Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Is the Natural Gas Industry to Blame for the Toxic Sinkhole Devouring a Town in Louisiana?

Is the Natural Gas Industry to Blame for the Toxic Sinkhole Devouring a Town in Louisiana?

Currently, the sinkhole is roughly the size of 20 football fields, exhausting methane from deep inside its core - and growing daily.

http://www.alternet.org/natural-gas-industry-blame-toxic-sinkhole-devouring-town-louisiana

NEWS RELEASE: El Niño cycle has a big effect on a major greenhouse gas

NEWS RELEASE: El Niño cycle has a big effect on a major greenhouse gas


http://globalchange.mit.edu/news-events/news/news_id/309#.UkdeahmEPgo

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review


http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2013/09/27/fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-plant-weekly-review-092702.aspx#.Ukdd4xmEPgo

Russia's Rosatom Starts Work On Fourth Reactor At China Nuclear Plant


Russia's Rosatom Starts Work On Fourth Reactor At China Nuclear Plant

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-china-nuclear-reactor/25119700.html

U of M researchers to study how well materials hold up in nuclear reactors over time

U of M researchers to study how well materials hold up in nuclear reactors over time


http://michiganradio.org/post/u-m-researchers-study-how-well-materials-hold-nuclear-reactors-over-time

Russia's return to the Arctic North, enabled by Nuclear Power

Russia's return to the Arctic North, enabled by Nuclear Power


http://nuclearstreet.com/pro_nuclear_power_blogs/b/science-history-nuclear/archive/2013/09/28/russia-39-s-return-to-the-arctic-north-enabled-by-nuclear-power.aspx

Could power plants of the future produce zero emissions?

Could power plants of the future produce zero emissions?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24225901

Why Skeptics Are Happy With Today's Big Climate Change Report


Why Skeptics Are Happy With Today's Big Climate Change Report

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2013/09/why-skeptics-are-happy-todays-big-climate-change-report/7048/

United Nations Climate Change Report Wrong As Usual

United Nations Climate Change Report Wrong As Usual

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/092713-673002-ipcc-global-warming-models-projection-wrong.htm

NRC Officials Outline Decommissioning Process for SONGS


NRC Officials Outline Decommissioning Process for SONGS


http://www.sanclementetimes.com/blog/2013/09/27/nrc-officials-outline-decommissioning-process-for-songs/

Radiation News Roundup September 25, 2013


http://nucleotidings.com/article/radiation-news-roundup-september-25-2013-1

Friday’s Big Global Warming Report: 5 Takeaways

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130927-ipcc-report-released-climate-change-global-warming-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change/

Crisis at Fukushima Continues to Spiral With Hole in Radiation Barrier

Crisis at Fukushima Continues to Spiral With Hole in Radiation Barrier

Fence made of silt that sits in harbor has been breached, TEPCO admits, sparking further concern of ocean contamination


http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/09/26-1

Energy Sector Shortsightedness Threatens Global Energy Consumers


http://www.rcem.eu/posts/2013/september/26/energy-sector-shortsightedness-threatens-global-energy-consumers.aspx?goback=.gde_4107653_member_277127986#!

Brian Williams' Iran propaganda

Brian Williams' Iran propaganda

The NBC star tells his viewers that Iranian leaders are 'suddenly claiming they don't want nuclear weapons', even though they've been saying it for years

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/28/brian-williams-iran-propaganda

Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown

Climate change? Try catastrophic climate breakdown

The message from the IPCC report is familiar and shattering: it's as bad as we thought it was

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-change-report-global-warming

India, US sign first commercial agreement under nuclear deal

India, US sign first commercial agreement under nuclear deal


http://zeenews.india.com/news/delhi/india-us-sign-first-commercial-agreement-under-nuclear-deal_879777.html

IAEA: Nuclear power to grow by at least 17% by 2030

IAEA: Nuclear power to grow by at least 17% by 2030 Nuclear Engineering The world's nuclear power generating capacity is expected to grow from 373 GWe today to at least 435 GWe in 2030, according to the latest low-case projection ...http://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsiaea-nuclear-power-to-grow-by-at-least-17-by-2030

Smaller nuclear power plants can be beautiful, despite the opposition of the UCS Rod Adams


Smaller nuclear power plants can be beautiful, despite the opposition of the UCS


http://atomicinsights.com/small-can-beautiful-despite-opposition-ucs/

After the Fukushima disaster, a U.S. mistake undermined the Japanese government.

Shaken Faith

After the Fukushima disaster, a U.S. mistake undermined the Japanese government.


http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/09/nrc_response_to_fukushima_a_mistake_turned_public_opinion_against_japan.html

Should Fukushima's radioactive water be dumped at sea?

