Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Shareholders Plan Y1.1 Trillion Suit Against 60 Tepco Directors--Kyodo

Shareholders Plan Y1.1 Trillion Suit Against 60 Tepco Directors--Kyodo

Fukushima Disaster Likely to Have Limited Impact on Global Push for Nuclear Power, Experts Say

Fukushima Disaster Likely to Have Limited Impact on Global Push for Nuclear Power, Experts Say

Fukushima: “Far From Any Stable Shutdown” from Washington's Blog by WashingtonsBlog

Fukushima: “Far From Any Stable Shutdown”

from Washington's Blog

IAEA Fukushima Daiichi Status Report Update of 4 November 2011

IAEA Fukushima Daiichi Status Report

Update of 4 November 2011

Chronology of Updates:
4 November | 2 November | 27 October | Full Update
Fukushima
The IAEA International Remediation Expert Mission examines Reactor Unit 3 during the team's visit to TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant, 11 October 2011. (Photo: G. Verlini/IAEA)
The IAEA issues regular Status Reports to the public on the current status of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, including information on environmental radiation monitoring, the status of workers and current conditions on-site at the plant.
The information cited in this Report is compiled from official Japanese sources, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) through the Japanese Permanent Mission in Vienna and the Cabinet's Office of the Prime Minister. Information is also provided by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Questions on the information provided in this report may be directed to info@iaea.org.
The IAEA has received new information regarding the detection of xenon-133 and xenon-135 gases on 1 November inside the Primary Containment Vessel (PCV) of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2.
Based on further analysis, Japanese authorities have concluded that the xenon concentrations are not due to a criticality event but rather from the spontaneous fission of curium-242 and 244. (Spontaneous fission is a form of radioactive decay that does not involve chain reactions and is characteristic of very heavy isotopes. Spontaneous fission occurs in low levels in all nuclear reactors.)
This conclusion is based on three key factors outlined and discussed in the report:




  • The inventory of Cu-242 and Cu-244 was calculated as was the concentration of Xe-135, resulting from the spontaneous fission of Cu-242 and Cu-244. If nuclear fission of the reactor's uranium fuel were occurring, at the lowest possible level, the levels of xenon detected would be several orders of magnitude higher than those measured. Current levels of xenon are consistent with those that would be generated by spontaneous fission of Cu-242 and Cu-244;
  • If the core had been experiencing a criticality event, the injection of boron water should have stopped the criticality and terminated the generation of xenon. However, the xenon levels were not influenced by injection of boron water into the core; and
  • If the core was undergoing a criticality event the temperature and pressure readings would be expected to rise as the event would increase heat production within the core. However, the temperature and pressure levels have not undergone any significant increases either before or after xenon were detected, indicating that no criticality event is occurring.
Presently the report detailing these findings is only available in Japanese. A link to the English version will be provided once it is made available.
The IAEA will continue to issues regular status reports to the public on the current status of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Questions on the information provided in this report may be directed to info@iaea.org.
See Story Resources for more information.
-- by Dana Sacchetti, IAEA Division of Public Information. Staff from the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre provide on-going support in producing these Status Reports.

(Note to Media: We encourage you to republish these stories and kindly request attribution to the IAEA).

Anti-science disinformation and politics from The Nuclear Green Revolution by Charles Barton

Anti-science disinformation and politics

from The Nuclear Green Revolution

Is the nuclear renaissance over? from The Nuclear Green Revolution by Charles Barton

Is the nuclear renaissance over?


Critics of nuclear power often back their arguments with rhetorical flourishes, but frequently seem to misunderstand or misrepresent the facts they assert. A well known energy expert put in a guest appearance on Rod Adams' Atomic Insights blog this week. The expert, a long time critic of nuclear energy, offered a blog post long analysis of the market problems of the reactor industry. The basis argument is not new, and indeed it is full of ambiguities.
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NUKEWARS Pakistan's nuclear weapons vulnerable to theft: report


NUKEWARS
Pakistan's nuclear weapons vulnerable to theft: report

Energy Resource Wars: Is a New Round Emerging? by Gail Marcus

Energy Resource Wars:

Is a New Round Emerging?

Civilian nuclear energy programs as a "fig leaf" for proliferation: Does it matter?

Civilian nuclear energy programs as a "fig leaf" for proliferation: Does it matter?

The Washington Post today featured an interesting article detailing many of the difficulties and setbacks encountered by Iran's enrichment program, post-Stuxnet. In part what it illustrates is the technical difficulty of actually attempting to engineer a proliferation attempt, even given access to facilities and technical know-how.

Samples from NRC Webcasts (First of a Series)

by E. Michael Blake

Swedish focus on earthquake protection

Swedish focus on earthquake protection

Oskarshamn 3 (OKG)Swedish nuclear power plant operators will incorporate improvements highlighted by stress tests with a pre-existing program to standardise safety in earthquake scenarios.

