Godlike Productions - Discussion Forum
Users Online Now: 2,010 (Who's On?)Visitors Today: 1,003,453
Pageviews Today: 1,795,946Threads Today: 774Posts Today: 13,715
08:21 PM


Rate this Thread

Absolute BS Crap Reasonable Nice Amazing
 

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

 
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/26/2013 11:40 AM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Radioactive water leakage continues

Contaminated water continues to accumulate at the crippled nuclear power plant nearly 2 and half years after the accident in Fukushima Prefecture. Workers are still unable to say when they will be able to stop the water from seeping into the ocean.

Measures include solidifying the ground facing the coastal area by using chemicals and pumping out groundwater near the embankments.

But all the attempts have been unsuccessful. In addition, the utility has yet to pinpoint the cause of the contaminated groundwater.

TEPCO workers are struggling to remove the existing contaminated water from under the ground. There is also a need to monitor the arrival of large amounts of groundwater to prevent it from being contaminated. But there is a lack of funds and technology.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/26/2013 11:55 AM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
I doubt it will be possible to find investors for that many new reactors... also, at the moment, the industry doesn't have the capacity to manufacture 300 to 400 new reactor vessels in less than 20 years... just my 2 cents...

Despite Fukushima, IAEA sees global progress on nuclear safety

VIENNA — Japan may be suffering persistent problems with its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, but the U.N. atomic agency says “considerable progress” has been made globally in the past year to strengthen reactor safety.

In a report prepared for its annual member state gathering, the International Atomic Energy Agency said nearly all countries with nuclear plants had carried out safety “stress tests” to assess their ability to withstand so-called extreme events.

“As a result, many member states have introduced additional safety measures including mitigation of station blackout,” said the document submitted ahead of the IAEA’s Sept 16-20 General Conference for its 159 member states.

The IAEA has said it believes, however, that global use of nuclear energy could increase by as much as 100% by 2030 thanks to growth in Asia, including in China and India.

A nuclear expert of environmental group Greenpeace - which opposes atomic energy on safety grounds - disputed the IAEA’s upbeat view, saying “not much” had been achieved and calling for a fundamental change in how risks are assessed.
[link to www.japantoday.com]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/26/2013 12:14 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
I would choose Tokyo before Madrid or Istanbul... Spain is an economic mess and Turkey is a political mess... if Japan wins the bid for the Olympic Games 2020 we'll see many new world records as the swimmwers would be eager to get out of the water as quick as possible... lol...

Fukushima radioactive water leak not to affect Olympic bid: Suga

The top government spokesman said Monday that the leakage of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant would not hamper Japan's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga acknowledged at a press conference that Japanese diplomats have been briefing other countries on the latest incident at the plant where reactor meltdowns have occurred, but added, "I believe this will not influence" the Olympics bid.

He also reiterated the government's commitment to helping plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. deal with the contaminated water recently confirmed to be leaking from a storage tank at the complex, including emergency budgetary spending on necessary steps.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to join a general meeting of the International Olympic Committee on Sept.7 in Buenos Aires and make a final presentation for Tokyo's bid to host the games in competition with Madrid and Istanbul.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/26/2013 12:23 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
swimmers, I blame my keyboard... lol
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/26/2013 12:38 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Accident-damaged TMI reactor to be decommissioned in 2034

(Londonderry Township) -- Three Mile Island's mothballed reactor won't be torn down until its sister unit's lifespan runs out in two decades.

Reactor two was damaged in a partial meltdown in 1979, the worst commercial nuclear power plant accident in American history.

First Energy, which owns it, says decommissioning will include decontaminating the structures and removing them.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Young says in the meantime the unit is secure.

"The unit is currently being maintained in a very safe condition, it's constantly monitored, and any maintenance that needs to be done is being taken care of," Young says.

About 1 percent of reactor two's fuel is still inside.

Exelon Generation, which operates neighboring reactor one, has upgraded its equipment and extended its license through 2034.

A public hearing on the future of Unit 2 is set for Wednesday night at 7 at the Hershey Lodge.
[link to www.witf.org]
.
anonymous coward
User ID: 45089832
United States
08/26/2013 01:42 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
The shills are having a shillfest on all of the fuku threads, lately.

