US NRC Blog Upadate 6/27 Dateline Vienna, Austria

U.S. NRC Blog

Dateline Vienna, Austria by Moderator In the aftermath of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant tragedy, there has been an increased focus on the issue of communicating nuclear issues during a crisis. There is an axiom that an accident at a nuclear plant anywhere is an accident everywhere. The parallel is that in today’s communications environment -- where a tweet can ricochet around the globe with lightning speed -- a communication anywhere can be a communication everywhere. In May, nuclear regulators, communicators, reporters and non-governmental organizations gathered in Madrid to discuss communications topics under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency. Last week, the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency had a meeting in Vienna, Austria, to further the discussion among global nuclear regulators and communicators. The NRC was again asked to make a presentation. Jack Ramsey of our Office of International Programs talked about how the NRC communicates with international regulators and how we respond to domestic incidents. While I, as the agency’s director of the Office of Public Affairs, focused on three core points related to overall public and media communications. First, that it is important always, and particularly so in times of crisis, to communicate early, often and clearly. It is likewise important not to wait until every facet of an accident is clear, because rapid communication is essential to building trust. Communicating often ensures that important information is made available quickly. And clear communication is essential to ensure that what you are saying is understood at a time when it is hard for people to focus. These are basic principles of crisis communication. And we try to communicate early, often and clearly on a daily basis here. Second, for nuclear communicators it is also important to make sure that crisis communication is practiced in drills. We are fortunate at the NRC that the agency participates regularly – both in our regions and at headquarters – in drills that test decision making and communications. And third, with rapid changes in the way we communicate, it is important for all nuclear communicators to begin incorporating so-called social media into their programs. The NRC had only recently started this blog when Fukushima occurred. This vehicle became a fast and flexible tool for us to address many topics. Today, the NRC uses this blog, Twitter, Flckr, and YouTube as communications channels to supplement the basic press releases and statements, and other materials that we make available to the public and the media. It was encouraging that after the conference a number of representatives of both developed and developing nations wanted our guidance and help on social media and other communications. We think that means we’re doing something right. Eliot Brenner Director, Office of Public Affairs Moderator | June 27, 2012 at 9:25 am | Tags: nuclear | Categories: Emergency Preparedness and Response, General | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-Jl

Could New Oil Production Cause Oil Prices—and Energy Innovation—to Collapse?

Could New Oil Production Cause Oil Prices—and Energy Innovation—to Collapse?

Yes Vermont Yankee: ANS Conference, Carnival and Thorium Update

Yes Vermont Yankee: ANS Conference, Carnival and Thorium Update Some comments are about the kind of people who support thorium ("thorium heads") and those who support light water reactors ("nuclearati"). Insults on both ... yesvy.blogspot.com/.../ans-conference-carnival-and-thorium.h...

Safety, future of nuclear power focus of ANS 2012 opening session

PR Web

Safety, future of nuclear power focus of ANS 2012 opening session

Power Engineering Magazine - ‎Jun 25, 2012‎

A packed house welcomed the 2012 American Nuclear Society's (ANS) Annual Meeting Monday, June 25 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago.