New nuclear energy policy for Taiwan

New nuclear energy policy for Taiwan

Lungmen 1 turbine building (Taipower)No life extensions will be granted to Taipower's existing nuclear power plants in a newly announced nuclear energy policy that promises eventually to make the island 'nuclear-free'.

Fukushima xenon from spontaneous decay

Fukushima xenon from spontaneous decay

The origin of xenon in the containment of Fukushima Daiichi 2 is currently considered to be spontaneous fission, a process of radioactive decay not involving any chain reaction.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Panic over China's four new nuclear ballistic missiles

Panic over China's four new nuclear ballistic missiles

China Seen Deploying New Nuke-Ready Ballistic Missiles

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China Seen Deploying New Nuke-Ready Ballistic Missiles

Cleaning up Japan's nuclear mess

Cleaning up Japan's nuclear mess
The Economist
According to the former experience, of course not to deal with nuclear leaking, they may handle the accident properly , but in a very long time(several years or more). What the most serious question is, not just benefits,concerning every citizens' ...

China Warns of 'Lose-Lose' Situation on U.S. Solar Probe

China Warns of 'Lose-Lose' Situation on U.S. Solar Probe

Fukushima reactor is not in critical state - xenon traces were from natural reactions

Fukushima reactor is not in critical state - xenon traces were from natural reactions

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Japan offers public bailout to help fix stricken nuclear reactor

Japan offers public bailout to help fix stricken nuclear reactor

Opinion: Did Fukushima kill the nuclear renaissance No, that renaissance died right here at home By Keith Yost

Opinion: Did Fukushima kill the nuclear renaissance No, that renaissance died right here at home

This Week's Most Popular Oil & Gas News from Penn Energy

Forward to Friend This Week's Most Popular Oil & Gas News
Gazprom, Wintershall set terms for western Siberian, North Sea assets swap
Nexen wins regulatory approval for major Golden Eagle North Sea development
BP agrees to $50 million in fees for pollution from explosion in Texas
Oil platform shut down in safety scare
BG Group seals massive US LNG deal to export from Cheniere's Sabine Pass
Eagle Rock announces further expansion in Texas Panhandle Granite Wash play
Nebraska legislature meets to discuss Keystone oil pipeline path
Shell commissions North Sea well abandonment services
TNK-BP seals $1B Amazon O&G deal with Brazil's HRT
Expro secures multi-million dollar contract with ENI in Iraq
El Paso: Major gas pipeline added in Northeast

Some Nuclear Risks Are Financial

Some Nuclear Risks Are Financial
by Peter Fairley
Attacks on the wisdom of loan guarantees could restrict nuclear reactor construction in most states.
Read More »

'West dual policy on NPT bars N-coop'

'West dual policy on NPT bars N-coop'

Nuclear Trade Reform Opponent Has New Ties to Saudi Energy Interests

Nuclear Trade Reform Opponent Has New Ties to Saudi Energy Interests

Scientist: India should quit nuclear power

Scientist: India should quit nuclear power
New Delhi (UPI) Nov 3, 2011 - A leading Indian nuclear scientist has indicated that India should scrap its nuclear energy program. MP Parameswaran, a former scientist with the Atomic Energy Commission, while acknowledging that India has invested heavily in nuclear power, stressed that the country "will be forced to spend (a) thousand times more than that in the eventuality of a nuclear disaster," he told India's Dai ... more

Technology makes storing radioactive waste safer

Technology makes storing radioactive waste safer
Brisbane, Australia (SPX) Nov 04, 2011 - Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers have developed new technology capable of removing radioactive material from contaminated water and aiding clean-up efforts following nuclear disasters. The innovation could also solve the problem of how to clean up millions of tonnes of water contaminated by dangerous radioactive material and safely store the concentrated waste. Profess ... more

Japan's new crisis: radioactive waste disposal

Japan's new crisis: radioactive waste disposal

Cover Up - New International Report Shreds Japan's Carefully Constructed Fukushima Scenario

Cover Up - New International Report Shreds Japan's Carefully Constructed
Fukushima Scenario
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/cover-up-new-international-report-shreds-japans-carefully-constructed-fukushima-scenario/

Japan's six reactor Fukushima Daichi nuclear complex has inadvertently become
the world's bell-weather poster child for the inherent risks of nuclear power
ever since the 11 March Tohoku offshore earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter
scale, triggered a devastating tsunami that effectively destroyed the complex.

US task force lays out priorities for post-quake Japan

US task force lays out priorities for post-quake Japan

Turkey’s Energy Minister: “Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia must be closed”

Turkey’s Energy Minister: “Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia must be closed”

Xenon / Fukushima Daiichi No. 2 - Thursday afternoon update

Xenon / Fukushima Daiichi No. 2 - Thursday afternoon update

TEPCO Press Release November 3, 2011

Press Release (Nov 03,2011)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, November 3)
*Updates are underlined

All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.

