Nuclear safety group points to new report
Federal agency downplays look at fuel storage
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2016-05-28/nuclear-safety-group-points-new-report
Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Nuclear safety group points to new report
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2016-05-28/nuclear-safety-group-points-new-report
Nuclear Power Fights for a Spot in Illinois' Clean Energy Future
Nuclear Power Fights for a Spot in Illinois' Clean Energy Future
State lawmakers are debating
whether to keep ailing nuclear plants alive. The outcome will set a
precedent for more states to come.
http://www.citylab.com/politics/2016/05/illinois-exelon-nuclear-power-plants-renewable-energy-portfolio/484046/
Fukushima Muon detection; Unit #2 interim report
Tepco has posted the status of using muon detection to scan inside the
Reactor Pressure Vessel of unit #2, as of May 20th. It's still too early
to draw conclusions, as can be seen from interim images. Looks like it
will be several weeks before anything definitive will emerge. Here's the
Press handout of May 26th...
Leslie Corrice
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/
Leslie Corrice
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/
US advised to stick with troubled fusion reactor ITER
US advised to stick with troubled fusion reactor ITER
The Department of Energy says the US should fund ITER until 2018, and then re-evaluate its progress.
http://www.nature.com/news/us-advised-to-stick-with-troubled-fusion-reactor-iter-1.19994
Front and Center An update on arms control, national security, and more from The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Front and Center
An update on arms control, national security, and more from The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
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What's News: President Obama visits Hiroshima The biggest news this week: President Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima and the peace memorial park dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing. After he toured the memorial, the President gave a 20-minute address covering the perils of war and why nuclear weapons can never be used again. “The scientific revolution that led to the splitting of an atom requires a moral revolution as well,” the President said. “That is why we come to this place.” Watch the full video of the speech and read the Miami Herald article quoting Executive Director John Tierney on the visit. Center National Advisory Board Member Frank von Hippel publishes landmark study on spent nuclear fuel Spent nuclear fuel, often called used nuclear fuel, is stored at nuclear reactors all around the country. What would happen if this fuel caught fire? Frank von Hippel, a Princeton professor and member of the Center’s National Advisory Board, wanted to find out – and the projections are alarming. A fire at just one densely packed spent fuel pool could dwarf the radioactive damages of Fukushima and other major nuclear disasters. Learn more about the study in Science Magazine. Policy Analyst Greg Terryn Cited in Politifact Even after the Iran Deal has gone into effect, confusion about the agreement remains. Politifact quotes Policy Analyst Greg Terryn explaining Iran’s “breakout time” and the merits of the deal for international security. Read what Greg had to say. |
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Read: The Center’s latest factsheet: U.S. Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons Often overlooked, the U.S. still maintains a nonstrategic – or tactical – nuclear weapons arsenal in Europe. In fact, approximately 200 B61 gravity bombs are located at six NATO air bases in five countries. Learn more about the U.S. tactical nuclear arsenal. The second coming of ICBMs with multiple warheads One of President Obama’s overlooked nuclear weapons milestones is altering the U.S. arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to carry only one warhead. But in other parts of the world, the trend is unfortunately moving in the opposite direction. Policy Intern Cassie Peterson examines the issue. |
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Fukushima Ice-wall hits an unexpected glitch - its not freezing completely
Fukushima Ice-wall hits an unexpected glitch - its not freezing completely
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2170900/2170900-6142065162070351876Friday, May 27, 2016
FIRST WESTINGHOUSE AP1000® COMPLETES COLD HYDRO TEST AT SANMEN 1
FIRST WESTINGHOUSE AP1000® COMPLETES COLD HYDRO TEST AT SANMEN 1
http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/About/News/View/FIRST-WESTINGHOUSE-AP1000%C2%AE-COMPLETES-COLD-HYDRO-TEST-AT-SANMEN-1First Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plant completes cold hydro test at Sanmen 1
First Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plant completes cold hydro test at Sanmen 1
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/05/20160527-ap1000.html
Improved uranium yields proven
Improved uranium yields proven
https://economist.com.na/17362/headlines/improved-uranium-yields-proven/Two Exelon Nuclear Plants Don't Clear Capacity Auction, Closure Possible
Two Exelon Nuclear Plants Don't Clear Capacity Auction, Closure Possible
Exelon Corp. announced
that the Quad Cities nuclear plant in Illinois and Three Mile nuclear
plant in Pennsylvania did not clear the PJM capacity auction for the
2019-2020 planning year, increasing the probability of closing the
dual-unit Quad Cities plant.