Vermont Loses Bid to Block Entergy Nuclear Plant License

Appeals Court rules in favor of NRC on Vt Yankee renewal Reuters June 26 (Reuters) - The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruledin favor of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in achallenge Vermont brought to halt the license ... US court rules Vermont nuclear plant can keep license Reuters The NRC said the court found the Vermont Department of Public Service failed to take ... The court found that after the NRC's judicial arm, the Atomic Safety and ... See all stories on this topic » Court denies Vermont's request for NRC review of VY license Brattleboro Reformer BRATTLEBORO - Stating Vermont had numerous opportunities to contest the completeness of the relicensing application for Vermont Yankee nuclear power ...		Vermont Loses Bid to Block Entergy Nuclear Plant License Businessweek - ‎33 minutes ago‎ By Tom Schoenberg on June 26, 2012 The state of Vermont lost its challenge to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's renewal of a license for a nuclear power plant owned by Entergy Corp. (ETR) (ETR) A unanimous three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals ... US court rules Vermont nuclear plant can keep license Reuters - ‎1 hour ago‎ * Entergy can continue to operate Vermont Yankee * State continues to seek reactor shutdown * Vermont Yankee is the biggest plant in Vermont By Scott DiSavino June 26 (Reuters) - A US appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the Vermont Yankee nuclear power ... Appeals Court rules in favor of NRC on Vt Yankee renewal Reuters - ‎2 hours ago‎ | June 26 (Reuters) - The DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in a challenge Vermont brought to halt the license renewal of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant last year. The court found the Vermont ... State Loses Another Legal Round In Vt. Yankee Relicensing Vermont Public Radio - ‎3 hours ago‎ A federal court has handed the state of Vermont another loss in its ongoing challenge to Vermont Yankee's operating license. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state's arguments that the new 20-year license was invalid because Entergy Vermont ... Court denies Vermont's request for NRC review of VY license Brattleboro Reformer - ‎4 hours ago‎ BRATTLEBORO - Stating Vermont had numerous opportunities to contest the completeness of the relicensing application for Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals shot down the Vermont Department of Public Service's ...

IG report finds that NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko bullied workers ...

IG report finds that NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko bullied workers ...
 
Washington Post
WASHINGTON — An internal investigation has concluded that the departing chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission engaged in bullying and ...

Report: Nuclear safety chief bullied workers

Houston Chronicle -

MATTHEW DALY, AP FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2011 file photo, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Gregory Jaczko prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington. An internal investigation has concluded that Jaczko, the departing chairman of the ...

Jaczko, critics claim vindication

Politico - ‎

An internal investigation rendered a mixed verdict Tuesday on outgoing NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko — finding that he didn't exceed his authority after last year's Fukushima disaster but that he later gave testimony to Congress that was "inconsistent" ...

IG report finds that NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko bullied workers, fellow ...

Washington Post - ‎

WASHINGTON — An internal investigation has concluded that the departing chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission engaged in bullying and intimidation, creating a tense working environment at the agency. A report Tuesday by the NRC's inspector ...

Probe shows nuke agency chief's colleagues felt bullied, intimidated

The Hill (blog) -

By Ben Geman - 06/26/12 04:45 PM ET A long-awaited report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's inspector general (IG) finds numerous cases in which outgoing NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko failed to support an “open and collaborative work environment.

Report: Outgoing NRC boss Jaczko intimated and bullied employees

Power Engineering Magazine -

An internal investigation into outgoing US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Gregory Jaczko said that he engaged in bullying and intimidation and created a tense work environment at the NRC, according to The Associated Press.

China Energy Update 6/26

China's First Wind-Farm Lull Limits Outlook for Sinovel: Energy Businessweek China, the world's biggest builder of wind farms, is set for its first year of slower growth in almost a decade as plans founder for expanding offshore, hurting ... See all stories on this topic

Saint-Gobain bets on energy-saving glass Reuters Electrochromic glass cuts down on energy bills* U.S., Europe, China and Middle East to drive demandBy Elena BertonPARIS, June 26 (Reuters) - A self-tinting ...

Solar park to be China's biggest investment in Chile Reuters Sky Solar, the China Development Bank and Sigdo Koppers will ink an agreement later on Tuesday to develop the 300 MW solar energy project over the next ...

ENN Energy: Confident of Shareholder Approval July 6 for China ... Fox Business Chinese natural-gas distributor ENN Energy Holdings Ltd. (2688.HK) is confident shareholders will approve July 6 a proposed acquisition of China Gas ...

ResearchMoz: Global and China Wind Turbine Tower Industry 2012 ... MarketWatch (press release) 2012 Deep Research Report on Global and China Wind Turbine Tower Industry was published by QYResearch Wind Energy Research Center on Jun 2012.