MSM reporting has brought them out of the woodwork.

Damage control.
 Quoting: Waterbug

Here's one of them...

Oh noes! New 'CRISIS DISASTER' at Fukushima! Oh wait, it's nothing. Again
But hey, let's soil ourselves repeatedly anyway


The world's media is working itself into an unedifying state of hysteria (again) following the news that radioactive water has leaked from a holding tank at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, damaged two years back by a tsunami and earthquake which led to the death and injury of more than 20,000 people - though not a single one of those casualties resulted from radiation.

However the frightful death toll which actually happened was pretty much ignored by the world's media, which chose to focus on non-existent dangers that might have resulted from radioactive material escaping from the damaged reactors at Fukushima. In the end, the nuclear apocalypse failed to appear - the scientific consensus is that absolutely no health effects due to the Fukushima radiation will ever be detectable - and the journalists reluctantly gave up.

But now they're back. We hear from Reuters today:

Japan's NUCLEAR CRISIS escalated to its WORST LEVEL since a massive earthquake and tsunami CRIPPLED the Fukushima plant more than two years ago ... nearby China said it was "SHOCKED" ... the DISASTER - the WORST nuclear accident since Chernobyl a quarter of a century earlier ... Water in the latest leak is so CONTAMINATED that a person standing close to it for an hour would receive FIVE TIMES the annual recommended limit for nuclear workers.

So this is a pretty minor industrial-waste spill; thousands of more serious accidents occur every single day.

It's not global news. It's not national news. It would barely even be local news, in a sane world.

But it's not a sane world, and the media crusade against nuclear power rolls on.
[link to www.theregister.co.uk]
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 38176253

1rof1

I can tell you that some silly bitch with about 7 kids has written that news report, as they angrily try to deny everything bad or scary about fukushima and radiation, its all because they are afraid that it could affect their own family and lifestyle. She obviously has her head shoved up her arse whilst buried in a large sand dune, and at the same time does not have the slightest clue about nuclear physics or the dangers of radiation.
Now if its a bloke that wrote this news piece, then he's definitely a huge pussy.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 44339615


Why put such a sexist spin this obviously male-dominated field (nuclear). It is the males who have repeatedly put false information out there. Such as drinking radioactive wastewater. Please apologize. It was uncalled for.
Fishy

User ID: 18955894
United States
08/26/2013 04:50 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
"Water with pieces of nuclear fuel coming up from ocean floor off Fukushima coast? Tokyo Professor: 156 quadrillion Bq of cs-137 in basements — Getting close to fallout total from every atomic bombs tested in history — May be outputting from seeps in seafloor."

[link to enenews.com]
Citizenperth

User ID: 38538035
Australia
08/26/2013 09:41 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
"Water with pieces of nuclear fuel coming up from ocean floor off Fukushima coast? Tokyo Professor: 156 quadrillion Bq of cs-137 in basements — Getting close to fallout total from every atomic bombs tested in history — May be outputting from seeps in seafloor."

[link to enenews.com]
 Quoting: Fishy


that sums how dire it is....
It's life as we know it, but only just.
[link to citizenperth.wordpress.com]
sic ut vos es vos should exsisto , denego alius vicis facio vos change , exsisto youself , proprie
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 11859877
New Zealand
08/26/2013 09:56 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
bump
Waterbug  (OP)

User ID: 34388912
United States
08/26/2013 10:06 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013
[link to www.worldnuclearreport.org]

snip



Seismometer signals tripped the Unit 1–3 reactors on 11 March 2011 at 14:47 JST. All of the five powerlines that had been transmitting electricity to and from Fukushima Daiichi were destroyed by the earthquake, which left the station without external power supply. Emergency diesel generators, two each for all of the reactor-turbine units, automatically started. Less than an hour later, the units were overrun by water by a tsunami wave exceeding 13 meters and all the diesel generators were flooded. [262]

All of the diesel generators, circuit boards, and DC [263] batteries stored in the basement of the turbine building went underwater. The doors of the turbine buildings were at 10 m above sea level, but the tsunami rose higher. The total loss of electric power, or station blackout (SBO), resulted in successive reactor core meltdowns and melt-through events. Large amounts of hydrogen gas were generated inside the pressure vessel as hot steam reacted with the zirconium alloy of the fuel cladding. This hydrogen exploded later, but how the gas moved out, and exactly where it deflagrated, remains unexplained.


