Coal exports in the north-west

Dirty warhttp://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21576401-rancorous-scrap-over-plans-send-american-coal-asia-dirty-war

A rancorous scrap over plans to send American coal to Asia

Afghanistan has what China wants

The AfPak Channel: Afghanistan has what China wants Foreign Policy (blog) Nearby Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have grown wealthy and centralized partly due to Chinese energy investment. Could the same be true for Afghanistan in the future? First, the oil has to come out of the ground. Afghan Minister of Mines Wahidullah ...http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/04/18/afghanistan_has_what_china_wants

Reid Appoints Besieged Regulator to Nuclear-Weapons Panel

http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/reid-appoints-besieged-regulator-to-nuclear-weapons-panel-20130418

How thorium can burn nuclear waste and generate energy

How thorium can burn nuclear waste and generate energy
SmartPlanet.com (blog)
... of Cambridge in England, where PhD candidate Ben Lindley has discovered another potential advantage: Reactor operators could burn a thorium fuel that is mixed with plutonium and thus would provide a useful way to eliminate troubling nuclear waste.http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/how-thorium-can-burn-nuclear-waste-and-generate-energy/17893

Vt. lawmakers hear from nuclear waste critic

Vt. lawmakers hear from nuclear waste critic Boston.com The testimony before a House committee from Robert Alvarez, a senior scholar at the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies, comes as some lawmakers are urging that Vermont consider a new tax on the highly radioactive nuclear waste being stored ...http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/2013/04/18/lawmakers-hear-from-nuclear-waste-critic/Eg5CM3shE00NNI3gEL0UbJ/story.html

Where to go with nuclear waste? Deutsche Welle

Where to go with nuclear waste?
Deutsche Welle
The search has begun anew, following a nearly 35-year controversy over the suitability of a salt mine in Gorleben in northern Germany as a potential site for storing high-level nuclear waste. The bipartisan compromise is considered historic. A 24 ...http://www.dw.de/where-to-go-with-nuclear-waste/a-16755844

China-Pakistan nuclear axis defies nonproliferation aims

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/04/19/commentary/china-pakistan-nuclear-axis-defies-nonproliferation-aims/#.UXBZ3spfaSo

Clearing the Air on Air Emission Regulations Part II - Webinar

Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Time: 11:00 AM CT Schedule this FREE webinar with your team — no travel required. All registered attendees will receive a certificate of completion for one professional development hour! A panel of industry authorities present and discuss current and proposed air, water and waste regulations and their likely impact on the electric power industry. The webinar is a rebroadcast of a live event at ELECTRIC POWER on May 14 that focuses on recent and pending Environmental Protection Agency rules affecting electric power generating units. Among the rules to be discussed are those affecting mercury, particulates, SO2, and NOx emissions and the soon-to-be-released water intake rules under Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act. Register now This webinar will be available on-demand and accessible to all registrants after the event takes place. If you know others who might be interested in this topic, please forward this email to a colleague.

Topics For Discussion Will Include:

Clean Air Rules: Mercury, Particulates, SO2 and NOx Multi-pollutant controls 316(b) Water Intake Rules

What Viewers Will Learn About:

How a major generating company approaches compliance What to expect from a new EPA Administrator How natural gas is changing generation and impacts on at-risk units Prospects for reducing regulatory uncertainty and risk

Who Should Attend:

Engineering Managers Operations Managers Maintenance Managers Compliance Personnel Regulatory Affairs Personnel

Hear From These Experts:

Dr. Robert V. Peltier PE Editor-in-Chief POWER magazine Joseph Dominguez Senior Vice President, Governmental and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy Exelon Howard Learner President and Executive Director Environmental Law & Policy Center Susan Tierney Managing Principal Analysis Group Block Andrews Strategic Environmental Solutions Director Burns & McDonnell - Energy Division

Questions?

