Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

North Korea's nuclear weapons: What now?



North Korea's nuclear weapons: What now?
This week we begin the third and final round of the Development and Disarmament Roundtable on North Korea as tensions and rhetoric continue to escalate on the Korean Peninsula. Since the beginning of June, three distinguished experts have weighed in on the challenges that dog the international community regarding a nuclear North Korea. Each author is committed to engagement and pragmatism, and each is noted for expertise in the region: Shen Dingli is the VP of the Shanghai Association of International Studies and the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies, as well as the associate dean of Fudan University's Institute of International Studies; Chung-in Moon is the editor-in-chief at Global Asia and teaches at Yonsei University; and Andrei Lankov, who teaches at Kookmin University, has published the books The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia and From Stalin to Kim Il Sung: The Formation of North Korea, 1945–1960.

Read on for more insights into a nuclear proliferation issue that will surely loom large in the US presidential election this fall.

Round 1:

Acknowledging reality: A pragmatic approach to Pyongyang, by Shen Dingli

North Korea: A negotiated settlement remains the best hope, by Chung-in Moon

North Korea: Don't dream the impossible, by Andrei Lankov

Round 2:

Pragmatism, principle, and the North Korean dilemma, by Shen Dingli

The grave nuclear risk of North Korean instability, by Andrei Lankov

Basis for a breakthrough in Pyongyang statement?, by Chung-in Moon

Related Reading:

Declaring a no-first-use nuclear policy would be exceedingly risky, by Gordon G. Chang

Confronting plutonium nationalism in Northeast Asia, by Fumihiko Yoshida

The real threat from North Korea is the nuclear arsenal built over the last decade, by Siegfried Hecker

A nuclear South Korea would be a mistake, by Jungmin Kang

North Koreans try to trump China—and the United States, by Bruce Cumings

The North Korea that can say no, by Bruce Cumings

Getting North Korea wrong, by Bruce Cumings
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Hecker assesses North Korean hydrogen bomb claims, by Steve Fyffe
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Conclusions from HLW webinar



Conclusions from HLW webinar
 
announcerFullName
 
Simi Valda
Marketing Manager at FC Business Intelligence Ltd
 
 
In a first-of-a-kind online conference last week, WCS and AREVA gave an exclusive update on the progress being made towards licensing the US’ first Consolidated Interim Storage (CIS) facility for the nation’s used fuel.

You can access all the slides and audio recordings from the online meeting here: http://bit.ly/2ap7RT1

Let me know if you have any questions.

Siobhan

Siobhan O’Meara
Head of Nuclear Energy Insider
FCBI Energy
+44 (0) 20 7375 7512
US Toll Free: +1 800 814 3459 + Ext: 7512
someara@nuclearenergyinsider.com

Fail-Safe Nuclear Power


Fail-Safe Nuclear Power

Cheaper and cleaner nuclear plants could finally become reality—but not in the United States, where the technology was invented more than 50 years ago.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602051/fail-safe-nuclear-power/?set=602058&utm_source=MIT+TR+Newsletters&utm_campaign=d0478b0836-The_Download_A_B_C_Subject_line_test8_2_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-d0478b0836-153856085&goal=0_997ed6f472-d0478b0836-153856085

Monday, August 1, 2016

Detectors confirm most fuel remains in unit 2 vessel


Detectors confirm most fuel remains in unit 2 vessel

29 July 2016
Most of the fuel that melted in unit 2 of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan remains within the reactor pressure vessel, an examination using a muon detection system indicates.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-Detectors-confirm-most-fuel-remains-in-unit-2-vessel-2907164.html

New York’s Grid Operators: Cuomo’s Green Energy Plan Can’t Work


New York’s Grid Operators: Cuomo’s Green Energy Plan Can’t Work


http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/29/new-yorks-grid-operators-cuomos-green-energy-plan-cant-work/

NEI asks NRC to redo draft plans on foreign ownership of nuclear plants


NEI asks NRC to redo draft plans on foreign ownership of nuclear plants
https://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-37239154-11313

In DNC’s Russia Controversy, Finger-pointing Trumps Analysis

http://www.kennan-russiafile.org/2016/08/01/in-dncs-russia-controversy-finger-pointing-trumps-analysis/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1JMFpUSTJZekkwWkRKbCIsInQiOiJCRnhYY201U2VQaVRJWm42Vll0Y0hEUXlxeG9CMXlaMW1JdnVGd1kweW91dGFjcDU0SzhtN3BBVkQrc3ZUckxIUVwvY0NadjNObXI2OVZvMzBaREJXbjlsMmJMMDBQaTJqXC9xdklEZmFNbUcwPSJ9


The Russia File

a Kennan Institute Blog

In DNC’s Russia Controversy, Finger-pointing Trumps Analysis

E. Wayne Merry
August 1, 2016
Many foreign countries sent diplomatic observers to our presidential nominating conventions. Russia did not, but a Russian image hovered over the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia, from start to finish.
Presumably, the last thing Hillary Clinton wanted to initiate her political triumph in Philadelphia was public confirmation that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had functioned effectively as an extension of her own campaign rather than as a neutral party secretariat. The confirmation via WikiLeaks of suspicions about the DNC greatly hampered Senator Bernie Sanders in his efforts to convince his ardent supporters to transfer their loyalty to Clinton in the final contest with Donald Trump.
The immediate response from DNC officials was to blame Russia and thus shift public attention from their scandal to presumed Russian meddling in the election campaign. In American political tradition, this is called wrapping yourself in the flag. The effort was greatly assisted by Mr. Trump’s remarks inviting the Russian government to pursue the missing emails from Mrs. Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State. In Philadelphia, it was striking how quickly the concerns of die-hard Sanders supporters were overshadowed in the media by the image of a malevolent Vladimir Putin.http://www.kennan-russiafile.org/2016/08/01/in-dncs-russia-controversy-finger-pointing-trumps-analysis/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1JMFpUSTJZekkwWkRKbCIsInQiOiJCRnhYY201U2VQaVRJWm42Vll0Y0hEUXlxeG9CMXlaMW1JdnVGd1kweW91dGFjcDU0SzhtN3BBVkQrc3ZUckxIUVwvY0NadjNObXI2OVZvMzBaREJXbjlsMmJMMDBQaTJqXC9xdklEZmFNbUcwPSJ9

