Friday, August 26, 2011

Oyster Creek Prepared for Hurricane Irene

FORKED RIVER, N.J. (Friday, August 26, 2011) – The Oyster Creek Generating Station is well prepared for Hurricane Irene and its effects as it travels up the Eastern Seaboard.

Oyster Creek is designed to remain in a safe condition, even with the harsh winds and flooding projected for this hurricane. Once it was determined that the plant could be in the path of this storm, formal procedures and preparations were enacted to assure the safety of the plant, personnel and the public.

Those preparations include ensuring that all plant safety systems are operational; that all outside equipment, materials and other items are properly secured and stowed, and that plant procedures related to the affects of a hurricane are reviewed and ready for use if needed.

In addition, a team of highly trained and qualified plant personnel will be staffed at the plant to take actions, beyond their usual duties, to assure the plant, personnel and the public remain safe.

“Preparation is paramount to safety. Just as every individual should personally prepare themselves and their property for the impact of Hurricane Irene, the team at Oyster Creek, too, has been working for several days to make sure the station is prepared,” said Oyster Creek Site Vice President Michael Massaro.

Should hurricane conditions warrant, site procedures to safely shut the plant down will be followed. Exelon will make all appropriate notifications to state, county and local government officials will keep the public informed through news updates.

All nuclear generating stations are all required to be designed to withstand natural occurrences greater than those ever historically encountered in the regions where they are situated. They are built to withstand floods, high winds and have numerous safety systems that will operate and/or safely shut the reactor down in the event of a loss of offsite power. These designs are routinely reviewed and modifications are made to assure their integrity and safety.

Oyster Creek is about 60 miles east of Philadelphia in Ocean County, New Jersey. The plant produces 636 net megawatts of electricity at full power, enough electricity to supply 600,000 typical homes, the equivalent to all homes in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined. In addition, plant workers, through their payrolls, are responsible for more $96 million injected directly into New Jersey’s economy.

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Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with approximately $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 480,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.

Virginia Earthquake Sent Warning About Nuclear Power Plants

Yucca Nuclear Site Returns

Aug 26, 2011 12:34 PM EDT

Leading nuclear scientists are challenging the government's decision to abandon our only proposed nuclear waste repository, Daniel Stone reports exclusively.

NRC: Technical Basis for Regulatory Guidance on Design-Basis ...

www.nrc.gov › ... › Publications Prepared by NRC Contractors - Cached

Technical Basis for Regulatory Guidance on Design-Basis Hurricane Wind Speeds for Nuclear Power Plants — Draft (NUREG/CR-7005). On this page: ...

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/contract/cr7005/

Millstone, NRC have backup plan in place By Patricia Daddona

Millstone, NRC have backup plan in place

By Patricia Daddona

Nuclear Reactors and Hurricanes

[PDF]

Nuclear Reactors and Hurricanes

www.nirs.org/reactorwatch/natureandnukes/nukesandhurricanes092205.pdf

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Sep 22, 2005 – Nuclear Reactors and Hurricanes. When faced with a hurricane or other foreseeable severe weather event, nuclear reactors are required to ...

Crystal River nuclear plant says they can handle cat 5 hurricane

Nuclear power plants prepare for expected hurricane

East Coast Nuclear Plants Prepare for Hurricane Irene

FACTBOX-U.S. East Coast energy sites brace for Irene

Oyster Creek prepares

Oyster Creek prepares
Staff at nuclear plant secures equipment in preparation for storm
http://www.app.com/article/20110825/NJNEWS/308250093/Oyster-Creek-prepares

Are U.S. nuclear power plants ready for earthquakes?

Are U.S. nuclear power plants ready for earthquakes?

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/08/earthquake-readiness-us-nuclear-power-plants-unclear/1

Dominion Prepares for Hurricane Irene

Dominion Prepares for Hurricane Irene
-- Customers urged to take precautions, update contact information
-- Updated information to be available via www.dom.com and social media

PR Newswire

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 25, 2011

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With Hurricane Irene
approaching, Dominion Virginia Power and Dominion North Carolina Power
are readying repair crews and preparing equipment for emergency
restoration work over the next several days. The company is asking
its customers, especially those in coastal areas, to take steps to
brace for the storm.

"This storm has serious potential to cause widespread damage," said
Rodney Blevins, vice president-Distribution Operations for Dominion
Virginia Power and Dominion North Carolina Power. "We are geared up to
handle any situation as quickly and safely as possible. We are
treating Hurricane Irene seriously, and we urge our customers to
monitor local weather forecasts for changing conditions in order to
remain safe."

Dominion reminds its customers to call toll free 1-866-DOM-HELP
(1-866-366-4357) in the event of outages or downed lines. The
company's outage reporting system, which consists of call-center
representatives as well as an automated voice response unit, can
handle up to 100,000 calls an hour. Using the voice response unit is
the quickest way to report an outage or downed power line.

