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

pm me you number friend.. I lost it... and I just got the IN call codes.. fuck time difference, got a lot to talk about ;) CP



for you my friend

*wink... look to the oceans.... and the birds.....

I must say I love the harmony triad at the end... every time.....

Last Edited by CitizenPerth™ on 07/16/2013 10:07 AM

...yeh, i'd be interested if you find any info cp, cheers man, rp : )

Lyon mayor aims to build smart grid community

The mayor of the French city of Lyon says he hopes to create an eco-friendly community featuring a smart grid, with technological assistance from Japan.

Lyon is France's second-largest city, and a registered UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The grid is a system for using electricity efficiently by automatically controlling solar and wind-generated power, and power in storage batteries.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Nuclear regulator begins screening applications

Japan's nuclear regulator has begun screening applications from power companies to restart nuclear reactors.

This is the regulator's first meeting since Japan's new nuclear safety standards went into effect last week.

Officials of the Nuclear Regulation Authority met with representatives of Kyushu Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power on Tuesday.

Kyushu Electric explained the safety measures that it has put in place as part of its bid to restart the No. 1 and 2 reactors at its Sendai plant in Kagoshima Prefecture.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Tsuruga reactor operator rejects regulators' call

The operator of a nuclear power plant in central Japan is objecting to a judgment by regulators that one of its reactors sits on an active seismic fault.

Japan Atomic Power Company was ordered by the Nuclear Regulation Authority to report on what would happen to more than 1,700 spent fuel rods at its Tsuruga plant in Fukui Prefecture if an active fault moves and to outline preventive measures.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Human error causes Taiwan's nuclear plant shutdown

Taiwan's No. 1 nuclear power plant located in the densely populated north of the island was automatically shut down on Saturday due to human error, the operator of the facility said Tuesday.

Chai Fu-feng, a spokesman of Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), told Kyodo News that the Unit 2 reactor of the Chinshan nuclear power station in New Taipei City was automatically shut down when instruments detected too much water in the reactor pressure vessel.

Power shedding was activated as part of the procedure to protect the reactor when Typhoon Soulik lashed northern Taiwan on Saturday, he said.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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Monticello nuclear plant repairs surge $267 million over budget

MONTICELLO, MINN. – A major upgrade to Minnesota’s oldest nuclear power plant is finally finished — and way over budget.

Xcel Energy expects to restart its Monticello Nuclear Power Plant this week after a four-month shutdown that allowed workers to replace aging pumps and other equipment to keep the 43-year-old reactor running another two decades and to boost electric output by 12 percent.

But the cost of the work surged $267 million, or 83 percent, over its 2008 budget of $320 million. The Minneapolis-based electric and gas utility says the final costs will be even higher, but hasn’t publicly disclosed the amount.
[link to www.startribune.com]
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Auditors Slam Uranium Project's Ballooning Expense

WASHINGTON -- When U.S. government contractors designing a $500 million nuclear-weapon facility last year said they would have to raise the roof, they didn’t exactly mean it was time to pump up the music.

The changes ended up costing well over half a billion dollars more, congressional auditors said last Friday. The site is to replace existing facilities that handle and store highly enriched uranium.

The project’s maximum anticipated expense soared from $1.1 billion to $6.5 billion between 2004 and 2011, and the cost might increase further because the roof revision burned through nearly half of NNSA “contingency” funds.
[link to news.yahoo.com]
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Expert: Which U.S. Nuclear Reactors Are At Greatest Risk Of Early Retirement?

In Wake of San Onofre, Crystal River, Kewaunee, Shearon Harris Shutdowns or Abandonments, Cooper to Detail Nuclear Reactors Under the Greatest Pressure to Close Down; Reactors in CA, CT, FL, IL, IA, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, and WI on "Most At Risk" List.

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking new analysis to be released at 1:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday (July 17, 2013) by economic analyst Mark Cooper will show that more than three dozen U.S. reactors in 23 states are at the greatest risk of early retirement, including nine reactors that exhibit the largest number of risk factors. 

CAN'T PARTICIPATE?:  A streaming audio replay of this news event will be available by 6 p.m. EDT on July 17, 2013 at [link to 216.30.191.148]
[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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A Peek Inside A Once Top Secret Spot In Atomic Age History

People tend to remember that the atomic bomb was developed at Los Alamos, N.M., and Oak Ridge, Tenn., but they often forget about a third nuclear production complex — the Hanford Site in Richland, Wash. It's where they built the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor.

The "B Reactor" is a windowless, cinder block hulk out in the middle of nowhere. You might mistake it for an abandoned cement plant. But inside, it's a lovingly preserved time capsule of the Atomic Age. If you're lucky, your guide will be one of the people who worked here when the place was still new.