 

Should Fukushima's radioactive water be dumped at sea?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24100-should-fukushimas-radioactive-water-be-dumped-at-sea.html#.UkbqAhmEPgp

How a Scientist Was Censored by the Japanese Government After the Fukushima Accident

How a Scientist Was Censored by the Japanese Government After the Fukushima Accident


http://fukushimavoice-eng2.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-scientist-was-censored-by-japanese.html

Hiroshima to Fukushima

Hiroshima to Fukushima

Hiroshima to Fukushima


http://www.springer.com/chemistry/book/978-3-642-38726-5

Excerpt from ‘The Accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant
The unit 3 reactor exploded on March 14, and the cause of the explosion is still being debated. A very strong flash of light was seen at the beginning and several detonation sounds were heard. The smoke due to the explosion was not quite the same as that of the unit 1 reactor […] In the case of the hydrogen explosion at unit 1, the vapor spread horizontally. The smoke from the unit 3 reactor was actually gray to black, rather than white. It has been suggested that a water vapor explosion was immediately accompanied by a nuclear explosion. The TEPCo have now officially called it “detonation”. The hot fuel rods caused a rapid expansion of the water added (water vapor explosion). This caused the collapse of the water shield between the fuel rods stored in the storing pool, and this may have caused a supercritical condition momentarily and, hence, led to a nuclear explosion […] The nuclear explosion was not very extensive, but there is a sign that it may have occurred at the storing pool […] If this is, indeed,the case, then not only fission products but also U-238. U-235, Pa-239, and neutrons would have been released. Pu-239 (and also other Pu isotopes) has been detected around the plant and up to several tens of kilometers away, though not as high as in the Chernobyl case, and, also, neutrons were observed in the premises of the plant. Data from several of the EPA’s radiation monitoring stations (in the USA) recorded sudden increases of Pu-239, U-234, and U-238 after the Fukushima accidents, particularly in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and California. These data suggest the release of fuel rod material itself in addition to fission products, and are consistent with the notion that a nuclear explosion, indeed, took place. This description is entirely a conjecture based on what has been observed, but much uncertainty still exists regarding the explosion at unit 3.

Saving the world at Plutonium Mountain


Saving the world at Plutonium Mountain


http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-08-16/opinions/41416347_1_cold-war-semipalatinsk-nuclear-arms-race

Iranian-Israeli Nuclear Relations: A ‘New’ Cold War?

Iranian-Israeli Nuclear Relations: A ‘New’ Cold War?


http://www.e-ir.info/2013/09/28/iranian-israeli-nuclear-relations-a-new-cold-war/

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Won’t Solve Nuclear Power’s Problems


Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Won’t Solve Nuclear Power’s Problems
Friday, September 27, 2013
New report: Small Isn't Always Beautiful: Safety, Security, and Cost Concerns about Small Modular Reactors

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/57154/

ANS Brings Leaders and Legends to Speak at 2013 Conference

ANS Brings Leaders and Legends to Speak at 2013 Conference

Leaders in Nuclear, Energy, and Science headline sessions in Washington, D.C.

Erik Rancatore|
A wide range of leaders in nuclear, energy and science will speak at the 2013 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. from November 10th – 14th.

http://www.ans.org/pi/news/article-316/

The Fukushima Generation: New Data on Birth Defects in Post-Meltdown Japan

 
Content Section

The Fukushima Generation: New Data on Birth Defects in Post-Meltdown Japan

New unpublished data reveals a slight rise in birth defects in post-nuclear-meltdown Japan. Jake Adelstein and Nathalie Stucky report on this exclusive data—and what Japan needs to do next to understand the health impact.


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/26/the-fukushima-generation-new-data-on-birth-defects-in-post-meltdown-japan.html

It's Not Just Rouhani. Many Israelis Want to Come Clean About Their Nukes, Too.




http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/09/26/its_not_just_rouhani_many_israelis_want_to_come_clean_about_their_nukes_too

A “Nuclear-Free Zone” in the Middle East? Why Israel will not Join the Non-Proliferation Treaty

A “Nuclear-Free Zone” in the Middle East? Why Israel will not Join the Non-Proliferation Treaty


http://www.globalresearch.ca/a-nuclear-free-zone-in-the-middle-east-why-israel-will-not-join-the-non-proliferation-treaty/5351738

Thorium and inefficient solar power? That's good enough for me


Thorium and inefficient solar power? That's good enough for me

I'm talking technology, not politics

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/27/someone_must_have_a_thorium_reactor/

How do startups actually contribute to the energy sector?

How do startups actually contribute to the energy sector? 

Founding Editor Breaking Energy at Breaking Media
Everyone talks startups as the saviors of established businesses, but navigating ways you actually leverage the innovation process in place at startups to a large, regulated and bureaucratic organization is an immense challenge. The Climate Group hosted an innovators forum this week as part of Climate Week NY that actually addressed these issues in specific ways.
The death of the traditional utility business model has been highly exaggerated, to butcher the Mark Twain quote. But that doesn’t mean change won’t happen, and when it does, those companies with a strong ‘ecosystem of innovation’ will be faster to...