Unit 1 (Shut down)
-Explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed after the big quake 
 occurred at 3:36 pm on March 12. It was assumed to be hydrogen explosion.
-At 3:37 pm on March 25, we started injecting freshwater to the reactor 
 and are now injecting fresh water by a motor driven pump powered by the 
 off-site transmission line.
 The current water injection volume is approx 7.7 m3/h from the reactor 
 feed water system.
-We commenced injection of nitrogen gas into Primary Containment Vessel at 
 1:31 am on April 7.
-At 11:22 am on August 10, we started cyclic cooling for the water in the 
 spent fuel pool by an alternative cooling equipment of the Fuel Pool 
 Cooling and Filtering System. 
-On October 28, we completed installation of the cover for the Reactor 
 Building in order to contain dispersion of radioactive substances.

Unit 2 (Shut down)
-At approximately 6:00 am on March 15, an abnormal noise began emanating 
 from nearby Pressure Suppression Chamber and the pressure within the 
 chamber decreased. 
-At 10:10 am on March 26, we started injecting freshwater to the reactor 
 and are now injecting fresh water by a motor driven pump powered by the 
 off-site transmission line. 
-At 2:59 pm on September 14, we started injecting water to the reactor 
 through core spray system water injection piping arrangement in addition 
 to the water injection through reactor feed water system piping 
 arrangement.
 Water is currently injected at approx. 3 m3/h through reactor feed water 
 system piping arrangement, and at approx. 7.1 m3/h through core spray 
 system water injection piping arrangement.
-At 5:21 pm on May 31, we started cyclic cooling for the water in the 
 spent fuel pool by an alternative cooling equipment of the Fuel Pool 
 Cooling and Filtering System.
-At 8:06 pm on June 28, we started injecting nitrogen gas into the Primary 
 Containment Vessel.
-At 12:53 pm on October 28, we activated the exhaust fan of the gas 
 management system of the reactor containment vessel in the reactor 
 building and started test operation. As we confirmed stable operation of 
 the system, from 6:00 pm on the same day, we put the system in operation.
-We found a possibility to detect short-half-life radionuclide such as Xe-
 133 and Xe-135 according to our radionuclide analysis sampled on November 
 1 by the gas management system of the reactor containment vessel. We 
 continued to monitor the temperature, pressure and data from monitoring 
 post and there was no significant fluctuation from those data. As we 
 can't deny a possibility of fission reactions, we decided to start 
 injecting boric acid water from reactor feed water system at 2:48 am on 
 November 2 and stopped it at 3:47 pm on the same day. At around 7:20 pm 
 on the same day, Japan Atomic Energy Agency evaluated that the TEPCO's 
 analysis result of the short-half-life radionuclide such as Xe-133 and 
 Xe-135 detection was valid. We consider that they were generated by the 
 spontaneous fission on the grounds that the concentration of detected 
 short-half-like radionuclide (Xe-135) is low, that short-half-like 
 radionuclide (Xe-135) was detected even after the boric acid, which stops 
 nuclear fission chain reactions, was injected, and that the parameters of 
 the reactor were not significantly changed.

Unit 3 (Shut down)
-Explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed at approximately 11:01 am 
 on March 14. It was assumed to be hydrogen explosion.
-At 6:02 pm on March 25, we started injecting fresh water to the reactor 
 and are now injecting fresh water by a motor driven pump powered by the 
 off-site transmission line.
-At 2:58 pm on September 1, we started water injection by core spray 
 system in addition to water injection by the reactor feed water system 
 piping arrangement. 
 Water is currently injected at approx. 2.5 m3/h through reactor feed 
 water system piping arrangement, and at approx. 8.1 m3/h through core 
 spray system water injection piping arrangement.
-At 7:47 pm on June 30, we started cyclic cooling for the water in the 
 spent fuel pool by an alternative cooling equipment of the Fuel Pool 
 Cooling and Filtering System.
-At 8:01 pm on July 14, injection of nitrogen gas into the Primary 
 Containment Vessel started.
 
Unit 4 (Outage due to regular inspection)
-At around 6 am on March 15, we confirmed the explosive sound and the 
 sustained damage around the 5th floor rooftop area of Reactor Building.
-At 12:44 pm on July 31, we started cyclic cooling for the water in the 
 spent fuel pool by an alternative cooling equipment of the Fuel Pool 
 Cooling and Filtering System. 
-At 11:34 am on August 20, we started an operation of desalination 
 equipment in the spent fuel pool.
-At this moment, we don't think there is any reactor coolant leakage 
 inside the primary containment vessel.

Unit 5 (Outage due to regular inspection)
-Sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained.
-At 5:00 am on March 19, we started the Residual Heat Removal System Pump 
 in order to cool the spent fuel pool.
-At 2:30 pm on March 20, the reactor achieved cold shutdown.
-At 2:45 pm on July 15, we started the operation of the original Residual 
 Heat Removal System (System B) by its original seawater pump.
-At this moment, we don't think there is any reactor coolant leakage 
 inside the primary containment vessel.