Dominion will update its website, www.dom.com, with information about
the storm. A Twitter feed (@domvapower) and Facebook page (Dominion
Virginia Power) also are available.

Dominion urges its customers to pay attention to weather reports and
to take these common-sense steps to prepare for possible outages:

* Before a storm arrives, establish an online account with
Dominion at www.dom.com (keyword: MYA) so you can easily report an
outage if it occurs and obtain outage updates online without having to
call in (keyword: reporting outages).
* Also be sure the telephone number and other information related
to your account are up to date. This includes providing a cell phone
number if that is the phone you would use to report an outage or other
problem. This simple step will ensure immediate access of your account
for faster reporting without having to speak to someone. Phone
numbers can be updated online or by calling our special phone number
update line at 1-800-222-0401.
* Have emergency supplies such as water, flashlights, radios,
extra batteries, medicine, cash and other critical items stashed away
beforehand.
* Have a plan for how you and your family will stay safe, how you
will evacuate if necessary and where you might go. Also consider who
else you might need to check on during an emergency.
* Stay informed during the emergency through news reports and
official information.

A video showing how Dominion prepares for severe storms and outage
restoration is available online at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S51-6cW7uCE.

Information specific on how to prepare for storms and potential power
outages is available at Dominion's website at
http://www.dom.com/storm-center/index.jsp.

Since hurricanes are a threat in Virginia and North Carolina, the
company suggests customers pay attention to weather reports including
those provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).

If severe weather is expected, take these steps to prepare for possible outages:

Preparing for the storm

* Read the hurricane evacuation guidelines available at the
Virginia Department of Transportation's website:
http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hurricane_default.asp and at the
North Carolina Department of Transportation website:
http://www.ncdot.gov/travel/evacuationmaps/#inpagenav_1
* Develop an emergency plan that addresses any special medical
needs you have. Information is available on the Virginia Department
of Emergency Management's website at:
http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/stayinformed/hurricanes
* Make sure you have a battery-operated radio, multiple
flashlights and a battery-operated clock and fan, along with extra
batteries.
* Have at least three gallons of fresh water per person on hand.
This is especially important for those who rely on well water.
* Have a good supply of canned and other non-refrigerated foods available.
* If you have pets, make sure you have provided for them, as well.

During the storm, if electricity is interrupted

* Turn off major appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters and
stoves. Unplug other appliances such as TVs, stereos, microwaves and
computers. This will prevent damage to appliances and possible
overloads to the company's system when power is restored.
* Post a list of contents on your freezer door to minimize the
number of times you open it.
* Leave one lamp or light on so you will be able to recognize when
power is restored.
* If using portable or camp-type stoves or lanterns for cooking
and lighting, ensure that the area is adequately ventilated.

After the storm

* Listen to your local radio station on your car or
battery-powered radio for regular news and weather updates. Don't rely
on your neighbors to report your outage. Call Dominion at
1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).
* Stay away from fallen wires, flooded areas and debris. Treat
all fallen wires and anything touching them as though they are
energized.
* Follow safe operating procedures for generators. Never operate
one inside your home or in an enclosed space, such as a garage.
* Do not connect portable generators directly to the electrical
system of your home. Electricity could flow backward onto Dominion's
power lines and endanger lives. Either have a qualified electrician
perform the work or plug appliances directly into the generator using
the proper-sized extension cords.
* Exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide and can be deadly, so run
your generator outside with proper ventilation. Store the fuel for
your generator safely.
* Visually inspect the area around your electricity meter. If you
detect or suspect any damage, call us at 1-866-DOM-HELP.

Some useful links for the public and media during the summer storm season:

* Dominion Virginia Power Storm Center:
http://www.dom.com/storm-center/index.jsp
* Virginia Department of Emergency Management: http://www.vaemergency.com/
* Federal Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm
* National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Dominion (NYSE:D) is one of the nation's largest producers and
transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 28,200
megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest
natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 15
states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's
website at www.dom.com.

Follow us on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/DomVAPower. 'Like' us
on our Facebook page by searching, keyword: Dominion Virginia Power.

SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power

CONTACT: Karl R. Neddenien, (804) 771-6115, Karl.R.Neddenien@dom.com,
Le-Ha Anderson, +1-703-796-9308, Le-Ha.Anderson@dom.com, or Bonita B.
Harris, +1-757-857-2700, Bonita.B.Harris@dom.com

Web Site: http://www.dom.com

http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=4714710&access=EH

- Show quoted text -

NRC Preparations for Hurricane Season Enable Agency to Respond Quickly

Moderator | August 26, 2011 at 8:36 am | Categories: General | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-q2