http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2016/05/two-exelon-nuclear-plants-don-t-clear-capacity-auction-closure-possible.html?cmpid=enl-poe-weekly-may-27-2016&cmpid=enl_PE_Weekly_2016-05-27&eid=288118515&bid=1417075Nuclear Innovation Can Support Growth and a Healthy Climate
Nuclear Innovation Can Support Growth and a Healthy Climate
http://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2016/05/24/nuclear_innovation_can_support_growth_and_a_healthy_climate_1624.htmlSpent fuel fire on U.S. soil could dwarf impact of Fukushima
Spent fuel fire on U.S. soil could dwarf impact of Fukushima
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/05/spent-fuel-fire-us-soil-could-dwarf-impact-fukushima
Korea releases 1st roadmap to build facility for spent nuclear fuel
Korea releases 1st roadmap to build facility for spent nuclear fuel
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160525000823
NRC Blog Update: NRC’s Preparations for Hurricane Season Enable Quick Response – If Necessary
NRC’s Preparations for Hurricane Season Enable Quick Response – If Necessary
Posted by on May 27, 2016
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Region II
The hurricane season officially begins next week, and this year hurricane experts are predicting 12-14 named storms in the Atlantic with at least a couple of major hurricanes. After two years of seeing a below average number of storms, some of those experts are saying this could be an unpredictable and potentially dangerous season.
As
they do prior to every hurricane season, NRC staff members are
preparing for the challenge and will be ready for any storms that make
landfall and threaten the facilities we regulate. NRC preparations begin
with training for all those staff members who might have to respond
during a storm, testing of communications systems, and inspections to
confirm that nuclear power plants in hurricane-prone areas have
completed their extensive hurricane preparations.The annual hurricane season runs until Nov. 30, and the NRC staff routinely tracks each storm from formation until dissipation, constantly evaluating whether it could pose a threat to U.S. nuclear plants and other NRC-licensed facilities.
If a storm approaches the mainland, the NRC regional offices provide regular updates to the NRC’s Headquarters Operations Center in Rockville, Md. Depending on the location of the storm, the Region II office in Atlanta, the Region I office outside Philadelphia, or the Region IV office in Arlington, Texas, may be involved. These briefings include information about staffing of the regional Incident Response Centers, assignment of additional staff to supplement the NRC resident inspectors at the potentially affected plants, and actions underway to ensure continuous communications with NRC-licensed facilities along the projected path of the storm.
Before a storm even forms, the NRC’s regional offices make sure that appropriate equipment, including satellite phones, are available and operational.
When a storm does form and its projected path shows possible impact on a coastline, one or more of the regional offices begins continuous hurricane tracking using the resources of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center, other federal agencies and commercial weather forecasting services.
Within 48 hours of expected hurricane force winds, NRC officials are dispatched to the State Emergency Operations Centers in the affected states. Additional NRC personnel are identified and placed “on-call” to respond if needed for any storm-induced emergency.
About 12 hours before the arrival of hurricane force winds, the agency will begin receiving continuous status updates from all of the NRC-licensed facilities in the hurricane’s path. Communications links will also be established with state emergency response officials and other federal response agencies.
During a storm’s landfall, NRC staff members maintain close contact with the plant staff and with NRC resident inspectors on site. If normal communications are lost, emergency communications systems are used.
Following any hurricane, the NRC inspectors help assess the extent of any damage to the facility and, if necessary, respond to any storm-induced problems. The agency also works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine when evacuation routes are passable and offsite emergency response organizations will be sufficiently recovered from the hurricane response to resume normal activities.
We all hope 2016’s hurricane season has little or no effect on NRC-regulated facilities and all other areas where people live, but in any case, our advance preparation allows the NRC staff to respond quickly and effectively if a hurricane or major storm does strike.
