Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Friday, May 11, 2018

104-Year-Old Man's Decision to Kill Himself in Assisted Suicide Promotes the Dangerous Ideology of "Rational Suicide" | LifeNews.com

104-Year-Old Man's Decision to Kill Himself in Assisted Suicide Promotes the Dangerous Ideology of "Rational Suicide" | LifeNews.com: 104-Year-Old Man's Decision to Kill Himself in Assisted Suicide Promotes the Dangerous Ideology of "Rational Suicide"

(17) Who Can Be Saved - Bishop Barron 2018 - YouTube

(17) Who Can Be Saved - Bishop Barron 2018 - YouTube

Area 45: Iran Nuclear Deal – The Aftermath Of Withdrawing | Hoover Institution

Area 45: Iran Nuclear Deal – The Aftermath Of Withdrawing | Hoover Institution: Abbas Milani explains how the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal affects both the politics of Iran and the Middle East region.

NATO’s Approach to Defense Innovation, & More from CRS |

NATO’s Approach to Defense Innovation, & More from CRS |: "In the future, NATO might have to rely as much on its agility and capacity for innovation as it has previously relied on its military technological advantage," says a new report from the Congressional Research Service that reviews NATO's response to the current threat environment and the changing t

The Aftermath of US Withdrawal from the Iran Agreement – Federation Of American Scientists

The Aftermath of US Withdrawal from the Iran Agreement – Federation Of American Scientists: A new report from the Congressional Research Service begins to sort through the implications and the practical consequences of the Trump Administration decision to end US compliance with the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"The Trump Administration

Towns hoping to avoid financial pain want Entergy to sell

Towns hoping to avoid financial pain want Entergy to sell: The village of Buchanan and the town of Cortlandt are hopeful that Entergy will sell off parts of Indian Point so they can avoid financial pain

House hands off nuclear waste storage bill to Senate | Utility Dive

House hands off nuclear waste storage bill to Senate | Utility Dive: Utility industry news, voices and jobs for energy industry professionals.

Thank You from ANS


American Nuclear Society

Dear ANS Members,
 
As you likely have already heard, yesterday the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018. This is a key milestone and victory. ANS stepped up to support this legislation because it is a strong step in the right direction toward a sensible, safe, and reliable nuclear waste program.
 
I want to personally thank all ANS members who contacted their Member of Congress to support the bill. ANS members played a big role in the nuclear community's advocacy efforts; close to 700 of our members wrote emails, tweeted, and posted Facebook comments through ANS Engage urging legislators to support a modern, practical waste program. That is an extraordinary number.
 
The bill passed the House by 340-72: a record level of support, made possible by your outreach and efforts.
 
I am proud to see such passion and engagement from ANS members on an issue that matters so deeply to the nuclear community. We spoke our minds and it made a difference!
 
THANK YOU!
 
Bob Coward
ANS President

UK regulator submits 2018-2019 Corporate Plan

UK regulator submits 2018-2019 Corporate Plan: The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has laid its latest Corporate Plan before Parliament in which it lists its ten priorities for 2018-2019. These include developing a new regime to meet safeguarding obligations following Parliament's decision to exit Euratom, along with measures to support the implementation of new emergency planning arrangements as a result of the Basic Standards Directive.

Bipartisan majority for pro-Yucca Mountain bill

Bipartisan majority for pro-Yucca Mountain bill: The US House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that would expedite licensing of the Yucca Mountain repository and provide for centralised interim storage of the country's used nuclear fuel. HR 3053 - the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018 - was passed by 340 votes to 72.

Exclusive: PGE picks Baltic wind over nuclear as Poland embraces green power - Business Insider

Exclusive: PGE picks Baltic wind over nuclear as Poland embraces green power - Business Insider

House approves bill to revive Nevada nuclear waste dump; SRS, Plant Vogtle among sites affected - News - The Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, GA

House approves bill to revive Nevada nuclear waste dump; SRS, Plant Vogtle among sites affected - News - The Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, GA

HTRs will not help establish nuclear power in Jordan | Jordan Times

HTRs will not help establish nuclear power in Jordan | Jordan Times: Chairman of Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), Khaled Toukan, has announced that the organisation is in “serious and advanced” talks with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) to build a 220 megawatt High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTR) in the Kingdom.