Current Status of Fukushima Daiichi 1–4

After six different professional investigations (see hereunder), the real story of why and how the destruction of each reactor unit came about is still in the mist. This section reviews the current conditions and the specific problems of each reactor units.

Unit-1

Meltdown in the Unit-1 reactor proceeded much sooner than the other units. The fuel mostly melted through (thus the temperature at the pressure vessel bottom is now lower than other units; see Table 1) and dropped down onto the secondary container floor. The molten fuel is probably eroding the thick concrete base at the bottom of the container, although the depth of the erosion is hard to estimate. The quick meltdown and melt-through seem to have been accelerated by the operators’ failure to keep the isolation condenser running properly, and by a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) caused by the earthquake shocks. [273]

The radiation environment at Unit-1 is not so severe as at Unit-2, but the dose rate inside the Unit-1 container is more than twice as high as that of Unit-3 (see Table 5).

The Unit-1 building is currently covered with polyester sheets to minimize radioactive releases into the atmosphere. However, TEPCO plans to remove the cover early next year so that the debris scattered around on the top floor (Level-5) of the building can be removed and a crane to retrieve irradiated fuel from the spent fuel pool can be installed above the building. [274] The company says a new, larger sheet will be installed to cover both the building and the crane in 2017. In the meantime, radioactive releases will inevitably increase.

Unit-2

Unlike the other three units, the building of Unit-2 was not severely damaged by explosions, but most investigators agree that the radioactive release from this reactor was the worst (the largest in Bq). This was because the blow-out panel in the wall of the Unit-2 collapsed from the force of the Unit-1 explosion, leaving a large opening in the Unit-2 building. The good news was that explosive hydrogen escaped from the hole; the bad news was that radioactive gas found an easy way out as well.

The Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (RCIC), which had activated just after the main shock on 11 March 2011, ceased to function on 14 March and meltdown started in the Unit-2 reactor. Secondary containment pressure went as high as 750 kPa, but venting failed. On 15 March, the pressure was rapidly lost after the operators/workers heard an explosive sound somewhere around the torus (suppression chamber in the bottom part of the container).

The location of the explosion, its cause and nature—hydrogen or nitrogen explosion and where the gas came from—and the degrees of the damage in the torus and/or pipings are all unknown, and will remain so for some time given the high radiation environment (maximum of 72.9 Sv/h as monitored in March 2013) in and near the container vessel impeding even a cursory human inspection. What is known is that there is a large leak (supposedly a substantial rupture) somewhere and the cooling water poured into the reactor vessel is constantly escaping.

The reactor temperature (39ºC at the bottom of the pressure vessel) is relatively and constantly higher than at the other reactor units, indicating that the cooling is less effective in this reactor. It probably reflects the condition of meltdown. The hot molten fuel may have gone deeper into the concrete floor of the container vessel, and pouring in water has a limited cooling effect. If that’s the case, it means that retrieving the fuel would be more difficult and would take longer. TEPCO’s decommissioning roadmap shows that the company is planning on more time in the case of Unit-2 (2017–2023 for spent fuel pool evacuation and 2020–2024 to begin with fuel debris recovery from the reactor containment) than in the case of Unit-1 (2017 and 2020–22, respectively, for the same operations). [275]

Unit-3

Venting was carried out twice in Unit-3, but it could not prevent the explosion, which took place outside the containment seven hours after the second venting. As to the Unit-3 explosion, independent nuclear expert Arnie Gundersen claims a possibility of small nuclear detonation due to moderated prompt criticality in the spent fuel pool, probably due to distortion of fuel assembly racks in the pool caused by the impact of the hydrogen explosion that occurred close to the spent fuel pool. [276] So far, most other professional engineers remain doubtful or reject this scenario outright. However, findings of fragments of fuel material outside the Unit-3 building and the recent retrieval of extremely contaminated debris (540 mSv/h recorded at the surface) in the Level 5 (spent fuel pool floor) of the Unit-3 building [277] reflect the fact that the Unit-3 explosion was much more intense than that of Unit-1. The detonation theory will be ultimately challenged and resolved when the fuel assembly racks and the fuel rods are physically inspected years from now.

