Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Nuclear Power's Last Hope: Climate Change
Nuclear Power's Last Hope: Climate Change
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2016/11/20/nuclear-powers-last-hope-is-climate-change/#36a30b447d13
Building on the Iran Nuclear Agreement
http://lobelog.com/building-
Among the foreign policy issues on which Donald Trump took a simple anti-Obama, or anti-Clinton, stance during the campaign but about which he had not seemed to have devoted much thought, one of the most prominent and important is the agreement that restricts Iran’s nuclear program, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. When the new president does get a chance to give the subject more attention, he will see that opposition to the agreement is primarily a matter of old political baggage. If he does not want to be burdened with such baggage and desires instead to set his own course, he will build on the agreement rather than succumb to the pressures of those who would like to kill it.
The baggage has had two parts. One has been the effort by President Obama’s political opposition to deny him any major achievements—applicable to the JCPOA in that it has been one of the president’s most significant foreign policy achievements. Even viewed through a crass partisan political lens, this motivation will get more out of date with each day that goes by after Mr. Obama leaves office.
The other part has been opposition of the Netanyahu government in Israel, with all the usual implications of how that government’s postures affect U.S. politics and how the Iran issue has thus been treated as if it were an Israel issue. Netanyahu’s opposition has been motivated by the objectives of keeping a regional rival to Israel isolated forever, portraying Iran as the root of all problems in the Middle East, distracting attention from problems that involve Israel and its policies, and keeping U.S. diplomacy and cooperative measures in the Middle East confined to Israel or channels approved by Israel. This opposition was maintained even though the agreement that has precluded an Iranian nuclear weapon is very much in the interests of Israel’s security, as testified to by the large majority of senior Israeli security officials and former officials who have been free to discuss the topic. http://lobelog.com/building-on-the-iran-nuclear-agreement/#more-36761
Building on the Iran Nuclear Agreement
by Paul R. PillarAmong the foreign policy issues on which Donald Trump took a simple anti-Obama, or anti-Clinton, stance during the campaign but about which he had not seemed to have devoted much thought, one of the most prominent and important is the agreement that restricts Iran’s nuclear program, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. When the new president does get a chance to give the subject more attention, he will see that opposition to the agreement is primarily a matter of old political baggage. If he does not want to be burdened with such baggage and desires instead to set his own course, he will build on the agreement rather than succumb to the pressures of those who would like to kill it.
The baggage has had two parts. One has been the effort by President Obama’s political opposition to deny him any major achievements—applicable to the JCPOA in that it has been one of the president’s most significant foreign policy achievements. Even viewed through a crass partisan political lens, this motivation will get more out of date with each day that goes by after Mr. Obama leaves office.
The other part has been opposition of the Netanyahu government in Israel, with all the usual implications of how that government’s postures affect U.S. politics and how the Iran issue has thus been treated as if it were an Israel issue. Netanyahu’s opposition has been motivated by the objectives of keeping a regional rival to Israel isolated forever, portraying Iran as the root of all problems in the Middle East, distracting attention from problems that involve Israel and its policies, and keeping U.S. diplomacy and cooperative measures in the Middle East confined to Israel or channels approved by Israel. This opposition was maintained even though the agreement that has precluded an Iranian nuclear weapon is very much in the interests of Israel’s security, as testified to by the large majority of senior Israeli security officials and former officials who have been free to discuss the topic. http://lobelog.com/building-on-the-iran-nuclear-agreement/#more-36761
China successfully 3D printed its 1st pressure vessel cylinder prototype for a nuclear reactor
China successfully 3D printed its 1st pressure vessel cylinder prototype for a nuclear reactor
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20161118-china-successfully-3d-printed-its-1st-pressure-vessel-cylinder-prototype-for-a-nuclear-reactor.html
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Fail-Safe Nuclear Power
Fail-Safe Nuclear Power
Cheaper and cleaner nuclear
plants could finally become reality—but not in the United States, where
the technology was invented more than 50 years ago.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602051/fail-safe-nuclear-power/
Friday, November 18, 2016
Transforming nuclear economics – why and how?