The Energy Collective Daily: How the European Commission, European Court of Justice, and Member States Are Scaring Away Investors in the Energy Sector

How the European Commission, European Court of Justice, and Member States Are Scaring Away Investors in the Energy Sector | The Energy Collective Daily

Link to The Energy Collective

US says Iran nuclear inspections must continue

US says Iran nuclear inspections must continue

FirstEnergy's Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 1 resumes operations - Energy Business Review

FirstEnergy's Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 1 resumes operations - Energy Business Review: FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) has resumed operations of unit 1 at the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, US fo

Rosatom completes hot tests for unit 4 at Tianwan nuclear power plant in China - Energy Business Review

Rosatom completes hot tests for unit 4 at Tianwan nuclear power plant in China - Energy Business Review: Rosatom has completed hot tests for the power unit 4 of Tianwan nuclear power plant (NPP) being constructed in China.

IAEA Concludes Long-Term Operational Safety Review at Brazil’s Angra Nuclear Power Plant

IAEA Concludes Long-Term Operational Safety Review at Brazil’s Angra Nuclear Power Plant

23/2018
Angra dos Reis, Brazil
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts today completed a review of long-term operational safety of Unit 1 at the Angra Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Brazil. The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation) review mission was requested by Eletrobras Eletronuclear S.A.
The 13-member team, whose review began on 2 May, focused on aspects essential to the safe Long-Term Operation (LTO) of Unit 1, which went into commercial operation in 1985. The operator of the plant, which has two reactors in operation and one under construction, is preparing a license renewal application to extend the operating lifetime of Unit 1 from 40 to 60 years. The application must be submitted by October 2019.
The SALTO team reviewed the plant’s organization and programmes related to LTO, including human resources and knowledge management using IAEA safety standards.
The team observed that the plant has made progress in the field of ageing management and preparedness for safe LTO. The team said management demonstrated a commitment to making further progress and that the LTO project addresses many topics as recommended by IAEA safety standards. The team found the plant staff to be professional, open and receptive to suggestions for improvement.
The team—comprising 11 experts from Argentina, China, the Czech Republic, France, Japan, South Africa and the United States of America as well as two IAEA staff members—identified several good practices and performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally, including:
  • The plant has implemented appropriate measures to address environmentally-assisted fatigue of safety significant components for LTO.
  • The plant has successfully developed a master list of equipment subject to environmental qualification.
  • The plant actively supports educational activities, including an internship programme for potential employees.
The team provided several recommendations for enhancing LTO safety, including:
  • The plant should perform a comprehensive periodic safety review.
  • The plant should ensure that ageing of active and short-lived structures and components within the scope of LTO are properly assessed and managed.
  • The plant should fully implement a comprehensive environmental qualification programme.
The plant management said it was committed to implementing the recommendations and requested that the IAEA schedule a SALTO mission in November 2020.
The team provided a draft report to the plant management. The plant and the Regulatory Authority will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. A final report will be submitted to the plant, the Regulatory Authority and the Brazilian Government within three months.
Background
General information about SALTO missions can be found on the IAEA Website. A SALTO peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants. They complement OSART missions, which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. Neither SALTO nor OSART reviews are regulatory inspections, nor are they design reviews or substitutes for an exhaustive assessment of a plant's overall safety status.

Iraqi Elections Could Disrupt Oil Industry | OilPrice.com

Iraqi Elections Could Disrupt Oil Industry | OilPrice.com

Countries In and Around the Middle East Are Adding Coal-Fired Power Plants

Countries In and Around the Middle East Are Adding Coal-Fired Power Plants

How the European Commission, European Court of Justice, and Member States Are Scaring Away Investors in the Energy Sector

How the European Commission, European Court of Justice, and Member States Are Scaring Away Investors in the Energy Sector

Hawaii Lava Threatens Power Plant - Power Engineering

Hawaii Lava Threatens Power Plant - Power Engineering

SCANA Sought Performance Bonuses to Execs After Nuclear Expansion Abandoned - Power Engineering

SCANA Sought Performance Bonuses to Execs After Nuclear Expansion Abandoned - Power Engineering

Charting the International Roadmap to a Demonstration Fusion Power Plant

Charting the International Roadmap to a Demonstration Fusion Power Plant

,
The 5th edition of the IAEA DEMO Programme Workshop was held at the National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon, South Korea, which is home of the Korean tokamak KSTAR. This machine will serve as a base for constructing and operating a Korean DEMO-type reactor. (Photo: ITER Organization)
More than 60 top fusion scientists and engineers from around the world gathered at the 5th IAEA DEMO Programme Workshop in Daejeon, South Korea, from 7 to 10 May, to discuss critical issues and next steps on the road to the realization of fusion energy.
While science and technology issues for fusion power are broadly agreed upon, upscaling the technology to commercial electricity generation is still decades away. This workshop aimed to help experts define the facilities and activities that can lead to the resolution of some of the key scientific and technological challenges to developing a fusion demonstration power plant (DEMO).
Such DEMO would show that controlled nuclear fusion can generate net electrical power and mark the final step before the construction of a commercial fusion power plant. This would represent the next stage after ITER, the world’s largest fusion experiment under way, which is expected to demonstrate by the late 2030s that fusion can be used to generate net energy, i.e. produce more energy than supplied to it to feed the reactor. Crucially, however, energy produced by ITER will not be transmitted to the electricity grid.