As Hurricane Irene roars up the East Coast, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has prepared for the challenge and awaits landfall.
The annual hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 and the NRC staff routinely tracks each storm from formation until dissipation, constantly evaluating whether it could pose a threat to U.S. nuclear plants and other NRC-licensed facilities.
As Irene approaches the mainland, Region II in Atlanta and Region I outside Philadelphia are providing regular updates to the NRC's Headquarters Operations Center in Rockville, Md. These briefings include information about staffing of the regional Incident Response Centers, assignment of additional staff to supplement the NRC resident inspectors at the potentially affected plants, and actions underway to ensure continuous communications with NRC-licensed facilities along the projected path of the storm.
The NRC’s regional offices have already made sure that appropriate equipment, including satellite phones, are available and operational. Before hurricane season even begins, the staff ensures that hurricane response training, computer programs and emergency contact information are all up to date. NRC inspectors also confirm that nuclear power plants in hurricane-prone areas have completed their extensive hurricane preparations.
When a storm such as Irene forms and its projected path shows possible impact on a coastline, one or more of the NRC's regional offices begins continuous hurricane tracking using the resources of all federal agencies and commercial weather forecasting services.
Within 48 hours of expected hurricane force winds, NRC officials are dispatched to the State Emergency Operations Centers. NRC regional and headquarters personnel are identified and placed "on-call" to respond if needed to any storm-induced emergency. Normal and back-up communications channels are routinely tested.
About 12 hours before the arrival of hurricane force winds, the agency will begin receiving continuous status updates from all of the NRC-licensed facilities in the hurricane's path. Communications links will also be established with state emergency response officials and other federal response agencies.
During the storm’s landfall, NRC staff maintains close contact with the licensee staff and with NRC resident inspectors on site. If normal communications are lost, back-up communications systems are used.
Following the hurricane, the NRC inspectors will help assess the extent of any damage to the facility and, if necessary, respond to any storm-induced problems. The agency also works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine when evacuation routes are passable and offsite emergency response organizations will be sufficiently recovered from the hurricane response to resume normal activities.
We all hope Hurricane Irene and all storms have little effect on NRC-regulated facilities and all other U.S. interests, but in any case, our advance preparation allows our staff to respond quickly and effectively.

Joey Ledford

Roger Hannah

Office of Public Affairs

Region 2

Thorium Remix 2009 – LFTR in 16 Minutes

Thorium for Energy - YouTube

thorium for energy - YouTube
http://kennblanchard.com presents thorium for energy. I create this for ThoriumForEnergy.com.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxVjlvO3AZw

Doing Mankind a Favor – Part 2/2

Some critics say the reason the US government and a few European countries such as Germany stopped developing Thorium as a source of power was because it is thought to be almost impossible to use thorium to make nuclear bombs.
China, on the other hand, has more than 1.3 billion people expecting a better lifestyle and to deliver that modern lifestyle takes electricity, which means China cannot afford to ignore safer and cheaper sources of energy.
Currently, the Chinese are building two radically different uranium power plants (in addition to the thorium research) called “pebble-bed reactors“, which use hundreds of thousands of uranium billiard-ball sized elements cloaked in a protective layer of graphite that will be cooled by non-explosive helium gas instead of water.
Unlike power plants such as Japan’s Fukushima Daiichy power plant, these new Chinese “pebble-bed reactors” are designed to gradually dissipate heat on their own — even if the coolant is lost as it was in Japan.
If the first “pebble-bed reactors” work, China will build dozen more.

Revealed: British government's plan to play down Fukushima

Internal emails seen by Guardian show PR campaign was launched to protect UK nuclear plans after tsunami in Japan

NEI Comments on Draft Recommendations From Blue Ribbon Commision on America's Future

from NEI News Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 29, 2011—The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future today released its draft report of recommendations on future management of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. Following is a statement by the Nuclear Energy Institute’s senior vice president for governmental affairs, Alex Flint.
“It is important that Americans have access to cost-efficient, U.S.-based energy resources like nuclear energy. The proper stewardship of our environment demands that we effectively manage the byproducts associated with the use of these resources. The Blue Ribbon Commission has rightly recognized that the national nuclear waste management system must be truly integrated and that the United States should remain at the forefront of technology developments and international efforts to responsibly manage nuclear materials.
“A number of recommendations in the report strike the nuclear energy industry as sensible, desirable and, given time, achievable. The industry is particularly gratified to see the recommendations calling for the establishment of one or more consolidated interim storage facilities for used nuclear fuel; development of a permanent underground repository for commercial used fuel and high-level radioactive waste from U.S. defense programs; creation of a new management organization that will assume the U.S. Department of Energy’s role in managing this material; and legislation providing full access to nuclear waste fee revenues and the federal Nuclear Waste Fund. These should be among the nation’s top energy policy priorities.
“The industry concurs with the Blue Ribbon Commission’s assertion that the availability of consolidated interim storage will provide ‘valuable flexibility’ in the nuclear waste management system. While repository site selection is not within the scope of the BRC’s work, the nuclear energy industry continues to believe that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s review of the Department of Energy’s license application for the proposed Yucca Mountain, Nevada, repository should continue.
“The nuclear energy industry also sees merit in the commission’s call for sustained public- and private-sector support for research and development of advanced reactor and fuel cycle technologies that can help address the energy challenges facing future generations.

