Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Small modular reactors – the real nuclear renaissance?

Small modular reactors – the real nuclear renaissance?

When America Tested Nuclear Weapons Right Outside Las Vegas | The National Interest Blog

When America Tested Nuclear Weapons Right Outside Las Vegas | The National Interest Blog

North Korea is ‘racing towards the nuclear finish line’ - The Washington Post

North Korea is ‘racing towards the nuclear finish line’ - The Washington Post

Ten Years Ago, North Korea Went Nuclear | Motherboard

Ten Years Ago, North Korea Went Nuclear | Motherboard

Floating Nuclear Power Plants: Are They Safe And Secure? – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Floating Nuclear Power Plants: Are They Safe And Secure? – Analysis – Eurasia Review

The Strange Case of Nuclear Power


The Strange Case of Nuclear Power


http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/the-strange-case-of-nuclear-power/5618

Framework for Candu reactor refurbishment

Framework for Candu reactor refurbishment

07 October 2016
Bruce Power has signed a framework agreement with SNC-Lavalin for work worth up to CAD 400 million ($300 million) as it prepares for a major program of reactor refurbishment.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Framework-for-Candu-reactor-refurbishment-0710161.html#.V_fDaGKTgBA.linkedin

U.S. Navy Sets Plans to Upgrade Idaho Spent Fuel Facility


U.S. Navy Sets Plans to Upgrade Idaho Spent Fuel Facility

The Naval Reactors facility needs a new wet storage facility to cool off spent fuel from its nuclear propulsion program.

https://neutronbytes.com/2016/10/08/u-s-navy-sets-plans-to-upgrade-idaho-spent-fuel-facility/

Friday, October 7, 2016

Lawsuit Finds Millions Of Uncounted Bernie Sanders Ballots

Lawsuit Finds Millions Of Uncounted Bernie Sanders Ballots

PG&E promises public input before making post-Diablo land decisions

PG&E promises public input before making post-Diablo land decisions


http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article106328767.html

End walls in place for Chernobyl cover

End walls in place for Chernobyl cover
Construction has been completed of the dividing walls between units 3 and 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, against which the New Safe Confinement over unit 4 will be placed. Completion of the new cover is scheduled for November 2017. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-End-walls-in-place-for-Chernobyl-cover-0710164.html

Work starts on on-shore infrastructure for Russian floating plant

Work starts on on-shore infrastructure for Russian floating plant
A ceremony was held on 4 October in Pevek, Russia, to mark the start of construction of the coastal infrastructure for the first-of-a-kind floating nuclear power plant. The floating power and heat plant is set to be commissioned there in 2019. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-Work-starts-on-on-shore-infrastructure-for-Russian-floating-plant-0710165.html

Framework for Candu reactor refurbishment

Framework for Candu reactor refurbishment
Bruce Power has signed a framework agreement with SNC-Lavalin for work worth up to CAD 400 million ($300 million) as it prepares for a major program of reactor refurbishment.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Framework-for-Candu-reactor-refurbishment-0710161.html

Japan: Radioactive leakage at Fukushima nuclear plant | The Indian Express

Japan: Radioactive leakage at Fukushima nuclear plant | The Indian Express

US Market Report for Nuclear Medicine Imaging 2016 - MedCore

US Market Report for Nuclear Medicine Imaging 2016 - MedCore

Pentagon Studied Future Japan Nuclear Arsenal and War with China

Pentagon Studied Future Japan Nuclear Arsenal and War with China

Toshiba Corporation : - Westinghouse to Acquire of Nuclear Parts Business | 4-Traders

Toshiba Corporation : - Westinghouse to Acquire of Nuclear Parts Business | 4-Traders

CGN Power (01816) selling 17% in Yangjiang Nuclear - Quamnet.com General News

CGN Power (01816) selling 17% in Yangjiang Nuclear - Quamnet.com General News

From Russia with love: Rosatom ‘optimistic’ it will build SA nuclear plants – exclusive interview

From Russia with love: Rosatom ‘optimistic’ it will build SA nuclear plants – exclusive interview


https://www.biznews.com/sa-investing/2016/10/07/from-russia-with-love-rosatom-optimistic-it-will-build-sa-nuclear-plants-exclusive-interview/

Florida's utilities on 'new ground' with Hurricane Matthew

Florida's utilities on 'new ground' with Hurricane Matthew

Radioactive leakage at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant | Free Press Journal

Radioactive leakage at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant | Free Press Journal

A nuclear option: FDA approves isotope generator | Radiology Business

A nuclear option: FDA approves isotope generator | Radiology Business

China comes calling for CANDU | Neutron Bytes

China comes calling for CANDU | Neutron Bytes

TEPCO Updates on Fukushima Daiichi Conditions (with video) | ANS Nuclear Cafe

TEPCO Updates on Fukushima Daiichi Conditions (with video) | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Cuban Agreement Awakens Memories of Juragua | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Cuban Agreement Awakens Memories of Juragua | ANS Nuclear Cafe

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Friday, October 7, 2016


 
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Friday, October 7, 2016
 
Andy Skuce
Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, has been touted as a way to reduce atmospheric CO2. But how realistic is it to build CCS facilities on a scale large enough to combat climate change?
 