Dealing with the heat

Fusion energy has existed for billions of years in the Sun, but its reproduction on Earth in a controlled and durable manner remains a challenge. Unlike fission, where atoms are split to produce energy, in fusion two lighter nuclei are joined together to make a heavier nucleus, while energy is released. In a controlled nuclear fusion power plant, three conditions must be fulfilled:
  • very high temperature (more than 10 times hotter than the centre of the Sun) to provoke highly energetic collisions at extreme speed,
  • sufficient particle density in the plasma – where the reaction takes place – to increase the probability of collisions, and
  • sufficient confinement to hold the plasma and allow the fusion reactions to take place continuously.
The most performing confinement concept to date has been the tokamak, a doughnut shaped configuration first invented in the 1950s, which uses powerful magnets to confine the plasma. By now, these machines can provide the essential conditions for fusion, in terms of both plasma density and the required temperature, and fusion power can be generated. This video visualizes the operation of a tokamak-based fusion reactor.

Building on ITER

The missing piece to producing net power remains better confinement, which is a measure of how good the magnetic field is at keeping the plasma energy, for which a bigger tokamak, such as ITER is needed. Afterwards, the technological challenges of bringing fusion power to the electricity grid will be addressed by a DEMO-type reactor. Individual countries are exploring ways to do this, and the IAEA is providing a platform for information sharing and exchange in order to facilitate the research and technology development.
China has made significant progress in planning for a device called China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) that would bridge the gaps between ITER and DEMO. Construction of the CFETR could start at around 2020 and be followed by construction of a DEMO in the 2030s.
The European Union and Japan are jointly building a powerful tokamak called JT-60SA in Naka, Japan, as a complement to ITER on a privileged partnership called the Broader Approach Activities. In addition to constructing the JT-60SA, the joint programme consists of two other projects, the Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF/EVEDA), and the International Fusion Energy Research Centre (IFERC). This partnership represents a well-integrated approach to support ITER and to prepare to undertake the engineering design and construction of a subsequent DEMO.
India has announced plans to begin building a device called SST-2 to develop components for a DEMO around 2027, and then start construction of a DEMO in 2037.
South Korea initiated a conceptual design study for a K-DEMO in 2012 targeting the construction by 2037 with potential for electricity generation starting in 2050. In its first phase (2037-2050), K-DEMO will develop and test components and then utilize these components in the second phase after 2050 to demonstrate net electricity generation.
Russia plans the development of a fusion-fission hybrid facility called DEMO fusion neutron source (FNS), a reactor that would harvest the fusion-produced neutrons to turn uranium into nuclear fuel and destroy radioactive waste. The DEMO-FNS is planned to be built by 2023, and is part of Russias’ fast-track strategy to a fusion power plant by 2050.
The United States of America is considering an intermediate step called Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) to be used for the development and testing of fusion materials and components for a DEMO-type reactor. Plans call for operation to start after 2030, and construction of a DEMO after 2050.
Main findings and discussion carried out in the IAEA DEMO Programme Workshop series can be found here.
More than sixty fusion scientists and engineers came to Daejeon to discuss the crucial next steps on the road to the realization of fusion energy. (Photo: NFRI)

Bipartisan majority for pro-Yucca Mountain bill

Bipartisan majority for pro-Yucca Mountain bill: The US House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that would expedite licensing of the Yucca Mountain repository and provide for centralised interim storage of the country's used nuclear fuel. HR 3053 - the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018 - was passed by 340 votes to 72.

Kaptur pushes efforts to provide relief for nuclear plant closures

Kaptur pushes efforts to provide relief for nuclear plant closures: Rep. Marcy Kaptur is pushing for a bipartisan effort to provide local relief for those impacted by a closure of a nuclear plant, such as Davis-Besse.