Nuclear fuelRobust fourth-generation nuclear fuel withstands high-temperature accident conditions


Robust fourth-generation nuclear fuel withstands... homelandsecuritynewswire.com

Nuclear fuelRobust fourth-generation nuclear fuel withstands high-temperature accident conditions

 

A safer and more efficient nuclear fuel is on the horizon. A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory ( INL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory ( ORNL) have reached a new milestone with tristructural-isotropic...http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20130927-robust-fourthgeneration-nuclear-fuel-withstands-hightemperature-accident-conditions?goback=.gde_4776975_member_276963678#!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Tepco raises toxic water estimate to 400 tons a day


Tepco raises toxic water estimate to 400 tons a day

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/27/national/tepco-raises-toxic-water-estimate-to-400-tons-a-day/#.UkY1TxmEPgp

2014 U.S. Climate Action Report for public review and comment

2014 U.S. Climate Action Report for public review and comment


http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2013/09/26/2014-u-s-climate-action-report-for-public-review-and-comment/

China urges package deal on Iran's nuke issue

  China urges package deal on Iran's nuke issue
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-09/27/c_132756695.htm

China's nuclear strategy most transparent, FM spokesman

 China's nuclear strategy most transparent, FM spokesman
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-09/27/c_132757347.htm

The Trouble with High Burn-Up Nuclear Fuel

The Nuclear Industry's Latest Dangerous Gambit

The Trouble with High Burn-Up Nuclear Fuel

by ACE HOFFMAN
Spent nuclear fuel is hot stuff.  It’s thermally hot — about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s not residual heat from when the fuel was in the reactor, it’s decay heat from fission products with relatively short half-lives – from days or weeks to about 30 years for most of them (most isotopes of iodine, cesium, strontium, etc.).  The fuel will stay well above the boiling point of water for centuries or even millennia, although the temperature will keep dropping over time.


http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/27/the-trouble-with-high-burn-up-nuclear-fuel/?utm_source=feedly

Nuclear Dumb and Dumber


Canada’s Proposed Radioactive Waste Dump Next to Lake Huron

Nuclear Dumb and Dumber

by JOHN LaFORGE
Kincardine, Ontario.
The thought “Dumb and Dumber” came to mind as I recorded the work of Canada’s Joint Review Panel Sept. 23 and 24, here in Ontario, on the east end of Lake Huron. The JRP is currently taking comments on a proposal to dump radioactive waste in a deep hole, 1mile from the shore of this magnificent inland sea.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/27/nuclear-dumb-and-dumber/?utm_source=feedly

European nuclear reactors are three times the cost of the same european designed nuclear reactors in China


http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/european-nuclear-reactors-are-three.html

Weather analysis shows there was no plausible Fukushima scenario in which Tokyo, Yokosuka, or Yokota would have been subject to dangerous levels of airborne radiation


http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/weather-analysis-shows-there-was-no.html

History of Nuclear Power Costs


http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/history-of-nuclear-power-costs.html

Germany faces rising electricity costs and at least $270 billion for wind power with an exit from nuclear power


http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/germany-faces-rising-electricity-costs.html

Why two European nuclear reactors will be 7 years late and triple the cost of the same Chinese reactors


http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/why-two-european-nuclear-reactors-will.html

Brussels Conference To Focus On Spent Nuclear Fuel Management


Brussels Conference To Focus On Spent Nuclear Fuel Management

Uranium & Fuel
27 Sept (NucNet): A conference on spent nuclear fuel strategy to be held in Brussels next month will include discussions and case studies on safe SNF management and SNF policies in the European Union.

http://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2013/09/27/brussels-conference-to-focus-on-spent-nuclear-fuel-management

IAEA Praises Bulgaria’s Kozloduy Nuclear Plant


IAEA Praises Bulgaria’s Kozloduy Nuclear Plant

Plant Operation
27 Sept (NucNet): Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria has significant experience in the long-term storage of spent fuel, which is important for the International Atomic Energy Agency and should be disseminated to other member countries, the agency’s deputy director-general Alexander Bychkov said.

http://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2013/09/27/iaea-praises-bulgaria-s-kozloduy-nuclear-plant

Construction begins on Tianwan 4

 

Construction begins on Tianwan 4

27 September 2013
The pouring of first concrete today for another Russian-supplied reactor at the Tianwan site in China's Jiangsu province brings the total number of power reactors currently under construction in the country to 30.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Construction_begins_on_Tianwan_4-2709134.html

The Love of 1000 Razors: UCS on Small Reactors

The Love of 1000 Razors: UCS on Small Reactors


http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-love-of-1000-razors-ucs-on-small.html

SIGNED: Indo-US deal on building nuclear plant

 

SIGNED: Indo-US deal on building nuclear plant

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/signed-indo-us-deal-on-building-nuclear-plant/20130928.htm

Keeping Nuclear in the US Energy Mix

 

Keeping Nuclear in the US Energy Mix

http://breakingenergy.com/2013/09/27/keeping-nuclear-in-the-us-energy-mix/

Indian Point 2's license to expire without fanfare


Indian Point 2's license to expire without fanfare

http://www.lohud.com/article/20130927/NEWS/309270055/Indian-Point-2-s-license-expire-without-fanfare?nclick_check=1

