Obama adviser pushes multi-pronged energy policy By MONICA HATCHER HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Obama adviser pushes multi-pronged energy policy
By MONICA HATCHER HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Investments in renewable power, as well as in nuclear energy and fossil fuels, must be part of plans to revise the country's energy policy, White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said. "If ever there was an issue where we should move from 'either or' to 'both and,' I would suggest it is with energy," he said during an energy conference in Houston. Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6909517.html

EnergySolutions lands waste-processing contract for Chinese reactors

EnergySolutions lands waste-processing contract for Chinese reactors
EnergySolutions has secured a contract to provide waste-management systems for two CPR-1000 reactors under construction in Yangjiang, China. The company will design and supply the processing systems for liquid and solid wastes for the reactors, which are being built by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding. Nuclear Engineering International

http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=132&storyCode=2055700

FPL reconsiders applying for nuclear loan guarantee, exec says

FPL reconsiders applying for nuclear loan guarantee, exec says
Florida Power & Light seeks to push back its project to build two nuclear reactors in the state and may apply for a federal loan guarantee, company executive Moray Dewhurst said. The company will also continue efforts to secure a license for construction and operation for the project from federal regulators, he added. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1123143220100311

China's Nuclear Forces And The Development Of A Conventional Warhead Missile

China's Nuclear Forces And The Development Of A Conventional Warhead Missile Visitors walk past China's second nuclear missile on display as they visit
the Military Museum in Beijing Photo: GETTY

China Nuclear Arms -- Washington Times

China's strategic nuclear forces remain shrouded in secrecy, but a new report this week identified the key location of Beijing's tightly guarded underground nuclear-weapons storage base.

The report by the Project 2049 Institute, a private China affairs research group, also suggests the Chinese military is working on a long-range conventional warhead missile capability. The conclusion is based on indicators that China is not building nuclear warheads as fast as it is deploying large numbers of long-range missiles.

Read more ....
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/11/inside-the-ring-76465603/

Senior Lawmakers Question Obama’s Nuclear Security Goal -- Global Security Newswire

Senior Lawmakers Question Obama’s Nuclear Security Goal -- Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON -- Leaders of a key congressional panel yesterday expressed skepticism that the U.S. government would be able to met President Barack Obama's goal of securing all of the world's loose nuclear material within four years (see GSN, Feb. 26).

"Securing all vulnerable nuclear material is a laudable goal that this committee supports," House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Vice Chairman Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) said in his opening statement during a hearing on the administration's nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Read more ....
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100311_7671.php

More On President Obama's Nuclear Security Goals

Obama Faces Decision on Nuke Policy -- Global Security Newswire
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100308_2195.php

President Obama, Robert Gates nuke war brewing? -- Politico
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34010.html

President Obama Reaffirms Committment to Nonproliferation -- FOX News
http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/03/05/president-obama-reaffirms-committment-to-nonproliferation/

Obama must decide degree to which U.S. swears off nuclear weapons -- Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030502260.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Obama calls for global fuel bank -- The Hindu
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article201554.ece

Nuclear Policy in a Changed World -- Sen. James Inhofe, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/opinion/l07nuclear.html

The Obama bid to rid the world of nuclear weapons boosts US security -- minus the threat of Armageddon -- Robert Dujarric, Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0304/The-Obama-bid-to-rid-the-world-of-nuclear-weapons-boosts-US-security-minus-the-threat-of-Armageddon

NRC says Indian Point "preserved public health and safety"

NRC says Indian Point "preserved public health and safety"
from NEI SmartBrief
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York met all safety standards in 2009; -More-

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/nei/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=46F94A74-0098-4A27-B0A9-EBE090AA3137©id=232FC837-F047-4D08-BFD6-9CD5FA4F6A59&brief=NEI&sb_code=rss&&campaign=rss

Sources: Turkey, South Korea to forge nuclear-cooperation pact

Sources: Turkey, South Korea to forge nuclear-cooperation pact
Turkey's Elektrik Uretim will reportedly sign a nuclear energy deal with South Korea's Kepco. Work on the nuclear project could begin in the near term, South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Young Hak Kim said. Reuters

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE6290HI20100310

Russia plans construction of more nuclear plants in India

Russia plans construction of more nuclear plants in India
Russia is prepared to construct more nuclear-power facilities in India over the next decade, Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin said. Russia also plans to increase capacity at the Kudankulam nuclear plant, which it is building for Nuclear Power Corp. of India. EasyBourse/Dow Jones Newswires

http://www.easybourse.com/bourse/actualite/russia-official-willing-to-build-up-to-15000mw-nuclear-plants-in-india-808435

Report: Development of nuclear plants needed to meet emissions target

Report: Development of nuclear plants needed to meet emissions target
Though the abundance of North America's unconventional gas supplies will likely alter the continent's energy landscape, that would not be enough to meet a goal to cut carbon emissions by 80% in 2050, according to report by IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. To achieve that target, more nuclear and renewable-energy facilities must be built, the report added. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100310-711383.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Administration not honoring pledge to promote nuclear, offshore drilling

Administration not honoring pledge to promote nuclear, offshore drilling
The administration has yet to make good on the President Obama's January promise to find local sources of oil and gas and promote nuclear power plants, says this editorial in the Wall Street Journal. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has been stonewalling the leasing of oil-rich areas for offshore drilling, the editorial argues, while Energy Secretary Steven Chu is stalling on naming a permanent nuclear repository by convening another blue-ribbon panel. "The president says he wants new supplies of home-grown energy, but the government's actions suggest continuing hostility to oil drilling and nuclear power," the editorial adds. The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575112144130306052.html?KEYWORDS=energy+head+fake

South Korea Eyes Nuclear Push in Turkey

South Korea Eyes Nuclear Push in Turkey
Delphine Strauss and Funja Guler, Financial Times
South Korea's plans to become a global player in the nuclear industry were boosted on Wednesday by the signing of a co-operation agreement between Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) and Turkey's Elektrik Üretim (EUAS), the two countries' state power companies.
Full Article http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b94f512e-2c97-11df-8abb-00144feabdc0.html

India May Join Russia in Establishing Angarsk Nuclear Fuel Bank

India May Join Russia in Establishing Angarsk Nuclear Fuel Bank
RIA Novosti
Editor's Note: This article appears to conflate two Russian projects, both of which are being undertaken at Angarsk: the low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel reserve (a fuel bank of last resort) and the International Uranium Enrichment Center (IUEC) (a multinationally-owned commercial supplier of enriched uranium). Indian interest is presumably in the IUEC, although this is unclear from the article.
Full Article

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100310/158147430.html

Brazil, Germany Clash on Iran Nuclear Sanctions

Brazil, Germany Clash on Iran Nuclear Sanctions
Deborah Cole, Agence France-Presse
Brazil and Germany differed sharply Wednesday on whether to threaten Iran with fresh United Nations sanctions in a bid to rein in its disputed nuclear program.
Full Article

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g2kb3E9JqYyb59mx1mNbf_kTMbog

Delay on Arms Pact Slows Reset of U.S.-Russia Ties

Delay on Arms Pact Slows Reset of U.S.-Russia Ties
Peter Baker and Mark Landler, The New York Times
STARTWhen President Obama got on the telephone with President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia last month, he was under the impression that they were finally close to wrapping up a long-delayed arms control treaty that he had originally expected to sign in December.

But to Mr. Obama's surprise, Mr. Medvedev was not ready to sign off on a deal and raised issues that required more discussion, American officials said. As he hung up, the officials said, a frustrated Mr. Obama realized that the two sides were not as close as he had thought and sent negotiators back to the table.
Full Article


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/world/europe/10start.html

NRC commissioner questions decision to withdraw Yucca licensing bid

NRC commissioner questions decision to withdraw Yucca licensing bid
Dale Klein of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission challenged the U.S. government's decision to revoke the license application for the Yucca Mountain project in Nevada, stating that politics fueled the move. "The administration's stated rationale for changing course does not seem to rest on factual findings and thus does not bolster the credibility of our government to handle this matter competently," he said. The Heritage Foundation/The Foundry blog

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/03/10/nrc-commissioner-takes-a-stand-on-obama%E2%80%99s-yucca-decision/

U.S. May Circumvent START Restrictions With Britain's Help - Analyst - 2010-03-10

U.S. May Circumvent START Restrictions With Britain's Help - Analyst
- 2010-03-10

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18040

Global Geopolitical Crisis to Hit Within Next Decade - 2010-03-10

Global Geopolitical Crisis to Hit Within Next Decade
- 2010-03-10

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18041

Iranian Missiles Pose no Threat to U.S. and Europe - Lavrov - 2010-03-10

Iranian Missiles Pose no Threat to U.S. and Europe - Lavrov
- 2010-03-10

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18039

Japan Confirms Secret Nuclear Pacts With U.S. During Cold War - 2010-03-09

Japan Confirms Secret Nuclear Pacts With U.S. During Cold War
- 2010-03-09

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18024

Syria eyes nuclear to meet rising demand for energy

Syria eyes nuclear to meet rising demand for energy
Syria is seeking alternative energy sources, including nuclear power, to meet growing demand, Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad said during a conference in Paris. While the country's goal seems distant, it reflects increasing regional interest in the power source. Google/The Associated Press

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giyNlhzvHO3iOjo5LYc1gL7eFRxgD9EBEHM03

Living with the bomb Israel will need new security doctrine to cope with Iranian nukes Eitan Haber

Living with the bomb
Israel will need new security doctrine to cope with Iranian nukes
Eitan Haber

Towards the end of the War of Attrition between Israel and Egypt, in the summer of 1970, a Sagger missile was fired at an Israeli tank on the banks of the Suez Canal. I don’t remember whether the missile hit its target or not, yet back then some IDF commanders were already taking note.