 
Perry World House
 
While international law strongly proscribes the use of neuroweapons, loopholes exist. Governments should use an upcoming conference to curb the spread of arms that target the central nervous system.
 
 
South Asian dilomacy must rest on trust
 
Jayita Sarkar, Rabia Akhtar, Mario E. Carranza
 
India and Pakistan are going to have to figure out how to trust each other, which is hard to do when they’re always depending on Washington to settle their fights. Rabia Akhtar posts her second entry in our debate on reducing South Asia’s nuclear dangers.

How many nuclear warheads does the United States need?
Frank von Hippel
Bulletin Board of Sponsors member Frank von Hippel has a single, central question about nuclear weapons that journalists and citizens should consider asking the 2016 presidential candidates. A free-access article in the September/October digital journal
 
 
Jodi Lieberman
 
The Roundup is an indispensable daily listing of nuclear-related news. Read it on the website or sign up to have it delivered to your inbox!


 
 
Amy E. Smithson
 
International inspectors have now put the capstone on previous reports implicating the Syrian government in gross violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention. How will the nations of the world react?
 
 
Magdalena Stawkowski
 
Kazakhstan’s leadership has done little to address pressing humanitarian issues at Semipalatinsk, failing to provide adequate funding for environmental clean up and adequate security for the former Soviet nuclear testing site.
 
 
 
xkcd webcomic
 
A history of Earth’s average temperature, from the webcomic xkcd. ‘Nuff said.
 
 
 
Ta Minh Tuan, Parris H. Chang, Raymond Jose Quilop
 
Barack Obama is reportedly considering a no-first-use policy for the US nuclear arsenal. Proponents of the move say it would de-escalate potential nuclear crises but, in much of Asia, the idea has thrown Washington's security guarantees into doubt. The debate continues.
 
 
What We're Reading
What We’re Reading is a new blog at the Bulletin featuring short posts about articles you’ll want to see. This week we look at how hydropower, long thought of as "clean energy," emits more greenhouse gases than anyone realized, and at Russia's nuclear rhetoric: is it alarming or just ridiculous?

 
 
In Chicago in November? You still have time to reserve a place or a whole table at the Bulletin's 2016 Annual Dinner, set for Monday, November 14, at the Chicago Cultural Center. We are expecting another sold-out event, so make your reservations today!
 
 
 
A Bulletin podcast
 
Join Julian Borger of the Guardian, as he moderates a conversation with Suzanne DiMaggio and Mark Fitzpatrick about the implications of North Korea’s most recent nuclear test.
 
 
Eric Schlosser's film Command and Control, based on his 2013 book of the same title, opens today at the Gene Siskel Film Center.  After the 8 p.m. show, join the MacArthur Foundation in a special discussion with the Bulletin's Rachel Bronson and Eric Schlosser, both of whom will be in attendance.
 
North Korean missile tests, tensions with Russia, and our own expensive plans to modernize the US nuclear arsenal have escalated public concern about nuclear security.
 
The consequences of climate change threaten people, crops, and domestic stability--yet through it all the Bulletin steadily focuses on facts, reasoned arguments, and viable solutions. To keep it up, we need your support.

Every dollar sustains a growing network--and we are counting on your engagement and support. Please give today.
 
About the Bulletin
 
For more than 70 years the Bulletin has engaged science leaders, policy makers, and the interested public on topics of nuclear weapons and disarmament, the changing energy landscape, climate change, and emerging technologies.

Jodi Lieberman's Nuclear Roundup moves to the Bulletin

Jodi Lieberman's Nuclear Roundup moves to the Bulletin


http://thebulletin.org/press-release/jodi-liebermans-nuclear-roundup-moves-bulletin9905

How many nuclear warheads does the United States need?

How many nuclear warheads does the United States need?


http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00963402.2016.1216497?src=recsys&

China plans 60 nuclear reactors in the next decade, official says

http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/china-pl6ans-60-nucl7ear-reacto5rs-next-decade/



China plans 60 nuclear reactors in the next decade, official says


China plans to construct more than 60 nuclear power plants in the next 10 years, a top Chinese industry official has said.