“The nuclear energy industry stands ready to work with the administration and Congress in shaping policies that will help implement these recommendations to advance the nation’s economic, energy and environmental, as well as its national security imperatives.”

U.S. Nuclear Energy Industry Intensifies Efforts to Solidify Readiness for Extreme Events

from NEI News Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission considers possible regulatory changes to reflect lessons learned from the events at Fukushima Daichii, the U.S. nuclear energy industry continues to take independent action to ensure the safety and security of nuclear power plants across the country.

US energy research agency oversight criticized in audit

from Nature News Blog by ereich

With a proposed cut of 45% hanging in the balance in the US Congress, it’s a tense season for officials at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the arm of the US Department of Energy (DOE) that specializes in funding high-risk high-payoff research on energy. Now an audit report from the DOE’s Inspector-General (IG) has added to their woes by criticizing ARPA-E over what it says is unsufficient oversight and monitoring of awards made using the $400 million the agency received under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus bill).
The IG says ARPA-E lacked policies on monitoring and oversight of its awardees, including on which costs were allowable, and on termination of awards that weren’t performing well. The audit uncovered a total of about $280,000 in charges by ARPA-E awardees that were paid but not allowable. The IG also complains that ARPA-E had no system to ensure technology transfer goals set by Congress were met.

Video Tour of North Anna Nuclear Plant

from AREVA North America: Next Energy Blog by AREVA North America Blog

We really like this video tour of the North Anna plant and the visual means of explaining to the CNN viewers (and Internet video viewers) how the North Anna plant’s back up generators, and safety systems performed during and after the Virginia 5.9 quake this week.
Safety upgrades and and the attention to multiple redundant back up systems made over the last 30 years can be hard to get across to users in non-abstract ways, and we think this video does a really good job. Do share it around.

Spotlight: Nuclear Industry Works Together to Support Japan

from AREVA North America: Next Energy Blog by AREVA North America Blog

While the media focus of the March 11 Japanese earthquake and events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility has subsided, there are still dedicated and highly-skilled teams working at the site for the best possible outcome. AREVA has been an active and engaged party helping to mitigate the situation and provide solutions for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the reactors at the Fukushima site.
But, this is only one part of the story.

James Hansen: Renewable Energies are Grossly Inadequate for Our Energy Needs

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by MasterResource@oilprice.com (MasterResource)

“Suggesting that renewables will let us phase rapidly off fossil fuels in the United States, China, India, or the world as a whole is almost the equivalent of believing in the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy.”
Climate and energy alarmists war with reality. And now and again, the incentives line up for a particular alarmist to blow the whistle on some aspect of the governmental ‘cure’ to their problem. The incendiary Joe Romm, for example, trots out free-market-type arguments against carbon sequestration and nuclear (both too expensive).
Hansen on Cap-and-Trade
NASA scientist and uber-climate-alarmist James Hansen informed the climate policy debate in 2009/2010

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Obama Shocks Oil Industry by Cancelling Exxon Mobil and Statoil Leases

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by james@pokemoncard.info (Brian Westenhaus)

Whatever one might think of the Obama presidency and the progress of the country or the direction the country is headed, the question is coming up more and more on whether the President has the best interests of the country in mind or serves his ideology first – a way to describe one kind of disruptive governing.
The administration has cancelled oil leases held by an Exxon Mobil and Statoil partnership. The Interior Department, which regulates offshore drilling, says three of partnership’s five leases have expired and the companies haven’t met the requirements for an extension. The confusion begins where
Read more...

Investor Interest in U.S. Biofuel Production Set to Soar

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by admin@namecake.com (John Daly)

On 16 August President Obama announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy will invest up to $510 million by 2014 in partnership with the private sector to produce advanced “drop-in” aviation and maritime biofuels for military and commercial use. This builds on a directive Obama issued five months ago as part of his “Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future,” his administration’s policy for reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil imports, which now cost more than $300 billion.

The plan envisages the three federal departments to invest a total of up to $510 million, which will require
Read more...

Mongolia's Energy Sector Booming

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by kennedyc@oilprice.com (Charles Kennedy)

Mongolia’s rising mineral and fuel production is transforming the nation’s economy. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) predicted last month that the economy will grow by 9 percent in 2011, with this rate accelerating to 12 percent in 2012 due to increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country’s mining sector, which the EBRD says made up 26 percent of Mongolia’s GDP in 2010.
Mongolian governmental policy has not made all foreign investors happy, however. Earlier this year the U.S. Department of State wrote in a review of Mongolia’s investment climate, “Specific governmental acts regarding foreign involvement in Mongolia’s
Read more...