The Sagger was more accurate than the missiles of that time and possessed a longer range; it was clear that a new era in anti-tank combat was underway, yet as only one missile was fired until the ceasefire in August of that year, it did not prompt a commotion. The armored corps issued a guide, but it collected dust.

On that cursed Yom Kippur in 1973, the surprise was great: Hundreds and some say thousands of Egyptian teams armed with Saggers stopped the IDF’s tanks and pulverized them. They learned something in the wake of the armored corps’ rush forward in the Six-Day War.

After every war, the other side learns the lessons and seeks ways to overcome the IDF’s advantages. And so, for example, the missile arsenals across the border grew exponentially in order to overcome the Israeli Air Force’s clear advantage.

The Iranian nuclear bomb, which is expected to be produced in our region in the coming months or years, is the direct result of drawing lessons, and it is of course unlike any other weapon currently found in the Islamic world. The view that we are too late in preventing the production of such bomb is increasingly taking root, and not only among Israel’s leaders. Some people say the point-of-no-return passed two years ago.

One way or another, all the zealous supporters of a strike who see in their mind’s eye the ruins of Iran’s nuclear sites should know that even a massive operation would only serve to delay the project by two or three years. And then what? In other words, Israel’s leaders must put their heads together, and maybe they already did, in order to determine the policy and possibly even Israel’s way of life in respect to the new situation: Life under the shadow of the bomb.

New era approaching

There is no reason to panic. A large part of the world, and certainly the United States, Russia, and all European nations lived under the shadow of atomic bombs for almost 40 years – a period that political scientists and journalists characterized as the balance of terror. Nonetheless, in most areas of life the citizens did not feel it and continued to live their lives normally.

However, and for us this is a big “however,” the policies and security doctrines changed. Nothing remained as it was. In our case, we can already see the buds of an alliance (not just yet, not just yet) being formed among Iran, Syria, and Turkey (some generals apparently noticed it in Ankara too, and when they wanted to do something about it they were immediately transferred to a vacation in prison.) Such alliance, if it indeed materialized, will completely change the balance of power in the Mediterranean region, and not in Israel’s favor.

Life under the shadow of the bomb will require us to listen more closely to (and in fact, accept) America’s words of advice, and we should be quick to sign (if it agrees) a defense pact with it. Thus far, our leaders refrained from signing such pact for fear that it would limit our freedom to maneuver. Yet now there will apparently be no other choice.

With life under the bomb, the Americans and Europeans will likely make demands – which are being presented at this time already – in respect to Israel’s presence in what they refer to as the occupied territories, and there is no need to say much here. Life under the bomb’s shadow will also have implications on the daily life here, yet these deserve a separate discussion.

As noted, there is no reason to panic. There is hope, yet our government would do well to shift to an up-to-date and upgraded doctrine. A new era in Israel’s history is apparently approaching. We will still remain unique and the chosen people in the view of some of us, yet we’ll be talking about it in a lower voice.

It Will Take Years For US to Get off Fossil Fuels: Chu

It Will Take Years For US to Get off Fossil Fuels: Chu

Feds are working to develop safer nuclear technologies, Chu says
The country is continuing to work on a long-term strategy to develop safer nuclear technology, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. In February, the department began a loan guarantee program to help finance the construction of the nation's first new nuclear plant in three decades. "We are doing this to get the nuclear industry going and hope the private sector picks up and runs with it," he said. CNBC

http://www.cnbc.com/id/35783780

President Obama wants lawmakers to act on climate-and-energy bill

President Obama wants lawmakers to act on climate-and-energy bill
President Barack Obama met with top White House officials and senior lawmakers to reiterate his commitment to a climate-and-energy bill. Obama reportedly expressed support in the meeting for "clean-energy incentives" that would lead to jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil, a source said. The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...dist_smartbrief

Search for permanent waste repository could last a long time

Debating the Nuclear Waste Problem
By MATTHEW L. WALD

earch for permanent waste repository could last a long time
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is examining how long nuclear waste can be stored in the interim before a permanent repository is selected, said Gregory B. Jaczko, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Jaczko did not think a new policy should predict when a new repository would become available, only determine "the limits of safe and secure storage of fuel." The New York Times/Green Inc. blog

GE Hitachi eyes sale of up to 15 reactors in Europe

GE Hitachi eyes sale of up to 15 reactors in Europe
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy intends to sell up to 15 of its ESBWR reactors in Europe over the next decade, company executive Daniel Roderick said. The reactor "resonates very well in Europe because it has the lowest core-damage frequency of any plant design in the world," he added during a nuclear conference. The company also forged a nuclear-cooperation deal with Italy's EnergyLab Foundation. ForexYard/Reuters

http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/GE-Hitachi-wants-to-sell-reactors-to-Europe-2010-03-09T171855Z-INTERVIEW-UPDATE-1

Panel Confirms Japan-U.S. Secret Pacts, Leads to Gov't Policy Shift

Panel Confirms Japan-U.S. Secret Pacts, Leads to Gov't Policy Shift
Kyodo News
A Foreign Ministry panel concluded Tuesday that secret pacts on nuclear arms and other issues were reached by Japan and the United States in the Cold War era, leading the Japanese government to end its decades-long official denial that any such agreements existed.
Full Article

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=489664

Nuclear Liability Law Has Sting in Tail for the U.S. Too

Nuclear Liability Law Has Sting in Tail for the U.S. Too
Siddharth Varadarajan, The Hindu
The Manmohan Singh government may be courting trouble at home by pushing a controversial new law to limit the financial exposure of nuclear companies in the event of a nuclear accident.
Full Article

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article202534.ece

E.U. to Begin Press on Nuclear Standards

E.U. to Begin Press on Nuclear Standards
James Kanter, The New York Times
The head of the European Commission was to begin a push Monday for European safety standards for nuclear power plants to become binding worldwide, a development that might benefit France as it competes to sell its expensive technology and expertise against countries offering cheaper alternatives.
Full Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/business/global/08nuclear.html

Israel, Syria Announce Nuclear Energy Ambitions

Israel, Syria Announce Nuclear Energy Ambitions
Angela Charlton, Associated Press
Mideast rivals Israel and Syria on Tuesday each announced ambitions to develop nuclear energy, with Israel facing the prospect that its plan could bring new attention to its secretive nuclear activities.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giyNlhzvHO3iOjo5LYc1gL7eFRxgD9EB2I680

U.S. Enriches Companies Defying Its Policy on Iran

U.S. Enriches Companies Defying Its Policy on Iran
Jo Becker and Ron Nixon, The New York Times
The federal government has awarded more than $107 billion in contract payments, grants and other benefits over the past decade to foreign and multinational American companies while they were doing business in Iran, despite Washington's efforts to discourage investment there, records show.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/world/middleeast/07sanctions.html

Obama Must Decide Degree to Which U.S. Swears Off Nuclear Weapons

Obama Must Decide Degree to Which U.S. Swears Off Nuclear Weapons
Mary Beth Sheridan and Walter Pincus, The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030502260.html

Obama President Obama's top national security advisers will within days present him with an agonizing choice on how to guide U.S. nuclear weapons policy for the rest of his term.

