Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

NRC, Dominion to Discuss Post-Earthquake Actions Taken at North Anna

NRC, Dominion to Discuss Post-Earthquake Actions Taken at North Anna

Moderator | September 7, 2011 at 10:11 am | Tags: nuclear | Categories: Operating Reactors | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-qR
Following last month’s earthquake in Virginia, everyone’s interested in learning more about the quake’s effects on the nearby North Anna nuclear power plant. The plant’s operator, Dominion, has information to share, so the NRC’s ready to listen.
NRC staff will meet with Dominion management from 1 – 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, in the Commissioners’ Conference Room on the first floor of the NRC’s One White Flint North building, at 11555 Rockville Pike in Rockville, Md. Having a public meeting on such short notice is very unusual, but Dominion’s information on such a unique situation needs to be discussed in a formal, open setting as soon as possible.
The NRC wants to make sure you have the opportunity to see what’s been learned, so the meeting will be available on the Live NRC Meeting page. Members of the public can attend the meeting by coming through security at the NRC’s One White Flint North entrance, at the corner of Rockville Pike and Marinelli Road in Rockville. The NRC is across the street from the White Flint Metro stop.
Dominion is expected to discuss its latest analysis of ground motion at the North Anna site, which sits about 12 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter in Louisa, Va. The company is also expected to describe its next steps in determining whether the plant meets NRC requirements to restart.
The two-reactor North Anna plant shut down safely following the quake, with both reactors operating as designed. Ongoing analysis by both the NRC and Dominion indicates the earthquake may have subjected the plant to more ground movement than specified in the plants’ designs. An NRC Augmented Inspection Team has been examining North Anna for the past week and the team plans to continue its work for another week. When the team completes its inspection, the NRC will hold a meeting near North Anna to discuss their preliminary results, and a final report is expected by the middle of October.
Scott Burnell
Public Affairs Officer

Thorium: Green and safe

Thorium: Green and safe
arrow
Thorium is an actinide so safe that it would never cause a nuclear meltdown. Los Alamos scientists have pioneered a cost-effective new process, Th-ING, that unlocks the energy potential of thorium without harming the environment.

Toshiba 'open' to partial Westinghouse stake sale

Toshiba 'open' to partial Westinghouse stake sale http://link.ft.com/r/R5WAEE/AMXX4P/M9QF42/5V00BD/ORNY03/JY/h?a1=2011&a2=9&a3=7

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Star Power for Humanity

Star Power for Humanity 

Let me deviate here for another example of a horrible decision, for in the fifties, our braintrust selected uranium/plutonium as the preferred fuel for nuclear powerplants over thorium. Why? Because they wanted the wastes to build atomic bombs. If only we went with thorium and heavy ion fusion, we would today be in great shape to progress into the the future. With Peak Oil and Global Warming now looming, I fear the worst.

Future fuels: Thorium, lasers, and electromagnets

Future fuels: Thorium, lasers, and electromagnets

Nuclear titans

Nuclear titans

Israeli missiles to protect S.Korea border: report

Israeli missiles to protect S.Korea border: report

iPhone radiation detector tells you a nuclear meltdown is coming your way

iPhone radiation detector tells you a nuclear meltdown is coming your way

A Running Debate on Nuclear Energy from NEI Nuclear Notes by Mark Flanagan

A Running Debate on Nuclear Energy

from NEI Nuclear Notes

Blog Post: Monticello Nuclear Plant Uprate Delayed

Blog Post: Monticello Nuclear Plant Uprate Delayed

from Nuclear Power Industry News

Blog Post: The Shaw Group Sells Westinghouse Investment back to Toshiba

Blog Post: The Shaw Group Sells Westinghouse Investment back to Toshiba

from Nuclear Power Industry News

IAEA Sets Dates for Meeting on Nuke-Free Middle East

IAEA Sets Dates for Meeting on Nuke-Free Middle East

Fukushima third reactor temperature down

Fukushima third reactor temperature down
06 September 2011
The operation of a core spray has helped to bring the temperature of Fukushima Daiichi 3 below 100ÂșC - the benchmark for cold shutdown.

Iran offers new nuclear deal

Iran offers new nuclear deal

Iran says it will open its nuclear program to five years of 'full supervision' by the U.N. atomic energy agency if the world body lifts its sanctions. But the country's nuclear chief makes clear that its uranium enrichment programs are going ahead.

Are gas prices too low – or nuclear costs too high? Or a bit of both??

Are gas prices too low – or nuclear costs too high? Or a bit of both??

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Maintenance at Nuclear Power Plants

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Maintenance at Nuclear Power Plants

Nobel winner urges Japan to abandon nuclear power

Nobel winner urges Japan to abandon nuclear power

Main Kan: Nuclear crisis 'man-made' / Ex-PM says poor flow of info hindered N-plant accident response

Main

Kan: Nuclear crisis 'man-made' / Ex-PM says poor flow of info hindered N-plant accident response

Water leak shuts Connecticut's Millstone reactor

Water leak shuts Connecticut's Millstone reactor

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues Mid-Cycle Assessments for Nation's Nuclear Plants

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues Mid-Cycle Assessments for Nation's Nuclear Plants