South Korea Investing in Kazakhstan Energy Projects

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by kennedyc@oilprice.com (Charles Kennedy)

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is currently visiting Kazakhstan. In one result of Lee’s visit, South Korea and Kazakhstan have signed agreements for two $4 billion projects to build a thermal power plant and a petrochemical complex in the Central Asian nation.
Under the terms of an inter-government agreement signed during President Lee's state visit, South Korea is guaranteed 70 percent stake in a $4 billion project to build a coal-fired power plant in the southern city of Balkhash, the United Arab Emirates Wakalat Anba’a al-Emarat news agency reported.
South Korea’s Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) and Samsung C&T currently hold a
Read more...

Iran's Energy Sector Beset by Problems

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by peixej@oilprice.com (Joao Peixe )

Iran Petrochemical Industries Company executive director Abdel Hoseyn Bayat has criticized shortcomings in the country’s energy sector, telling journalists, "Currently the installed capacity at the petrochemical units has come close to 54.5 million tons per year, while the production program is 46 million tons per year. Four factors have created this unused capacity. Twenty-five percent of this unused capacity is due to a shortage of feed, twenty-five percent is due to technological failures, thirty percent is due to defective equipment manufacture and twenty percent is related to other factors."
Bayat’s statements have raised serious issues, such as how will Iran’s petrochemical
Read more...

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes: Blue Castle to file Early Site Permit with NRC in 2013

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

Blue Castle to file Early Site Permit with NRC in 2013

Israeli PM Saw Iranian Nuke Readiness in 2009

from GSN Daily News

A leaked U.S. diplomatic dispatch states that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in 2009 that Iran had achieved the capacity to produce a nuclear bomb, the Washington Times reported on Wednesday (see GSN, Aug. 24).

Cheney Wanted Bush to Destroy Suspected Syrian Nuke Site

from GSN Daily News

Ex-U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in his new autobiography wrote that in June 2007 he lobbied then-President Bush to order an airstrike on a Syrian facility believed to hold an unfinished nuclear reactor, the New York Times reported on Wednesday (see GSN, May, 26, 2009).

U.S. Nuclear Site Faces Safety Issues, Panel Says

from GSN Daily News

The U.S. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has expressed concerns about the effects of "changes in the safety philosophy" in tritium operations at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the Augusta, Ga., Chronicle reported on Wednesday (see GSN, Aug. 4).

Progress to unlocking over 800 billion barrels of oil shale

Global Natural Gas Potential

from CFR.org - The Council on Foreign Relations by Council on Foreign Relations

1 person liked this

Interest in natural gas is growing for political, environmental, and economic reasons. But the industry faces challenges to adding pipelines, increasing international LNG trade, and exploiting newly found shale gas reserves.

Another Megatons to Megawatts milestone

from World Nuclear News by Warwick Pipe

The Megatons to Megawatts program has now downblended 425 tonnes of high-enriched uranium (HEU), equivalent to 17,000 nuclear warheads, US uranium enrichment company USEC has announced. The 20-year program to downblend 500 tonnes of surplus weapons-grade Russian HEU into nuclear fuel for civil nuclear reactors will eliminate the equivalent of 20,0000 warheads by the time it comes to an end in 2013. The scheme is implemented by USEC and Russia's Techsnabexport (Tenex). According to USEC, Russian enriched uranium currently accounts for about half of its supply source. A new contract signed in March 2011 will see Tenex continue to supply low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Russian commercial enrichment activities to USEC after the Megatons to Megawatts program finishes.

Moving to passive designs

from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Robert Rosner

For months, and perhaps years, lessons will be learned from the events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, which will serve as both a laboratory and a classroom. As the sequence of events leading to the accident continued through the accident response, at least one concept was made clear: When operating reactors, defense-in-depth -- the technical concept of multiple layers of safety backup systems -- must incorporate a series of active backup systems (meaning that they require human intervention) that must be operable to forestall single-point catastrophic failures.

Nuclear power: Between faith and fear

from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by Sharon Squassoni

Roundtable Topic: Is nuclear energy different than other energy sources?
Several years ago, an American utility executive said, "Nuclear energy is a business, not a religion." This was a refreshing change from the usual ardent support or criticism of nuclear energy. To most people, the nuclear landscape looks quite different. Nuclear energy is not seen as just another way to boil water, and that is precisely why it usually evokes an almost religious faith or fear.

It's Official: Human Activity Can Cause Earthquakes

from Washington's Blog by Washington's Blog

Human Activity Is Officially Acknowledged to Cause Earthquakes

The United States Geological Survey is America's official expert on earthquakes. It's the Federal agency charged with monitoring, reporting on, researching and stressing preparedness for earthquakes.
So I was surprised to read the following statement by the USGS:

Earthquakes induced by human activity have been documented in a few locations in the United States, Japan, and Canada. The cause was injection of fluids into deep wells for waste disposal and secondary recovery of oil, and the use of reservoirs for water supplies. Most of these earthquakes were minor. The largest and most widely known resulted from fluid injection at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado. In 1967, an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 followed a series of smaller earthquakes. Injection had been discontinued at the site in the previous year once the link between the fluid injection and the earlier series of earthquakes was established. (Nicholson, Craig and Wesson, R.L., 1990, Earthquake Hazard Associated with Deep Well Injection--A Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1951, 74 p.)