Mattis: Leaving the Nuclear Deal Will Help the U.S. Negotiate with Iran - Defense - GovExec.com

Mattis: Leaving the Nuclear Deal Will Help the U.S. Negotiate with Iran - Defense - GovExec.com: Withdrawal will help the U.S. develop a ‘more compelling’ deal on a range of issues, SecDef told lawmakers.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold open house on North Anna; power plant to test sirens | Central Va. News | dailyprogress.com

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold open house on North Anna; power plant to test sirens | Central Va. News | dailyprogress.com: Both events are slated for next week.

House approves bill to revive Nevada nuclear waste dump

House approves bill to revive Nevada nuclear waste dump: WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Thursday approved an election-year bill to revive the mothballed nuclear waste dump at Nevada's Yucca Mountain despite opposition from home-state la

TASS: Business & Economy - Russia launches training program for specialists of Egypt’s nuclear industry

TASS: Business & Economy - Russia launches training program for specialists of Egypt’s nuclear industry: Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that the nuclear industry in Egypt will be created «almost from scratch»

Sellafield nuclear plant faces prosecution after worker exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation | The Independent

Sellafield nuclear plant faces prosecution after worker exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation | The Independent: Nuclear reprocessing plant Sellafield is being prosecuted by the UK's nuclear safety regulator after an employee was exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said it was taking action over an incident in February in which a worker at the facility, which handles special nuclear materials, was contaminated.

Washington's Plan for a Nuclear Agreement with Saudi Arabia May Be in Jeopardy

Washington's Plan for a Nuclear Agreement with Saudi Arabia May Be in Jeopardy: The Trump administration would be wise to drop its artificial deadlines and coordinate strategies on both the Iran and Saudi Arabia agreements. President Trump’s decision yesterday to “nix” the Iran Nuclear Deal was reckless.

California's Solar Roof Law Will Raise Housing And Energy Prices But Do Little To Reduce Emissions

California's Solar Roof Law Will Raise Housing And Energy Prices But Do Little To Reduce Emissions

New construction milestones reached at Vogtle nuclear expansion - MarketWatch

New construction milestones reached at Vogtle nuclear expansion - MarketWatch

House votes to advance Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project | TheHill

House votes to advance Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project | TheHill

Alstom Pulls Out of Joint Ventures with GE in $3.1 Billion Expense

Alstom Pulls Out of Joint Ventures with GE in $3.1 Billion Expense


https://www.power-eng.com/articles/2018/05/alstom-pulls-out-of-joint-ventures-with-ge-in-3-1-billion-expense.html?cmpid=enl_pe_power_engineering_e-newsletter_2018-05-11&pwhid=1e90004a8e081f3272fb5f8e0e9a20316c85258cc50faf993491663afd10a38f41b62c13180d825ec81f1c72848099c33ec83965e1b8e8ff4a01aa5c32296aec&eid=288118515&bid=2099539

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Superminds

NEW!
Superminds
The Surprising Power of People and Computers Thinking Together

BY THOMAS W. MALONE

From the founder of Climate CoLab comes a fascinating look at the intelligence exhibited by groups of people and computers working together.

Pre-Order Today


MIT Center for Collective Intelligence and Climate CoLab are excited to announce the coming release of
Superminds: The Surprising Power of People and Computers Thinking Together, the latest book by Prof. Thomas W. Malone, director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence and founder of Climate CoLab.

About the Book

If you're like most people, you probably believe that humans are the most intelligent animals on our planet. But there's another kind of entity that can be far smarter: groups of people. This groundbreaking book shows how groups of people working together in superminds -- like hierarchies, markets, democracies, and communities -- have been responsible for almost all human achievements in business, government, science, and beyond. And these collectively intelligent human groups are about to get much smarter.  

Pre-order your copy today!  (See booksellers above.)  Superminds will be released on Tuesday, May 15, 2018


Book Launch & Webcast


Join Thomas W. Malone, Joi Ito (director of the MIT Media Lab), Patrick Winston (MIT professor of Artificial Intelligence), and Kathleen Kennedy (director of Special Projects at MIT) for an exciting discussion around the power of superminds on May 21, 2018 from 12-1PM Eastern Time in MIT Sloan, E62-276, Cambridge, MA or live on the web. 

Register for the event Register for the webcast
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Nuclear News Features -- ANS / Publications / Magazines / Nuclear News

Nuclear News Features -- ANS / Publications / Magazines / Nuclear News

Bipartisan Support for Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Bill — Except in Nevada

Bipartisan Support for Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Bill — Except in Nevada: The House will take up legislation this week that would help restart the stalled process for making Nevada’s Yucca Mountain a nuclear waste repository.

