*** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links

Antinuclear Japanese lawmaker breaks protocol with letter to emperor

In a rare gesture breaking protocol, a Japanese lawmaker known for his antinuclear activities handed a letter directly to Emperor Akihito on Thursday at an autumn garden party hosted by the emperor.

House of Councillors lawmaker Taro Yamamoto told reporters afterward he simply wanted the emperor to know about the current health effects of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power complex, but his action drew swift criticism from the government and other lawmakers on grounds it could be interpreted as an attempt to use the emperor for political purposes.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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TEPCO logs 616.20 bil. yen group net profit for April-Sept.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Thursday reported a group net profit of 616.20 billion yen for the April-September period, amid cost-cutting efforts and electricity rate hikes to recover from the 2011 crisis at its Fukushima Daiichi complex.

The figure compares with a net loss of 299.48 billion yen a year earlier.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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what they reckon they doing/done in usa for contamination (interactive map from wsj. taken off zerohedge)

"Waste Lands. America's forgotten nuclear legacy."

[link to projects.wsj.com]

"During the build-up to the Cold War, the U.S. government called upon hundreds of factories and research centers to help develop nuclear weapons and other forms of atomic energy. At many sites, this work left behind residual radioactive contamination requiring government cleanups, some of which are still going on.
The Department of Energy says it has protected the public health, and studies about radiation harm aren’t definitive. But with the government's own records about many of the sites unclear, the Journal has compiled a database that draws on thousands of public records and other sources to trace this historic atomic development effort and its consequences."
rp

Modelling modules coordinates construction

Advanced computer modelling is helping the construction of new nuclear power plants in the USA. Teams making power plant modules at separate sites are working from the same plant model, which is updated daily.

There are two AP1000 units under construction at Vogtle and VC Summer in Georgia and South Carolina respectively, with a further unit in preparation at each site. The modular design of AP1000 allows engineers to create parts of the plant before construction officially begins.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]
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Swiss nuclear plant to close in 2019

Switzerland's state-controlled energy company BKW said Wednesday its Muehleberg nuclear plant would go offline in 2019, as the country seeks to exit nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

BKW said it had "now decided to continue operating (the plant) until 2019, in compliance with all safety requirements, following which the plant will be taken off the grid."
[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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NRC finds eight operators at Susquehanna fail to meet minimum medical qualifications

In June of this year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission notified Pennsylvania Power and Light of violations at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, which they own and operate.

The violations were in relation to eight licensed reactor operators, who were found to not meet minimum health requirements due to permanent disabilities or illnesses, yet were still allowed to perform licensed duties by the licensee between August 2007 and June 2012.

According to an inspection report filed by the NRC, federal regulators found eight instances in which PPL did not notify the NRC within 30 days of learning of changes in licensed operator medical conditions that involved permanent disabilities/illnesses.

The NRC also found that PPL did not submit complete or accurate information about those workers, despite having submitted three licensed operator renewal applications which certified the medical fitness of the applications and stated that no restricting license conditions were necessary.
[link to enformable.com]
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Part 7 FINAL to NUKED PACIFIC interview:

Entire series on you tube, go to recent uploads or NUKED PACIFIC playlist

Govt. to turn TEPCO into a holding company

Japan's industry ministry started procedures to turn the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into a holding company. It also plans to create a body specializing in decommissioning reactors at the plant under the new firm's wing.

The ministry began the move on Thursday after a taskforce of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved proposals designed to swiftly address radioactive water and scrap reactors at the plant.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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US ready to help decommission reactors in Fukushima

The visiting US Energy Secretary says the United States is ready to help Japan decommission reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, if needed.

Ernest Moniz related this in his speech in Tokyo on Thursday. He said the success of the cleanup of areas around the Fukushima plant and decommissioning of reactors have global significance. Moniz said the US has a direct interest in seeing the next steps are done efficiently and safely.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Japan to join nuclear compensation pact

A Japanese Cabinet minister has notified the United States of Japan's intention to join an international treaty on compensation for nuclear accidents.

Economy and industry minister Toshimitsu Motegi conveyed the message to visiting US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz in Tokyo on Thursday.