French Protests: Nuclear Power Strikes Add to Dire Fuel Shortage
French Protests: Nuclear Power Strikes Add to Dire Fuel Shortage
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/French-Protests-Nuclear-Power-Strikes-Add-to-Dire-Fuel-Shortage.html
The Worlds Most Expensive “Thing” – It’s British, a Financial Disaster which Will Affect Us All
The Worlds Most Expensive “Thing” – It’s British, a Financial Disaster which Will Affect Us All
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-worlds-most-expensive-thing-its-british-a-financial-disaster-which-will-affect-us-all/5527463
French unions deliver new blow to Hinkley Point nuclear power scheme
French unions deliver new blow to Hinkley Point nuclear power scheme
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/french-unions-deliver-new-blow-to-hinkley-point-nuclear-power-scheme-34750957.htmlFrench Union Kills UK Nuclear Plant Worth $26 Billion
http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/27/french-union-kills-uk-nuclear-plant-worth-26-billion/
Text of Obama's speech at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Text of Obama's speech at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/27/text-of-obamas-speech-at-hiroshima-peace-memorial-park.html
The Latest: UN chief welcomes Obama's Hiroshima visit
The Latest: UN chief welcomes Obama's Hiroshima visit
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3612220/The-Latest-Abe-says-Obama-Hiroshima-aid-nuke-effort.html
The Trillion-Dollar Question Obama Did Not Answer in Hiroshima
The Trillion-Dollar Question Obama Did Not Answer in Hiroshima
Nuclear physicists wonder: Should we downsize our nuclear arsenal?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-trillion-dollar-question-obama-did-not-answer-in-hiroshima/NRC staff to discuss Diablo Canyon performance assessment with public
NRC staff to discuss Diablo Canyon performance assessment with public
http://santamariatimes.com/nrc-staff-to-discuss-diablo-canyon-performance-assessment-with-public/article_fda2eae6-a671-5b51-88b8-b582d30106ec.html(Neb)-"Partial Initial Decision" Released In Crow Butte License Renewal
(Neb)-"Partial Initial Decision" Released In Crow Butte License Renewal
http://www.chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=39560
http://www.chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=39560
Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews TVA application for new OR nuclear plant
Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews TVA application for new OR nuclear plant
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/oak-ridge-anderson/nuclear-regulatory-commission-reviews-tva-application-for-new-or-nuclear-plant/216268729
Supporters rally for Exelon-backed energy bill
editor's pick
Supporters rally for Exelon-backed energy bill
“We cannot afford to see a nuclear plant close”
House votes to bar purchases of heavy water from Iran
House votes to bar purchases of heavy water from Iran
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_IRAN_DEAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-25-23-52-43
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGRESS_IRAN_DEAL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-25-23-52-43
Vermont Yankee tax value drops by $172 million
Vermont Yankee tax value drops by $172 million
https://vtdigger.org/2016/05/25/vermont-yankee-tax-value-drops-by-172-million/Troubled Indian Point reactor will reopen in summer
Troubled Indian Point reactor will reopen in summer
http://www.lohud.com/story/tech/science/environment/2016/05/26/troubled-indian-point-reactor-reopen-summer/84978218/
The Middle East: Culprit for my nuclear security insomnia
The Middle East: Culprit for my nuclear security insomnia
http://thebulletin.org/what-path-nuclear-security-beyond-2016-summit/middle-east-culprit-my-nuclear-security-insomnia
The tower in the woods: preparing for nuclear war
The tower in the woods: preparing for nuclear war
http://thebulletin.org/tower-woods-preparing-nuclear-war9488
Obama, Hiroshima, apologies, and the invisible victims of the atomic bombings
Obama, Hiroshima, apologies, and the invisible victims of the atomic bombings
http://thebulletin.org/obama-hiroshima-apologies-and-invisible-victims-atomic-bombings9490
NRC Blog Update: NRC’s Preparations for Hurricane Season Enable Quick Response – If Necessary
NRC’s Preparations for Hurricane Season Enable Quick Response – If Necessary
Posted by on May 27, 2016
Senior Public Affairs Officer
Region II
The hurricane season officially begins next week, and this year hurricane experts are predicting 12-14 named storms in the Atlantic with at least a couple of major hurricanes. After two years of seeing a below average number of storms, some of those experts are saying this could be an unpredictable and potentially dangerous season.