Unit 6 (Outage due to regular inspection)
-Sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained.
-At 10:14 pm on March 19, we started the Residual Heat Removal System Pump 
 of Unit 6 to cool down Spent Fuel Pool.
-At 7:27 pm on March 20, the reactor achieved cold shutdown. 
-At 2:33 pm on September 15, we started separately cooling the reactor 
 through the Residual Heat Removal System and the spent fuel pool through 
 Equipment Cooling Water System and Fuel Pool Cooling System.
-At this time, we don't think there is any reactor coolant leakage inside 
 the primary containment vessel. 

Others
-At around 10 am on June 13, we started the operation of the circulating 
 seawater purification facility installed at the screen area of Unit 2 and 
 3.
-At 8 pm on June 17, we started operation of Water Treatment Facility 
 against the accumulated water. At 6:00 pm on July 2, we started the 
 circulating injection cooling to inject the water, which was treated by 
 the accumulated water treatment system, to the reactors through the 
 buffer tank.
-At 7:41 pm on August 19, we started treatment of accumulated water by 
 parallel operation of one line from the cesium adsorption instrument to 
 the decontamination instrument and the other treatment line of the cesium 
 adsorption instrument No.2. 
-At 2:06 pm on October 7, we started to spray purified accumulated water 
 brought from Unit 5 and 6 continually in order to prevent dust scattering 
 and potential fire outbreaks from the cut down trees.
-On October 28, we started installation of the water proof wall at the sea 
 side, in front of the existing shore protection, Units 1-4, in order to 
 contain marine pollution by underground water.
-From 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on November 2, we transferred accumulated water 
 from the temporarily built tank to the Mega-float.
-At 10:11 am on November 2, we started transferring accumulated water from 
 the basement of the Unit 3 turbine building to the High Temperature 
 Incinerator Building of the Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment 
 Facility.
-At 10:00 am on November 3, we started transferring accumulated water from 
 the Unit 6 turbine building to temporary storage tanks.
-From 12:40 pm to 2:00 pm on November 3, we did the installation work of 
 an additional flow meter into the nitrogen gas injection line into Unit 2 
 to improve the reliability of the nitrogen injection. During this work 
 the nitrogen injection was suspended for approximately 10 minutes, 
 however, there were no significant changes in the parameters of Unit 2.

Actions taken by regulatory bodies following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident

Actions taken by regulatory bodies following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident

E.ON to sue government on nuclear exit -paper

E.ON to sue government on nuclear exit -paper

FRANKFURT | Thu Nov 3, 2011 4:43am EDT
FRANKFURT Nov 3 (Reuters) - E.ON (EONGn.DE), Germany's largest utility by sales, will file a complaint with Germany's highest court claiming compensation for the country's nuclear exit, German paper Financial Times Deutschland reported.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/eon-complaint-idUSL5E7M31HF20111103

Vattenfall vs. Germany Nuclear Phase-Out Faces Billion-Euro Lawsuit

Vattenfall vs. Germany

Nuclear Phase-Out Faces Billion-Euro Lawsuit

Fallout from Solyndra Hurts Nuclear Startups

Energy

Fallout from Solyndra Hurts Nuclear Startups

Attacks on the wisdom of loan guarantees could restrict nuclear reactor construction in most states.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Thorium in India

India uncloaks new thorium nuke plants -- Science & Technology ...
Won't have to look far for fuel, either The Advanced Heavy Water design differs from China's molten salt or liquid fluoride designs. But Indian scientists expect the ...
www.sott.net/.../237136-India-uncloaks-new-thorium-nuke-pl...
India Building Thorium Reactor : technology
many of the advantages of thorium fuel are best realised with totally new reactor designs such as the molten salt reactor developed Alvin Weinberg in the 60s ...
www.reddit.com/r/.../lxq1y/india_building_thorium_reactor/
India To Build A Thorium Reactor - Slashdot
In their first story, slowLearner writes "India will build a working Thorium reactor. [ Quoting the Guardian] 'Officials are currently selecting a site for the reactor, ...
science.slashdot.org/story/.../india-to-build-a-thorium-reactor
India plans 'safer' nuclear plant powered by thorium - The Guardian ...
Use of relatively low-carbon, low-radioactivity thorium instead ofuranium may be breakthrough in energy generationIndia has announcedplans for a prototype ...
esciencenews.com/.../india.plans.safer.nuclear.plant.powered.t...
“Is Nuclear Waste Really Waste?” one year ... - Energy from Thorium
Devoted to the discussion of thorium as a future energy resource, and the machine to extract that energy–the liquid-fluoride thorium reactor. ...
energyfromthorium.com/2011/11/01/waste-one-year-later/

World Poised to Enter New "Era" of Nuclear Weapons: Report

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World Poised to Enter New "Era" of Nuclear Weapons: Report