DOE looking 'very closely' at Cold War-era law to boost coal, nuclear production | TheHill

DOE looking 'very closely' at Cold War-era law to boost coal, nuclear production | TheHill: "It’s about the national security of our country," Energy Secretary Rick Perry said.

Rick Perry: Saudi Arabia should sign nuclear energy deal with US

Rick Perry: Saudi Arabia should sign nuclear energy deal with US: Energy secretary warns the oil-rich kingdom that it risks missing out on an opportunity to show its commitment to using nuclear power responsibly

The Energy Collective Daily: Did Trump Just Kill The OPEC Deal?

Did Trump Just Kill The OPEC Deal? | The Energy Collective Daily

Link to The Energy Collective

Fukushima Update 5/11/18

Fukushima Update 5/11/18

Ohi unit #4 becomes the eighth Japanese nuke to restart… Former NRA Chair Kunihiko Shimazaki testifies that the Fukushima accident was preventable… The second and third sessions of the JAIF Annual Conference was held on April 10&11… Young employees with game pad experience are a valuable commodity with F. Daiichi damaged fuel removal… JAIF Chairman Takashi Imai says Japan needs both nuclear and renewable to meet its energy needs.

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

Bulletin of Atomic Scientists May 10, 2018

Thursday, May 10, 2018

 
John Mecklin

In a shocking but not surprising announcement on Tuesday, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. As world leaders reel from the announcement, the Bulletin reached out to leading experts and asked what Trump's actions mean in both the short- and long-term. Here’s what they are saying:
 

 
Abbas Milani

For Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatolla Ali Khamenei, and his allies, the US scuttling of the JCPOA will be a god-send.
 
 
 
Dina Esfandiary
 
Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the Iran deal only serves to create a new crisis on an issue that was shelved more than two years ago.
 

 
William H. Tobey

The decision to leave the JCPOA is a blunder. The deal has significant flaws, but withdrawing only compounds those problems.
 
 
 
Siegfried S. Hecker
 
Withdrawing from the deal has already alienated US allies and greatly diminished US ability to limit Iran’s nuclear direction.


 
 
Ezra Friedman
 
Just before President Trump's announcement, Ezra Friedman posted about how a US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal could lead to a Middle East with more than just one or two nuclear-armed states.
 
 
Sharon Squassoni
 
Science and Security Board member Sharon Squassoni writes that, for Donald Trump, getting out of the Iran deal is the political equivalent of firing someone on “The Apprentice.” It is a short-term action completely divorced from any consideration of long-term consequences.
 

 
Seyed Hossein Mousavian

A dangerous new US-Iran escalation will now ensue, and it has the real potential of resulting in a devastating war that will make the costs of the Iraq War pale in comparison.
 

 
Martin B. Malin

If the JCPOA collapses, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as the UN Security Council may be rendered powerless.
 

 
Mark Hibbs

Right off the bat, cheerleaders for the Iran deal, following negotiators’ optimistic talking points, awarded it an A grade, and naïve and disingenuous demonizers just as promptly gave it an F. Into this breach the president stepped on May 8.
 
 
 
Frank von Hippel

President Trump has talked at length about getting "a better deal," but he has done nothing to achieve that goal.

 
 
Ariane Tabatabai
 
Fluent in Persian, French, and English, Bulletin columnist Ariane Tabatabai has become a go-to expert for the media for thoughtful, nuanced analysis on all things nuclear and Iran. Read her April column on what Iranian hardliners are saying on social media, and check her Twitter feed to see an updated thread with new Iranian memes added. A special collection of her columns can be found here.
 
 


 
Graham Allison

If summarizing a reaction in a tweet: bad choice. If given a few more characters: bad for the US, and bad for our ally Israel, which stands much closer to this front line.
 

 
Kelsey Davenport

It would be premature to declare the nuclear deal dead. Washington’s P5+1 partners and the European Union have powerful tools at their disposal to block the secondary effects of US sanctions.
 
 
 
Joshua Pollack
 
Iran’s nuclear ambitions may not be a solved problem in any ultimate sense, but President Obama succeeded in putting the issue in abeyance for a generation. That achievement won’t be improved upon in the foreseeable future. It should not have been discarded so lightly, or at all.
 

 
Lawrence J. Korb

In his remarks reneging on the Iran nuclear deal, President Trump gave no indication that he has a Plan B.

 
 
Robert Rosner
 
Science and Security Board member Robert Rosner describes how, by stepping out alone, the US is conducting a diplomatic and economic experiment.
 


For 8 days in May, you can take a virtual reality tour through the Doomsday Clock. See our events page for details.
 
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