Does he substantially advance his bold pledge to seek a world free of nuclear weapons by declaring that the "sole purpose" of the U.S. arsenal is to deter other nations from using them? Or does he embrace a more modest option, supported by some senior military officials, that deterrence is the "primary purpose"?
Full Article

* Statement by President Obama on the 40th Anniversary of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-obama-40th-anniversary-nuclear-nonproliferation-treaty

Sarkozy urges international banks to help finance nuclear projects

Sarkozy urges international banks to help finance nuclear projects
Global financial institutions should make a "wholehearted commitment" to fund civilian nuclear projects to help countries construct energy plants, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said. "I do not understand and I do not accept the ostracization of nuclear projects by international financing," he said during a nuclear energy summit. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6273D920100308

Official: Israel is seeking a partner in nuclear energy project

Official: Israel is seeking a partner in nuclear energy project
Uzi Landau, Israel's infrastructure minister, will announce today that the country is studying the construction of a nuclear-power facility to diversify its energy industry. The country has the capability to build a reactor, but its preference is to collaborate with other countries, he said. The Washington Post/Reuters

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030802100.html

GAO urged to review permit process for nuclear plants

GAO urged to review permit process for nuclear plants
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., is calling on the Government Accountability Office to review the policies and procedures in the permitting process for nuclear projects. In a letter to the acting comptroller general, Markey wrote that he wants the GAO to examine whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has adequately weighed the safety and financial aspects of nuclear power plants. The Hill/E2 Wire blog

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/85463-house-democrat-asks-gao-to-investigate-nuclear-licensing-process

Calif. county considering delay in license renewal for nuclear plant

Calif. county considering delay in license renewal for nuclear plant
The San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors may ask federal regulators to push back the relicensing process for the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility until its owner completes additional high-tech seismic studies. The board will also vote whether to ask the California Public Utilities Commission to clear Pacific Gas and Electric's plan to have ratepayers cover the $16.73 million cost of such studies. The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/03/07/1058240/diablo-license-renewal-may-be.html

Energy Dept. awards $40M for development of advanced reactor

Energy Dept. awards $40M for development of advanced reactor
The Energy Department has granted $20 million each to Westinghouse Electric and General Atomics for the development of the department's Next Generation Nuclear Plant project. The designs from the two teams will help the department choose whether to move forward with a demonstration reactor that can generate power and process heat for industrial purposes. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100308-709846.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Obama Faces Decision on Nuke Policy -- Global Security Newswire

Obama Faces Decision on Nuke Policy -- Global Security Newswire

U.S. President Barack Obama has to make a choice shortly on the exact role of U.S. nuclear weapons, the Washington Post reported Saturday (see GSN, March 3).

In the forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review, Obama could adopt a policy that says the "primary purpose" of the U.S. nuclear stockpile is to deter a nuclear attack. That stance has the support of some ranking military officials.

Read more ....
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100308_2195.php

The 'Peace President' Wants To Keep America's Nukes by Eric Margolis

The 'Peace President' Wants To Keep America's Nukes
by Eric Margolis

http://www.lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis182.html

NEW YORK – As if President Barack Obama did not have enough on his plate, he will shortly issue a Nuclear Posture Review – which is, in fact, a month overdue.

Each new American president must by law review his nation's nuclear weapons and strategy.

Accordingly, Nobel Peace Laureate Obama will decide what to do with America's 5,500 strategic nuclear weapons – that possess enough destructive power to destroy the planet at least five times over. Some experts say it's 50 times over.

Obama, strongly influenced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is expected to decide to spend US $7 billion modernizing US nuclear weapons and plants. Maintaining US nuclear weapons cost some $52 billion annually. Nuclear weapons deteriorate over time, so require regular maintenance and refurbishment.

Still, this is a huge amount at a time when the nation is bankrupt and running on borrowed money. President Obama just can't seem to escape the shadow of his bellicose predecessor.

The president is also expected to reject a "no first use" policy demanded by senior Democrats, led by California senator Diane Feinstein. Such a pledge would reaffirm the sole purpose of the US arsenal is deterring nuclear attack. Offensive use of US nuclear weapons would be banned under a "no first use" doctrine.

Russia made such a declaration in the 1990's, but today its position is ambiguous. China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea have made no first use declarations. The NATO powers appear to favor a first strike policy. Israel denies having nuclear weapons, but promises not to be the first to introduce them into the Mideast – which it did decades ago.


Deeply disturbing many liberals, President Obama will likely assert the option to use nuclear weapons against other non-nuclear nations or anti-American groups – particularly so if the US is attacked by chemical or biological weapons. He is following the policy of preemption established by President George W. Bush.

The US and Russia are nearing agreement to cut their deployed strategic warheads by a 1,000 units down to 1,500–1,675 each. But much of these reductions would come by storing rather than dismantling active warheads.

Thousands more tactical nuclear warheads will remain, though Washington hints it might remove some from Western Europe and Asia. Tactical nuclear weapons would play a key role in halting a North Korean attack on South Korea.

Nuclear weapons are widely accepted in the West as a legitimate defense against nuclear attack.

But since the Bush administration, the hard right has been pushing for using small nuclear weapons against deeply buried targets – like Iranian nuclear plants – or guerilla groups.

A new, small tactical nuclear warhead, aka "Muslim-buster" – was evaluated and almost went into production before it was stopped by the US Congress.

Republicans are again beating the war drums over the supposed nuclear threat from North Korea and Iran. They accuse Obama of near treason for having even considered scrapping part or all of America's huge nuclear arsenal, as he once promised to do.

These low-IQ Republican scaremongers don't know, or don't care that North Korea has no long-ranged nuclear capability, or wants nukes for defense against possible US nuclear attack – and as a way of extorting funds from the US, Japan and South Korea. Or that Iran has no nuclear weapons as of now, and poses no threat to the distant US.

Retired US generals and admirals have repeatedly advocated junking all nuclear weapons, calling them ruinously expensive and of no military value.

The 1970 UN Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty mandated all signatories to quickly dismantle their nuclear weapons. The US, Britain, France, Russia, China are in treaty violation. Israel, Pakistan, North Korea, and India refused to sign and secretly built their own nuclear arsenals.

In the 1980's, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made sweeping proposals for total nuclear disarmament, but President Ronald Reagan foolishly refused to scrap the US nuclear arsenal or his beloved Star Wars antimissile system. The Soviet military-industrial complex was no happier than its American counterpart to see nuclear arsenals dismantled.

"Peace president" Barack Obama has the chance to get rid of America's largely useless nukes, or at least reduce them to a dozen or so strategic missiles. But while Obama may slightly narrow nuclear doctrine, it appears America's increasingly potent national security complex and angry Republicans have pushed him into retaining and even expanding the nation's nuclear capability.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is promoting its new "Prompt Global Response" system: US-based missiles with conventional warheads that can rapidly strike anywhere on the planet.

When one of these missiles is fired at some Muslim malefactors in, say Pakistan or Afghanistan, one hopes Russia or China will not confuse it for a nuclear strike aimed at them.

In 1995, Russian air defenses mistook a Norwegian scientific missile for a US nuclear strike. Russian nuclear missiles came within minutes of being fired at North America. The Cold War was filled with such terrifying nuclear false alarms and close calls.

Global nuclear disarmament means intensive inspections of all nuclear-capable powers, including Brazil, Iran, Israel, India, Pakistan, both Koreas, and Taiwan as well as the nuclear great powers. Even Switzerland and Japan could produce nuclear weapons within 90 days.

President Obama should have led the way by sharply reducing, then scrapping America's nuclear arsenal. What thwarts this sensible policy is not verification, but political willpower and courage.

The only nation to ever use horrific nuclear weapons should take the lead in freeing humanity from their curse and setting an example for others.
March 9, 2010

Eric Margolis [send him mail] is contributing foreign editor for Sun National Media Canada. He is the author of War at the Top of the World and the new book, American Raj: Liberation or Domination?: Resolving the Conflict Between the West and the Muslim World. See his website.

Copyright © 2010 Eric Margolis

Iran begins cruise-missile production

Iran begins cruise-missile production
from The Washington Times stories: News by Nasser Karimi ASSOCIATED PRESS
TEHRAN -- Iran announced Sunday it has started a new production line of highly accurate short-range cruise missiles, which would add a new element to the country's already imposing arsenal. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's defense minister, told Iranian state TV that the cruise missile, called Nasr 1, would be capable of destroying targets up to 3,000 tons in size. The minister said the missile can be fired from ground-based launchers as well as ships but eventually would be modified to be fired from helicopters and submarines. Western powers already are concerned about Iran's military capabilities, especially the implications of its ...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/07/iran-begins-cruise-missile-production/

Iran unveils first cruise missile before Ahmadinejad trip to Kabul from DEBKAfile

Iran unveils first cruise missile before Ahmadinejad trip to Kabul
from DEBKAfile

The short-range Nasr 1 (Victory 1) was claimed to be capable of destroying warships of up to 3,000 tons when launched from the ground or sea. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced a visit Monday, March 8, to Kabul, after a provocative statement calling 9/11 "a big fabrication" to justify the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.


http://www.debka.com/article/8635/

The $62M Pickens Project: Natural Gas Legislation by Memorial Day?