"Here we were, worried about Germany and Japan, and then we worried about the Cold War situation with Russia," Vinther says. "The idea was, 'Well, we'll just put the waste into tanks, and we'll handle it later, when we have time.' "

Later is now. Hanford no longer makes plutonium. The reactors that followed B have been shuttered and sealed up, and now the sprawling, 586-square-mile Hanford site has become synonymous with a giant remediation effort.

Government contractors are billions of dollars into the process, with no end in sight. In fact, when it comes to cost and sheer technical complexity, the reactor is actually less impressive than the modern-day cleanup — and they offer tours of that, too.
[link to www.npr.org]
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PILGRIM: UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARED DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL ROOM ANNUNCIATORS

The licensee declared a Notice of Unusual Event resulting from a loss of control room annunciators for greater than 15 minutes. The EAL Condition is SU 4.1. Compensatory measures have been established per Abnormal Operating Procedures. The plant continues to operate at 100 percent power.

The licensee has called for support staff to troubleshoot the issue. No other major components are out of service.

The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.

Notified DHS SWO, FEMA, DHS NICC and the Nuclear SSA via email.

* * * UPDATE FROM KEVIN O'ROURKE TO PETE SNYDER AT 0205 EDT ON 7/15/13 * * *

Annunciator indication has returned for some time and appears to be working. Engineering and electrical instrumentation and control staff are onsite to troubleshoot but have not established any cause. The licensee remains in the Unusual Event until additional confidence can be established in annunciator indication.
[link to www.nrc.gov]
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Japan Biologist: Radioactivite contamination from Fukushima disaster is most reasonable explanation for butterfly deaths and abnormalities — “I think maybe this is a very touchy issue, politically”
[link to enenews.com]

Report: Why did neutrons levels get so high at nuclear reactor at time of typhoon? Did plant suffer a loss of ultimate heat sink, like Fukushima Daiichi? Was there adequate cooling? #Jinshan #Taiwan
[link to enenews.com]

A mystery..



Emergency declared after ‘mysterious’ failure at U.S. nuke plant — Nuclear Engineer: “A serious situation”
[link to enenews.com]



Panels of alarms designed to quickly warn personnel of operational failures at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station mysteriously shut down at 12:30 a.m. Monday and just as mysteriously restarted at 2:05 a.m.

MSN publishes report on ‘freaky’ fruits and vegetables said to be from areas around Fukushima nuclear plant (PHOTOS)
[link to enenews.com]

Kyodo: Worker panicking while trying “to keep water level up” in reactor during typhoon — Seawater reportedly overran cooling water intake — No mention of neutrons #Taiwan
[link to enenews.com]


July 16, 2013: Human error causes Taiwan’s nuclear plant shutdown [...] Chai Fu-feng, a spokesman of Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower), told Kyodo News that the Unit 2 reactor of the Chinshan nuclear power station in New Taipei City was automatically shut down when instruments detected too much water in the reactor pressure vessel. [...] a plant worker switched off a draining valve to control the heat in the reactor [...] Panicking, he added water to the reactor to keep the water level up, but he added too much water too fast, which eventually caused the reactor to automatically scram, he said. [...]

check yer mail bug ;)

First of four interviews done with unedit with Christopher Noland, the next is Fairwinds ;)

US, EU hope to resume nuclear talks with Iran

Diplomats from world powers expressed hope on Tuesday of resuming negotiations on Iran's nuclear development as soon as possible.

Senior diplomats from the 6 countries -- the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany -- met in Brussels following last month's presidential election in Iran.

The negotiations have been stalled since a failed round in April in Kazakhstan.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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LOL...

TEPCO asks for local support on reactors

Tokyo Electric Power Company officials have asked for local consent on their decision to file an application with the central government to restart 2 of its nuclear reactors at a power plant in Niigata Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan.

TEPCO President Naomi Hirose and other officials on Wednesday visited Kashiwazaki City and Kariwa Village, where the reactors are located. They explained to local assembly members the new safety measures the company has taken.

TEPCO says the extra safety measures are in line with the government's new safety standards introduced last week. The new regulations must be met before reactors can restart.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Regulators inspect fault under Monju reactor

Japan's nuclear regulator has asked the operator of a fast-breeder reactor on the Japan Sea coast to widen a fault survey site.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority is checking the country's six nuclear power plants built over faults.

Authority Commissioner Kunihiko Shimazaki and three other experts on Wednesday launched a two-day examination of faults at the prototype Monju reactor in Fukui Prefecture.

The facility's compound is over eight faults, some of which are under the reactor. Experts say shifts could occur if an active fault about 500 meters west of the site moves in an earthquake.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Kan sues Abe for defamation over Fukushima comments

TOKYO — Japan’s prime minister at the time of the Fukushima nuclear crisis said Tuesday he was suing the current prime minister for defamation over online comments about the way the emergency was handled.