China's inland plans to use nuclear energy


China's inland plans to use nuclear energy


http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/8411068.html

Fukushima plant's undersea radiation-containment curtain ripped

  

Fukushima plant's undersea radiation-containment curtain ripped

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Damage was found Thursday on one of the undersea curtains installed near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to help contain radiation contamination, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130926p2g00m0dm100000c.html

Nuclear update: Available US supply ticks to above 90%

Nuclear update: Available US supply ticks to above 90%
http://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-25210442-14132

U. of Mich. to use $5M for radiation research

U. of Mich. to use $5M for radiation research 
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/26/5770779/u-of-mich-to-use-5m-for-radiation.html

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Debates San Onofre Plant Shutdown At First Public Meeting


Nuclear Regulatory Commission Debates San Onofre Plant Shutdown At First Public Meeting


http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/09/26/nuclear-regulatory-commission-debates-san-onofre-plant-shutdown-at-first-public-meeting/

Unbelievable Consequences if Risky Fukushima Cleanup Goes Bad


Unbelievable Consequences if Risky Fukushima Cleanup Goes Bad
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/we-face-unbelievable-consequences-if-risky-fukushima-cleanup-goes-bad/

UPDATE: I spoke about this issue with Nicole Sandler on the Nicole Sandler
Show. That discussion is here. Start the player, then advance to 26:54 to hear
our segment. Thanks.
________

Does the planned November 2013 removal of the spent fuel rods stored at
Fukushima’s heavily damaged Reactor 4 need a global intervention, or should
TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co., a for-profit [...]

PennEnergy's Global Nuclear Power Deployment and Energy Reports

Global Nuclear Power Deployment and Energy Reports
Global Nuclear Power Deployment - New-Build Market, Policy Analysis, International Cooperation, Competitive Landscape and Key Country Analysis to 2025
Summary
The growing demand for electricity across the globe and the necessity of developing and using safe, reliable and economical sources of energy are encouraging countries to build new nuclear reactors. Globally, there are more than 430 reactor units that are currently under operation and 62 nuclear reactors were in construction stages of development in 14 different nuclear power countries globally, as of July 2013. More than 435 nuclear reactors are in the financed, permitting and announced phases of development across the globe. Over 45 countries are considering introducing nuclear power generation as part of their energy mix across different regions in the world. The nuclear power programs of these countries will open up numerous opportunities for various players involved in the new-build nuclear market, creating a potential market for the foreseeable future.

Scope
  • Analysis of the growth of the global nuclear industry and the plans for building nuclear power reactors in various key regions, including Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America
  • Analysis of trends in the global nuclear power sector and opportunities in the nuclear new build market from 2006 to 2012 and forecast for 13 years up to 2025
  • In-depth analysis and forecasts including the size of the nuclear new build market and the growth potential of the market up until 2025
  • Qualitative analysis of market drivers and restraints
  • Qualitative analysis of key regulations impacting the nuclear power industry
  • Analysis of key market players in the industry
More Info Buy It Now

Global Nuclear Energy Report
Summary
This new report analyses the global Nuclear Power market, the market drivers and the key components for future growth and development. The nuclear renaissance has been long overdue and finally appears to be materializing, but not with the anticipated surge of new build worldwide. Instead there is a clear East-West divide. Asian giants are focusing on new build to meet supply shortages and countries in Europe and North America are opting to uprate existing facilities and extend their lifetime. As often this is cheaper and more acceptable to public opinion. As there has been limited new build in the West over the past ten years, South Korea and China are starting to gain a strong hold in the domestic and international market. Both countries are reportedly producing reactors at lower cost, to schedule and in a short time. Although for both the East and West, the extent of the renaissance will largely depend upon the consequence of the March 11th 2011 earthquake in Japan. In terms of the actual damage caused to the reactors themselves and residents in the vicinity and to public opinion on nuclear power.

Scope
In the short-term in Western countries, the sector is expected to focus on plant upgrades then new build when upgrades on existing facilities are no longer economic. Then new build plants maybe smaller, as they are cheaper to build. By contrast, in the East and Russia, some upgrading of existing facilities will take plant, but new build will continue apace. The local manufacturing requirement in many of these countries will mean that only western companies with international links or desirable licensed technologies will secure contracts.

Although for both the East and West, the extent of the renaissance will largely depend upon the consequence of the March 11th earthquake in Japan.

More Info Buy It Now

Power Uprates - Boosting the Nuclear Industry
Summary
Power uprates are an alternative way of increasing nuclear power companies' electricity generation capacity without building new power plants. Nuclear equipment suppliers view power uprates as a significant source of revenue generation as they induce the need within a power plant to purchase various equipments required for upgrading or replacement. An additional advantage of power uprates has been the increased emphasis on plant safety, as the increased capacity comes with re-evaluations of plant operations and safety margins.