The $62M Pickens Project: Natural Gas Legislation by Memorial Day?
from SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page by Greentech Media
Greentech Media submits:

By Eric Wesoff

T. Boone Pickens, the Chairman of BP Capital Management, spoke at the Wall Street Journal ECO:nomics event on Thursday afternoon. The 81-year-old oilman and geologist is on a mission to get the U.S. off of OPEC oil and on to natural gas -- and he doesn't have a lot of time. He insists he doesn't have time for Research and Development. In his words, he doesn't "have ten years for R or ten years for D." Despite that claim, at his current level of feisty -- I have little doubt he'll live to 101.

Complete Story

http://seekingalpha.com/article/192284-the-62m-pickens-project-natural-gas-legislation-by-memorial-day?source=feed

AEP, FPL: U.S. Utilities Agree on Nukes, CCS and CO2

AEP, FPL: U.S. Utilities Agree on Nukes, CCS and CO2

from SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page by Greentech Media
Greentech Media submits:

The CEOs and Chairmen of two of the largest utilities in the United States were brought together on stage Friday morning in Southern California at the Wall Street Journal ECO:nomics event. Although there are large differences in where and how they source their respective fuels and feedstocks, when it comes to the subject of nuclear power, clean coal, carbon capture, carbon and government sloth -- they tended to be in violent agreement.

American Electric Power (AEP) gets about 80% of their electricity from coal while FPL gets only 4% of their energy from coal. FPL Group (FPL) is the biggest U.S. producer of wind power, operates in 27 states and generates about $16 billion in annual revenue.

Complete Story
http://seekingalpha.com/article/192286-aep-fpl-u-s-utilities-agree-on-nukes-ccs-and-co2?source=feed

Armenian Genocide Vote Threatens US-Turkish Ties at Key Moment

Armenian Genocide Vote Threatens US-Turkish Ties at Key Moment
from Antiwar.com Original by Jim Lobe
Thursday’s vote by a Congressional committee condemning the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians during World War I as "genocide" is almost certain to complicate U.S. ties with Turkey, a long-time strategic ally and increasingly influential player in the Middle East and central and southwest Asia.The 23-22 vote by [...]

http://original.antiwar.com/lobe/2010/03/05/armenian-genocide-vote-threatens-us-turkish-ties-at-key-moment/

Why This Sunday's Election Will Create Major Problems For Iraqi Oil from Green Sheet by Oilprice.com

Why This Sunday's Election Will Create Major Problems For Iraqi Oil
from Green Sheet by Oilprice.com

(This guest post originally appeared at OilPrice.com)

The elections in Iraq on March 7, 2010, are likely to serve as an important indicator of the prospects for a resolution of the long-running dispute over the administration of the ethnically mixed and resource-rich province of Kirkuk in the north of the country.

The Iraqi Kurds have repeatedly called for Kirkuk to be transferred to the control of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which already administers three provinces in the predominantly Kurdish north of Iraq. The other ethnic groups in Iraq – including the Arab-dominated government in Baghdad – are equally insistent that Kirkuk should remain under central control and that any oil or gas revenues should be divided between the entire population of the country rather than all going to the KRG.

The failure to resolve the issue of the eventual status of Kirkuk threatens not only prospects for permanent political stability in Iraq but also hopes of extracting the province’s huge reserves and building new oil and gas pipelines from Kirkuk to Turkey, and from there to energy-hungry Western markets.

“We are very interested in the oil and gas reserves in Kirkuk. Who wouldn’t be?” said one executive from a leading European energy company. “We would like to invest in the region, perhaps even become involved in building one of the pipelines. But we can’t do anything unless this issue is resolved. At the moment, the risk of political instability is just too great.”

The Iraqi Kurds have long maintained that, historically, Kirkuk is a Kurdish province but that it was subjected to a process of Arabization under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who deported a significant proportion of its indigenous Kurds and replaced them with ethnic Arabs. No one doubts that such a campaign was launched, although the scale of the deportations is hotly disputed.

Since the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, the KRG has assumed de facto control of education and security in Kirkuk. Other ethnic groups have accused the KRG of resettling hundreds of thousands of ethnic Kurds in the province, including not only those who were originally from Kirkuk but also a large number of Kurds from other areas. They claim that the KRG’s ultimate aim is to change the demographic balance in the province in the run-up to a constitutionally required – but long overdue – referendum on the status of Kirkuk. They fear that, if a referendum results in a vote for union with the KRG, the Iraqi Kurds will attempt to use the revenue from the province’s oil and gas reserves as the economic foundations for their long-held dream of an independent Kurdish state. It is a prospect which alarms not only the Iraqi government in Baghdad but also several of the country’s neighbors. Syria, Iran and – particularly – Turkey all worry that the creation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq will further fuel secessionist tendencies amongst their own already restive Kurdish minorities.

The evidence on the ground in Kirkuk suggests that there is some truth to the allegations of demographic manipulation. In September 2009, local officials in Kirkuk estimated that the population of the province stood at 1.4 million, up from 850,000 at the time of the US invasion in March 2003. More significantly, the voter registry in Kirkuk has increased from 400,000 in 2004 to 900,000 for the March 7 elections. A dispute between Kurds and other ethnic groups over how many seats to allocate to Kirkuk to accommodate this huge increase in voters resulted in the entire election being put back two months after originally being scheduled for January 2010.

Although a compromise was eventually agreed, the real test is likely to come after the election itself. As happened at the last Iraqi general election, the two main Kurdish parties – the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – are running on a joint ticket, the so-called Kurdistani Alliance, together with five minor parties. However, this time they will face a challenge from a new party called “Goran” (meaning “Change”), which is dominated by former members of the PUK who had become exasperated by the widespread corruption and misuse of resources in the three provinces under the KRG’s control.

In the July 2009 elections for the KRG, Goran picked up 23.5 percent of the vote. It is also expected to perform well in Kirkuk on March 7, 2010. But Goran has already declared that, however much it may be opposed to the KDP/PUK in other areas, it is in complete agreement with them on iconic issues such as the transfer or Kirkuk to KRG control. As a result, the predominance of ethnic Kurds in Kirkuk means that the main hope for those opposed to the transfer of Kirkuk to the KRG is that voters break with the pattern of previous elections in Iraq and vote across ethnic lines. If the Kurdish parties fail to win an overwhelming majority in the province, then it will be much more difficult for them to push for the inclusion of Kirkuk in the territory administered by the KRG and they may be more prepared to reach a compromise with other ethnic groups on the division of revenue from Kirkuk’s oil and gas. But, for the moment at least, the signs are that the Kurds of Kirkuk will again vote along ethnic lines – which is likely to encourage the Iraq Kurds to renew their calls for a referendum and the eventual transfer of both the province and its oil and gas to the KRG.

Even if the Kurdish parties sweep Kirkuk, there is still no indication that any of the other ethnic groups in Iraq or the central government in Baghdad is prepared to allow the KRG to take over Kirkuk. Consequently, the most likely outcome of the March 7 general election in Kirkuk appears to be an increase in political tensions; and, as long as the standoff remains unresolved, energy companies are likely to continue to be reluctant to make substantial investments in extracting the province’s hydrocarbons and transferring them to Western markets.

This article written by Gareth Jenkins for Oilprice.com

Yucca Mountain shutdown brings legal blowback

Yucca Mountain shutdown brings legal blowback
from National Law Journal
For more than 20 years, the state of Nevada, environmental groups and residents living near the planned nuclear waste storage site known as Yucca Mountain battled the federal government in courts and in Congress to halt the project. But now that the Obama Administration has abandoned the Yucca Mountain plan, it faces legal action aimed at forcing it to go ahead at the site.