Zheng Mingguang, vice president and chief nuclear designer at China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), told Reuters at the World Nuclear Association conference in London last week that China would build about 30 reactors in the next five years and more in the five years after that.
Each of China’s three major nuclear companies – SNPTC, CNNC and CGN – would start building a minimum of two new reactors a year, Zheng said.
China aims to become a major exporter of nuclear power capacity, an ambition boosted by last week’s announcement by the UK government that the UK’s first new nuclear power station in 21 years would go ahead at Hinkley Point in Somerset.
CGN (an abbreviation of China General Nuclear) holds a 33% stake in the scheme as co-developer with France’s EDF.http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/china-pl6ans-60-nucl7ear-reacto5rs-next-decade/

Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Colombian President — Iran Nuclear Dealmakers Rebuffed


Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Colombian President — Iran Nuclear Dealmakers Rebuffed

http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/351537/nobel-peace-prize-goes-to-colombian-president-iran-nuclear-dealmakers-rebuf/?utm_content=daily_Newsletter_MainList_Title_Position-1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Weekly%202016-10-07&utm_term=Weekly%20%2B%20Daily

Wave Energy on the Horizon in the Pacific Islands

Wave Energy on the Horizon in the Pacific Islands


http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/09/wave-energy-on-the-horizon-in-the-pacific-islands/

Environmental groups push to defeat NY nuclear subsidies

Environmental groups push to defeat NY nuclear subsidies

$subtitles.get($x) A coalition of environmental and clean-energy groups is launching a push to defeat New York's plans to invest billions of dollars into aging nuclear plants. … Continue Reading http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2016/10/nuclear-power-environmental-groups-push-to-defeat-ny-nuclear-subsidies.html?cmpid=EnlWeeklyPowerOctober72016&eid=288118515&bid=1550182

FPL says Saint Lucie 2 Florida reactor shut ahead of Matthew | Reuters

FPL says Saint Lucie 2 Florida reactor shut ahead of Matthew | Reuters

Gov't Red Tape Is KILLING Nuclear Power, Study Finds | The Daily Caller

Gov't Red Tape Is KILLING Nuclear Power, Study Finds | The Daily Caller

Here's How Nuclear Power Plants Will Handle A Hurricane | The Daily Caller

Here's How Nuclear Power Plants Will Handle A Hurricane | The Daily Caller

Nuclear power should replace much of our coal plants | TheHill

Nuclear power should replace much of our coal plants | TheHill

World’s first permanent nuclear waste disposal site under construction

World’s first permanent nuclear waste disposal site under construction


http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160929000604

Record Heating of Earth's Oceans Is Driving Uptick in Hurricanes

Dahr Jamail, Truthout: As Hurricane Matthew impacts the East Coast of the US this week, it is important to consider how increasingly warm ocean temperatures around the globe are causing record-breaking rainfalls and more powerful tropical storms and hurricanes. They are also disrupting the entire marine food web.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

New York State To Investigate Indian Point Oil Spill - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

New York State To Investigate Indian Point Oil Spill - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

New York State To Investigate Indian Point Oil Spill - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

New York State To Investigate Indian Point Oil Spill - News - Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant News, Jobs, and Careers

Nuclear: The slow death of fast reactors

Nuclear: The slow death of fast reactors: Japan’s decision to abandon the Monju fast reactor is another nail in the coffin for Generation IV nuclear technology.

The World's Best Data Driven Website Marketing Tools | AddThis

The World's Best Data Driven Website Marketing Tools | AddThis: The world's best sharing, following, recommended content and audience targeting tools.

The Storm Of The Decade: 23 Key Facts About Hurricane Matthew As It Prepares To Slam Into The East Coast

The Storm Of The Decade: 23 Key Facts About Hurricane Matthew As It Prepares To Slam Into The East Coast

Letter: Barack Obama ruined nuclear deal with Russia - Aiken Standard

Letter: Barack Obama ruined nuclear deal with Russia - Aiken Standard

Nuclear Engineering Doesn’t Just Happen Behind a Desk


Nuclear Engineering Doesn’t Just Happen Behind a Desk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeG6Hz4iNIM&feature=em-uploademail

Fukushima Update 10/6/16

Fukushima Update 10/6/16

Fukushima radioactivity is not amplifying super storms on our oceans… A clinic opens in wholly-evacuated Tomioka Town… Japan’s NRA approves the primary screening for Mihama unit #3’s restart… Sendai unit #1 begins the first post-Fukushima refueling outage… Japan’s largest newspaper asks “Is medical radiation exposure being curbed?”