SouthGobi Resources Provides Operating Update Energy Digital (press release) HONG KONG, CHINA--(Marketwire - June 25, 2012) - SouthGobi Resources Ltd. ... The Mongolian Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy ("MRE") ...

Argentina, China Sign Economic-Cooperation Accords Fox Business The governments of Argentina and China signed agreements Monday covering nuclear energy and agriculture, among other areas, during a state visit by ...

Hong Kong stocks edge up in choppy trading MarketWatch ... wavered between mild gains and losses in choppy trading early Tuesday, with relief buying in China Shenhua Energy Co. and China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. Is China Catching Up In the Cleantech ... - The Energy Collective By ChristopherWilliams I met with Daniel Enking a few months ago to chat about his experience living in China and being interested in cleantech. The Energy Collective IESA at Energy Storage Conference in China - news ... The India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) was prominent in its presence at the Energy Storage Conference in Beijing, China. This conference was conducted by ... www.ces-ltd.com/.../IESA-at-Energy-Storage-Conference-in-C...

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Liquid metals are in the focus of a new research alliance

Liquid metals are in the focus of a new research alliance
Phys.Org (press release)
PHYSorg Science News Wire : Liquid metals are in the focus of a new ... for such future-oriented technologies as new liquid metal batteries for energy storage, ...

Global warming worse than it appears: Nobel Prize laureate

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2012-06/21/c_131668783.htm

Coming Back from a "Radiation Panic" ＝ The experience of a housewife — Realizing my own discriminatory feelings was the moment of awakening

Coming Back from a "Radiation Panic" ＝ The experience of a housewife — Realizing my own discriminatory feelings was the moment of awakening

http://www.gepr.org/en/contents/20120507-03/

Fukushima

Excellent Studies of Fukushima Units 1, 3 & 4 SFP can be found at 

http://www.microsimtech.com/Fukushima.html
and
http://www.microsimtech.com/downloads/Fuku3.htm
and
http://www.microsimtech.com/downloads/Fuku4.html

How Much Oil Does the World Produce?

How Much Oil Does the World Produce?

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 06:03 AM PDT

In the first installment of this series, I took a look at U.S. and global oil reserves according to the 2012 BP Statistical Review of World Energy. Today, I want to examine oil production statistics since 1965. Highlights of this article and topics that will be explored include:

The Historic Roots, and Impacts, of Our Nuclear Fear

The Historic Roots, and Impacts, of Our Nuclear Fear

NEI Provides NRC Initial Information on Industry SAMGs

NEI Provides NRC Initial Information on Industry SAMGs

by vbarq

The following story originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview.
NEI has sent the NRC information on the industry’s Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMGs) for managing extreme events at nuclear power plants, in response to the agency’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking for emergency response capabilities.

As part of its implementation of lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, the NRC is seeking to establish regulatory controls for the industry SAMGs, which now are voluntary. The NRC also is seeking information on how SAMGs are integrated with other emergency response procedures.
“The NRC rule on onsite emergency response has the potential to place voluntary SAMGs under NRC oversight, formalizing industry practices already in place at the country’s operating nuclear power plants,” said Biff Bradley, director of risk assessment at NEI.
In a June 18 letter, the industry proposed that the NRC “develop a high-level rule specifying necessary attributes of onsite emergency preparedness.” At the same time, the industry would develop guidance for a draft NRC Regulatory Guide to accompany the rule.

NEI Update: TEPCO Admits Weak Preparation for March 2011 Events

TEPCO Admits Weak Preparation for March 2011 Events

by vbarq

Industry/Regulatory/Political

• Tokyo Electric Power Co. last week released its final report of the company’s internal investigation of events at Fukushima Daiichi following the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. Japanese media say that in the report TEPCO says it failed to adequately prepare for the nuclear emergency, but also criticizes the government for communication failures and interfering with the company’s emergency response. TEPCO said one lesson it has taken from the accident is the need for an emergency response system that takes into account a reactor that has lost all its functions and measures to improve the chain of command and information flow. The report, which TEPCO says was based on interviews with about 600 employees, on-site inspections, and data analysis, is being translated into English.
  