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202445690022&rss=nlj&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

"Provocative" Iran Invites More Sanctions Mark Heinrich, Reuters

"Provocative" Iran Invites More Sanctions
Mark Heinrich, Reuters
KhameneiThe United States and European Union accused Iran of breaking nuclear transparency rules by escalating uranium enrichment without proper U.N. surveillance and said its "provocative" behaviour invited tougher sanctions. They spoke at a tense meeting Wednesday of governors of the United Nations nuclear agency, a day after the U.N. Security Council said it was ready to tackle Western powers' proposals for new sanctions on Iran, which China has so far resisted.
Full Article

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE6223PW20100303?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

* EPA to raise threshold for major GHG sources in initial regulations

* EPA to raise threshold for major GHG sources in initial regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency will raise the reporting threshold to at least 75,000 tons annually and maybe more than 100,000 tons annually for stationary sources of greenhouse gases during the first stage of regulations between 2011 and 2012, according to Administrator Lisa Jackson. Speaking before a Senate appropriations subcommittee, Jackson said that "it will probably be at least two years before we would look at something like, say, a 50,000 [tons-per-year] threshold." The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703862704575099571772922744.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

ntergy modifies nuclear spinoff plan for N.Y. clearance

ntergy modifies nuclear spinoff plan for N.Y. clearance
Entergy is revising its nuclear spinoff plan in an effort to secure approval from New York regulators. Entergy said it will further cut the planned debt of the new company by $500 million, place limitations on dividend payments and hand over as much as $300 million to state efficiency funds if certain conditions are met. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (3/3)

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100303-712415.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

NEI to protest Yucca Mountain permit withdrawal

NEI to protest Yucca Mountain permit withdrawal
Attorneys for the Energy Department on Wednesday filed a motion with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board to withdraw the license application for a nuclear-waste repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain. Nuclear Energy Institute senior director Steve Kraft said the department failed to provide a reason for ending the program, and he promised that NEI will formally object. Experts say the nuclear industry could make a case that utilities, ratepayers and taxpayers will be deprived of their rights if the Yucca Mountain plans are withdrawn and not permitted to be resubmitted. Las Vegas Review-Journal/Stephens Washington News Bureau (

http://www.lvrj.com/news/nuclear-waste-blue-ribbon-panel-to-start-work-86253967.html

The U.S. Needs A Nuke/"Dirty Bomb" Recovery Plan

The U.S. Needs A Nuke/"Dirty Bomb" Recovery Plan
U.S. Needs to Develop Nuke, "Dirty Bomb" Recovery Plan, GAO Finds -- Global Security Newswire

The U.S. Homeland Security Department has not met an executive mandate to produce a national recovery plan to deal with the lingering effects of a terrorist assault involving a radiological "dirty bomb" or a crude nuclear device, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Friday (see GSN, Jan. 25).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, "the DHS agency responsible for developing a comprehensive emergency management system, has not developed a national disaster recovery strategy, as required by law, or issued specific guidance to coordinate federal, state, and local government recovery planning for" radiological dispersal device or improvised nuclear device events, "as directed by executive guidance," the report finds.

Read more ....
You would think that after all of this time .... there would be a basic plan to confront such a nuclear disaster.

I guess our leaders do not want to spend time on the unimaginable.

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100301_9173.php

Japan, Kazakhstan forge nuclear-cooperation deal

Japan, Kazakhstan forge nuclear-cooperation deal
Japan can now acquire stable uranium supplies from Kazakhstan in exchange for nuclear technology after the countries signed a nuclear-cooperation deal. A similar agreement was reached between Japan and Russia last year that allowed trading in technology and uranium. Reuters

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTOE62107I20100302

India to tackle bill needed to advance nuclear deal with U.S.

India to tackle bill needed to advance nuclear deal with U.S.
from NEI SmartBrief
India during the next month will discuss legislation to reduce the liability of nuclear companies during industrial accidents -More-

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/nei/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=EBC3F02E-69D5-41A2-A5C6-43EB5959AE60©id=50D7F189-3C7B-45A9-9631-9CD4602F2CBD&brief=nei&sb_code=rss&&campaign=rss

Obama decision on Yucca Mountain in Nevada is "bad news"

Obama decision on Yucca Mountain in Nevada is "bad news"
from NEI SmartBrief
President Barack Obama's move to withdraw the application for a nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain is bad news for the rest -More-

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/nei/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=EBC3F02E-69D5-41A2-A5C6-43EB5959AE60©id=85A73F3A-DA59-4021-B613-6A1AEDB4EAA7&brief=NEI&sb_code=rss&&campaign=rss

Minn. Senate panel to vote on bill to repeal nuclear ban

Minn. Senate panel to vote on bill to repeal nuclear ban
from NEI SmartBrief
A Minnesota Senate panel Tuesday heard testimony on a bill authored by Sen. -More-

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/nei/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=EBC3F02E-69D5-41A2-A5C6-43EB5959AE60©id=F415EF35-1EEE-4CD8-B5F1-04D70170D0C7&brief=NEI&sb_code=rss&&campaign=rss

Uranium in the Grand Canyon: 1 Million Acres that Could Help Fuel a U.S. Nuclear Energy Revival

Uranium in the Grand Canyon: 1 Million Acres that Could Help Fuel a U.S. Nuclear Energy Revival
from AlterNet.org by David Levitan, SolveClimate

The United States imports the bulk of its nuclear fuel, but there are large deposits of uranium, mostly in the western part of the country, that could be mined.

http://www.alternet.org/environment/145880/uranium_in_the_grand_canyon:_1_million_acres_that_could_help_fuel_a_u.s._nuclear_energy_revival_?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet

Do Not Even Think about Bombing Iran Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel, Financial Times

Do Not Even Think about Bombing Iran
Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel, Financial Times
For years, the US has retained the option of a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Not preferred by either George W. Bush or Barack Obama, it has nonetheless survived the US presidential transition as a last resort should diplomacy and economic sanctions fail to persuade Tehran to put its nuclear programme back under proper restrictions and inspections.
Full Article

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a5af1b8-24a3-11df-8be0-00144feab49a.html

N. Korea Provided Raw Uranium to Syria in 2007: Sources Kyodo News

N. Korea Provided Raw Uranium to Syria in 2007: Sources
Kyodo News
North Korea provided about 45 tons of "yellowcake" uranium to Syria in September 2007 for production of fuel for an undeclared nuclear reactor, diplomatic and military sources knowledgeable on North Korean issues said Saturday.
Full Article
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/news/20100228p2g00m0in001000c.html

India Moves on U.S. Nuclear Deal with New Law Krittivas Mukherjee, Reuters

India Moves on U.S. Nuclear Deal with New Law
Krittivas Mukherjee, Reuters
India's parliament will debate over the next month a new law to limit nuclear firms' liability in the case of industrial accidents, a move crucial for U.S. firms to tap into India's estimated $150 billion nuclear market.
Full Article

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE61B05820100302?type=marketsNews

Two U.S. Power Plants Could Use Converted Weapons Plutonium Global Security Newswire

Two U.S. Power Plants Could Use Converted Weapons Plutonium
Global Security Newswire
The United States plans to study the possibility of using mixed-oxide fuel converted from nuclear-weapon material to operate two nuclear power plants, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced yesterday.
Full Article

http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100226_9685.php

White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy David E. Sanger and Thom Shanker, The New York Times

White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy
David E. Sanger and Thom Shanker, The New York Times
As President Obama begins making final decisions on a broad new nuclear strategy for the United States, senior aides say he will permanently reduce America's arsenal by thousands of weapons. But the administration has rejected proposals that the United States declare it would never be the first to use nuclear weapons, aides said.
Full Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/politics/01nuke.html

Managing Vulnerability James M. Acton, Foreign Affairs

Managing Vulnerability
James M. Acton, Foreign Affairs
DF-31Editor's Note: In the November/December 2009 issue of Foreign Affairs, Keir Lieber and Daryl Press make the case for the United States developing a new generation of low-yield, high-accuracy nuclear weapons to maintain deterrence against current and future nuclear-armed states. In response, James M. Acton contends that adversaries' increasingly mobile forces make such a strategy ineffective and that instead the United States should reduce nuclear dangers by giving potential adversaries' strong incentives for restraint in a crisis and by devaluing nuclear weapons. This article appears in the March/April 2010 issue of Foreign Affairs.

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=40264

Feds seek input from Vt. nuclear plant operator

Feds seek input from Vt. nuclear plant operator
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given Entergy 30 days to provide input on the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, a week after Vermont's Senate voted to shut down the facility. The agency noted that it has not come across instances of the plant's personnel supplying incomplete or inaccurate data. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0110955720100301?type=marketsNews

Read the IAEA Reports on Iran They don't jibe with media reports, says Peter Casey

Read the IAEA Reports on Iran

They don't jibe with media reports, says Peter Casey

http://original.antiwar.com/peter-casey/2010/02/28/read-the-iaea-reports-on-iran/

UAE considers relocation of planned nuclear facilities

UAE considers relocation of planned nuclear facilities
The United Arab Emirates is expected to move the construction site for its proposed nuclear facilities after at the request of Saudi Arabia, South Korean authorities said. A Korean group last year secured a $40 billion contract to construct four reactors in Sila, which is near the border of the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The Korea Herald (Seoul)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/02/27/201002270035.asp

White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy

White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy
by By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER

Aides to President Obama say he will permanently reduce America’s arsenal by thousands of weapons.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/politics/01nuke.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Mordechai Vanunu: The Sunday Times articles

Mordechai Vanunu: The Sunday Times articles

The Sunday Times' Insight Team was the first to reveal Israel's nuclear secrets to the world after the paper published leaks from Morechai Vanunu. Here is how the newspaper chronicled the story, from Vanunu's original claims, to how he was captured.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article830147.ece

Israeli Nobel candidate rejects nomination‎

Israeli Nobel candidate rejects nomination‎
FILE - This April 21, 2004 file photo shows Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu following his release outside Shikma Prison in the coastal city ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022401730.html

When It Comes To Nuclear Enrichment, What Are The Iranians Thinking?