Transforming nuclear economics – why and how?
http://www.neimagazine.com/opinion/opiniontransforming-nuclear-economics-why-and-how-5665711/
FitzPatrick Sale Critical to Success of New York Clean Energy Standard
Nuclear Energy Institute
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2016
Contact: media@nei.org, 202.739.8000 or 703.644.8805 (after hours and weekends)
FitzPatrick Sale Critical to Success of New York Clean Energy Standard
http://www.nei.org/News-Media/Media-Room/News-Releases/FitzPatrick-Sale-Critical-to-Success-of-New-York-C
New York agency approves FitzPatrick plant sale
New York agency approves FitzPatrick plant sale
WRVO Public Media - 10 hours ago
The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) voted unanimously Thursday
to approve the sale of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant, an
essential component to its completion. Entergy, the plant's owner, had
been planning to shut it down because of ...
$110 million upstate nuclear plant sale approved by state
Albany Business Review - 2 hours ago
Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in Scriba, New York, is adjacent to the
FitzPatrick plant. Via Bloomberg. Plans to sell the James A.
FitzPatrick nuclear plant in Oswego County, New York, for $110 million
have been approved by the New York Public ...
New York approves sale of Oswego's FitzPatrick nuclear plant
Albany Times Union - 16 hours ago
The state's Public Service Commission on Thursday approved the sale of
an Oswego County nuclear power plant that they say will help meet the
state's clean energy needs, but which critics say creates a corporate
subsidy. Sale of the FitzPatrick plant ...
New York regulators approve sale of FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant
CNYcentral.com - 16 hours ago
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York utility regulators have approved the sale
of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant as part of the state's broader plan to
invest in nuclear power while expanding its use of renewable energy. The
Public Service Commission voted in ...
New York regulators endorse sale of nuclear plant
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal - 15 hours ago
PURCHASE: Entergy Corp. wants to sell FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant
in Oswego County to Exelon Corp. for $110 million. The Associated Press;
11 hrs ago. New York regulators endorse sale of nuclear plant. Stephen
D. Cannerelli. THE ASSOCIATED ...
PSC approves sale of the Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant
WSYR - 16 hours ago
The State Public Service Commission Thursday morning unanimously
approved the sale of the Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba. The
terms include the transfer of Fitzpatrick's operating license to Exelon
Corporation for $110 million. Before the ...
New York approves sale of FitzPatrick nuke from Entergy to Exelon
Utility Dive - Nov 17, 2016
The New York Department of Public Service has approved the sale of the
FitzPatrick nuclear plant, from Entergy Corp. to Exelon, part of an
arrangement aimed at keeping the state's nuclear fleet online. Entergy
had planned to shutter the struggling ...
The Latest: NY Regulators Approve Sale Of Nuclear Plant
WAMC - 22 hours ago
New York utility regulators have approved the sale of an upstate
nuclear power plant, part of the state's strategy of investing in
nuclear energy while weaning itself off of fossil fuels. Listen.
Listening... /. 0:57. The Public Service Commission on ...
Nuclear closures magnify US climate challenge for Trump
Environment & Energy Publishing - Nov 17, 2016
The closed-down Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is transferring nuclear
fuel to concrete-encased dry casks, shown in the foreground. The plant's
dismantling, decontamination and site restoration is expected to take
until 2030. The radioactive fuel could ...
Entergy gets OKs to sell FitzPatrick nuclear plant, build Louisiana power plant
Investing.com - 21 hours ago
Entergy's (NYSE:ETR) FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in New York is
approved for sale to Exelon (NYSE:EXC) by the New York Public Service
Commission. ETR will transfer the 838 MW plant's operating license to
EXC for $110M upon closing, subject to ...
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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Nuclear Roundup November 18, 2016
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A compilation of quality nuclear policy news published on the Web, around the world.