Was The August 23rd Earthquake Man-made?

China's CNOOC sees unconventional oil, gas as key future growth driver

China's CNOOC sees unconventional oil, gas as key future growth driver
Platts
Chinese offshore oil and gas producer CNOOC plans to explore medium to long term investments in the unconventional resource sphere to drive the company's future, as it believes unconventional resources will play a critical role in China's energy mix. ...

New leaders may expel Russia and China from Libyan energy sector

New leaders may expel Russia and China from Libyan energy sector
World Tribune
Abdul Jalil Mayouf, information manager at the Libyan rebel energy company, AGOCO, agreed. Mayouf said Brazil, China and Russia could face sanctions by any post-Gadhafi regime in Libya. In contrast, NATO members and their energy companies have helped ...

Production shifts to China for rare earths

Production shifts to China for rare earths
UPI.com
The WTO decision was hoped to affect China's stronghold on rare earths, a group of 17 elements crucial for green energy and high-tech components. Prices for rare earths continue to skyrocket, sometimes doubling or tripling. China has about one-third of ...

Securing Uranium Supplies Still Essential to China's Energy Security

Securing Uranium Supplies Still Essential to China's Energy Security
Uranium Investing News
In this post-Fukushima uranium market the one saving grace has been booming demand from energy-hungry Asian nations like China, on which the major players in the uranium industry have hung their hopes for future demand. China has 14 operational nuclear ...

Stanford geophysicist offers insight into the Virginia earthquake

Stanford geophysicist offers insight into the Virginia earthquake
(PhysOrg.com) -- The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck central Virginia on Tuesday was a rare event for the East Coast, but not a surprising one, according to Mark Zoback, a professor of geophysics at Stanford.

U.S. nuclear plants still dependable

WikiLeaks cables reveal fears over China's nuclear safety

Cables highlight US lobbying and say that cheap, out-of-date technology is 'vastly increasing' risk of nuclear accident

Quake aftershock jolts US east coast

Quake aftershock jolts US east coast

Washington (AFP) Aug 25, 2011 -
A 4.5 magnitude aftershock jolted Virginia and the region around the US capital early Thursday, rattling residents recovering from a rare east coast earthquake two days earlier. The epicenter of the tremor which struck at 1:07 am (0507 GMT) was just eight kilometers (five miles) south of Mineral, Virginia, the epicenter of Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude quake, the National Earthquake Information Ce ... more

PPL Pa. Susquehanna 2 reactor ramps up to 81 pct power

Response To Virginia's Nuclear-Plant Power Loss Was Risk Communications At Its Best

Aging Reactors Mean Japan Faces $13 Billion Decommissioning Cost

Aging Reactors Mean Japan Faces $13 Billion Decommissioning Cost
Bloomberg
By Yuriy Humber and Masatsugu Horie - Thu Aug 25 15:01:00 GMT 2011 Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Mihama nuclear power station in Mihama town, Fukui prefecture, Japan. Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Mihama nuclear power station in Mihama town, ...

Virginia Power Plant Initiating Cold Shutdown for Inspections

Virginia Power Plant Initiating Cold Shutdown for Inspections
National Geographic
The North Anna nuclear power plant in Louisa, Va., has restored its normal power supply after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake forced it to operate on back-up generators briefly Tuesday, but the plant remains offline as inspections continue. ...

Medvedev wins nuclear pledge at rare N. Korea talks

Fukushima caesium leaks 'equal 168 Hiroshimas'

Fukushima caesium leaks 'equal 168 Hiroshimas'
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 25, 2011 - Japan's government estimates the amount of radioactive caesium-137 released by the Fukushima nuclear disaster so far is equal to that of 168 Hiroshima bombs, a news report said Thursday. Government nuclear experts, however, said the World War II bomb blast and the accidental reactor meltdowns at Fukushima, which has seen ongoing radiation leaks but no deaths so far, were beyond comparison. ... more

Fracking could have caused East Coast earthquake

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Did Fracking Cause the Virginia Earthquake?