As
they do prior to every hurricane season, NRC staff members are
preparing for the challenge and will be ready for any storms that make
landfall and threaten the facilities we regulate. NRC preparations begin
with training for all those staff members who might have to respond
during a storm, testing of communications systems, and inspections to
confirm that nuclear power plants in hurricane-prone areas have
completed their extensive hurricane preparations.The annual hurricane season runs until Nov. 30, and the NRC staff routinely tracks each storm from formation until dissipation, constantly evaluating whether it could pose a threat to U.S. nuclear plants and other NRC-licensed facilities.
If a storm approaches the mainland, the NRC regional offices provide regular updates to the NRC’s Headquarters Operations Center in Rockville, Md. Depending on the location of the storm, the Region II office in Atlanta, the Region I office outside Philadelphia, or the Region IV office in Arlington, Texas, may be involved. These briefings include information about staffing of the regional Incident Response Centers, assignment of additional staff to supplement the NRC resident inspectors at the potentially affected plants, and actions underway to ensure continuous communications with NRC-licensed facilities along the projected path of the storm.
Before a storm even forms, the NRC’s regional offices make sure that appropriate equipment, including satellite phones, are available and operational.
When a storm does form and its projected path shows possible impact on a coastline, one or more of the regional offices begins continuous hurricane tracking using the resources of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center, other federal agencies and commercial weather forecasting services.
Within 48 hours of expected hurricane force winds, NRC officials are dispatched to the State Emergency Operations Centers in the affected states. Additional NRC personnel are identified and placed “on-call” to respond if needed for any storm-induced emergency.
About 12 hours before the arrival of hurricane force winds, the agency will begin receiving continuous status updates from all of the NRC-licensed facilities in the hurricane’s path. Communications links will also be established with state emergency response officials and other federal response agencies.
During a storm’s landfall, NRC staff members maintain close contact with the plant staff and with NRC resident inspectors on site. If normal communications are lost, emergency communications systems are used.
Following any hurricane, the NRC inspectors help assess the extent of any damage to the facility and, if necessary, respond to any storm-induced problems. The agency also works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine when evacuation routes are passable and offsite emergency response organizations will be sufficiently recovered from the hurricane response to resume normal activities.
We all hope 2016’s hurricane season has little or no effect on NRC-regulated facilities and all other areas where people live, but in any case, our advance preparation allows the NRC staff to respond quickly and effectively if a hurricane or major storm does strike.
Building the Foundation for the Future NEA 2016
Building the Foundation for the Future NEA 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSQiLsnpzGQ&feature=em-uploademail
Saudi Arabia's Oil Strategy in a Time of Glut
Saudi Arabia's Oil Strategy in a Time of Glut
Why the Kingdom Wants to Pump More
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/saudi-arabia/2016-05-24/saudi-arabias-oil-strategy-time-glut?cid=nlc-twofa-20160526&sp_mid=51466984&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2&spMailingID=51466984&spUserID=NTA0ODY0NjAzNjcS1&spJobID=923266926&spReportId=OTIzMjY2OTI2S0
Rachel Bronson to appear on PBS NewsHour, Friday evening, May 27
Rachel Bronson to appear on PBS NewsHour, Friday evening, May 27
Dear Bulletin supporter,
Because
we know you are following President Obama's historic visit to
Hiroshima, I wanted to let you know that our executive director and
publisher, Rachel Bronson, will be appearing on the PBS NewsHour tonight at 6 p.m., Eastern.
The
discussion will concern reactions to President Obama's speech in
Hiroshima and what it means in the context of massive nuclear weapons
modernization, world-wide. I hope you will tune in tonight to your local PBS station, or watch the episode when it is posted on the NewsHour website tomorrow.
Thanks for your attention to the issues that matter.
Best regards,Janice Sinclaire
Communications Director
Update on Barry Brook by Barry Brook
BNC 3.0
by Barry Brook
The 6th January 2015. That was the last time I posted an original contribution to Brave New Climate (BNC) -- at least something that wasn't a re-post (e.g., from The Conversation),
a guest post, an Open Thread or a side note... In other words, the BNC
blog has fallen fallow for well over a year. I think it's about time for
a reboot! So here's to BNC 3.0..
The original blog started back in August 2008 (first post here). It got a real reboot in late 2009, and then a false dawn in 2014. This time, I think it'll stick.