With less than a week to go before upper house elections, the now-opposition figure Naoto Kan said on his official website he would be taking legal action against Shinzo Abe.
[link to www.japantoday.com]
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TV Journalist: Officials at U.S. nuclear site browbeat me for reporting on radioactive leaks — “You will be publicly humiliated” — Said I was basically an idiot — Never treated that way before (AUDIO) #Hanford
[link to enenews.com]


Susannah Frame, KING 5 TV: At the beginning, especially WRPS officials [at the Hanford nuclear site] were extremely condescending. They tried bullying me. They tried to tell me that basically I was an idiot, that I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve never had media professionals deal with me in that way. I’ve been around for a long time. […]

25 times as many people in Fukushima area developed thyroid cancer after disaster — Japan Expert: My heart breaks greatly that those U.S. servicemembers suffered radiation exposure
[link to enenews.com]


“My heart breaks greatly that those servicemembers, who worked for Japan during Operation Tomodachi, suffered radiation exposure,” he said. [...]

Kimura said the levels were so high around the plant that his dosimeter was unable to measure the radiation — the level was off his device’s scale.

He said the winds were blowing out toward ships off the coast in the days after the disaster.

More U.S. military reveal radiation-related illnesses after Fukushima: Arm shrunk to half its size — Immune system attacking body — Leukemia, testicular cancer, thyroid problems, rectal bleeding, brain tumor
[link to enenews.com]


Other servicemembers have been diagnosed with leukemia, testicular cancer and thyroid problems or experienced rectal and gynecological bleeding, the lawsuit says. Hair said one of his friends, a fellow USS Ronald Reagan shipmate, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

IAEA Nuclear Safety Review 2013
[link to www.iaea.org]
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Report: Over Three Dozen U.S. Nuclear Reactors At Risk Of Early Retirement, 12 Face Greatest Shutdown Pressure

In Wake of San Onofre, Crystal River & Kewaunee Shutdowns, Cooper Outlines Next Nuclear Reactors Under the Greatest Pressure to Close Down; Reactors in AL CA, CT, FL, IL, IA, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, and WI on "At Risk" List.

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The tough times the U.S. nuclear power industry faces today are only going to get worse.  In the wake of nine major nuclear reactor closures or uprate cancellations in recent months, a review of the remaining U.S. fleet reveals that 38 reactors in 23 states are at risk of early retirement, with 12 facing the greatest risk of being shutdown, according to a major new analysis by Mark Cooper, senior fellow for economic analysis, Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School.

Cooper is the author of several reports on nuclear power, including "Policy Challenges of Nuclear Reactor Construction, Cost Escalation and Crowding Out Alternatives" (2009).

Available online at [link to 216.30.191.148] and titled, "Renaissance in Reverse:  Competition Pushes Aging U.S. Nuclear Reactors to the Brink of Economic Abandonment," the new Cooper report looks beyond the recent shutdown of four reactors – San Onofre (2 reactors) in California, Kewaunee in Wisconsin, and Crystal River in Florida – and the death of five large planned "uprate" expansion projects – Prairie Island in Minnesota, LaSalle (2 reactors) in Illinois, and Limerick (2 reactors) in Pennsylvania.
[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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Diablo Canyon reactor shuts down

The Unit 2 reactor at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo shut down Wednesday after plant monitors sensed an electrical disturbance in equipment that moves power to the state’s electric grid, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman Blair Jones.

Jones said Wednesday that the plant shut down as it was designed to.

Results from a preliminary investigation indicate the electrical disturbance was a result of a flashover on a lightning arrestor located on the non-nuclear side of the plant, Jones said.
[link to syvnews.com]
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NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Apparent Violation at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a regulatory conference with the Tennessee Valley Authority to discuss the risk significance of an apparent violation related to the failure to properly implement a plant operating procedure at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.

Browns Ferry, operated by the TVA, is located near Athens, Ala., about 32 miles west of Huntsville.

The conference is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24 at 1 p.m. EDT at the NRC's Region 2 offices, 245 Peachtree Center Ave., NE, Suite 1200, in Atlanta. The public is invited to attend, and NRC officials will answer questions from the public after the business portion of the conference is completed.

The NRC inspection report with more details on the apparent violation is available on the NRC website.
[link to www.nucpros.com]
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NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Apparent Violation at Point Beach Nuclear Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a regulatory conference with officials of NextEra Energy Point Beach LLC on Monday, July 22, to discuss a preliminary inspection finding in the area of external flooding response. The two-unit plant is located in Two Rivers, Wis., about 13 miles northwest of Manitowoc.

The NRC inspection report in which the apparent violation is documented is publicly available on the NRC website.
[link to www.nucpros.com]
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