Iran Nuclear Deal
Report: 12 members of nuclear negotiating team arrested by Iran for espionage http://www.jpost.com/Middle- U.S., Iran clash over Tehran's testing of limit in nuclear deal http://www.reuters.com/ Trump Should Build on Iran Deal — Not Rip it Up https://www.niacouncil.org/ United States Wherever Trump goes, nuclear 'football' to follow http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/17/ Will Trump change America’s nuclear policy? http://wwlp.com/2016/11/18/ Missouri couple says WWII nuclear waste made home unsafe http://www.foxnews.com/ International India's Parrikar's 'no first use' of nuclear weapons statement amounts to nothing: FO http://www.dawn.com/news/ Where And How Pakistan Is Storing Nuclear Weapons According To US Scientists http://www.ndtv.com/world-
U.N. under-secretary-general urges N. Korea to give up provocations, nuke program
http://english.yonhapnews.co. International Team Completes Security Enhancements to Uzbekistan's National Radiological Waste Disposal Site https://nnsa.energy.gov/ Japan's nuclear export ambitions hit wall as Vietnam set to rip up reactor order http://www.reuters.com/ Third former energy minister charged in Bulgaria over nuclear project http://www.reuters.com/
Send Jodi Lieberman items of interest for the Nuclear Roundup at brodnica67@gmail.com. Receive this message as a forward? Subscribe to the Nuclear Roundup here.
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NRC Blog Update Updating Radioactive Materials Transportation Regulations
Updating Radioactive Materials Transportation Regulationsby Moderator |
Emma Wong
Project Manager
Project Manager
If
you have ever wondered about the safety of packaging and transporting
radioactive materials, now is the perfect opportunity to learn about it.
The NRC is kicking off the process of updating our requirements in 10 CFR Part 71.
We
do this periodically to reflect new information. Changes to
international packaging and transportation standards published by the
International Atomic Energy Agency, which serve as a standard for the
U.S. and other nations, can also trigger revisions. Stringent safety
requirements, as well as coordination among federal agencies,
international regulators, and tribal, state and local officials, help to
ensure radioactive materials shipments are made safely.
The
U.S. Department of Transportation has primary responsibility for
regulatory materials transport, while the NRC regulates packages for
larger quantities. This structure provides many layers of safety.
When
it is time to review our requirements, the NRC coordinates with DOT to
ensure the two agencies have consistent regulatory standards. The
process may take several years. We are also working to align our
regulations with the IAEA’s.
To
encourage public input, we are publishing an “issues paper” that
outlines areas we have identified for possible revision. We’ll take
comments on it for 60 days. We plan to use that input to develop a draft
regulatory basis—a document that identifies a regulatory issue, and
considers and recommends a solution. Once finalized, the draft
regulatory basis will be made available for public comment. After taking
comments on the draft, we can publish a final regulatory basis.
At
that point, if our Commission agrees that revision to our requirements
are needed, we would move into developing a proposed rule, then a final
rule. Each step in the process takes about a year. Details on how to
submit comments can be found in a Federal Register notice that will be published on November 21. This information and additional details about the rulemaking will be available on the federal rulemaking website.
We’re also planning a public meeting on Dec. 5-6
at NRC headquarters in Rockville, Md., to discuss the paper and answer
questions. Details on participating, including by teleconference and
webinar, can be found in our meeting notice.
While
the regulations are being updated, the fact remains that radioactive
materials are transported safely all the time. Millions of these
shipments are made each year and arrive at their destination without
incident. Occasionally, a carrier might be involved in a traffic
accident. But in decades of experience, there has never been an accident
that resulted in injury from exposure to the radioactive contents.
All
shipments of radioactive material must also be made in compliance with
DOT regulations. Smaller shipments pose extremely low risk. The larger
the amount of radioactive materials, the more stringent DOT’s
requirements are. DOT limits how much radioactivity can be transported
in each package. That way, no transport accident involving these
shipments would pose a significant health threat.
But what about larger amounts of radioactive materials? What about spent nuclear fuel?
In
addition to meeting DOT requirements, larger shipments of radioactive
cargo such as spent nuclear fuel and fissile material must meet NRC
regulations for packaging and transport in Part 71. These regulations
include very detailed requirements for shipping under normal conditions,
as well as stringent tests to show the packages can withstand
hypothetical severe accidents. These are the regulations we are updating
now. If you would like to learn more about the transportation of spent
fuel and radioactive materials, see our website.
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