Scope
  • Market prospects of nuclear power plant uprates providing huge benefits leading to the growth of Nuclear Industry
  • Key benefits of power uprates influencing the growth of nuclear power industry
  • Future and current market potential offered by nuclear power plant uprates
  • Key regional developments indicating the increasing importance of power uprates in the nuclear industry
More Info Buy It Now

ANS Update: Nuclear Matinee: Test Missile vs. Spent Fuel Cask

Nuclear Matinee: Test Missile vs. Spent Fuel Cask

By ansnuclearcafe on Sep 27, 2013 11:30 am

Yes, of course… in super slo-mo.  Today’s Nuclear Matinee features videos of a recent test conducted to simulate an aircraft crash on a HI-STAR 180 spent nuclear fuel transport cask, a product of Holtec International that is completing rigorous certification … Continue reading
Read in browser »
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US NRC Blog Update: Potential Government Shutdown: The Path Forward for the NRC

Potential Government Shutdown: The Path Forward for the NRC

Mark Satorius
Executive Director for Operations
 
The NRC can’t predict the likelihood of a government shutdown next week, but we are prepared for all contingencies in case of a lapse of appropriations for federal agencies effective on Tuesday.
If there is a lapse, many agencies will shut down operations and furlough employees except for those necessary to support possible emergencies. At the NRC, however, we have some “carryover” funding, which is essentially previous year’s funding that was not expended. By being careful with that money, the NRC should be able to remain open for at least one additional week of largely normal operations.
At this time, then, the NRC is not issuing employee furlough notifications. Should the lapse of appropriations last longer than our “carryover” funding allows, the NRC has a plan reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget for identifying staff members who will remain on the job to perform the excepted NRC functions for emergencies.
The planned staffing for NRC “excepted functions” necessary to support emergency operations during a lapse of appropriations is approximately 300 of the agency’s 3,900 employees. Of that number, roughly half are resident inspectors assigned to reactor and fuel facilities. The rest of the “excepted” personnel include staff necessary to initially respond to emergency situations at NRC licensed facilities. The Chairman, the NRC Commissioners and Inspector General are in addition to this number and are exempted from furloughs because they are Presidential appointees.
We will notify licensees and external stakeholders through a Regulatory Issue Summary if there is a lapse of appropriations on Oct. 1, and then again if the lapse exceeds our carryover funding.
OMB and OPM websites have more information about the situation government-wide.
The NRC will to continue to uphold our important mission of protecting public health and safety. We will also make every effort to reduce uncertainty and disruption for our valuable staff members, to the extent we can.

What happens if you add lots of wind and solar power to the grid?

What happens if you add lots of wind and solar power to the grid?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/25/what-happens-if-you-add-lots-of-wind-and-solar-power-to-the-grid/

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Debates San Onofre Plant Shutdown At First Public Meeting

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Debates San Onofre Plant Shutdown At First Public Meeting


http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/09/26/nuclear-regulatory-commission-debates-san-onofre-plant-shutdown-at-first-public-meeting/

State asking that full appeals court hears Yucca Mountain appeal

State asking that full appeals court hears Yucca Mountain appeal


http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/sep/25/state-asking-full-appeals-court-hears-yucca-mounta/

State of Nevada Petition for Yucca Rehearing En Banc


State of Nevada Petition for Yucca Rehearing En Banc

http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/licensing/nv130926cadc.pdf

Video: High-impact Test of Nuclear Fuel Storage System

Video: High-impact Test of Nuclear Fuel Storage System


http://nuclearstreet.com/pro_nuclear_power_blogs/b/areva_blog_-_north_america/archive/2013/09/27/video-high-impact-test-of-nuclear-fuel-storage-system.aspx#.UkXm1D-E5ac

G20 Leaders Agree To Phase Out 'Inefficient' Fossil Fuel Subsidies


Posted: 26 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT
An overlooked decision made in St Petersburg by G20 leaders agreed to phase out “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies, which would cut $500 billion in annual expenditures while reducing greenhouse gas emissions (compared to projections) 10% by 2050.http://theenergycollective.com/zachshahan/279906/g20-leaders-agree-phase-out-inefficient-fossil-fuel-subsidies?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

2nd Annual Used Fuel Strategy Conference (21-22 Nov) in Charlotte, NC


Nuclear Townhall Logo

Hello Readers,

The upcoming 2nd Annual Used Fuel Strategy Conference (21-22 Nov) in Charlotte, NC is bringing together over 200 senior level execs from US NRC, NEI, Exelon, Duke Energy, Iberdrola, CENG, Southern CO., AEP, AREVA, CB&I and many more for 2 full days of critical discussions.

With all the major industry representatives in attendance the meeting is set to be a huge success! Check out the agenda and speaker line up: http://bit.ly/UsedFuelConference2013

Nuclear Town Hall have secured a preferential rate for all members. Register by Friday 27th September and get an additional $150 off your pass! Use discount code NTH150 when you sign up online.

If you have any questions regarding the meeting or would like to inquire about governmental rates please contact the event organizer directly:

Elizabeth Demestiha
Senior Project Manager
Nuclear Energy Insider
elizabethd@nuclearenergyinsider.com

Tepco goes for two nuclear restarts

Tepco goes for two nuclear restarts (http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Tepco_goes_for_two_nuclear_restarts_2709131.html)
Tepco has made its first application to bring nuclear reactors back on line. The income from power generation would support the clean-up tasks at Fukushima Daiichi and avoid use of expensive imported fossil fuels.