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html

Hurricane Matthew and the NRC

New post on U.S. NRC Blog


Hurricane Matthew and the NRC

by Moderator
Joey Ledford
Public Affairs Officer
Region II
It’s hard to believe, but no major hurricane has made landfall in the continental United States since 2005. Hurricane Wilma came ashore in southwest Florida in October of that year as a Category 3 storm, but then skirted the peninsula and went back into the Atlantic.
pathDuring this record respite of 11 years, the NRC never stopped training and preparing for big storms, including major hurricanes. Storm preparations were an important part of the post-Fukushima enhancements that have made U.S. commercial nuclear plants safer.
This week, a mammoth storm known as Hurricane Matthew is stalking Florida’s East Coast, having already taken its toll on Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas. The NRC and the companies that operate nuclear facilities began preparations for Matthew long before its anticipated path was clear.
Late Tuesday, the staff at Florida Power and Light’s St. Lucie plant in Port St. Lucie, not far from the predicted landfall, declared an unusual event, the lowest of NRC’s emergency classifications, because of the hurricane warning. The plant staff began severe weather procedures, which include making sure any equipment or debris that could be affected by wind or water has been removed or secured. Staff also conducted walk downs of important plant systems and ensured emergency supplies were adequate.
Similar work was being done at Turkey Point, south of Miami, another FPL plant, and at Brunswick, a Duke Energy station near Southport, N.C.
The NRC’s resident inspectors at each plant, meanwhile, worked to verify the storm preparations were completed as expected, paying special attention to the condition of emergency diesel generators that would be used if the plants lose offsite power.
The NRC maintains 24-hour staffing at any plant expected to experience hurricane-force winds. Since the resident inspectors live near the plant and need to take care of their families and homes, other agency personnel are dispatched to storm sites to help with staffing. One resident inspector from Tennessee volunteered to drive to southeastern North Carolina to staff Brunswick. Some other inspectors at or near the plants on other inspection duties volunteered to stay and provide staffing.
The NRC’s Region II Incident Response Center in Atlanta will be staffed around the clock during the storm, monitoring its path while keeping in contact with plant operators, NRC on-site inspectors, state emergency officials in the affected states and NRC headquarters.
Previous hurricanes have shown that nuclear plants are robust facilities that can withstand extremely high winds and storm surges. As Matthew approaches, the NRC is working to ensure plant operators have taken actions to protect the plants, safely shut down if necessary and ensure power is available to keep the plants in a safe condition until the storm has passed.

German spot power price hits nine-month high on French nuclear worries, low renewables

German spot power price hits nine-month high on French nuclear worries, low renewables


http://uk.reuters.com/article/europe-power-spot-idUKL5N1CC1QI

Action Plan to Mitigate Nuclear Risks Reviewed


Action Plan to Mitigate Nuclear Risks Reviewed

http://kpl.gov.la/En/Detail.aspx?id=17920

A Further Case Against Nuclear Weapons

A Further Case Against Nuclear Weapons


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/isabel-bull/nuclear-weapons_b_12329050.html

Nuclear authority method may underestimate quake sizes: study


Nuclear authority method may underestimate quake sizes: study



http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161006/p2a/00m/0na/012000c

Russia claims nuclear war could be imminent as it evacuates 40 MILLION people in drill and warns that 'schizophrenics from America' could attack


Russia claims nuclear war could be imminent as it evacuates 40 MILLION people in drill and warns that 'schizophrenics from America' could attack

  • Russia's Ministry of Defence has warned a nuclear war is on the horizon
  • The Kremlin has organised the mass evacuation in the capital Moscow
  • Officials said to have built underground shelters big enough for 12million
  • Russia's bombing of Syria resulted in the US suspending negotiations  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3823232/Russia-warns-schizophrenics-America-sharpening-atomic-weapons-Moscow-nuclear-war-imminent-evacuates-40-MILLION-people-drill.html

Russia suspends nuclear agreement, ends uranium research pact with United States

Russia suspends nuclear agreement, ends uranium research pact with United States


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-nuclear-uranium-idUSKCN12521J



http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/10/06/487885/Russia-US-plutonium-agreement


Why Russia's withdrawal from the plutonium deal is worrying


http://www.russia-direct.org/analysis/why-russias-withdrawal-plutonium-deal-worrying



http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/10/05/487822/russia-us-nuclear-agreement