• Kansai Electric Power Co. has begun work to restart reactors 3 and 4 at the Ohi nuclear energy facility in Fukui prefecture. Reactor 3 reactor is scheduled to start up July 1 and reactor 4 July 17. Full power operations are expected to take a week after initial start.

Plant Update

• TEPCO has installed a new cover over the used fuel pool of Fukushima Daiichi reactor 4. The 60-ton steel cover is to provide protection from the weather during the coming typhoon season. The cover also will prevent debris from the roof of the reactor building falling into the pool. The company is preparing to dismantle a portion of the damaged reactor building’s walls and roof as part of its plan to remove the used fuel from the storage pool. TEPCO plans to remove two unused fuel bundles from the reactor 4 fuel pool in July and check the fuel for corrosion and degradation.

Media Highlights

• Adrian Heymer, NEI’s executive director for Fukushima response coordination and strategy, told a press conference last week that the industry is on schedule to begin extensive inspections in July to gauge U.S. nuclear facilities’ readiness to withstand severe floods and earthquakes.
• An editorial in the Washington Post says public confidence must be maintained and nurtured for nuclear energy to continue its role as a “vital low-carbon energy source.”

• Reuters reports that the Japanese government’s push to subsidize new solar and wind generation will be much more costly to consumers than renewable subsidies in Germany or China. An Kyodo News Service article notes a Japanese government estimate of a combined loss to the country’s utilities of $55 billion (4.4 trillion yen) if the country were to decommission all 50 of its operational nuclear reactors.

• Jiji Press outlines the structure and mission of the new independent nuclear regulator that was approved last week to replace Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. Legislation approved in both houses of parliament would establish the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by September.

Upcoming Meetings

• The NRC holds a public meeting this week to discuss implementing the agency’s Japan task force recommendation on inspections for flooding hazard re-evaluations.

Deconstructing anti-nuclear economic myths - a response to Veronique de Rugy

Deconstructing anti-nuclear economic myths - a response to Veronique de Rugy

by Steve Skutnik

Let me start things off with a disclaimer - I am not an economist. I don't even pretend to be an economist; I'm a nuclear engineer by training (I hold Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering). That notwithstanding, economics (and specifically, the economics of energy) are a side interest of mine. So it was with mixed interest and trepidation when I read a recent piece by libertarian economist Veronique de Rugy from the upcoming July issue of Reason, entitled "No to Nukes."

Loosening the Cleantech Bottleneck

Loosening the Cleantech Bottleneck

by Jessica Leber, Technology Review

Jessica Leber, Technology Review
Jigar Shah pioneered a financing model that's contributed to a recent boom in solar-panel installation. He's now looking to do the same for other clean energy technologies.In 2003, Shah founded SunEdison, a company that developed a way to build corporate and government solar installations by securing agreements to purchase the resulting electricity. It was acquired for $200 million in 2009. Now he's becoming a partner in a new clean-tech fund, Inerjys, which is raising $1 billion to tackle what Shah views as the biggest obstacle to reducing carbon emissions and fossil...

Energy Prices Driving Us Towards Natural Gas

Energy Prices Driving Us Towards Natural Gas

by James Conca, Forbes

James Conca, Forbes
Last post, I put out numbers for the actual costs for producing energy from the six major sources normalized over their entire life-span. The idea being that someone is going to lay down billions of dollars to build and operate energy systems to produce a trillion kWhrs of electricity, but what is the actual cost versus how much will they have to pay? The results were 4.1cents/kWhr for coal, 5.1cents/kWhr for natural gas, 3.5cents/kWhr for nuclear, 4.3cents/kWhr for wind, 7.7cents/kWhr for solar, and...

