Saudi
Arabia's quest for nuclear power in league with Pakistan
- See more at:
http://www.merinews.com/article/saudi-arabias-quest-for-nuclear-power-in-league-with-pakistan/15906336.shtml#sthash.cdMxAdL8.dpuf
A new study has been released on the amount of fuel damage that may have
occurred in the SFPs of units #1 through #4 at F. Daiichi. The
conclusion is that there may have been some damage to only one bundle in
unit #2 SFP, and none elsewhere. The link (below) is a summation by
Fukushima InFORM's Dr. Jay Cullen. The report itself is linked there,
but behind a pay wall.
European
objections helped derail the South Stream pipeline project that
Moscow was hoping to use to move Russian gas to southeastern Europe via
Bulgaria – and now the United States is telling Greece to say no to
Turkish Stream, a project that Gazprom and Turkey reached agreement on
this week. Turkish Stream would pipe Russian gas through Turkey
The
Department of Energy recently approved an application from Alaska LNG
to export natural gas. But there’s a catch: these exports can only go to
nations where the United States has a free-trade agreement in place.
Never mind the fact that the top markets for LNG are India, China, and
Japan, where we don’t have
WASHINGTON
– The Energy Department announced yesterday that it has issued a final
authorization for Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP to export domestically
produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. The Cove Point LNG
Terminal in Calvert County, Maryland is authorized to
Nuclear opponents have a moral duty to get their facts straight
As governments ponder a disastrous move away from nuclear power, it is
vital campaigners don't spread misinformation – but Helen Caldicott
fails to interrogate her own claims and sources
How nuclear realists falsely frame the nuclear weapons debate
Ward Wilson
There has never been as much
dissatisfaction with the international framework governing nuclear
weapons (the Non-Proliferation Treaty) as there is today. The treaty is
being reviewed and debated at the United Nations in New York this month,
and for the first time in 35 years there are serious concerns that it
might tear apart at the seams. Increasingly, there are those who feel
strongly that the world would be safer without nuclear weapons, and that
the nuclear-armed states (whose promise to work seriously toward
disarmament in Article VI of the treaty is one of the tender spots
creating anger and resentment) are not fulfilling their obligations.
Participants at the 25th International Training Course on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Facilities.
Almost four decades ago, the IAEA and the United States began a
joint effort to train global experts on protecting nuclear facilities
from terrorists seeking materials for a nuclear weapon. Today,
participants from around the world celebrated their completion of the
25th International Training Course (ITC) on the Physical Protection of
Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Facilities since its start in 1978 at the
Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Over the last three weeks, 43 students from 36 countries took part in
the flagship course, which has evolved over the years to reflect the
nuclear industry's best practices as well as up-to-date technology for
the physical protection of nuclear materials and facilities. This course
is co-sponsored every 18 months by the IAEA and the National Nuclear
Security Administration (NNSA) of the United States.
When all 164 Member States have finally trained their experts to the
level offered by the ITC, the IAEA's task will be greatly "facilitated
through the existence of a common basis for the further strengthening of
nuclear security.
"Threats to nuclear materials and facilities often seem very
abstract, but in this course we provide practical training that equips
participants to implement the highest standards of nuclear
security," said Anne Harrington, NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense
Nuclear Nonproliferation. "It is our privilege to co-host one of the
world's preeminent courses on physical protection, and to celebrate over
35 years of cooperation with the IAEA to advance our shared nuclear
security objectives." Focused training to enhance the security of nuclear materials
ITC participants use classroom training, hands-on experiments and
exercises to learn about international legal instruments as well as the
IAEA's guidance on the latest physical protection concepts and
technology. Back home, they're able to launch and run effective security
programs in line with the requirements of the Convention on the
Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment.
Nuclear security as an issue seized global attention in the wake of
11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, recalled Denis
Flory, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of
Nuclear Safety and Security. "9/11 and the development of terrorism led
to the realization that the threat was evolving, was getting more
global, and that the dispersal of radioactive material or the sabotage
of nuclear facilities were becoming serious threats," Flory said in a
keynote address to participants.
Flory noted that he had been keen to attend this programme for over
two decades, but was never able to. However, he did encourage and
authorize many of his staff to take part. "I've waited for this moment
for the last 21 years," he said. Working with international partners
The ITC assists international partners in developing and implementing
their own systems by using a performance-based approach for the design
and evaluation of physical protection schemes. States also learn to
self-evaluate and measure the effectiveness of their security systems
for both nuclear material and facilities against their country-specific
threats.
Over the past 37 years, some 800 experts from 70 countries have taken
part in the ITC, producing a network of alumni that's contributed to
the spread of a "common nuclear security culture" around the world,
Flory said. "I'm glad to have had the opportunity to mark this
anniversary."
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission concludes hearing on new nuclear reactor at Fermi site in
Michigan, Combined License to be issued …
Continue Reading
Mandates to reduce costs
abound; however, along with these directives is the superior
commandment, “do not compromise safety, compliance or operational
performance.” …
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Know when to speak up -
Complying with requests you don't agree with can result in a number of
consequences, from feelings of resentment to prison time
…
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Macchan – the animal lover who lives inside the Fukushima evacuation zone
A Japanese animal lover has been living inside the Tokyo-mandated
Fukushima exclusion zone for three years. He calls himself “Macchan”,
which means “friend”. He returned home to feed his pets, and when the
other neighboring animals “went wild” he decided to stay and take care
of them all. One Kyoto University doctor said it is inconceivable that a
normal person would live inside the no-go zone, but Macchan is anything
but normal.
The state of New York will face losses of $358 million per
year in economic benefits and residents will face higher electricity
bills if the RE Ginna nuclear power plant is forced to close, the US
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has told state regulators.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission concludes hearing on new nuclear reactor at Fermi site in
Michigan, Combined License to be issued …