Analysis: Struggle for energy supply pushes SE Asia to nuclear

Analysis: Struggle for energy supply pushes SE Asia to nuclear

UPDATE 2-Vermont Yankee exits refuel, no decision on lawsuit

UPDATE 2-Vermont Yankee exits refuel, no decision on lawsuit

2012 Election Survey: Congress, White House Focus on Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Power is out of Touch With Views of Mainstream America

2012 Election Survey: Congress, White House Focus on Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Power is out of Touch With Views of Mainstream America

NRC: No functional damage caused by earthquake at North Anna nuclear reactor

NRC: No functional damage caused by earthquake at North Anna nuclear reactor

NRC officials said they will likely issue a final recommendation next week which will allow the reactors to be restarted.

Earthquake Monitoring?

Earthquake Monitoring?
John R. Joyce, Ph.D.
Yes, I can hear the question mark in your voice. True, those who live in the Pacific Ring of Fire and other tectonicly active areas are used to preparing for and monitoring earthquakes. Those who live in less active areas, preparing and monitoring has not been quite as high a priority, to put it charitably. However, if your home or business happened to be located in central Virginia on the afternoon of August 23, 2011, when a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck just 35 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia,1 you might be tempted to reconsider. If you are inclined to write that off as a fluke, consider that the strongest earthquakes to ever hit the eastern U.S. in recorded history, estimated to have a maximum magnitude of around 7.7, occurred near New Madrid, MO. Fortunately, this series of earthquakes occurred in 1811 and 1812, so there was not as much to damage, but it did result in the creation of temporary waterfalls on the Mississippi River and the river temporarily running backwards in spots2, 3.

USGS: More than 600 aftershocks have hit since August quake

USGS: More than 600 aftershocks have hit since August quake

Building a Nuclear Power Plant on a Fault Still Not a Great Idea —By Kate Sheppard |

Building a Nuclear Power Plant on a Fault Still Not a Great Idea

|

Industry Insight Belgian nuclear phase out: energy security now in peril

Industry Insight

Belgian nuclear phase out: energy security now in peril

Russia, Bangladesh sign deal on construction of nuclear power plants

Russia, Bangladesh sign deal on construction of nuclear power plants
Dhaka (Platts)--2Nov2011/118 pm EDT/1718 GMT


Russia and Bangladesh Wednesday signed an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the South Asian country's first nuclear power plants to generate 2 GW electricity from two 1 GW plants, Bangladeshi science minister.

Osman and Director General of Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko signed the deal in front of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in Dhaka Wednesday.

"Under the deal Russia will supply fuel for the entire life of the plants," Kiriyenko told a news conference.

GE Hitachi renews Spanish nuclear plant contracts

GE Hitachi renews Spanish nuclear plant contracts

No sign of sustained fission in wrecked Japan reactor

No sign of sustained fission in wrecked Japan reactor

NRC to act on nuclear license for Plant Vogtle expansion and V.C. Summer project in S.C.

NRC to act on nuclear license for Plant Vogtle expansion and V.C. Summer project in S.C.

US nuclear industry pushes back on export control changes

US nuclear industry pushes back on export control changes
Washington (Platts)--2Nov2011/848 am EDT/1248 GMT


The nuclear industry is mounting a campaign against proposed changes to a Department of Energy rule regulating US nuclear technology exports, saying the new rule would handicap exporters and disrupt reactor operations in the country.

Under the rule known as Part 810, US companies have to obtain special DOE authorization to transfer nuclear-related information to firms or individuals in certain foreign countries. Such information transfer would be necessary, for example, if a US reactor vendor hires a component supplier overseas or a US firm provides consulting service on nuclear reactor operations to a foreign utility.

Fertel: Applying Nuclear Lessons From Fukushima Disaster

Fertel: Applying Nuclear Lessons From Fukushima Disaster

India's thorium-fuelled Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) design is ready

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Top 25: NRC’s internal documents from Fukushima made public after FOIA request from Enformable.com

Top 25: NRC’s internal documents from Fukushima made public after FOIA request from Enformable.com

POGO Calls for Release of North Anna Nuclear Generating Station Records

POGO Calls for Release of North Anna Nuclear Generating Station Records

The State of America’s Nuclear Effort MOVING BEYOND FUKUSHIMA

The State of America’s Nuclear Effort

MOVING BEYOND FUKUSHIMA

NRC ISSUES NOTICE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR LICENSE AMENDMENT

NRC ISSUES NOTICE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR LICENSE AMENDMENT

Big ideas from small places

Big ideas from small places

Editor's Note: Parag Khanna is a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation, visiting senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and author of The Second World and How to Run the World. David Skilling is founding director at Landfall Strategy Group, a Singapore-based advisory firm.
By Parag Khanna and David Skilling – Special to CNN

Fukushima Meltdown Documents Released

Fukushima Meltdown Documents Released

 
Japan Update: New Fukushima Documents Warrant Public Attention
by Nelle Maxey

Putting the brakes on nuclear power for a new, clearer future

Putting the brakes on nuclear power for a new, clearer future

In the wake of the nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, Japan, perhaps it’s time to put nuclear power on hold for awhile.