Construction begins on Tianwan 4

Construction begins on Tianwan 4 (http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Construction_begins_on_Tianwan_4-2709134.html)
The pouring of first concrete today for another Russian-supplied reactor at the Tianwan site in China's Jiangsu province brings the total number of power reactors currently under construction in the country to 30.

Fukushima Update 9/27

Fukushima Commentary for today –
Low Exposure Standards Have Become a Problem for Japan
Thirteen communities in Japan want to become eligible for more nuclear disaster assistance funding. The basis seems to be Japan's restrictive radiation exposure limit of 1 mSv/yr. The F. Daiichi-related radiation exposures in the dissenting communities will cause no harm to anyone, including children and fetuses.
http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-commentary.html

Climate Skeptics Against Global Warming


Climate Skeptics Against Global Warming


What Conservatives Can Teach Liberals About Global Warming Policy


http://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/voices/michael-shellenberger-and-ted-nordhaus/global-warming-deniers-against-global-warming/

Key 'Missing' Debate Over Future of Nuclear Energy Is Waste Storage

Key 'Missing' Debate Over Future of Nuclear Energy Is Waste Storage


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/behnam-taebi/nuclear-energy_b_3994401.html?just_reloaded=1

Bill Gates: Nuclear Waste Reactor Is Key to Future of Energy

Bill Gates: Nuclear Waste Reactor Is Key to Future of Energy


http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/09/25/bill-gates-nuclear-waste-reactor-key-future-energy

Small modular reactor use denounced by scientists group

Small modular reactor use denounced by scientists group


http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20130927/AIK0101/130929542/1004/small-modular-reactor-use-denounced

Fukushima Power Plant 2 Years Later, Japan Reaches Gigantic Milestone In Solar Energy

Fukushima Power Plant 2 Years Later, Japan Reaches Gigantic Milestone In Solar Energy


http://www.ibtimes.com/fukushima-power-plant-2-years-later-japan-reaches-gigantic-milestone-solar-energy-1411034

After Fukushima: Could Germany's nuclear gamble backfire?

After Fukushima: Could Germany's nuclear gamble backfire?


http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/27/business/german-offshore-wind-farms/?hpt=hp_c5

Need a safe investment? Try Chinese nuclear bonds

Need a safe investment? Try Chinese nuclear bonds

China nuclear utility to issue first ever dollar bonds
http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/09/26/bonds-nuclear-power-china-idINL2N0HK0AC20130926

No end in sight for Yucca legal fights

No end in sight for Yucca legal fights Las Vegas Review-Journal
Fresh lawsuits started piling up Thursday, a day before a deadline for responses to a federal court ruling that ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ...http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/no-end-sight-yucca-legal-fights

Nevada asks US appeals court to rehear Yucca Mountain licensing

Nevada asks US appeals court to rehear Yucca Mountain licensing ... Platts
The state of Nevada has asked a federal appeals court to take another look at whether the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission should be ordered to restart its ...http://www.platts.com/latest-news/electric-power/washington/nevada-asks-us-appeals-court-to-rehear-yucca-21611629

Some Facts You Should Know About Fukushima


A Letter to All Young Athletes Who Dream of Coming to Tokyo in 2020

Some Facts You Should Know About Fukushima

by TAKASHI HIROSE


http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/26/a-letter-to-all-young-athletes-who-dream-of-coming-to-tokyo-in-2020/

"Science-Based Science Communications: Surprising New Findings"

"Science-Based Science Communications: Surprising New Findings"

Last week Harvard professor Dan Kahan released his latest research
about how scientific evidence impacts opinions - reported under dim
headlines such as "Scientists’ Depressing New Discovery About the
Brain" and eliciting defeated-sounding responses from science
communicators across the globe.

The silver lining?  When people reflected on a positive experience
first, they became significantly more likely to accurately interpret the
data in front of them.

Suzanne Hobbs Baker on what this means for nuclear advocates – the
facts alone are not enough.

http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2013/09/25/science-based-science-communications-surprising-new-findings/

"Decommissioning of Private Assets is Public Matter in Japan; TEPCO Forges Ahead"


"Decommissioning of Private Assets is Public Matter in Japan; TEPCO
Forges Ahead"

Earlier this month Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited
Fukushima-Daiichi  and mentioned his suggestion to decommission Units 5
& 6.   Meanwhile, efforts to gain local approval for safety checks in
advance of restart of two Advanced Boiling Water Reactors at the massive
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear station appear positive.  Will Davis with
details on new developments in nuclear energy in Japan.

http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2013/09/26/decommissioning-of-private-assets-is-public-matter-in-japan-tepco-forges-ahead/

Fukushima’s Worst-Case Scenarios

Fukushima’s Worst-Case Scenarios

Much of what you’ve heard about the nuclear accident is wrong.


