergy Video News Update.
Full Article
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Carlyle Group and Sunoco agree to form Philadelphia Refinery joint venture
The Carlyle Group and Sunoco have agreed to form Philadelphia Energy Solutions, a joint venture that will enable the historic Philadelphia refinery to continue operating.
Full Article

Carlyle Group and Sunoco agree to form Philadelphia Refinery joint venture

Carlyle Group and Sunoco agree to form Philadelphia Refinery joint venture
The Carlyle Group and Sunoco have agreed to form Philadelphia Energy Solutions, a joint venture that will enable the historic Philadelphia refinery to continue operating.
Full Article

NEA chief: World nuclear energy is at an all-time high

NEA chief: World nuclear energy is at an all-time high
Nuclear power worldwide has reached record levels, and new reactor construction indicates the trend will continue, according to Luis Echavarri, the director general of the Nuclear Energy Agency. Countries have slowed or paused nuclear development as they adjust their regulations after the Fukushima Daiichi incident, but construction continues, he said. At least 73 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity is expected to come on line by 2020, according to World Nuclear Association estimates. CBC.ca (Canada)

World won't abandon nuclear energy, expert says

World won't abandon nuclear energy, expert says
Nuclear power will continue to play a key role in the global energy mix because it is clean, economic and competitive, said investor Jim Rogers, creator of the Rogers International Commodity Index. "I suspect you're going to see another revival of atomic energy. The French, the Koreans, the Chinese, many countries are going forward with their nuclear power development plans," Rogers said. OilPrice.com (U.K.)

Court ruling might delay reactor relicensing, Jaczko says

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  • Court ruling might delay reactor relicensing, Jaczko says
    A court ruling that requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reassess on-site storage rules for radioactive waste could delay the relicensing of nuclear plants, said outgoing NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko. However, plants that have applied for license extensions could continue operate while the NRC works on the decision, Jaczko said. Seventy-three of the country's 104 nuclear plants have already secured license extensions, and the rest have either applied for relicensing or are expected to apply. Platts

Departing NRC chairman recommends changes

Departing NRC chairman recommends changes
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has yet to decide on robust rules in response to the Fukushima Daiichi incident in Japan, said Gregory Jaczko, who steps down as NRC chairman today. "It's going to be more work, more money, and more modifications and changes at the plant," he said. "I hope the commission will continue to keep the pressure on." The Wall Street Journal

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  • Jaczko defends his leadership style
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IAEA Chernobyl Forum


Chernobyl Forum

Background- On 3-5 February 2003, at the Agency Headquarters in Vienna, representatives from the IAEA, other United Nations organizations (FAO, UN-OCHA, UNDP, UNEP, UNSCEAR, WHO and The World Bank) and Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, established and launched the "Chernobyl Forum".
During this organizational meeting, the participants came to an agreement about the terms of reference and work plan of the Forum. This meeting is considered as an initial one-in-a-series of meetings to be organized during 2003-2005 in order to scientifically clarify the radiological environmental and health consequences of the Chernobyl accident, to provide advice on and to contribute to a scientifically sound remediation and health care programmes, and to consider the necessity of, and opportunities for continued research/learning lessons.
A Second Meeting of the Forum was held on 10-11 March 2004 at the Agency Headquarters in Vienna. The main objectives of this Second Meeting were to monitor the Forum's operations during 2003 and to define the work plan for 2004-2006. The participants decided, inter-alia, to:
  • Continue the work of the Forum’s expert groups “Environment” and “Health” and complete their reports by the end of 2004
  • Organize the public conference of the Chernobyl Forum in September 2005 aiming at informing governments and the general public about the Forum’s findings and recommendations
  • Widely disseminate the Forum’s findings and recommendations during 2005–2006 and beyond
Second Meeting's Statement

The practical aim of the Third Chernobyl Forum Meeting held in Vienna on 18-20 April 2005 was to consider the Forum’s technical reports drafted by the expert groups in 2003-2004. Another important issue for consideration was organization of the International Conference entitled “Chernobyl: Looking Back to Go Forwards”, to be held in Vienna on 6 and 7 September 2005, prior to the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. This conference, involving international, governmental and public representatives, experts and mass media, should present the Forum’s findings and recommendations as consensus within the United Nations system to a wide audience. The participants of the Third Chernobyl Forum Meeting decided, inter alia, to:
  • Approve the Forum’s technical reports on environmental and health consequences of the Chernobyl accident, as well as remediation and health care programmes prepared by the expert groups in 2003-2004 with amendments discussed during the meeting
  • Consider the approved reports with amendments as a common position of the Forum members, i.e., of the eight UN organizations and the three more affected countries, regarding environmental and health consequences of the Chernobyl accident as well as recommended future actions, i.e. as consensus within the United Nations system.
Third Meeting’s Statement


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http://www-ns.iaea.org/meetings/rw-summaries/chernobyl_forum.asp