Potential U.S. Oil Boom Shakes Up Energy Politics

Potential U.S. Oil Boom Shakes Up Energy Politics

by Keith Johnson, WSJ

Keith Johnson, WSJ
Energy has already been a key feature of the presidential campaign so far, even if gasoline prices fell from their springtime peak.

Get Ready For $65 (or Lower) Oil

Get Ready For $65 (or Lower) Oil

by Robert Weinstein, TheStreet.com

Robert Weinstein, TheStreet.com
If lower pump prices and energy costs sound appealing you're in luck. Long-term energy prices should continue to fall. More important, natural gas prices are so incredibly low, that even with falling oil prices, natural gas is still an exceptionally attractive alternative.

Destroying the Top 10 Myths about Nuclear Power

Destroying the Top 10 Myths about Nuclear Power

by Greenbang

Greenbang
Despite its 50-plus-year history, nuclear power still struggles to squirm free of its reputation of danger, expense and unsustainability, remaining as contentious a topic as ever.However, as concern over climate change outstrips fears over nuclear safety, grudging support for nuclear power and its contribution to lower greenhouse gas emissions continues to grow.

Double Trouble in Washington for King Coal

Double Trouble in Washington for King Coal

by Jen Alic, OilPrice.com

Jen Alic, OilPrice.com

Hall Talk – ANS Chicago 6/25

Hall Talk – ANS Chicago 6/25

by dyurman

Plenary views
By Dan Yurman

Condenser Problem Shuts Down Fermi 2

Condenser Problem Shuts Down Fermi 2

by Nuclear Street News Team

Equipment problems prompted operators to shut down the boiling water reactor at the Fermi nuclear plant Monday.

Oil in the Bahamas - Potential Replay of BP/Gulf of Mexico?

Oil in the Bahamas - Potential Replay of BP/Gulf of Mexico?

by admin@namecake.com (John Daly)

Mention the Bahamas to most people and you’ll get a sigh, followed by imagined images of a tropical paradise surrounded by azure waters.That romantic image may be about to change, perhaps for good. According to the recent “Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of South America and the Caribbean, 2012” report by the U.S. Geological Survey, the region hold an estimated 126 billion barrels of oil and 679 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in 31 geologic provinces of South America and the Caribbean.The…Read more...

Should we Still be Concerned with Peak Oil?

Should we Still be Concerned with Peak Oil?

by coheng@oilprice.com (Dave Cohen)

With oil prices falling precipitously, this seems like a good time to reassess the widely anticipated phenomenon known as peak oil. How much of a threat is it as we look into the future?There are basically two camps about the peak of global oil production.•    Cornucopians — Not only is the glass half-full, it is brimming over. There is no threat whatsoever to industrial civilizations. The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of stones.•    Doomers — The glass is half-empty and we're draining…Read more...

Mystery of Explosives at Swedish Nuclear Power Plant Deepens

Mystery of Explosives at Swedish Nuclear Power Plant Deepens

by admin@namecake.com (John Daly)

On 20 June Sweden ramped up security at its three nuclear power plants (NPPs) after explosives without a triggering device were found on a forklift on the grounds of the country's largest atomic power station at Ringhals, 45 miles south of Sweden's second-largest city, Goteborg, which has a population of 550,000 people.Nothing to see here, move along - authorities said that while police were investigating possible sabotage, even if there had been a blast it would not have posed any great danger.Sweden has 10 nuclear reactors at three NPPs, Ringhals,…Read more...