For questions regarding this webinar, please contact Jennifer Brady at 713-343-1906 or jenniferb@tradefairgroup.com

Sponsored By:

Hosted By:

This email was sent to: micheletkearney@gmail.com

E China nuclear plant generator operational

E China nuclear plant generator operational Xinhua Photo taken on April 18, 2013 shows the Ningde Nuclear Power Plant in Ningde, southeast China's Fujian Province. The nuclear power plant made its generator No. 1 begin operating on Thursday, making it the first of its kind in the province. Ningde ...http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-04/18/c_132320583.htm

Nuclear plant halt to increase Japan's fuel costs by 3.8 tril. yen

Nuclear plant halt to increase Japan's fuel costs by 3.8 tril. yen Power Engineering Magazine The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has estimated that Japan's nuclear plant suspension may boost power generation fuel costs at nine utilities in fiscal 2013 by 3.8 trillion yen, ministry officials said. The extra fuel costs for non-nuclear ...http://www.power-eng.com/news/2013/04/17/nuclear-plant-halt-to-increase-japan-s-fuel-costs-by-3-8-tril-yen.html

FPL completes massive, multi-year upgrade of nuclear power plants

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130418-909610.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Desalination and alternative markets to get SMRs off starting block

Desalination and alternative markets to get SMRs off starting block

By Elisabeth Jeffries on Apr 17, 2013

The case for SMRs may have taken a step forward following the USA’s recent major drought, which lasted the whole of 2012. Other smaller scale non-traditional markets could also spur SMR commercialisation. We look at the possibilities.

http://analysis.nuclearenergyinsider.com/small-modular-reactors/desalination-and-alternative-markets-get-smrs-starting-block?goback=.gde_2071322_member_233158316

Climate Change and the Peak Oil Flip-Flop

http://theenergycollective.com/billchameides/208701/peak-oil-flip-flop?utm_source=tec_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&inf_contact_key=e144002c4ad89638aee7e074ada61ebe1527cb7bebf4abf7d78d2d9c557483bd

EPA DELAYS GHG EMISSIONS DECISION AND ADDS TO FUTUREGEN CHALLENGES

EPA DELAYS GHG EMISSIONS DECISION AND ADDS TO FUTUREGEN CHALLENGES
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deadline for placing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits on new fossil-fueled power plants has come and gone. Comments from EPA staff indicate little urgency in setting a new deadline. Meanwhile, prospects for FutureGen 2.0, originally developed with GHG limits in mind, are looking bleaker. Read More »http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/5525.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=2656272&hq_l=5&hq_v=30108e0773

Safety Culture: Back to Basics

http://ewh.ieee.org/conf/hfpp/presentations/94.pdf

Report Of The President's Commission On The Accident At Three Mile Island

 Report Of The President's Commission On
See how far we have come since TMI. See how far we have come since TMI.
http://www.pddoc.com/tmi2/kemeny/utility_and_its_suppliers.htm The Accident At Three Mile Island   
http://www.pddoc.com/tmi2/kemeny/utility_and_its_suppliers.htm

US NRC Blog Update: Fort Calhoun: A Status Update

Fort Calhoun: A Status Update

by Moderator

Lara Uselding

Public Affairs Officer, Region IV

 

The NRC held a public meeting with Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) on March 27 to discuss the status of the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant. The plant, just north of Omaha, Neb., has been shut down since April 9, 2011, for a refueling outage. The outage was extended due to historic flooding along the Missouri River followed by an electrical fire that led to an “Alert” declaration and further restart complications.

At the March meeting, NRC oversight panel members shared that a 15-member inspection team had been on site conducting a very thorough inspection and independent verification of the plant’s current status.

Based on the results of the team inspection activities, the NRC has found there are a number of potential issues that appear to need licensing actions. The NRC has scheduled a meeting with OPPD officials on April 22 to discuss four changes the licensee made to the plant that may have required prior NRC approval.

The first involves a change made to the plant’s water intake structure, which was discussed in a recently issued report. Secondly, OPPD used a method to evaluate systems, structures and components for seismic conditions that was not part of their licensing basis. Thirdly, they changed the method for analyzing the suitability of piping systems without approval. Lastly, some plant equipment may not be adequately protected from tornado-driven projectiles.

The meeting to discuss these issues is open to the public and details about the meeting can be found here. The public is encouraged to contact the project managers to obtain meeting materials prior to the meeting and to ensure they plan for the appropriate number of bridge lines.

A second meeting also is scheduled between NRC and OPPD on April 22. That meeting, to discuss the ongoing review of flood mitigation activities, is closed to the public due to sensitive security information being discussed.

Moderator | April 18, 2013 at 3:46 pm | Tags: Ft. Calhoun, NRC, nuclear power plant | Categories: Operating Reactors | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-13p

Life in a Real Nuclear Wasteland

Life in a Real Nuclear Wasteland

Strange illnesses in one of the most contaminated towns in the world challenge what we think we know about the dangers of radioactivity.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/04/nuclear_contamination_in_former_ussr_radioactivity_in_muslomovo_on_techa.html

Could a nuclear-armed Iran be contained?