http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/09/fukushima_disaster_new_information_about_worst_case_scenarios.html

Humans blamed for ‘unequivocal’ global warming

Humans blamed for ‘unequivocal’ global warming


http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a5ef80d6-273e-11e3-ae16-00144feab7de.html

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Nuclear industry, NRC identify need to improve cost estimates of regulations

http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2013/09/nuclear-news-industry-nrc-must-improve-cost-estimates-of-regulations.html

Lib Dems' nuclear U-turn shows they realise we can't say 'no' to everything


Lib Dems' nuclear U-turn shows they realise we can't say 'no' to everything

Party's ditching of mistaken policy signals they understand we face serious challenges of energy security and climate change

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/16/ed-davey-nuclear-power-climate-change

Small Reactors, Big Hype

Small Reactors, Big Hype


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-negin/small-reactors-big-hype_b_3992565.html

Faux Pause: Ocean Warming, Sea Level Rise And Polar Ice Melt Speed Up, Surface Warming To Follow

Faux Pause: Ocean Warming, Sea Level Rise And Polar Ice Melt Speed Up, Surface Warming To Follow


http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/09/25/2562441/faux-pause-ocean-warming-speed-up/

Event Highlights Need for Women in Clean Energy

Event Highlights Need for Women in Clean Energy

DOE-MIT partnership aims to advance women in leadership, raise visibility

http://mitei.mit.edu/news/event-highlights-need-women-clean-energy

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Won’t Solve Nuclear Power’s Safety, Security and Cost Problems, New Report Finds

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Won’t Solve Nuclear Power’s Safety, Security and Cost Problems, New Report Finds


http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/small-modular-nuclear-reactor-0404.html

US NRC Blog Update: Waves of Uncertainty: The Demise of the Floating Reactor Concept (Part II)

Waves of Uncertainty: The Demise of the Floating Reactor Concept (Part II)

Thomas Wellock
NRC Historian
 
Offshore Power Systems, apparently, did not appreciate that putting land-based reactors out to sea was bound to raise new safety, environmental and regulatory questions. Concerns about ship collisions, off-shore fishing grounds, barge sinking and the challenge of creating a new regulatory process for floating reactors were just some of the unique issues facing regulators.
Even the trade press raised concerns. Nuclear News worried about the “incredibly tangled mass of overlapping jurisdictions, state, national, and international law, inter-agency authority” that included new players such as the U.S. Coast Guard.
Drawing from a 1978 GAO report.
Drawing from a 1978 GAO report.
Events conspired to worsen OPS’s prospects. The oil crisis that began in 1973 made construction financing expensive and slowed electricity consumption. Facing slack demand, PSEG postponed delivery of the first floating plant from 1981 to 1985 and later to 1988. Tenneco backed out of the OPS partnership in 1975. With the entire enterprise threatened, Westinghouse and the Florida Congressional delegation asked the federal government to purchase four plants. But, the prospect of “bailing out” OPS did not appeal to officials in the Ford Administration. The purchase proposal died.
Floating reactors did not solve regulatory or political problems. The production facility in Jacksonville needed an NRC manufacturing license. There were so many technical and regulatory uncertainties that the licensing review ran three years behind schedule. A 1978 report from the U.S. General Accounting Office criticized the NRC for what it believed was an incomplete safety review, particularly for not accounting for impacts on the ocean ecosystem during an accident where a melting reactor core broke through the bottom of the barge.
Local and state opposition to the plant was intense. Nearby counties voted in non-binding referendums 2 to 1 against the Atlantic Generating Station, and the New Jersey legislature refused to introduce a bill to turn the offshore site over to PSEG.
Westinghouse held out hope for a brighter future; PSEG didn’t. In late 1978, the utility announced it canceled its orders for all four of its floating plants. Slack demand, it noted, was “the only reason” for the cancellations. “We simply will not need these units” in the foreseeable future, a utility official admitted.
Others blamed excessive regulation. In March 1979, John O’Leary, a Department of Energy deputy secretary, provided to the White House a “grim—even alarming report,” as one staffer said, that the NRC delays with the OPS license were symptomatic of a larger problem. “It has become impossible to build energy plants in America” O’Leary said, due to excessive environmental regulations and an indecisive bureaucracy. Environmental laws, O’Leary complained, had created “a chain of hurdles which effectively kill energy projects” and damage to the nation’s economy. He wanted presidential action.
Drawing from a 1978 GAO report.
Drawing from a 1978 GAO report.
Events rendered O’Leary’s plea for action moot. Two and a half weeks later the Three Mile Island accident occurred, ending any hope of an imminent industry rebound. The accident raised anew questions about a core melt accident and further delayed the manufacturing license. The NRC did not issue a license until 1982. In 1984, Westinghouse formally abandoned the OPS enterprise, dismantled the Jacksonville facility, and sold its huge crane to China.
Going to sea, OPS discovered, did not allow it to escape the problems that beset nuclear power. A novel technological solution could not overcome public distrust and economic, technical and regulatory uncertainty. We shall see how Russia handles the challenges.