Norwegian Oil Industry Workers Shutdown Wells as Negotiations Fail to Progress

Norwegian Oil Industry Workers Shutdown Wells as Negotiations Fail to Progress

by kennedyc@oilprice.com (Charles Kennedy)

The negotiations over pensions and wages between the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (NOIA) and trade unions Industry Energy, SAFE, and Lederene have failed to reach an agreement, despite a government-led mediation.Following up on threats made last week the oil industry workers have now started the four to five day shutdown procedure at Statoil ASA’s Oseberg and Heidrun platforms, as well as delaying the opening of BP plc’s new Skarv well.Jan Hodneland, the chief negotiator for the NOIA, said that “completely unreasonable pension…Read more...

Report: U.K. stands to benefit from new reactor projects

Report: U.K. stands to benefit from new reactor projects
New reactor projects in the U.K. could generate more than 32,000 jobs annually and spur economic growth, according to an EDF Energy-commissioned report. The U.K. government backs such projects in an effort to fulfill climate-change targets and gain additional sources of electricity. EDF Energy, Spain's Iberdrola and France's GDF Suez are targeting nuclear projects in the U.K. Fox Business/Dow Jones Newswires

Japan is urged to share Fukushima Daiichi safety lessons

Japan is urged to share Fukushima Daiichi safety lessons
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders urged Japan to share safety lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi incident. "To ensure the safety of peaceful nuclear energy, we welcome economies which have nuclear power programs to share expertise, knowledge and best practices at the request of economies interested in developing nuclear power programs," said a declaration from APEC ministers. The Mainichi (Japan)/Kyodo News (6/26)

Rep. Markey seeks more data about cooling-tank concern at Mass. plant

Rep. Markey seeks more data about cooling-tank concern at Mass. plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs to provide more data about a cooling-tank leak that prompted the shutdown of Entergy's Palisades nuclear plant in Massachusetts two weeks ago, said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass. Markey said he is worried because the issue was discovered in 2011 yet Entergy and the NRC did nothing to address it. A new NRC inspector has been deployed at the facility to monitor and study the measures taken to fix the problem, a spokeswoman for the agency said. Kalamazoo Gazette (Mich.)

SRS officials study radioactive waste-management options

SRS officials study radioactive waste-management options
Officials at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina will discuss the possible next steps for the management of the site's high-level radioactive waste when Department of Energy officials unveil a new disposal plan for the material with Congress by the end of July. SRS officials were asked by the site's Citizens Advisory Board to study transferring the material to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. "Repository and interim storage sites will be considered in accordance with a consent-based process as outlined by the Blue Ribbon Commission," said David Moody, SRS manager. The Augusta Chronicle (Ga.)

Energy Northwest CEO details relicensing of Wash. nuclear plant

Energy Northwest CEO details relicensing of Wash. nuclear plant
Energy Northwest endured a rigorous license-extension process for its Columbia Generating Station in Washington state, contrary to critics' claims that it was rubber-stamped, writes Mark Reddemann, the company's CEO. The company worked to submit a comprehensive application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and reviews included on-site inspections and technical data analysis. The extension of the plant's operating license plays a key role in meeting the state's energy needs, Reddemann writes. The Oregonian (Portland)

Seismologists warn Japan against nuclear restart

Seismologists warn Japan against nuclear restart Chicago Tribune They will be the first to come back on line after all reactors were shut following a massive earthquake and tsunami last March that caused the worst nuclear crisis ...
Prominent Japanese seismologists speak out against "severe ... Enformable Ishibashi says he didn't start out as a critic of Japan's nuclear industry, rather his view changed after a magnitude-6.9 quake killed more than 5500 people on ...
Scientists warn of 3 faults under soon-to-restart reactors Asahi Shimbun ... Noda from his plan to restart Japan's nuclear reactors, starting with a pair in Oi, Fukui Prefecture. ... KEPCO believes a three-fault quake would reach 760 Ga
Restart of Oi reactors might result in destructive quake in Japan ... Shanghai Daily (subscription) Restart of Oi reactors might result in destructive quake in Japan, scholar warns ... two reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant could result in a moderate quake in ...	Seismologists warn Japan against nuclear restart AsiaOne - ‎ TOKYO - Two prominent seismologists said on Tuesday that Japan is ignoring the safety lessons of last year's Fukushima crisis and warned against restarting two reactors next month. Japan has approved the restart of the two reactors at the Kansai ... Japan Reactor Building Is Tilting but Not a Risk, Operator Says New York Times - ‎ TOKYO — A heavily damaged reactor building at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has a slight tilt, but the tilt does not pose a risk to the integrity of the building, according to the plant's operator. The Tokyo Electric Power ...