So what's been going on? I moved down to the far south in 2014 to take up a research and teaching position as the Chair of Environmental Sustainability at the University of Tasmania
(based in the School of Biological Sciences). At UTas I started a new
research programme on the dynamics of eco-evolutionary patterns
(D.E.E.P.), which has a new website at ecological-dynamics.org and a Twitter handle @ecol_evo. I work on projects spanning Wildlife, Ecosystems & Landscape Dynamics (WELD), Forests, Trees & Agroforestry (FTA), and Evolutionary Ecology (EE). There are plenty of opportunities for students!
In May 2016 I was awarded a 5-year Australian Laureate Fellowship by the Australian Research Council,
which will fund a >$4M research project looking at disaggregating
the drivers of land-use change, and assessing the implications of
different development pathways on biodiversity. The big vision thing is to establish a multidisciplinary Institute for Future Landscapes and Ecosystems in Tasmania. Here's a summary of the ARC project:The success of biodiversity conservation depends on how effectively society can 'decouple' environmental impacts from economic growth and rising human prosperity. This project will involve a systematic analysis of contemporary and historical data on agriculture, energy use and urbanisation, to identify the consumption and technology pathways that can most effectively mitigate the future extent and impact of land-use change. This synthesis will underpin the development of new forecasting and optimisation tools using an innovative hierarchical meta-modelling approach, and seeks to identify key intervention points where policy or technological change can most effectively mitigate negative impacts at regional and global scales. A key outcome will be the resolution of inherent trade-offs between ongoing human development and the competing need to conserve habitats, ecosystems, and species.
Obviously,
these goals tie strongly to the themes of BNC, focused as it is on the
intersection between technology, global change and environmental
sustainability.
Over the last year or so I've been in involved with the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission in South Australia, serving on the Expert Advisory Committee. The final report was released on 6 May 2016,
and I would encourage BNC readers to look through it. For this reason I
have necessarily been relatively quiet, publicly, on nuclear matters
over the last year.
I
now plan to start posting regularly (but not to a schedule!) on BNC
again. One thing I hope to do is write a collection of short posts
to critique some key issues/arguments that have been propagated over the
last few years; ones that really cry out for critical scrutiny. These
will be written largely for my own edification, but I hope you'll find
them useful.
More soon!
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Council digs in on the economics and politics of electricity
Council digs in on the economics and politics of electricity
http://sccinsight.com/2016/05/24/council-digs-economics-power-generation-northwest/C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium Webcast - May 31
C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium Webcast - May 31
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A nice note from Kendal gladish, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Dear Michele:
The Bulletin is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit publishing organization. Online donations to sustain operations are gratefully accepted and tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
We saw that you reposted the Bulletin's newsletter
on Obama in Hiroshima in your Nuclear Wire, and wanted to extend our
appreciation. You are helping to direct more attention to the
significance of the president's visit and the consequences of nuclear
warfare, and the policy options for improving global security.
Thank you very much--we're glad you are part of the Bulletin community.
Kendal
Kendal Gladish
Director of Development and Outreach
Mailing Address:
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
PO Box 422
Hopedale, IL 61747-0422
Office Address:
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
1155 E. 60th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
U.S.A.
T. 773.382.0723
C. 847.204.0724
F. 773.980.6932
Skype. kendal.gladish_bulletin
IT IS 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
www.tandfonline.com/r/Strike cuts 4,000 MW in French nuclear power capacity
Strike cuts 4,000 MW in French nuclear power capacity
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Strike-cuts-4000-MW-in-French-nuclear-power-capacity-455089
ANS Nuclear Cafe: Watts Bar Unit 2 Starts Up
Watts Bar Unit 2 Starts Up
By ansnuclearcafe on May 24, 2016 02:35 pmOn May 26, 2016 at precisely 2:16 a.m., what will probably be the final large unit in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) nuclear fleet – Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit Continue Reading →
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ANS Friday Matinee – April 20, 2016
By Will Davis on May 20, 2016 10:45 amOur Friday Matinee for today is the latest of the excellent Vogtle Timeline videos produced by Georgia Power to document the construction progress of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. The Continue Reading →
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Exelon Meeting: How the New Generation Energy Plan Affects Illinois
By ansnuclearcafe on May 19, 2016 12:28 pmBy Natalie McIntosh Exelon is at a pivotal point where the continued operation of two plants, Quad Cities and Clinton, hinges on the legislative decisions of Springfield, Ill., at the Continue Reading →
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