India plans ‘safer’ thorium power plant

India plans ‘safer’ thorium power plant

India uncloaks new thorium nuke plants

India uncloaks new thorium nuke plants


Won't have to look far for fuel, either
By Andrew Orlowski

Daunting road ahead for nuclear power

Daunting road ahead for nuclear power

Bangladesh agrees nuclear power deal with Russia

Bangladesh agrees nuclear power deal with Russia

File photo of power plant in Bangladesh Bangladesh currently relies on dilapidated gas-fired power plants

Related Stories

Bangladesh has agreed to build two new nuclear power plants with Russian help as the country looks to close a yawning power deficit.

Cold Fusion Experiment: Major Success or Complex Hoax?

Cold Fusion Experiment: Major Success or Complex Hoax?

India plans 'safer' nuclear plant powered by thorium

India plans 'safer' nuclear plant powered by thorium

Arms control groups appeal to Obama for help with Congress

Arms control groups appeal to Obama for help with Congress

From the NRC Blog: Setting the Record Straight

U.S. NRC Blog

Setting the Record Straight

by Moderator
At 2:32 p.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 1, workers at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California smelled ammonia in the south end of the Unit 3 turbine buildin g. The leakage was traced to a storage tank located above the electrical switchyard. The leak was reported to the control room and announcements were made over the site’s public address system advising workers to stay clear of the turbine building.
NRC inspectors performing baseline radiation safety inspections responded to the Main Control Room and Technical Support Center. John Reynoso, the resident inspector, was offsite and responded to the site to monitor the scene of the leak near the Unit 3 turbine building. (Resident inspectors are assigned to all nuclear power plants so that the NRC has “ears and eyes” on the ground.) Within minutes, the station manager declared an “Alert,” because some vital areas within the turbine building had become inaccessible.
An Alert is the second of four emergency declaration levels and is declared, according to NRC regulations, when events could involve an actual or potential decline in the level of plant safety. Further investigation revealed the storage tank was leaking ammonia at the rate of about one gallon every ten minutes. Workers were able to stop the leak by 5 p.m.
The Alert was terminated shortly after 6 p.m. Both units remained stable and operating at full power. No radiation was released. There were no personnel injuries reported, and all leakage was contained onsite. But it was the first Alert declared at San Onofre since 1999, when a suspected pipe bomb was found on the freeway nearby.
As might be expected, it generated intense media interest, with coverage in 473 different venues overnight, according to a Google news search. The NRC resident inspectors will review the licensee’s response to the event, including the promptness of their efforts to stop the spill and corrective actions taken to prevent recurrence.
Victor Dricks
Region IV Public Affairs Officer
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The China Clock: Designing Urgency into Energy Storage Demonstration Projects

By James Greenberger, November 2, 2011
Last Monday NAATBatt hosted a meeting of the DES white paper working group in Detroit.  The DES white paper group consists of leading advanced battery manufacturers, electric utilities, auto makers, electric power equipment companies and national laboratories working with KEMA, an energy consulting firm, to produce a white paper outlining the importance of distributed energy storage (DES)...  » Continue...

Hall Talk Nov 1 – social media

Hall Talk Nov 1 – social media

Our intrepid reporter files another update from the ANS Winter Meeting.
By Dan Yurman
Social media session draws 55 nukes

Hall Talk – Licensing the Integral Fast Reactor design

Hall Talk – Licensing the Integral Fast Reactor design

Our intrepid reporter files another update from the ANS Winter Meeting.
By Dan Yurman
Closing regulatory gaps for sodium fast reactors

China urges IAEA to enhance nuclear safeguards

China urges IAEA to enhance nuclear safeguards

Areva Confident Stress Tests Won’t Curb Europe’s Nuclear Future

Areva Confident Stress Tests Won’t Curb Europe’s Nuclear Future

Responding to Fukushima: U.S. Nuclear Industry Commits to Action

Responding to Fukushima: U.S. Nuclear Industry Commits to Action

USEC extends uranium-plant agreement

USEC extends uranium-plant agreement

Company, seeking $2 billion loan guarantee from U.S., renews pact with investors

UPDATE 1-NRC approves South Texas amended ABWR reactor design

UPDATE 1-NRC approves South Texas amended ABWR reactor design

From the US NRC Blog: Taking Out The "Gov Speak"