Could a nuclear-armed Iran be contained?

from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Kingston Reif

On September 4, 1962, President John F. Kennedy released a statement in response to intelligence reports of a Soviet arms buildup in Cuba. Kennedy said the United States did not have evidence "of the presence of offensive ground-to-ground missiles; or of other significant offensive capability either in Cuban hands or under Soviet direction and guidance." However, he warned, "Were it to be otherwise, the gravest issues would arise."http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/kingston-reif/could-nuclear-armed-iran-be-contained

IAEA and UNCCD Join Forces to Strengthen Good Soil Management Practices in Dryland Areas

IAEA and UNCCD Join Forces to Strengthen Good Soil Management Practices in Dryland Areas

IAEA soil management projects combat desertification using nuclear technology to support better irrigation and improved cropping practices, and to build understanding of soil dynamics.

Story Resources

• IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• In Focus: Nuclear Science for Food Security
• In Focus: Water
• Listen to this story

Bonn, Germany and Vienna, Austria -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on 18 April 2013, signed an agreement to collaborate in the use of nuclear technologies to strengthen the assessment of soil erosion and monitor improvements over time.
The Practical Arrangement, as it is known, was signed by Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of UNCCD, and Ana Claudia Raffo-Caiado, Director of the IAEA Division of Technical Cooperation Programme Support and Coordination (TCPC), during the eleventh session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the UNCCD, which convenes in Bonn, Germany, from 15 to 19 April 2013.
"Land degradation threatens over 1.5 billion people in over 168 countries," Raffo-Caiado said during the signing ceremony.
"IAEA builds country capacities to use radionuclide and stable isotopic techniques to study soil erosion and land degradation problems. These capacities are essential for soil conservation, land use planning and decision making," she added.
Gnacadja said, "this practical cooperation with the IAEA will help Parties to the Convention to gain access to technical support on the application of isotopic and nuclear techniques to assess the soil and water status and identify hot spots of land degradation."
"And it is a timely cooperation. Last week, scientists lamented the lack of bio-physical data on the rates of soil degradation. This week, representatives of the Parties have shared the capacity challenges they faced in measuring the impact of their activities on change in the land cover. This technology enables willing Parties to transcend such challenges," he said.
Conserving Non-renewable Resources
The Practical Arrangement, which runs until 31 December 2017, aims to enhance the conservation of land and soil resources and thus support poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, while improving the dryland's soil quality and productivity to benefit present and future generations.
Studies suggest that over 20 billion hectares of fertile soil are lost through the erosion of cropland every year and that every 10 years, in the drylands, an area the size of South Africa becomes unproductive just from desertification and drought.
While many of the 195 Parties to the UNCCD have elaborated national action programmes in order to reverse these trends, world leaders agreed in 2012 to strive for a land-degradation neutral world by avoiding further land degradation and ensuring that, where it is inevitable, degrading land is offset by restoring an equivalent amount of degraded land, ideally in the same ecosystem and within the same timeframe.
The leaders also mandated the UNCCD to monitor, globally, land degradation and land restoration in the drylands.
IAEA Technical Support in Preventing Soil Degradation
"With the help of the IAEA and these nuclear techniques, we can improve our understanding of and access to high-quality data on land and soil dynamics. By preventing degradation and rehabilitating degraded land we are protecting one of the world's most vital, almost non-renewable, natural resources, and building the resilience of populations and ecosystems," Gnacadja said.
The Practical Arrangement enables UNCCD Parties willing to participate in IAEA soil management projects to strengthen the scientific basis of the Convention and advocacy by applying the science of radionuclides in efforts to improve land productivity and minimize the impacts of drought.
"The IAEA Technical Cooperation programme in soil and water management uses radionuclides to assess the extent and amount of soil erosion, and the effectiveness of soil and water conservation strategies in retaining water and applied nutrients for food production under both rainfed and irrigated agricultural systems," Raffo-Caiado stated.
"IAEA projects also use environmentally friendly tracer elements to determine optimal placement and timing of fertilizers and water, to identify crop residue management practices and to determine how much nitrogen plants can capture from the atmosphere," she added.
Cooperation is foreseen in the exchange and dissemination of information, participation in relevant scientific networks and activities, and in joint educational and training courses.