The US government has been asking Japan to ratify the treaty, which is aimed at helping participating countries pay compensation for damage from nuclear accidents with funds contributed by member nations.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Gov't to spend 1 tril. yen in public funds for decontamination

The government plans to use public funds for part of the activities to clean up the radiation-contaminated areas outside the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in a major policy shift, with the total sum likely to top 1 trillion yen, sources close to the matter said Friday.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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I'm not a big fan of Gundersen but here's a decent article...

Gundersen: Doubts on Geotechnical Data Undermine Safety at Proposed Fermi 3 Atomic Reactor

Arnie Gundersen, Chief Engineer at Fairewinds Associates, Inc. (photo, left), testified before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) on behalf of an environmental coalition opposed to the construction and operation of Detroit Edison's proposed new Fermi 3 atomic reactor in Monroe, MI, on the Great Lakes shoreline. He focused on license applicant Detroit Edison's (DTE) blatant violations of safety significant quality assurance regulations.
[link to www.beyondnuclear.org]
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Largest European Iter contract so far

A Franco-German consortium has been awarded a contract for the supply of climatic, mechanical and electrical systems at thirteen buildings, including the Tokamak complex, at the Iter fusion reactor project.

The contract - worth some €530 million ($715 million) - was awarded to a consortium comprising three GDF-Suez subsidiaries (Cofely Axima, Cofely Endel and Cofely Ineo) and Germany-based engineering company M + W Group. It is the largest contract awarded so far by Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Union's organization for coordinating Europe's contribution to the Iter project. Europe is responsible for the delivery of the 39 buildings that the 42-hectare Iter site at Cadarache in southern France will host.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]
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S. Korea president vows to root out nuclear corruption

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Thursday ordered officials to wipe out corruption in the nuclear power sector, which has been tainted by a series of reactor shutdowns and scandals.
[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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Dominion Acquires Solar Project in North-Central Connecticut

Dominion has acquired a solar project in Somers, Ct., capable of producing approximately 5 megawatts (AC) of electricity, from Kyocera in a deal that closed Oct. 22, 2013, for an undisclosed sum.

"Dominion looks forward to supplying solar energy to the people of Connecticut, where we already provide carbon-free nuclear energy from our Millstone Power Station," said David Christian, CEO of Dominion Generation.

"The Somers project joins a growing list of renewable projects that Dominion has announced or brought online this year as we maintain our focus on providing a mix of affordable, clean and reliable power."
[link to www.solardaily.com]
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What is the definition of a holding company?

A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. The term usually refers to a company that does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow the ownership and control of a number of different companies.

Yep, seems like a Tepco idea...reduce their risk while allowing control.

"Japan’s 'toxic' monster creeping towards US" (fox news!)

"..That most concentrated part of the junk field is easily broader than Texas and centered approximately 1,700 miles off the Pacific coast, between California and Hawaii,.."

..."We've found over 165 non-native species so far," he added. "...almost all ...are marine organisms … we found the European blue mussel,.. we’d never seen it here, and we don’t particularly want it here," he said, arguing that it could be "invasive" and displace current marine life."

dont worry the ensuing radioactive water will kill it off.
no, wait, ...kills everything

[link to www.foxnews.com]
rp

IAEA team to visit Fukushima in November over radioactive water

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday its mission will visit the crippled nuclear plant in Japan's Fukushima for fact-finding on problems including radioactive water leakage.

"We're planning to send our peer-review mission in autumn, perhaps toward the end (of November)," Yukiya Amano, director general of the IAEA, told reporters in Washington.

That will be an IAEA mission on decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant and "it covers the contaminated water issues," Amano said.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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Moniz: US can help remove tritium from waste water

The US Energy Secretary says his government and US companies could help Japan in removing hard-to-filter radioactive tritium from waste water at the country's crippled nuclear plant.

Ernest Moniz spoke to NHK on Saturday in Tokyo, one day after visiting the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Moniz said he was shocked to see the scale of the damage that remains more than 2 and half years after the tsunami disaster and the nuclear accident.