When It Comes To Nuclear Enrichment, What Are The Iranians Thinking?
from War News Updates by Bookyards
Another Puzzle in Iran After Nuclear Fuel Is Moved -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — When Iran was caught last September building a secret, underground nuclear enrichment plant at a military base near the city of Qum, the country’s leaders insisted they had no other choice. With its nuclear facilities under constant threat of attack, they said, only a fool would leave them out in the open.

So imagine the surprise of international inspectors almost two weeks ago when they watched as Iran moved nearly its entire stockpile of low-enriched nuclear fuel to an above-ground plant. It was as if, one official noted, a bull’s-eye had been painted on it.

Why take such a huge risk?

Read more ....

My Comment: When it comes to Iran there is one simple rule that everyone should follow .... do not trust them. Iran has a terrible history in the international arena of diplomacy and respecting the sovereignty of other countries and negotiated agreements. Death to America and threatening the annihilation of Israel in every speech and demonstration tends to get dry after a while ... but they are listed as a state sponsor of terror for a reason and every threat and comment made by the regime in Tehran must be taken seriously. So .... moving their nuclear fuel may be a puzzle to the New York Times .... but trust me .... there is a very blunt reason on why they are doing this ..... it is just that we have not figured it out yet.

http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2010/02/when-it-comes-to-nuclear-enrichment.html

Another Puzzle in Iran After Nuclear Fuel Is Moved

Another Puzzle in Iran After Nuclear Fuel Is Moved
from NYT > Home Page by By DAVID E. SANGER
Officials in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East have been trying to determine why Iran moved much of its low-enriched nuclear fuel out in the open, where it could easily be attacked.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/world/middleeast/27iran.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Russia planning to offer investors 49% stake in nuclear project

Russia planning to offer investors 49% stake in nuclear project
Russia is willing to offer investors a 49% interest as well as long-term supply deals in the country's first nuclear plant since the Soviet period, Rosatom said. The company is holding discussions with multiple European companies for the project. The Moscow Times/Bloomberg

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/investors-to-be-offered-49-of-baltic-plant/400463.html

Ariz. lawmakers drop bill to identify nuclear energy as renewable

Ariz. lawmakers drop bill to identify nuclear energy as renewable
Protests from a number of solar companies have prompted Arizona's Legislature to drop a bill that would have placed lawmakers in charge of the state's renewable-energy standard. Provisions in the proposed measure included declaring nuclear a renewable-energy source. American City Business Journals/Phoenix

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/02/22/daily51.html

My comment: This is where the nuclear industry falls short in its PR/long range business planning activities: They should be cultivating a coalition with the Solar Boys, rather than competing against them.

W. Va. lawmakers vote down bill to lift nuclear-construction ban

W. Va. lawmakers vote down bill to lift nuclear-construction ban
A Senate panel in West Virginia rejected legislation seeking to lift a moratorium on the construction of nuclear plants. The bill would have erased language in state code prohibiting new nuclear facilities until a waste-storage facility is built. "We are a coal and natural gas state," said state Sen. Richard Browning, who opposed the measure. WBOY-TV (Clarksburg, W.Va.)

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=75844

My Comment: I wouldn't expect anything else from a coal state.

Nuclear must be developed to meet rising energy demand

Nuclear must be developed to meet rising energy demand
Carbon-free and cost-competitive nuclear power must be developed alongside renewable sources to better meet the country's growing energy needs, according to this opinion article. Renewable power sources such as wind and solar will not be enough to meet baseload demand, the writer argues, as well as being expensive compared with other sources in terms of cost per megawatt-hour. The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/02/25/1151166/we-must-keep-nuclear-power-as.html

Feds cite progress in N.M. uranium-enrichment plant

Feds cite progress in N.M. uranium-enrichment plant
Louisiana Energy Services' uranium-enrichment site worth $3 billion is nearly operational. Centrifuges at the facility will generate enriched uranium for commercial nuclear plants once the facility has received Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval. KVIA-TV (El Paso, Texas)/The Associated Press

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=12044603

TVA to consider converting plutonium into fuel for nuclear plants

TVA to consider converting plutonium into fuel for nuclear plants
The Tennessee Valley Authority will consider using weapons-grade plutonium as nuclear fuel at its facilities after it struck a deal with the National Nuclear Security Administration to study the concept. Although the utility still needs to secure federal approval for the plan, the agreement moves it closer toward converting nuclear warheads into an electricity-generating source. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.)

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/feb/25/tva-may-use-bomb-material-nuclear-plants/?breakingnews

What to do about tactical nuclear weapons from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Pavel Podvig

What to do about tactical nuclear weapons from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Pavel Podvig

Since the United States and Russia might soon sign a new treaty that limits their strategic nuclear weapons, it's natural to wonder about Washington and Moscow's tactical nuclear weapons, which the treaty won't cover. The hope is that the momentum for a nuclear-weapon-free world, the renewed U.S.-Russian negotiations, and the ongoing review of the U.S. nuclear posture and NATO strategic concept will help make progress on reducing nonstrategic nuclear arsenals--an issue that has been largely neglected for more than a decade.




http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/col...nuclear-weapons

EU Plans Massive Sanctions against Iran

EU Plans Massive Sanctions against Iran
Hans-Jürgen Schlamp, Der Spiegel
The EU is preparing tough sanctions against Iran's energy and financial sectors, according to a confidental list of proposals drawn up for EU foreign ministers and obtained by SPIEGEL ONLINE.
Full Article
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,679853,00.html

Iran Wants to Discuss Japan Offer to Enrich Uranium: Report

Iran Wants to Discuss Japan Offer to Enrich Uranium: Report
Agence France-Presse
Iran will study a Japanese offer to enrich uranium for Tehran to allow it access to nuclear power for peaceful purposes, an Iranian politician was quoted as saying in Tokyo Thursday.
Full Article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100225/wl_asia_afp/irannuclearpoliticsjapan

Obama Urges Russia to Help Gain Treaty

Obama Urges Russia to Help Gain Treaty
Barry Schweid, Associated Press
STARTPresident Barack Obama weighed in Wednesday to try to hasten the conclusion of a new nuclear weapons treaty with Russia, urging President Dmitry Medvedev to help accelerate its completion.

White House official told The Associated Press that Obama telephoned the Russian leader and found him in accord on the need to press their negotiators to complete the elusive pact, which would sharply reduce their arsenals of long-range nuclear weapons.
Full Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022403698.html

South Carolina seeks to block termination of Yucca Mountain project

South Carolina seeks to block termination of Yucca Mountain project
The White House's plan to terminate the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste-storage project in Nevada has prompted South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster to take legal action to prevent it. South Carolina wants to ensure that the license proceedings for the project continue, "so that the [used] fuel and other nuclear material now being temporarily stored in our state will be safely placed in the Yucca Mountain repository," he said. Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2423031720100225?type=marketsNews

Obama should resolve regulatory hurdles for new nuclear plants

Obama should resolve regulatory hurdles for new nuclear plants
Though President Barack Obama vocalized support and gave the government's financial backing for the revival of the country's nuclear industry, he still needs to address the slow process of approving new projects, according to this editorial. It is time he calls for a regulatory overhaul to make nuclear a leader in green energy, the editorial argues. The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Va.)

http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/opinion/editorials/article/obama_sees_the_light_on_nuclear_power/24448/

U.S. signs nuclear-cooperation deal with UAE

U.S. signs nuclear-cooperation deal with UAE
The U.S. struck an agreement to assist the United Arab Emirates and expand its civilian nuclear energy program. The deal establishes a framework for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration to help its counterparts in the UAE. BusinessWeek.com/The Associated Press

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9E2MQ980.htm

Vt. Senate vote won't stop Entergy's bid to relicense nuclear plant

Vt. Senate vote won't stop Entergy's bid to relicense nuclear plant
Entergy said it won't give up plans to have its Vermont Yankee nuclear plant relicensed for two decades. This comes after Vermont's Senate voted to close down the plant once its license expires in 2012. "We remain determined to prove our case to the legislature, state officials and the Vermont public," the company said. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61N66T20100224

Nuclear Weapons in Germany: Broaden and Deepen the Debate

Nuclear Weapons in Germany: Broaden and Deepen the Debate
Germany George Perkovich explains that arguments against the withdrawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons from Germany on the basis of nuclear deterrence obscure the broader challenge of reinvigorating NATO and extending deterrence against lower-scale threats.
http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=30994

START is Key to Reducing the Nuclear Threat

START is Key to Reducing the Nuclear Threat
STARTThe risks associated with Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal still pose the single greatest existential threat to the United States. Matthew Rojansky and Ambassador James Collins explain that a treaty to replace the expired START agreement is an essential step toward managing those risks.
http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=30993

More on START:
Don't Stop with START [proliferation analysis]
http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24254

Moniz named to Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future

Moniz named to Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future

MIT Energy Initiative Director Ernest Moniz has been named to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which will provide recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing the nation’s used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) announced today.