David LeBlanc explains Molten Salt Reactors

David LeBlanc explains Molten Salt Reactors

David Le Blanc explains recent developments in Molten Salt nuclear technology.
http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2013/09/david-leblanc-explains-molten-salt.html

Electricity Becoming Third World Luxury In Green Germany

Electricity Becoming Third World Luxury In Green Germany


http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/092513-672498-germany-goes-green-and-lights-go-out.htm?ven=rss

It’s Not “Nice” To Include Women In The Energy Sector, It’s Essential

It’s Not “Nice” To Include Women In The Energy Sector, It’s Essential


http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/2013/09/25/its-not-nice-to-include-women-in-the-energy-sector-its-essential/

World’s Largest Solar Thermal Plant Syncs to the Grid

http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/worlds-largest-solar-thermal-plant-syncs-to-the-grid

Digitalisation ‘A Major Issue’ For Modernisation Of Ageing Plants

Digitalisation ‘A Major Issue’ For Modernisation Of Ageing Plants


http://nuclearstreet.com/pro_nuclear_power_blogs/b/nucnet-communications/archive/2013/09/26/digitalisation-a-major-issue-for-modernisation-of-ageing-plants.aspx

Readying for Fukushima fuel move

Readying for Fukushima fuel move


Read the complete post at www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Readying_for_Fukushima_fuel_move_2609131.html

Counting the Sins of China's Synthetic Gas

http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/fossil-fuels/counting-the-sins-of-chinas-synthetic-gas-plans

Decision on nuclear power soon

Decision on nuclear power soon


http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/decision-on-nuclear-power-soon-1.1583167#.UkRwBj-E5ac

Shell and Louisiana Governor announce potential world scale gas-to-liquids facility

Shell and Louisiana Governor announce potential world scale gas-to-liquids facility


http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2013/09/shell-and-louisiana-governor-announce-potential-world-scale-gas-to-liquids-facility.html?cmpid=EnlDailyPetroSeptember262013

Atomic Show #208 – Communicating about nuclear energy

Atomic Show #208 – Communicating about nuclear energy


http://atomicinsights.com/atomic-show-208-communicating-nuclear-energy/

Chubu Electric to apply for safety check to restart Hamaoka reactor

Chubu Electric to apply for safety check to restart Hamaoka reactor

NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- Chubu Electric Power Co. said Wednesday it will apply at the earliest possible time this fiscal year for a state safety assessment of the No. 4 reactor at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, a key step toward resuming its operation.

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130926p2g00m0bu052000c.html

Westinghouse, India's Nuclear Power Corp. Near Pact

Westinghouse, India's Nuclear Power Corp. Near Pact

Close to Signing Preliminary Agreement to Lay Groundwork for Nuclear Plant


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304526204579098170931377650.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Fukushima Watch: Japan to Cooperate with IAEA on Public Communication

Fukushima Watch: Japan to Cooperate with IAEA on Public Communication


http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/09/26/fukushima-watch-japan-to-cooperate-with-iaea-on-public-communication/

US Public Sees Vital Role for Nuclear Energy

US Public Sees Vital Role for Nuclear Energy

Most Americans Say Importance of Nuclear Energy Will Increase or Remain the Same
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Public backing for nuclear energy’s role in meeting future electricity needs remains strong, a new U.S. public opinion survey for the Nuclear Energy Institute shows.
http://www.nei.org/News-Media/Media-Room/News-Releases/US-Public-Sees-Vital-Role-for-Nuclear-Energy

No, Indian Point Unit 2's License Has Not Expired

No, Indian Point Unit 2's License Has Not Expired


http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2013/09/no-indian-point-unit-2s-license-has-not.html

First US nuclear power closures in 15 years signal wider industry problems

First US nuclear power closures in 15 years signal wider industry problems

As the economics of building plants and maintaining old ones erode, some experts see little hope for an industry being touted by some as a climate savior.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/24/us-nuclear-power-closures

ANS Update 9/26 Decommissioning of Private Assets is Public Matter in Japan; TEPCO Forges Ahead

Decommissioning of Private Assets is Public Matter in Japan; TEPCO Forges Ahead

By Will Davis on Sep 26, 2013 08:56 am

by Will Davis Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conducted a visit to TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station to examine conditions at the site and gauge TEPCO’s response to numerous ongoing problems.  When he spoke to reporters after the visit, he mentioned … Continue reading
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The Average Price of Electricity, Country by Country

The Average Price of Electricity, Country by Country


http://theenergycollective.com/lindsay-wilson/279126/average-electricity-prices-around-world-kwh?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Experts: Climate Scientists Have Obligation to Political Impartiality

Experts: Climate Scientists Have Obligation to Political Impartiality


http://theenergycollective.com/miashaw/279451/climate-scientists-have-obligation-political-impartiality-experts-argue?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

NRC issues SONGS report citing MHI and SCE for failures

NRC issues SONGS report citing MHI and SCE for failures


http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/nrc-issues-songs-report-citing-mhi-and-sce-failures/2013-09-26?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

 For more:
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