He said he also sensed how difficult work at the plant is with workers required to wear full face masks and other protective gear.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Ishiba calls for restart of nuclear power plants

The secretary general of Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party says the country's idle nuclear reactors should be restarted once their safety is verified.

Shigeru Ishiba delivered a speech in Sapporo on Saturday on the government's energy policy.

Ishiba said Japan should reduce nuclear dependence by working on renewable sources such as wind and solar.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Radiation up by 25% since meltdowns

Thread: Australia Background Radiation 25% Higher since Fukushima Meltdowns

arggghhhh......!

sry 'bout that.....

been sending in my data to everyone for the last 18 months and getting ignored every step......

.17 norm here now gold coast
.04 was nore prior 2011

climb was mid 2012....

they can do the tepco thing to my....

Govt. to be more involved in Fukushima cleanup

The Japanese government plans to increase its involvement in recovery efforts from the Fukushima nuclear accident. Efforts include financing work to remove radioactive material from soil and decommission reactors at the Fukushima plant.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a speech in Tokyo on Monday that it's high time to review the policy for recovery efforts.

Suga said the previous government, led by the Democratic Party, chose to have Tokyo Electric Power Company respond to the accident on its own, even though the government could have taken charge of some of the work.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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LDP questions plan to let Fukushima evacuees go home

TOKYO — A ruling party official has called into question a government plan to let people who fled from the Fukushima nuclear disaster go home, saying the government should identify areas that will never be habitable.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was battered by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, leading to meltdowns and explosions that sent plumes of radiation into the air and sea.

About 150,000 people were evacuated. A large area of surrounding land is off-limits because of radiation but the government is hoping to eventually allow everyone to go home.
[link to www.japantoday.com]
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China's top nuclear envoy Wu arrives in N. Korea

China's top nuclear envoy Wu Dawei unexpectedly arrived in Pyongyang on Monday as Beijing steps up its efforts to jumpstart long-stalled six-party negotiations aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons program.

The visit by Wu, not officially announced by China, comes on the heels of his trip late last month to Washington, almost five years from the six-party talks, which also involve Japan, South Korea and Russia, become deadlocked in December 2008.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency reported a Chinese delegation led by Wu arrived in Pyongyang, without giving other details.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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Borssele MOX fuel under production

Areva has begun producing mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel for use in the Borssele nuclear power plant in the Netherlands. It will mark the country's first use of such fuel.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]
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South Dakota...

Uranium mine hearings reveal questions about proposed project

After two weeks of public testimony, one thing has become clear about the proposed uranium mine that would operate near Edgemont: many things about the project remain unclear.

The process paperwork and permit applications surrounding the uranium mine proposed for an area near Edgemont are so complicated that no one other than mining company Powertech can decipher all the legal language. And even company officials have wavered at times in their explanation of what they will do, how much water they will use, how many jobs will be created, and what risks exist.
[link to rapidcityjournal.com]
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POWER Magazine Announces Nuclear Top Plant Award Winners

HOUSTON, Nov. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, POWER magazine selects the most noteworthy nuclear power plants worldwide to be designated Top Plants. Winning plants are profiled in the November issue, and awards are presented at the ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition being held in New Orleans, April 1-3, 2014. This year's award-winning nuclear Top Plants are:

Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. With refurbishment of Units 1 and 2, Bruce Power completed the return to full operation of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station—largest operating nuclear plant in the world. Along the way, it successfully logged numerous first-of-a-kind engineering accomplishments and transformed its workforce through new hiring and training.

Turkey Point and St. Lucie Nuclear Plants, Florida. The most recent nuclear capacity addition to Florida Power & Light's fleet was to Unit 4 at its Turkey Point plant, capping a four-unit, five-year, roughly $3 billion dollar uprate program that added 500 MW of capacity. It is arguably the largest U.S. nuclear project to be completed in recent history.

Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station, Killona, Louisiana. A steam generator replacement project at a nuclear plant is a major undertaking—one that Entergy carefully planned for. In spite of equipment delivery, weather, and workforce challenges, the work was completed safely and under budget.

For more details about these projects, see the November issue of POWER at www.powermag.com.

[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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