The temperature at the bottom of the Unit-3 reactor pressure vessel was around 36ºC in December 2012. It went down to 25ºC in late March 2013, but again it is around 37ºC in early June 2013. The fluctuation is much larger than at Unit-1 (low twenties) and Unit-2 (upper thirties). TEPCO plans to start retrieving fuel debris from the Unit-3 containment in 2021, one year later than Units-1 and -2, while the fuel retrieval from the Unit-3 spent fuel pool is planned for 2015, two years sooner than from pools at Units-1 and -2. [278] As the explosion of Unit-3 was rather large, the conditions of debris inside and outside the Unit-3 building are worse than in other units. This makes decommissioning work particularly hazardous in Unit-3.

Unit-4

At the time of the earthquake and tsunamiUnit-4 was not operational and was undergoing a periodic inspection. All fuel had been taken out of the reactor vessel and moved to the spent fuel pool, where older spent fuel assemblies were also stored. At approximately 6:10 am, 15 March 2011, the Unit-4 building exploded, blowing the upper-floor walls and the ceilings away, leaving the spent fuel pool filled with 1,535 assemblies (1,331 irradiated ones and 204 fresh ones) [279] in the open air without containment, though debris fell into the pond. The cause and mechanism of this explosion are still unclear. Unlike the earlier explosions at Unit-1 and -3, no video-recording is available; even the exact time of the explosion remains uncertain. A likely explanation is that hydrogen came from Unit-3 via the piping; there is also a probability that Unit-4 spent fuel pool temperature went high enough to cause radiolysis of the water, producing hydrogen gas.

What if the spent fuel pool gets cracked and loses its cooling water? What if the already severely-damaged (and, as it seems, slightly leaning) reactor building collapses and the spent fuel pool crashes down, perhaps triggering a spent fuel fire? This could lead to a worst case scenario that was drawn up in March 2011 by Prof. Kondo, Chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), would still apply. Evacuation of over 10 million residents in the wider Tokyo megalopolis within a 250-km radius of Fukushima Daiichi, depending on wind direction, may be required. [280] Radioactivity of the Unit-4 spent fuel pool is more or less equivalent to three full reactor-loads; i.e. the quantity of the irradiated fuel rods kept in that single pool roughly equals those in Unit-1, -2 and -3 reactor cores combined. Thus, full release from the Unit-4 spent fuel pool, without any containment or control, could cause by far the most serious radiological disaster to date.

TEPCO claims that the Unit-4 building has been reinforced enough to survive further quakes, but retrieving the heat-generating spent fuel from the pool is nonetheless imperative and as quickly as possible. TEPCO puts a top priority to the construction of a crane-supporting iron framework over the Unit-4 building. Retrieval of the assemblies is scheduled to begin in November 2013 and to be completed by 2014. [281]

Last Edited by Waterbug on 08/26/2013 10:10 PM
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 41700650
United States
08/27/2013 01:15 AM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
"Water with pieces of nuclear fuel coming up from ocean floor off Fukushima coast? Tokyo Professor: 156 quadrillion Bq of cs-137 in basements — Getting close to fallout total from every atomic bombs tested in history — May be outputting from seeps in seafloor."

[link to enenews.com]
 Quoting: Fishy


Only 156 quadrillion Bq's? Whew that was a close call. For a moment I thought you were going to say 157 quadrillion Bq's. Now THAT would have been something!

A quadrillion here, a quadrillion there, and pretty soon it starts to add up.

/sarcasm

SRSLY,Holy mother of God!

Folks this stuff doesn't get diluted. It has a half life, so one millionth of a gram of an isotope can affect a multitude of biological organisms over and over again for years, decades or even thousands of years.
Citizenperth

User ID: 38538035
Australia
08/27/2013 01:20 AM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
"Water with pieces of nuclear fuel coming up from ocean floor off Fukushima coast? Tokyo Professor: 156 quadrillion Bq of cs-137 in basements — Getting close to fallout total from every atomic bombs tested in history — May be outputting from seeps in seafloor."