TVA Inspects Facilities After Earthquake As a Safety Precaution



Tennessee Valley Authority. (PRNewsFoto/Tennessee Valley Authority)

Aug 24, 2011 08:12 ET

Click this link to view linked Blogging Services

TVA Inspects Facilities After Earthquake As a Safety Precaution

PR Newswire

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Tennessee Valley Authority is inspecting 15 of its dams and ash impoundments and all of its nuclear plants after an earthquake hit near Richmond, Va., on Tuesday.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100304/TVALOGO )
"The seismograph at Tellico Dam was the only TVA site that recorded any shaking as a result of the earthquake," TVA Chief Operating Officer Bill McCollum said. "TVA is inspecting its nuclear plants and several dams and impoundments out of an abundance of caution to be sure the earthquake had no affect on these facilities."
TVA's dam safety criteria requires that inspections be performed at dams and impoundments following a recorded earthquake. TVA is in the process of performing visual walk downs and inspections at the following dams: Beaver Creek, Clear Creek, Boone, Cherokee, Doakes Creek (on Norris Reservoir), Douglas, Fontana, Fort Patrick Henry, Nolichucky, Norris, South Holston, Watauga and Wilbur. TVA completed its assessments at the ash impoundments at John Sevier, Bull Run and Kingston Fossil Plants and found no problems.
The monitoring equipment at TVA's three nuclear plants, Watts Bar and Sequoyah in Tennessee and Browns Ferry in Alabama, saw no changes due to the earthquake and personnel felt no ground movement.
All six TVA reactors are located in areas that are not prone to frequent or large earthquakes. The plants are designed, built and operated to withstand an earthquake of larger magnitude than any recorded in the southeastern U.S.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.
SOURCE Tennessee Valley Authority

CONTACT: Barbara Martocci, Knoxville, +1-865-632-8632, TVA Media Relations, Knoxville, +1-865-632-6000, www.tva.com/news
Web Site: http://www.tva.com

An Assessment of the Attractiveness of Material Associated with a MOX Fuel Cycle from a Safeguards Perspective; Bathke et al

An Assessment of the Attractiveness of Material Associated

with a MOX Fuel Cycle from a Safeguards Perspective; Bathke et al LA-UR-09-03637; http://permalink.lanl.gov/object/tr?what=info:lanl-repo/lareport/LA-UR-09-03637; 2009 INMM

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plant Design and Physical Security and Monitoring

INTERACTIVE WEB CONFERENCE

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plant Design and Physical Security and Monitoring

Over the last decade, primarily in response to the events of September 11, 2001, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations and policies have increased the expectation that licensed nuclear reactor facilities will have intrinsic defense capabilities. These requirements are based on the potential threat posed by radiological sabotage of large, base-loaded reactors currently in use in the U.S.
Can unique characteristics of advanced SMR designs, compared to existing large reactors, meet these increased requirements? What characteristics, when are part of the SMR design, provide functional requirements for security and monitoring during operations that give reasonable assurance of safety and security?
This webinar will try to provide the answers to these questions in exploring the compromises inherent in balancing safety, security, and emergency response as part of an advanced reactor design.

Moderator:
R. Budd Haemer, Counsel, PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP
Panelists:
Dr. Benjamin J. Cross, PE, Senior Advisor, Asset Revitalization Initiative,
Energy Park Programs, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Charles W. Hess, PE, PMP, Project Manager,
SHAW INFRASTRUCTURE OPERATIONS
Bob Percopo, Executive Vice President, Project Finance Advisory
Services, Global Marine & Energy, CHARTIS
Milton Whitfield, Partner, HAYNES AND BOONE, LLP

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The Nation: Lessons On Radiation From Hiroshima by Greg Mitchell

The Nation: Lessons On Radiation From Hiroshima

by Greg Mitchell

A CORRECTION ON NUCLEAR SECRECY

A CORRECTION ON NUCLEAR SECRECY

On August 22 ("Some New Wrinkles in Nuclear Weapons Secrecy"), Secrecy News mistakenly wrote that the SILEX uranium enrichment process is "a unique case in which information that was privately generated was nevertheless classified by the government. As far as could be determined, the decision to classify this non-governmental information under the Atomic Energy Act is the first and only time that such authority has been exercised." That was inaccurate.

Dr. Andrew Weston-Dawkes, the director of the Department of Energy Office of Classification, said that offhand he was aware of at least one other such case of classification of privately-generated information. It involved "an AVLIS-like technology," he said, referring to "atomic vapor laser isotope separation."

Bryan Siebert, the former director of the DOE Office of Classification, said his recollection was that some of the laser fusion technology developed by the private company KMS Fusion in the early 1970s was also considered to be classified, "a long time before SILEX." An account of the KMS Fusion case -- which, he said, is "inaccurate in many ways" -- is available from Wikipedia here.

Beyond that, said Dr. Weston-Dawkes, "there's a long history of us going out to people [in the private sector] saying 'you're doing stuff' [that needs to be reviewed for classification]."

He pointed to a 1972 public notice (pdf) issued by the Atomic Energy Commission. It instructed "any person" working on isotope separation techniques to notify the Commission whenever a separation process has been demonstrated "so the Commission can give him appropriate classification and reporting guidance."