U.S. NRC Blog

Taking Out The “Gov Speak”

by Moderator
Writing government information in “plain language” doesn’t sound that difficult. But avoiding jargon and “government speak” takes extra effort and attention. The NRC recently rewarded one of its own, Information Technology Specialist Laura Metzgar, in the agency’s first annual Plain Writing Contest. Laura set her sigh ts on improving a section of the Congressional Budget Justification. This document provides details and explanations for our annual funding requests to Congress, but since it’s written by committee it often isn’t as understandable as it could be.
Laura took on the challenge of turning the following paragraph into clear, concise English while still conveying all the same information.
Original Text:
The budgetary resources will enable the NRC to continue licensing and regulatory activities to ensure the safe and secure operation of these civilian nuclear reactors. The NRC has organized Operating Reactors Business Line activities into product lines that best support safety and security strategies that impact strategic outcomes as they relate to existing civilian reactors. The resources requested support the Operating Reactors Business Line within the following seven product lines: Licensing, Oversight, Rulemaking, Research, International Activities, Generic Homeland Security, and Event Response. The outputs of these product line activities contribute to the scoring of the NRC Safety and Security Performance Measures and their contribution to achievement of the desired Strategic Outcomes.
The original paragraph is 111 words. Note that the second sentence alone is 30 words, and has four verbs! Laura rewrote the section.
Revised Text
The Operating Reactors business line consists of seven product lines that represent the licensing and regulatory activities to ensure the safe and secure operation of civilian nuclear reactors. The product lines are Licensing, Oversight, Rulemaking, Research, International Activities, Generic Homeland Security, and Event Response. The performance scores for these product lines contribute to the overall score for the agency’s Strategic Outcomes.
The revised paragraph is 61 words. The original text has a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level rating of 20.2—basically requiring 20 years of education to understand the text. The grade level score of the rewrite is 17.1. A definite improvement!
The NRC is continuing to look to ways to improve the clarity of its writing for the public. You can make suggestions on how we can do that in the comments section below.
For more information, visit the new Plain Writing section of the NRC’s website.
Glenn Ellmers
NRC Plain Writing Chairman

Tokyo Elec. Power : (Nov 02,2011)Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, Nov. 2)

Tokyo Elec. Power : (Nov 02,2011)Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, Nov. 2)

New blow at quake-hit nuclear plant

New blow at quake-hit nuclear plant

UAE mulls financing structure for $20bn nuclear plan

UAE mulls financing structure for $20bn nuclear plan

Why We Still Need Nuclear Energy: Making Clean Energy Safe and Affordable By Ernest Moniz

 Why We Still Need Nuclear Energy
Making Clean Energy Safe and Affordable

Summary: 
The world cannot let the March disaster at Japan’s Fukushima power plant scare it into forgoing the benefits of nuclear energy -- a cheap, reliable, and safe source of electricity. Still, writes a former U.S. undersecretary of energy, the United States does need to update its safety standards and reform its handling of nuclear waste.
ERNEST MONIZ is Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems and Director of the Energy Initiative at MIT. He served as Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Energy in 1997–2001.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Uranium Enrichment Program in Syria?

Uranium Enrichment Program in Syria?

Uranium Enrichment Program in Syria?New allegations that Syria might have been clandestinely enriching uranium underline the challenges in preventing the spread of uranium enrichment capabilities and the need to do more to stop nuclear technology and know-how from falling into the wrong hands.

Remember Fukushima? It's Back

Remember Fukushima? It's Back

The problem with sweeping unresolved problems, especially of the unstable gamma decay variety, is that they tend to pop up at the most inopportune of times. Such as during global coordinated fiat ponzi bailouts. Kyodo reports that according to TEPCO a fresh fission reaction has restarted at Fukushima Daichi, and that boric acid is being injected to control a "possible nuclear reaction." Hardly the encouraging news that the world needs right about now.
From Kyodo:
TEPCO finds sign of fresh nuclear fission at Fukushima reactor 

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday there may be signs of fresh nuclear fission in the No. 2 reactor at its quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant and that it has begun injecting boric acid to control a possible nuclear reaction.

Reactor restart at Genkai (Japan)

Posted: 01 Nov 2011 12:55 PM PDT
NHK is carrying the news that Kyushu Electric Power Company has restarted Genkai No. 4 reactor, Kyushu, Japan. This is the first return to the grid for any nuclear reactor in Japan since the shutdowns following the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the shutdowns following the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

Rossi claims to have sold several more 1 megawatt E-cat plants

Rossi claims to have sold several more 1 megawatt E-cat plants

TNR: “How Not to Go Green” from AREVA North America: Next Energy Blog by AREVA North America Blog

TNR: “How Not to Go Green”

from AREVA North America: Next Energy Blog

Operating and Test Experience for the Experimental Breeder Reactor II

Operating and Test Experience for the Experimental Breeder Reactor II

www.thesciencecouncil.com/.../171-operating-and-test-experience-fo...Cached
This paper describes the contributions of EBR-II to sodium-cooled fast reactor technology.