[link to enenews.com]
 Quoting: Fishy


Only 156 quadrillion Bq's? Whew that was a close call. For a moment I thought you were going to say 157 quadrillion Bq's. Now THAT would have been something!

A quadrillion here, a quadrillion there, and pretty soon it starts to add up.

/sarcasm

SRSLY,Holy mother of God!

Folks this stuff doesn't get diluted. It has a half life, so one millionth of a gram of an isotope can affect a multitude of biological organisms over and over again for years, decades or even thousands of years.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 41700650


rimshot
It's life as we know it, but only just.
[link to citizenperth.wordpress.com]
sic ut vos es vos should exsisto , denego alius vicis facio vos change , exsisto youself , proprie
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 02:34 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
TEPCO: High radiation found on other side of tank

The operator of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says radioactive water may have flowed out of a leaking storage tank in 2 opposite directions.

Tokyo Electric Power Company found on Monday last week that more than 300 tons of highly radioactive wastewater had leaked from one of its storage tanks.

The utility said at the time that the water seeped out of a low barrier around the tanks through an open rainwater drainage valve on the northeastern side.

The company now says workers detected last Thursday a radiation level of 16 millisieverts per hour near an open valve on the southern side as well. The reading was higher than in nearby areas.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 02:35 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Shikoku Electric asks for local understanding

Workers of an electric power company are visiting households to gain support for restarting its nuclear plant in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan.

Shikoku Electric Power Company plans to put the number 3 reactor at the Ikata plant back online. Last month, it applied for government safety screening of the reactor.

On Tuesday, employees of the utility began visiting about 28,000 households in the cities of Ozu and Seiyo, within 20 kilometers of the plant. About 50 workers are to make such visits each day for one month.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 02:35 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
TEPCO: Tank leak investigation will take weeks

Tokyo Electric Power Company has hinted that it will take weeks to find out why radioactive wastewater leaked from a tank at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

TEPCO presented a plan to investigate the problem to the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Tuesday.

About 300 tons of highly contaminated water leaked from the storage tank and it is feared that some of this seeped into the ocean.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 02:42 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
FWIW... I doubt it will make any big change...

Motegi, TEPCO chief pledge action on Fukushima water leak

IWAKI — Japan’s industry minister pledged urgent government action Monday to curb leaks of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters that lax maintenance by the plant’s operator was largely to blame for the series of leaks from storage tanks at the plant, which was damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

“With regard to TEPCO’s handling of contaminated water, it has been just like whack-a-mole,” Motegi said, in reference to the anarchic fairground game in which players bash creatures that pop up from random holes.

“The urgency of the situation is very high,” Motegi said. “From here on the government will take charge.”
[link to www.japantoday.com]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 03:02 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Mississippi futuregazing at waste facility

A Mississippi business group has formally urged the state's senate to consider establishing a dedicated management centre to provide interim storage for used nuclear fuel, with a longer-term view to recycling and even final disposal.

The not-for-profit Mississippi Energy Institute (MEI) has placed a white paper setting out its case for consideration before the state senate's Economic and Development Committee. In it, the organisation describes the USA's current used fuel management framework, typified by what it calls the "Yucca Mountain experience", as "paralysed by politics."

According to Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger, the MEI's public presentation to the committee was due to be followed by a closed meeting with business and political leaders.
According to the MEI, reassessment of the nation's approach to the management of used fuel provides an opportunity for Mississippi to "structure a consent-based host agreement" offering significant benefits to the state, itself home to the Grand Gulf nuclear power plant. The consolidated used nuclear fuel management centre envisaged by the MEI would, in the near term, involve the construction of a facility for the storage and monitoring of used fuel, which it estimates would cost over $500 million. In the medium term, a facility to "leverage" the used fuel through recycling would require investments of over $15 billion. Looking even further ahead, the MEI notes, Mississippi's geologic salt domes could provide an opportunity for co-located final repository facilities.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 03:03 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Entergy: Vermont Yankee to close in 2014

Entergy Corporation has announced that it plans to permanently shut down its single-unit Vermont Yankee boiling water reactor in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The decision was driven by a combination of factors, including sustained low power prices (due to the impacts of shale gas), the high costs of operating the single-unit plant and wholesale electricity market design flaws for Vermont Yankee.