There are many other instances in which individual authors have tangled with Department of Energy classification officials concerning the publication of information that DOE believed to be classified, such as Howard Morland's article on the H-Bomb that was the subject of The Progressive case in 1979. But those disputes involved previously generated and previously classified information, not qualitatively new inventions or developments.

North Anna restart likely to take days

"Do US plants have automatic earthquake shutdown protection?"

From 10CFR50:

(3) Required Plant Shutdown. If vibratory ground motion exceeding that of the Operating Basis Earthquake Ground Motion or if significant plant damage occurs, the licensee must shut down the nuclear power plant. If systems, structures, or components necessary for the safe shutdown of the nuclear power plant are not available after the occurrence of the Operating Basis Earthquake Ground Motion, the licensee must consult with the Commission and must propose a plan for the timely, safe shutdown of the nuclear power plant. Prior to resuming operations, the licensee must demonstrate to the Commission that no functional damage has occurred to those features necessary for continued operation without undue risk to the health and safety of the public and the licensing basis is maintained.

(4) Required Seismic Instrumentation. Suitable instrumentation must be provided so that the seismic response of nuclear power plant features important to safety can be evaluated promptly after an earthquake.

Megatons to Megawatts Eliminates Material for 17,000 Nuclear Warheads

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:46pm EDT

Megatons to Megawatts Eliminates Material for 17,000 Nuclear Warheads

USEC Inc. (NYSE: USU) announced today that the Megatons to Megawatts™ program has eliminated 425 metric tons of highly enriched uranium, the equivalent of 17,000 nuclear warheads, by converting it into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. Megatons to Megawatts is a 20-year, commercially financed government-industry partnership in which 500 metric tons of Russian weapons-grade uranium is being downblended to low enriched uranium for use as commercial reactor fuel.
“Megatons to Megawatts continues to be the most successful non-proliferation program in history as it provides a reliable source of fuel for nuclear power plants while making the world safer,” said John K. Welch, USEC president and CEO.
“The program has served as an important element of USEC’s ability to provide its utility customers with the nuclear fuel and technology solutions they need to power the world through diverse, secure and reliable supply offerings,” said Welch. “Under this program, we have built a strong long-term relationship with our Russian partners, which we expect to continue through our new enrichment supply contract starting in 2013 after the Megatons to Megawatts™ program is successfully finished.”
USEC, as executive agent for the U.S. government, and JSC “Techsnabexport” (TENEX), acting for the Russian government, implement the program, which is on track to complete the downblending of the equivalent of 20,000 nuclear warheads into nuclear fuel by the end of 2013. USEC has paid the Russian Federation more than $7.2 billion for the SWU (separative work units) component of the low enriched uranium delivered since 1995. The fuel generated to date could produce enough electricity to meet the demand from U.S. households for nearly five years and has the energy equivalent of 10.4 billion barrels of oil, or about 29 months of U.S. crude oil imports.
Building on the companies’ long-term relationship, USEC signed a new contract with TENEX in March 2011 for the 10-year supply of low enriched uranium that will provide USEC with continued access to Russian enriched uranium, which currently constitutes about one-half of USEC’s supply source. Under the terms of the new contract, the supply of this low enriched uranium to USEC is expected to begin in 2013 and ramp up until it reaches a level in 2015 that is approximately one-half the level currently supplied under the Megatons to Megawatts program, with the mutual option to increase the quantities up to the same level as under that program. Unlike the Megatons to Megawatts program, the quantities supplied under the new contract will come from Russia’s commercial enrichment activities rather than from downblending of excess Russian weapons material.
USEC Inc., a global energy company, is a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel and nuclear industry related services for commercial nuclear power plants.

USEC Inc.
Media: Paul Jacobson, 301-564-3399
Investors: Steven Wingfield, 301-564-3354

Republicans seek new inquiry on NRC chairman

Nuclear Power Plants and Earthquakes

Japanese, and most other, nuclear plants are designed to withstand earthquakes, and in the event of major earth movement, to shut down safely.
In 1995, the closest nuclear power plants, some 110 km north of Kobe, were unaffected by the severe Kobe-Osaka earthquake, but in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 Japanese reactors shut down automatically due to ground acceleration exceeding their trip settings.
In 1999, three nuclear reactors shut down automatically during the devastating Taiwan earthquake, and were restarted two days later.
In March 2011 eleven operating nuclear power plants shut down automatically during the major earthquake. Three of these subsequently caused an INES Level 7 Accident due to loss of power leading to loss of cooling and subsequent radioactive releases.

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Friday, August 26, 2011

Virginia Earthquake Sent Warning About Nuclear Power Plants

Yucca Nuclear Site Returns

Leading nuclear scientists are challenging the government's decision to abandon our only proposed nuclear waste repository, Daniel Stone reports exclusively.

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INTERACTIVE WEB CONFERENCE

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plant Design and Physical Security and Monitoring