Moniz currently serves as a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Moniz served as DoE undersecretary from October 1997 until January 2001. From 1995 to 1997, he was associate director for science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. Moniz is also director of MIT’s Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. He is the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems at MIT, where he has been on the faculty since 1973. He has served as head of the Department of Physics and as director of the Bates Linear Accelerator Center.

The commission, which will be chaired by former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton and former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, will produce an interim report within 18 months and a final report within 24 months.

For more information about the commission and its members, visit the DOE’s web site at http://www.energy.gov/news/8584.htm.

Thailand's power-development plan to include nuclear

Thailand's power-development plan to include nuclear
Thailand is considering nuclear energy as part of efforts to reduce its dependence on costly oil and gas imports. "At the moment, they are proposing five to seven nuclear reactors into the power development plan," said Tara Buakamsri, a campaign director for Greenpeace. Voice of America
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/science-technology/Thailand-Looks-at-Nuclear-Power-as-Part-of-Alternative-Energy-Plans-85040182.html

Official: South Africa is planning to build a fleet of nuclear plants

Official: South Africa is planning to build a fleet of nuclear plants
South Africa intends to construct multiple nuclear plants to resolve the country's power problems and curb its carbon footprint, said Nelisiwe Magubane, director general at the ministry of energy. The facilities will replace old coal-power stations, she added. Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61M16X20100223?type=marketsNews

Federal support for nuclear plant building seen as a "breakthrough"

Federal support for nuclear plant building seen as a "breakthrough"
The Dallas Morning News writes that President Barack Obama's plan to guarantee loans for nuclear plant construction is a "breakthrough" for an industry that has "languished as the result of exaggerated fears of meltdowns, waste-disposal controversies and financial concerns." The newspaper's editorial board argues that any national clean-energy policy is just "window dressing" without the inclusion of nuclear power. The Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-nuclear_23edi.State.Edition1.2bf9d67.html

Exec: Offer of cheap power contingent on renewal of Vt. plant license

Exec: Offer of cheap power contingent on renewal of Vt. plant license
Entergy is prepared to offer cheaper power rates from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant if it secures federal and state clearance for the facility's continued operation beyond 2012. "One of the things we want to do to show Vermont that we care is we want to take 25 megawatts of electricity and we want to put it aside at 4 cents a kilowatt-hour," said Curt Hebert Jr., executive vice president of Entergy. The Washington Post/The Associated Press
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022303863.html

Official: Russia prepared to invest $2.6B for Bulgarian nuclear plant

Official: Russia prepared to invest $2.6B for Bulgarian nuclear plant
Russia has agreed to work with Bulgaria for the construction of a nuclear plant in Belene this autumn, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said. Russia is also prepared to spend nearly $2.6 billion over two years to finance the project, which has experienced delays. SETimes.com (Europe)/ITAR-TASS

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2010/02/22/nb-01

UAE appoints former U.N. official to chair nuclear panel

* UAE appoints former U.N. official to chair nuclear panel
Former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has been appointed to head a nuclear advisory board in the United Arab Emirates. The board will hold meetings twice a year and will assist the country in its nuclear energy ambitions, according to a report. The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575081070250509484.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

U.S. should consider building nuclear breeder reactors, experts say

U.S. should consider building nuclear breeder reactors, experts say
The Obama administration's more than $8 billion in loan guarantees are for nuclear technologies that do not address concerns about fuel availability and nuclear-waste disposal, experts said. Speaking at the University of Arizona, Tom Blees and Leonard J. Koch said that the U.S. should instead develop breeder reactors that can run on uranium and spent nuclear fuel. Their use would extend the fuel supply and reduce the problem of radioactive-waste disposal. Green Valley News and Sun (Ariz.)


http://www.gvnews.com/articles/2010/02/22/news/38olli%20lecture%200221.txt

Iran to Build More Enrichment Plants

fro>Iran to Build More Enrichment Plants by By ALAN COWELLA

senior Iranian official said on Monday that his country planned to build 10 more nuclear enrichment plants, two of them within the next year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/world/mi...rss&emc=rss

FAS Arms Sales Monitoring Project Releases New Missile Watch

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) announces the release of the newest edition of Missile Watch, a quarterly publication produced by the Arms Sales Monitoring Project.


Missile Watch tracks the illicit proliferation and use of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles and international efforts to combat this threat.


The newest issue of Missile Watch highlights a number of very critical issues and developments, all of which have potentially profound implications for international security. Key stories include:

* FAS has confirmed that a planeload of North Korean weapons seized in Thailand contained five crates of MANPADS. The information, which was included in a recent Thai government report, appears to confirm North Korea as an illicit source of shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles.

* A long-awaited report on the feasibility of installing anti-missile systems on commercial airliners will be delivered to Congress this month, FAS has learned. Congress’ reaction to the report will reveal whether lawmakers still favor equipping US airliners with the systems – a multi-billion dollar proposal.

* The UN Security Council recently placed an arms embargo on Eritrea. Eritrea is a source of dozens, possibly hundreds, of surface-to-air missiles to the militant Somali group, al Shebab. A spokesman for al Shebab announced their intentions to come to the aid of the al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, which was responsible for the recent failed Christmas day attack on a US-bound airliner.

* Recent reports suggest most armed groups continue to rely on older first and second generation infra-red seeking missiles. These missiles are often more difficult to use and have a greater chance of malfunctioning.

To read the full Issue of Missile Watch, click here.
http://fas.org/programs/ssp/asmp/publications/ASMP_Publications_2010/Missile_Watch_Vol3_Issue1_Feb10.pdf?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_content=kearneyjmm%40aol.com&utm_campaign=Missile+Watch+Small+Arms+Appeal+%28small+arms+subscribers%29

UK plans first nuclear fusion power plan Jonathan Leake

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article7034945.ece


From The Sunday Times
February 21, 2010


UK plans first nuclear fusion power plan
Jonathan Leake


BRITISH scientists have drawn up plans to build the world’s first nuclear fusion power station. They say it could be pouring electricity into the National Grid within 20 years.

Nuclear fusion, the power that lies at the heart of the sun, offers the prospect of clean, safe, carbon-free power with a minimum of radioactive waste. But despite decades of research the technical problems have seemed insurmountable.

This weekend, however, Research Councils UK (RCUK), which oversees the British government’s spending on science and technology, has said it believes that many of those obstacles are close to being overcome.

It wants to commit Britain to a 20-year research and construction plan that would see a fusion power station in operation around 2030. Didcot in Oxfordshire is among the sites under consideration for the so-called Hiper project.

“The potential of fusion energy to contribute to the future global energy system is sufficiently large that it should be pursued in the UK,” said a report published by RCUK.

It also follows the recent start-up of America’s National Ignition Facility, in California, which has been designed to demonstrate the principle of laser fusion. There, 192 giant lasers have been installed, collectively capable of generating 500 trillion watts — 1,000 times the power of the US national grid — for a fraction of a second.

That energy will be focused on a tiny fuel pellet of frozen hydrogen which, in theory, should be compressed and heated to 100mC — so hot that the atoms within it start to fuse.

“The world is watching and waiting to see what happens at NIF,” said the report, calling this “a seminal moment” in the development of fusion.

Mike Dunne, project co-ordinator for Hiper, agreed. “The NIF laser is performing well — they have already achieved fusion reactions but so far they are putting in much more energy than they are getting out.

“The crucial test will come this autumn when they ramp up the power. In theory they should start generating more power than they put in and if that happens it will be a clear demonstration to the world that laser fusion is ready to be harnessed. So far the signs are very good.”