Diablo Canyon Unit 1 Reactor Returns to Service in Power-Hungry Calif.

Nuclear Power Industry News 

Diablo Canyon Unit 1 Reactor Returns to Service in Power-Hungry Calif.

Unit 1 at the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant has completed a refueling outage, adding badly needed generation capacity in California where both units of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station remain offline. The 1,151 megawatt Westinghouse reactor at ...

The Energy Collective
Presents a Live, Free Webcast,
June 27, 11:00AM ET / 8:00AM PT

"The DOD and Energy Innovation:
Can The Military Lead the Way to Smarter Energy?"

Register Now

The U.S. military has deep resources, incentives to innovate, and a history of developing groundbreaking technologies that have spilled over into market-changing private sector applications. What can be learned from the Department of Defense when it comes to developing smarter, more renewable energy solutions?

Join The Energy Collective as we explore some examples of the most exciting energy technologies at the U.S. Navy, where the greatest opportunities for knowledge-sharing lie, and whether the military can serve as a model for innovation elsewhere. We'll ask:

• What are the DOD's goals when it comes to energy, and how do these overlap with those of the energy industry?
• Can DOD ideas offer lessons for improving energy sustainability more broadly?
• What are the challenges and economic obstacles to bringing a DOD-innovated idea to market?

FEATURING...

Thomas W. Hicks
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy

Samuel Thernstrom
Co-Director, ASU's Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes

Judy F. Marks
President and CEO, Siemens Government Technologies, Inc.

Matthew Stepp
Senior Analyst, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

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California's energy future

California's energy future | AEIdeas The public policy blog of the American Enterprise Institute. www.aei-ideas.org/2012/06/californias-energy-future/

Meredith Angwin and Howard Shaffer Receive American Nuclear Society Presidential Citations

Meredith Angwin and Howard Shaffer Receive American Nuclear Society Presidential Citations

By lscheele on Jun 26, 2012 06:30 am

American Nuclear Society (ANS) President Eric Loewen, PhD, presented ANS members Meredith J. Angwin and Howard C. Shaffer, III with Presidential Citations in recognition of their successful public information efforts in Vermont and elsewhere. Angwin and Shaffer received their award during … Continue reading →
Read in browser »

Hall Talk – ANS Chicago 6/25

By dyurman on Jun 25, 2012 03:44 pm

Plenary views By Dan Yurman This is the first of a series of brief “Hall Talk” blog posts on people and events at the ANS Chicago conference taking place this week. The Plenary session kicked off with an introduction by … Continue reading →
Read in browser »

More to read:

ANS Names Three New Fellows
Welcome to the 2012 ANS Annual Meeting — President Eric Loewen
110th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers
ANS Nuclear Matinee: Fukushima and Chernobyl: Myth versus Reality
UC-Berkeley NE department receives ANS Presidential Citation

Saudi Aramco and MIT collaborating

Saudi Aramco and MIT collaborating
Saudi Aramco & MIT signed a Memorandum of Understanding on June 18th in Saudi Arabia.
Full Article

Magnesium-Antimony Liquid Metal Battery for Stationary Energy - MIT

Magnesium-Antimony Liquid Metal Battery for Stationary Energy - MIT
By groupsadowayadmin
D.J. Bradwell, H. Kim, A.H.C. Sirk, and D.R. Sadoway, “Magnesium-antimony liquid metal battery for stationary energy storage,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134 (4), 1895-1897 (2012). Posted in Publications & Presentations. Previous Entry: Brian ...
Group Sadoway

Nuclear waste: why environmentalists are pressing NRC on reactor ,,,

Nuclear waste: why environmentalists are pressing NRC on reactor ...
After a US appeals court ruled the NRC had not adequately evaluated nuclear waste provisions when licensing reactors, the groups are seeking to ensure the ...
www.csmonitor.com/.../Nuclear-waste-why-environmentalists-...