"Wholesale market design flaws that continue to result in artificially low energy and capacity prices in the region, do not provide adequate compensation to merchant nuclear plants for the fuel diversity benefits they provide," a statement said.

Entergy also noted that the financial impact of cumulative regulation is "especially challenging" to a small plant in current market conditions.

The utility, which operates 12 reactors in the United States, said that it invested over $400 million in Vermont Yankee since it acquired the plant in 2002.
[link to www.neimagazine.com]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/27/2013 03:04 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
More on Vermont Yankee...

Entergy to Close, Decommission Vermont Yankee

--Decision driven by sustained low power prices, high cost structure and wholesale electricity market design flaws for Vermont Yankee plant --Focus to remain on safety during remaining operation and after shutdown

"This was an agonizing decision and an extremely tough call for us," said Leo Denault, Entergy's chairman and chief executive officer. "Vermont Yankee has an immensely talented, dedicated and loyal workforce, and a solid base of support among many in the community. We recognize that closing the plant on this schedule was not the outcome they had hoped for, but we have reluctantly concluded that it is the appropriate action for us to take under the circumstances."

The decision to close Vermont Yankee in 2014 was based on a number of financial factors, including:

-- A natural gas market that has undergone a transformational shift in supply due to the impacts of shale gas, resulting in sustained low natural gas prices and wholesale energy prices.

-- A high cost structure for this single unit plant. Since 2002, the company has invested more than $400 million in the safe and reliable operation of the facility. In addition, the financial impact of cumulative regulation is especially challenging to a small plant in these market conditions.

-- Wholesale market design flaws that continue to result in artificially low energy and capacity prices in the region, and do not provide adequate compensation to merchant nuclear plants for the fuel diversity benefits they provide.
[link to www.marketwatch.com]
.
Waterbug  (OP)

User ID: 34388912
United States
08/27/2013 05:59 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Just noticed that some kind soul has upgraded me..

Thank you for your generosity.
Waterbug  (OP)

User ID: 34388912
United States
08/27/2013 06:28 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
More on Vermont Yankee...

Entergy to Close, Decommission Vermont Yankee

--Decision driven by sustained low power prices, high cost structure and wholesale electricity market design flaws for Vermont Yankee plant --Focus to remain on safety during remaining operation and after shutdown

"This was an agonizing decision and an extremely tough call for us," said Leo Denault, Entergy's chairman and chief executive officer. "Vermont Yankee has an immensely talented, dedicated and loyal workforce, and a solid base of support among many in the community. We recognize that closing the plant on this schedule was not the outcome they had hoped for, but we have reluctantly concluded that it is the appropriate action for us to take under the circumstances."

The decision to close Vermont Yankee in 2014 was based on a number of financial factors, including:

-- A natural gas market that has undergone a transformational shift in supply due to the impacts of shale gas, resulting in sustained low natural gas prices and wholesale energy prices.

-- A high cost structure for this single unit plant. Since 2002, the company has invested more than $400 million in the safe and reliable operation of the facility. In addition, the financial impact of cumulative regulation is especially challenging to a small plant in these market conditions.

-- Wholesale market design flaws that continue to result in artificially low energy and capacity prices in the region, and do not provide adequate compensation to merchant nuclear plants for the fuel diversity benefits they provide.
[link to www.marketwatch.com]
.
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 38176253


Vermont's only nuclear power plant will shut down by the end of next year, ending a nasty legal battle over the future of the 4-decade-old plant, Entergy Corp. announced Tuesday.

Denault said that when it closes, the plant will be placed in "safe-store," in which federal regulations allow it to be mothballed for up to 60 years while its radioactive components cool down before removal.
[link to abcnews.go.com]
Fishy

User ID: 18955894
United States
08/27/2013 10:12 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Japan Times: Extreme contamination in Fukushima reactor buildings ‘most likely’ mixing into aquifer, reveals Tepco — Bloomberg: Could this flow downstream to Tokyo and present a big risk?