The Americans designed NIF for a very different purpose from power generation. Its aim is to simulate nuclear explosions so scientists can carry out weapons research. This means that it can trigger only one fusion explosion at a time.

Dunne’s vision for Hiper is to feed a continual stream of fuel pellets into the reactor, blasting them with lasers in rapid succession to generate a constant stream of nuclear fusion explosions.

“The lasers will crush the 2mm pellet to a hundredth of its size in a billionth of a second, making it 10 times hotter than the middle of the sun,” he said.

Under such conditions the hydrogen atoms that make up the fuel are ripped apart, creating a “plasma” of electrons and hydrogen nuclei which collide and interact at high speed.

Some of these collisions result in the nuclei fusing, forming another element called helium and ejecting a neutron, a sub-atomic particle, which hurtles outwards at high speed.

When the neutrons reach the wall of the fusion chamber they pass through it but are absorbed by a blanket of lithium, heating it up. This heat is then captured and used to make steam that can in turn be used to drive a turbine.

The RCUK report, written by a group of independent fusion experts, suggests such a plant would be big enough to generate large amounts of power. “We think the first demonstration should be around 500MW, comparable to a commercial power station,” said Dunne.

Britain has the infrastructure and the workforce needed for nuclear fusion because it hosts the JET fusion facility at Culham in Oxfordshire.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for the Hiper team will be creating an international consortium to join Britain on the project, which would cost several billions of pounds.

In theory RCUK can take the decision on such projects without government approval because it has full responsibility for the way it spends its money, but in reality it would need to work closely with ministers.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change said: “This is something that we would look at as long as it is in the framework of a global project.”

Lord Mandelson ready to go nuclear Government close to signing a £170m agreement

FYI
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article7034860.ece

From The Sunday Times
February 21, 2010

Lord Mandelson ready to go nuclear
Government close to signing a £170m agreement with


LORD MANDELSON is close to sealing a £170m government-backed deal for a nuclear manufacturing facility just days after Corus mothballed its steel plant on Teesside.

The business secretary has been leading talks between Sheffield Forgemasters, the engineering firm, and Westinghouse, the nuclear reactor maker, for months about arranging a financing package for a 15,000-tonne press that would be used to make pressure vessels and castings for nuclear reactors.

Today these are made by a handful of highly specialised facilities, all located in Japan.

The deal with Sheffield, which gained notoriety in the 1990s when it was embroiled in the “Supergun affair” over arms sales to Iraq, would secure a critical piece of infrastructure for a new generation of nuclear reactors in Britain.

Mandelson is under pressure after the Teesside closure left 1,600 industrial workers jobless. He hopes to make an announcement on the Sheffield deal as soon as this week. This could be delayed as final details were still being worked out this weekend but a broad outline has been agreed.

The government is expected to put up roughly half of the £170m project cost in cheap loans structured to comply with European Union rules on state aid. Westinghouse would contribute £50m, in the form of an upfront payment for reactor components, and the EIB would provide a smaller portion. Final investment would be subject to further due diligence.

The business department declined to comment.

Mandelson’s role in the talks is a reflection of his effort to involve the government more intimately in industrial policy. Nuclear is at the centre of Whitehall’s plans to reshape energy infrastructure and meet climate-change targets. At least six reactors are expected to be built over the next two decades — all by foreign-owned utilities.

The government has encouraged them to invest here but has pushed to keep as much work as possible in Britain. The programme is expected to create thousands of construction jobs. Sheffield Forgemasters’ history dates back to the 18th century. It ran into financial trouble in the early 2000s but has since been turned round by Tony Pedder, its chairman, who took over after a tough time running Corus.

The Sheffield negotations are part of a wider lobbying campaign among companies angling for a share of the nuclear building boom.

EDF, the French state-owned utility that bought British Energy last year, expects to build up to four new reactors. It has teamed up with Centrica, owner of British Gas, to share the cost.

Rivals Eon and RWE have formed a joint venture called Horizon Nuclear Power and intend to build at least two plants.

They will be able to use one of two reactor designs, the AP1000 from Westinghouse, and the EPR from Areva, the French state-owned group, that are being reviewed by the Nuclear Industry Inspectorate, the regulator.

EDF is expected to use Areva’s design. Eon and RWE, however, remain uncommitted and are thought to be under pressure from the government to go with Westinghouse so that the country is not reliant on a single design.

The first new reactor is not expected before 2017 and industry experts say the timeline is already slipping. This is due in part to wrangling between industry and government over subsidies.

Utilities are lobbying for a mechanism that ensures a minimum price for power so they can be sure they will be able to recoup the large upfront building costs. The government has said from the outset that it will not subsidise the industry.

General Atomics Proposes a Plant That Runs on Nuclear Waste

General Atomics Proposes a Plant That Runs on Nuclear Waste
from WSJ.com: US Business
General Atomics will launch a 12-year program to develop a new kind of small, commercial nuclear reactor that could run on spent fuel from big reactors.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703791504575079370538466574.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us_business&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Fxml%2Frss%2F3_7014+%28WSJ.com%3A+US+Business%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Nuclear ETFs: Small Reactors Make a Big Impact

Nuclear ETFs: Small Reactors Make a Big Impact
from SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page by Tim Iacono
Tim Iacono submits:

The Obama administration has touted nuclear energy as part of the next step in America’s clean-energy future. An innovative nuclear energy firm has developed a smaller, economically viable nuclear plant that may revitalize the nuclear industry and related ETFs.

Nuclear energy already accounts for 20% of U.S. energy consumption. After a lull that has lasted two decades, the sector is poised to see a major revival.

Complete Story
http://seekingalpha.com/article/189680-nuclear-etfs-small-reactors-make-a-big-impact?source=feed

Lack of fuel may limit US nuclear power expansion

Lack of fuel may limit US nuclear power expansion
March 20, 2007

Limited supplies of fuel for nuclear power plants may thwart the renewed and growing interest in nuclear energy in the United States and other nations, says an MIT expert on the industry.

Over the past 20 years, safety concerns dampened all aspects of development of nuclear energy: No new reactors were ordered and there was investment neither in new uranium mines nor in building facilities to produce fuel for existing reactors. Instead, the industry lived off commercial and government inventories, which are now nearly gone. Worldwide, uranium production meets only about 65 percent of current reactor requirements.

That shortage of uranium and of processing facilities worldwide leaves a gap between the potential increase in demand for nuclear energy and the ability to supply fuel for it, said Dr. Thomas Neff, a research affiliate at MIT's Center for International Studies.

"Just as large numbers of new reactors are being planned, we are only starting to emerge from 20 years of underinvestment in the production capacity for the nuclear fuel to operate them. There has been a nuclear industry myopia; they didn't take a long-term view," Neff said. For example, only a few years ago uranium inventories were being sold at $10 per pound; the current price is $85 per pound.

Neff has been giving a series of talks at industry meetings and investment conferences around the world about the nature of the fuel supply problem and its implications for the so-called "nuclear renaissance," pointing out both the sharply rising cost of nuclear fuel and the lack of capacity to produce it.

Currently, much of the uranium used by the United States is coming from mines in such countries as Australia, Canada, Namibia, and, most recently, Kazakhstan. Small amounts are mined in the western United States, but the United States is largely reliant on overseas supplies. The United States also relies for half its fuel on Russia under a "swords to ploughshares" deal that Neff originated in 1991. This deal is converting about 20,000 Russian nuclear weapons to fuel for U.S. nuclear power plants, but it ends in 2013, leaving a substantial supply gap for the United States.

Further, China, India, and even Russia have plans for massive deployments of nuclear power and are trying to lock up supplies from countries on which the United States has traditionally relied. As a result, the United States could be the "last one to buy, and it could pay the highest prices, if it can get uranium at all," Neff said. "The take-home message is that if we're going to increase use of nuclear power, we need massive new investments in capacity to mine uranium and facilities to process it."

Mined uranium comes in several forms, or isotopes. For starting a nuclear chain reaction in a reactor, the only important isotope is uranium-235, which accounts for JUST 7 out of 1000 atoms in the mined product. To fuel a nuclear reactor, the concentration of uranium-235 has to be increased to 40 to 50 out of 1000 atoms. This is done by separating isotopes in an enrichment plant to achieve the higher concentration.

As Neff points out, reactor operators could increase the amount of fuel made from a given amount of natural uranium by buying more enrichment services to recover more uranium-235 atoms. Current enrichment capacity is enough to recover only about 4 out of 7 uranium-235 atoms. Limited uranium supplies could be stretched if industry could recover 5 or 6 of these atoms, but there is not enough processing capacity worldwide to do so.

Source: MIT