Terrestrial Energy to sponsor Sustainable Investment Forum in New York

 Terrestrial Energy to sponsor Sustainable Investment Forum in New York
http://www.cantechletter.com/2016/08/terrestrial-energy-sponsor-sustainable-investment-forum-new-york/

As U.S. Nuclear Plant Close, Carbon Emissions Could Go Up

As U.S. Nuclear Plant Close, Carbon Emissions Could Go Up


http://www.bna.com/us-nuclear-plant-n73014445640/

Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Reports “Degradation” Issue in Spent Fuel Pool

Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Reports “Degradation” Issue in Spent Fuel Pool


http://www.capecod.com/newscenter/pilgrim-nuclear-plant-reports-degradation-issue-in-spent-fuel-pool/

Nuclear Regulatory Committee cites violations at MOX project

Nuclear Regulatory Committee cites violations at MOX project


http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20160731/AIK0101/160809998

Fukushima Update 8/1/16

Fukushima Update 8/1/16

Tomioka Town begins preparation for repopulation… There is more than 700,000 tons of water in storage at F. Daiichi… Iodine Jelly will be stockpiled for infant ingestion in the unlikely event of another nuke accident… Two more Press outlets report on unit #2’s non-melt-through… The Industry Ministry (METI) considers a new public fund for F. Daiichi decommissioning… The Asahi Shimbun says restarting all qualified nukes will cost utilities at least $32 billion.

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

Dick Morris exposes truth and Bill Clinton's lies in DNC speech - YouTube

Dick Morris exposes truth and Bill Clinton's lies in DNC speech - YouTube

US NRC Blog Update: When Plans Change — Discontinuing Some Rulemaking

When Plans Change — Discontinuing Some Rulemaking

Leslie Terry
Team Leader
Office of Administration
NRC does its job with regulations contained in the Chapter I of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations. These regulations cover everything from commercial 10cfrreactors to nuclear materials used in a variety of settings, to storing and disposing of nuclear waste.
A year ago we explained how we keep our rules up to date and unveiled a web page to provide periodic updates on our rulemaking activities. To recap, we identify the rules already under development and any new rules that need to be written. We then rank by priority every rule, regardless of the regulatory area. This way we ensure we’re focusing our resources on the high priority rules that most contribute to the NRC’s key strategic goals of safety and security. We also monitor the progress of our rulemaking activities and develop budget estimates for preparing new rules.
Sometimes our rulemaking plans change. Our Commissioners voted recently to approve a staff recommendation to discontinue eight rulemaking activities that were in the early stages of development.
During our most recent review, the staff identified several rulemakings that were in the early stages of development, but staff believes are no longer needed to meet the NRC’s key strategic goals of safety and security. The staff wrote a paper requesting Commission approval to discontinue nine activities, and discussed a 10th rulemaking the Commission had already decided to discontinue. The Commission agreed to discontinue seven of the nine rulemakings the staff proposed.
The discontinued rulemakings covered a variety of topics, and the basis to discontinue is different for each rulemaking. For example, we have a rulemaking underway to better define the requirements for reactors that have permanently shut down and are decommissioning. We felt that rulemaking was an appropriate place to address decommissioning options, including entombment for power reactors, so we are discontinuing a separate rulemaking on entombment.
We also feel the current case-by-case framework is sufficient for reviewing the limited number of requests we’ve received for alternate disposal pathways for waste with very low activity. So we’re discontinuing a rulemaking to set generic requirements, which had already been on hold for a number of years. Instead, we’ll take another look at the issue as part of an assessment of low level radioactive waste disposal, and if we decide that a rulemaking is necessary, we’ll ask the Commission to revisit the issue.
We encourage you to read more about the Commission’s vote and the staff’s proposal on our web site. You can also check our prioritization web page for future updates on our rulemaking activities.

What Chinese people think about Hillary Clinton | Brookings Institution

What Chinese people think about Hillary Clinton | Brookings Institution

Nuclear News Roundup for July 30, 2016


Nuclear News Roundup for July 30, 2016

EDF makes final investment decision on new UK nuclear plant

https://neutronbytes.com/2016/07/30/nuclear-news-roundup-for-july-30-2016/

The Promise and Peril of Thorium

The Promise and Peril of Thorium

It's time to evaluate claims that thorium-fueled reactors can reduce the proliferation risks of nuclear energy.


http://wmdjunction.com/121031_thorium_reactors.htm

NextEra agrees to buy Texas electric giant Oncor for $18.4B

NextEra agrees to buy Texas electric giant Oncor for $18.4B


http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2016/07/nextera-agrees-to-buy-texas-electric-giant-oncor-for-18-4b.html?cmpid=EnlDailyPowerAugust12016&eid=288118515&bid=1482979

As U.S. Nuclear Plant Close, Carbon Emissions Could Go Up

As U.S. Nuclear Plant Close, Carbon Emissions Could Go Up


http://www.bna.com/us-nuclear-plant-n73014445640/

5 Problems With Hillary’s Energy Platform That Could Leave You In The Dark

5 Problems With Hillary’s Energy Platform That Could Leave You In The Dark



http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/31/5-problems-with-hillarys-energy-platform-that-could-leave-you-in-the-dark/