Renewable Energy Being Held Back by Fossil Fuel Subsidies - IEA

Renewable Energy Being Held Back by Fossil Fuel Subsidies - IEA

Recent reports show a massive increase in coal dependency caused by fossil fuel subsidies to be addressed at World Climate Summit.
According to the International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest findings, coal and oil subsidies pose the greatest challenge to the renewable energy market. As the world's largest exporter of coal, Australia's carbon emissions have grown nearly 300 percent since 1970, according to the IEA's last annual report on CO2 emissions. Worse, that percentage is regional, excluding the huge amounts of coal shipped overseas to some 20 dependent countries.
The IEA blames electricity/heat generations and transportation as the major culprits of nearly two-thirds
Read more...

Responding to Fukushima: U.S. Nuclear Industry Commits to Action

Responding to Fukushima: U.S. Nuclear Industry Commits to Action

Nuclear Energy Facilities Secure Against Earthquakes, Floods

Nuclear Energy Facilities Secure Against Earthquakes, Floods

UN General Assembly Reaffirms Support for IAEA's Work

UN General Assembly Reaffirms Support for IAEA's Work

Yukiya Amano
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the United Nations General Assembly, New York, USA, 8 November 2010. (Photo: D. Berkowitz/UN, New York)
The United Nations General Assembly today reaffirmed its "strong support for the indispensable role of the Agency in encouraging and assisting the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, in technology transfer to developing countries and in nuclear safety, verification and security."
The Resolution was adopted after IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano presented the Agency's 54th Annual Report to the Assembly. Mr. Amano reviewed the IAEA's work during the past twelve months, particularly the Agency's response to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. IAEA Member States have recently endorsed a 12-point Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, including agreement for a "stress test" of nuclear power plants in all countries with active nuclear programmes, the strengthening of the IAEA peer review system on operational safety, and a review of relevant safety standards and conventions.
Mr. Amano said the Action Plan represented a significant step forward in the global nuclear safety regime. "It is vital that it is fully implemented in all countries with nuclear power and that the right lessons are learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident," he added.
The Director General also welcomed the convening of the High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security organized by the United Nations in September, which brought UN-system organizations together to collaborate on this issue. As the only international organization with expertise in all aspects of nuclear energy, the IAEA will play a leading role in shaping a safer nuclear future throughout the world, Mr. Amano said.
The Director General reviewed the progress made in bringing the benefits of peaceful nuclear technology to developing countries, as well as promoting and safeguarding the safe and secure use of nuclear power. He highlighted the Agency's contribution to the eradication of rinderpest in Africa and the role of nuclear techniques in global water management issues. The IAEA's annual Scientific Forum in September, attended by leading scientists and government officials, focused on the use of nuclear techniques related to water. The Agency also recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Environment Laboratories in Monaco, which has made an outstanding contribution in protecting the world's oceans and seas.
In his address to the General Assembly, Mr. Amano also touched on the areas of nuclear energy, nuclear applications, nuclear safety and security, technical cooperation and nuclear verification. He reported on the Agency's continued safeguards activities in North Korea, Iran and Syria, and said the Agency would hold a forum in Vienna on 21-22 November to consider the relevance to the Middle East of the experience of Africa, the South Pacific, South-East Asia, Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean in establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones.
See Story Resources for more information.
-- By Rodolfo Quevenco, IAEA Division of Public Information

Kyushu Electric Plans to Restart Reactor After Repairing Fault

Kyushu Electric Plans to Restart Reactor After Repairing Fault

Nuclear liability: The market-based, post-Fukushima case for ending Price-Anderson

Nuclear liability: The market-based, post-Fukushima case for ending Price-Anderson

Idiocy: Japanese Official Drinks Water From Fukushima Reactor Buildings

Idiocy: Japanese Official Drinks Water From Fukushima Reactor Buildings

China Accelerates Targets for New Nuclear Plants By Dan Yurman,

By Dan Yurman, November 1, 2011
China is still the most aggressive builder of reactors on the planet. The China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) told the Bloomberg financial wire service this week that it will cut its targets for building new nuclear reactors by about 10%.  Li Yongjiang, VP of CENA, said in an interview in Hong Kong, where he is attending an energy conference, that capacity will target 60-70 GWe by the...  » Continue...

California’s Performance-Based Policy Model for Transportation, Energy, and Climate: Lessons Learned

California’s Performance-Based Policy Model for Transportation, Energy, and Climate: Lessons Learned

Daniel Sperling, Emil Frankel, David Burwell Monday, October 31, 2011 – Washington, D.C.

IAEA Finds Signs of Syrian Ties to Khan Network

IAEA Finds Signs of Syrian Ties to Khan Network

Canadian Regulators Declare Their Nuclear Plants Safe In Post-Fukushima Report

Canadian Regulators Declare Their Nuclear Plants Safe In Post-Fukushima Report

Georgia Power: Vogtle Reactor Construction Under Budget

Georgia Power: Vogtle Reactor Construction Under Budget

USEC Provides Update on American Centrifuge Project

USEC Provides Update on American Centrifuge Project