The non-nuclear summer

The non-nuclear summer

Power Engineering Magazine - ‎

Revelations of serious flaws in the design of its steam generators have left the idled San Onofre nuclear plant in a kind of regulatory limbo. Not only a possible date for restart of its reactors, but whether they will be restarted at all remains in ...

Update on Indian Point 6/25

NRC okays Indian Point's decommissioning fund

Mid-Hudson News -

BUCHANAN – Should the Indian Point nuclear power plants be decommissioned sometime in the future, the federally required fund needed for the process has been approved by the NRC. The power plant is in the process of applying for new 20 year operating ...

NRC postpones war games at Indian Point

The Journal News | LoHud.com - ‎

Indian Point 3 at the Indian Point Nuclear Generating Station in Buchanan. / File/Xavier Mascareñas/The Journal News BUCHANAN — The high-tech, laser-based war games that test the defenses of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, as well as the ...

Faster Progress on Iran Nuclear Standoff Needed to Avert War: Specialists

Faster Progress on Iran Nuclear Standoff Needed to Avert War: Specialists

Russian specialists have suggested a multilateral atomic dialogue with Iran might not be progressing quickly enough to prevent war, the Christian Science Monitor reported on Friday (see GSN, June 22).
Diplomats from Tehran met in Moscow last week with counterparts from China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, but the sides failed to reach an agreement addressing suspicions that Iran's nuclear program is geared toward establishment of a weapons capability. Lower-ranking representatives of the six powers are scheduled on July 3 to confer in Turkey with delegates from Iran, which insists its nuclear ambitions are strictly peaceful.
The gloomy outlook of experts in Russia might be relevant in light of the significant disagreements between the sides ahead of next week's gathering, according to the Monitor. Moscow opposes the emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran and has emphasized the necessity for a nonmilitary resolution to the standoff.
"For Russia the result [of previous discussions] is moderately positive," said Sergei Markov, a consultant to Russia's leadership and vice president of the Plekhanov Economic University in Moscow. "It showed Iran is more ready to express its views and compromise, and the Western side did not issue an ultimatum."
Still, a "more clear advance and quicker developments" are necessary in the dialogue to avert an armed exchange, Markov said. The probability is "quite high" for Israel to initiate an armed campaign against Iran either next month or in August, according to the specialist.

Radioactive “Dirt” Hits Tokyo

Radioactive “Dirt” Hits Tokyo

by WashingtonsBlog

Tokyo Residents: Don’t Touch the Black or Blue Dirt

Fukushima has been decimated by radiation.
But Fukushima City has less than 300,000 residents.  And all of Fukushima prefecture has 2 million.  On the other hand, greater Tokyo – the world’s largest megacity – has 35 million inhabitants.
Tokyo soil has been blanketed by Fukushima radiation, even though the Japanese capital is 170 miles from the Fukushima nuclear complex.
Now, substances with even higher levels of radiation are showing up around Tokyo.
Minamisoma city council member Koichi Oyama writes:

People in Tokyo, the black substance is here!
***
Please, people who live around, look at that!
***
It’s on the roof, on the asphalt, on concrete… Everywhere on all surfaces.
“Almost every part where is black”.
“Those black substances have fallen away and because of the rain water it accumulates underfoot”.
“I think 1 micro is almost 100000 becquerels～, 1 second α,β,γ Ray 100 needles～”.
“Never touch them with naked hands”.

What is he talking about?

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