[link to enenews.com]
Waterbug  (OP)

User ID: 34388912
United States
08/28/2013 02:41 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Gundersen: Radioactive plume to impact West Coast in a year — Not going away after it hits… likely to only get stronger — Fukushima will keep releasing contamination for years to come — Must demand officials test fish and make data public (AUDIO)
[link to enenews.com]
Waterbug  (OP)

User ID: 34388912
United States
08/28/2013 02:43 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Newspaper: Nations across Pacific are fearing impact from Fukushima — Many expecting cancer will increase in Pacific Rim — Japan exporting their environmental problem to the ocean
[link to enenews.com]


Elizabeth Grossman, a scientist from Yale University says that the signs are showing that nuclear material is already moving up the food chain. [...]

Cesium causes cell damage [...] a gateway for cancer, which many are expecting will increase in the Pacific Rim because of this [...]
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/28/2013 03:32 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Iran has boosted nuclear capabilities, says IAEA

Iran has further boosted its capacity for uranium enrichment, according to a report from the UN's nuclear agency.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Tehran has now installed more than 1,000 advanced centrifuges at its Natanz enrichment plant.

It already has about 18,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment in operation but they are of the older IR1 type. The new IR2m machines are said to be faster and more effective.

Uranium enriched to 90% is required for a nuclear weapon.
[link to www.bbc.co.uk]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/28/2013 03:32 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Hmm, MSM reporting about Fuku...

Japan Fukushima toxic water leak a Level 3 'serious incident'

Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday said a toxic water leak at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant has been classified as a level 3 "serious incident" on an international scale.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said it had made the decision after consulting with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said Juntaro Yamada, a spokesman for the regulator.
[link to edition.cnn.com]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/28/2013 03:33 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Japan Sea may have 225 methane hydrate deposits

Japan's economy and industry ministry says the Sea of Japan off central Japan may hold more than 200 deposits of methane hydrate.

The substance, also known as flammable ice, is seen as a promising future source of energy for Japan.

The ministry conducted a study of methane hydrate deposits in the Sea of Japan off central Japan from June through August.

In March, the government succeeded in extracting gas from a methane hydrate deposit in the Pacific Ocean seabed off Aichi and Mie Prefectures. It was first time in the world natural gas had been extracted from methane hydrate under the sea.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/28/2013 03:34 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Radiation safety advice for returnees to be mulled

Japan's nuclear regulatory body has decided to compile radiation safety guidelines for evacuees who hope to return to their homes near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The government has designated less-contaminated areas near the plant as zones for preparing for early returns. It plans to allow evacuees from the areas to return home after decontamination work to lower radiation levels and recovery of basic social facilities there.

But evacuees have expressed many concerns about the safety of their hometowns since radiation there will still be higher than in other parts of the country.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/28/2013 03:35 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Fukushima fishermen halt test fishing over leaks

Fishermen have decided to suspend test fishing off Fukushima Prefecture due to radioactive water leaks from a nearby damaged nuclear plant.

The decision was made on Wednesday at a meeting of about 60 representatives of 6 local fishery groups.

A senior executive of the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, apologized for the repeated leaks of tainted water into the sea.

Local fishermen started test fishing off Soma, in the prefecture's north, in June last year to check radiation levels. The testing was aimed at a resumption of commercial fishing, which was halted after the 2011 nuclear crisis at the plant.

But the fishermen now say investigations into the leaks are still underway and countermeasures have yet to be taken. They concluded that convincing consumers of the safety of fish from the area would be difficult.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 38176253
Sweden
08/29/2013 06:11 PM
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
Re: *** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links
Bring in your tomatoes... lol...

Spanish town charges visitors to tomato fight

A Spanish town that hosts an annual tomato-throwing festival is charging entry fees for the first time. The town of Bunol is one of many in Spain suffering from debt.

The event's organizers charged visitors from outside the town 10 euros to participate.

About 20,000 people from around the world braved the rain on Wednesday to throw truckloads of tomatoes at each other.

The participants went through 130 tons of tomatoes in just one hour, drenching people and streets in red juice.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
.





GLP