Russia suspends nuclear agreement, ends uranium research pact with United States

Russia suspends nuclear agreement, ends uranium research pact with United States


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-nuclear-uranium-idUSKCN12521J



http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/10/06/487885/Russia-US-plutonium-agreement


Why Russia's withdrawal from the plutonium deal is worrying


http://www.russia-direct.org/analysis/why-russias-withdrawal-plutonium-deal-worrying

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

The importance of being Ernest Moniz - Vox

The importance of being Ernest Moniz - Vox

For What it's Worth: Nuclear energy is the future of clean energy | The Post

For What it's Worth: Nuclear energy is the future of clean energy | The Post

Kaine’s Deceits About Iran | commentary

Kaine’s Deceits About Iran | commentary

Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal


Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html?_r=0

Clinton: Millions In Bribes, Transitioned Nuclear Resources To Russian Power

Clinton: Millions In Bribes, Transitioned Nuclear Resources To Russian Power


https://therealstrategy.com/clinton-millions-bribes-transitioned-nuclear-resources-russian-power/

Another aging reactor passes safety checks to operate beyond 40 years- Nikkei Asian Review

Another aging reactor passes safety checks to operate beyond 40 years- Nikkei Asian Review

UPDATE 3-Tepco calls for govt help to curb impact of rising Fukushima costs | Reuters

UPDATE 3-Tepco calls for govt help to curb impact of rising Fukushima costs | Reuters

Second rock fall discovered at nuclear waste site


Second rock fall discovered at nuclear waste site


https://aminewswire.com/stories/511015405-second-rock-fall-discovered-at-nuclear-waste-site


Ground fall at WIPP


https://www.abqjournal.com/858472/ground-fall-at-wipp.html


Waste Isolation Pilot Plant cave-in adds to safety questions

http://www.aikenstandard.com/20161004/161009836/waste-isolation-pilot-plant-cave-in-adds-to-safety-questions

Feds seek comments on Talen's Susquehanna nuclear power plant license transfer - The Morning Call

Feds seek comments on Talen's Susquehanna nuclear power plant license transfer - The Morning Call

What’s holding Russia back from ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement

What’s holding Russia back from ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement



http://www.energypost.eu/whats-holding-russia-back-ratifying-paris-climate-agreement/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=linkedin&utm_source=socialnetwork

Help bring more electric vehicles to the Northeast


It's Time to Go Electric
More than half of drivers in the Northeast are interested in electric vehicles—but the cars simply aren't available to them. Policies can help make electric vehicles an easy choice for consumers. Tell your governor it's time to ramp up electric vehicle policies.
Related Links
Who's Leading on EVs?
Why the Northeast is Ready for EVs
EV Emissions Tool
Tell A Colleague
Please encourage your colleagues to sign up and help increase our effectiveness in creating a healthy environment and a safer world. CLICK HERE.
ACTION ALERT
Tell Your Governor to Boost Electric Vehicles in the Northeast

Dear Michele,

Electric vehicles (EVs) reduce oil use, cut global warming emissions, eliminate tailpipe pollution, and slash fuel costs. And they are fun to drive! EV technology is rapidly improving and costs are coming down, but we still aren't seeing the kind of mass-market shift we need here in the Northeast.

Broadening EV adoption requires putting the right set of policies in place—reducing barriers to new car buyers, increasing investments in charging infrastructure, and incentivizing automakers to bring EVs to market.

Massachusetts is part of a multi-state effort to bring millions of EVs to the Northeast, but more work is needed to ensure we reach this goal. Join other experts in a letter asking your governor to strengthen state and regional programs that get EVs from the onramp to the fast lane.

Our survey with Consumers Union found that more than a third of drivers in the Northeast would consider an EV as their next car and more than half had some interest in EV technology. But while interest in EVs is high, the cars simply aren't available outside of California. Several EV models are only available in a handful of states, and the Northeast has far fewer numbers of EVs on dealership lots. For example, a recent UCS report found that between January and June of 2016, Boston had 90 percent fewer EV listings than Oakland, making it harder for consumers to find an electric car that works for them.

Transportation is the largest source of emissions in the Northeast, and transitioning to EVs will put us on the road to meeting our climate goals while cutting oil use and eliminating tailpipe pollution that disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities. Making the switch to EVs should not only be easy, it's a necessity. Governors need to work together to expand adoption of EVs.

Drivers want to go electric, but we need policies to get automakers to put in the effort. Join our letter from experts like you demonstrating the critical need to support policies that will help bring EVs to the Northeast.
Sincerely,
Eleanor Fort
Eleanor Fort
National Field Organizer
Clean Vehicles Program
Union of Concerned Scientists