Radiation Protection

News for November 20, 2008

Radioactive Waste

• Federal officials say cleanup of Texas Township barrels will cost more than $1 million (Kalamazoo Gazette)
  http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-31/1227196256126860.xml&coll=7
  Officials have found 150 to 200 small containers holding ``high-hazard materials'' and 25 drums that tested positive for low levels of radiation.
• Roswell residents protest hazardous waste site (KDBC)
  http://www.kdbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9385488&nav=menu608_2_3
  GNEP envisions expanded global nuclear power and technologies to recycle radioactive waste. The Department of Energy says no site decisions have been made.
• Radioactive dump worries Muscovites (United Press International)
  http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/18/Radioactive_dump_worries_Muscovites/UPI-45351227023094/
  A mound along Marshala Rokossovskogo Boulevard that for years was used by children as a sledding hill actually contained radioactive waste dumped there in the 1940s and 1950s, and after beginning an excavation to enable the building of new apartments on the site, officials have suspended the operation, the Moscow Times reported Tuesday.

Safety and Security

• Nigeria: US Donates Nuclear Radiation Detection Equipment (AllAfrica.com)
  http://allafrica.com/stories/200811190888.html
  In order to locate, protect and identify abandoned radioactive sources in Nigeria, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Robin Renee Sanders, yesterday handed over radiation detection equipment to the country.
• Fire at Japan nuclear fuel plant, no radiation leak (Reuters)
  http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUST28659020081118
  A fire broke out on Tuesday at a nuclear fuel manufacturing plant in eastern Japan, but it was quickly extinguished and there was no danger of radiation leaking, an official for operator Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co said.

Nuclear Power

• Nuclear commission says Oyster Creek's radiation barrier safe enough (Dailyrecord.com)
  http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20081118/UPDATES01/81118002
  Federal regulators say a corroded steel radiation barrier at Ocean County's Oyster Creek nuclear power plant is safe enough.
• Oyster Creek is back after 25-day shutdown (Asbury Park Press)
  http://www.app.com/article/20081120/NEWS02/811200485/1070/NEWS02
  Inspectors confirmed that the epoxy coating on the outside of the drywell radiation barrier remains in good shape, according to Rausch.
• UPDATE 1-Greenpeace blockades ageing Spanish nuclear plant (Reuters)
  http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSLK74410020081120
  Nuclear power is unpopular in Spain and both major parties running for last March's elections vowed to build no new plants.

Nuclear Weapons

• Iran has enough nuclear fuel for one weapon (College News)
  http://www.collegenews.com/index.php?/article/iran_has_enough_nuclear_fuel_for_one_weapon_2865/
  Nuclear experts have stated that Iran now has produced enough material to create a single atom bomb, The New York Times reports. The latest report was gathered by a group of global atomic inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.), who have been monitoring the country’s main nuclear plant in Natanz, which is located in central Iran.
• Weapons plant, lab cleanup gets early OK (WREG)
  http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=9385557
  The Department of Energy has approved a major cleanup plan for its nuclear weapons plant and national science laboratory in Tennessee.

Cosmic and Space Radiation

• Mysterious electrons may be sign of dark matter (New Scientist)
  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16085-mysterious-electrons-may-be-sign-of-dark-matter.html
  Dark matter is proving less shadowy than its name suggests. Its signature may have been detected by a balloon-borne experiment that measured a surprisingly high number of energetic electrons streaming in from space.

Top of page

News for November 19, 2008

Policy and Regulations

• Obama Seen Helping Put Atom Test Ban Pact In Force (NYTimes)
  http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-us-nuclear-ban.html?scp=3&sq=nuclear&st=nyt
  The election of Barack Obama as U.S. president has given crucial impetus toward implementing the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty more than a decade after it was negotiated, pact officials said on Wednesday.
• Nuclear carrier rift expected to spark battle between Dems (The Hill)
  http://thehill.com/business--lobby/nuclear-carrier-rift-expected--to-spark-battle-between-dems-2008-11-18.html
  The Navy’s announcement this week that it prefers stationing a nuclear aircraft carrier in Florida will ignite a bitter congressional battle over next year’s defense budget.

Radioactive Waste

• Radioactive dump worries Muscovites (United Press International)
  http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/18/Radioactive_dump_worries_Muscovites/UPI-45351227023094/
  An uncompleted project to clean up a radioactive former dump in a densely populated Moscow suburb is endangering the health of residents, advocates say.
• Meeting on radioactive site is tonight (Vineland Daily Journal)
  http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20081119/NEWS01/811190316
  Federal officials will hold back-to-back public meetings on a plan to store radioactive material today and Thursday at Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corp.

Safety and Security

• Report urges Obama name full-time nuclear adviser (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151ap_obama_nuclear_threat.html
  The world still faces a "very real" risk that terrorists could get a nuclear bomb and the incoming president must make reducing the threat a top priority of U.S. security and diplomacy, the report said.
• US hands over $120000 radioactive detection equipment to FG (Vanguard)
  http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/22157/47/
  The United States government has handed over nuclear radiation detection equipment worth of $120,000.000 to the Nigeria government for monitoring and safeguarding radioactive materials.

Nuclear Power

• Diplomats: IAEA to circulate Syria, Iran reports (San Francisco Chronicle)
  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/19/international/i040820S57.DTL&hw=nuclear&sn=002&sc=631
  The Syrian investigation was sparked by U.S. allegations that a building destroyed last year by Israeli jets was a nearly completed nuclear reactor meant to produce plutonium. Iran is suspected of past efforts to make nuclear arms and is under U.N sanctions for refusing to stop uranium enrichment.
• Expert: Idaho nuclear plant unlikely this decade (LocalNews8)
  http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9378335&nav=menu554_2
  A nuclear energy expert says it's unlikely that a nuclear power plant will be built and operational anywhere in Idaho in the next decade, despite recent interest shown by two developers.

Nuclear Weapons

• Barksdale officials complete Nuclear Surety Inspection (Air Force Link)
  http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123124785
  Air Force and ACC officials require the highest possible standards of individual reliability and professional competence in Airmen performing duties associated with the safety, surety and reliability of nuclear weapons and critical equipment.

News for November 17-18, 2008

Radioactive Waste

• Reusing commercial nuclear fuel debated (Mid Columbia Tri City Herald)
  http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/387790.html
  Reprocessing fuel could reduce the volume, heat and radiotoxicity of high level radioactive waste, it said.
• New operators plan incinerator for Sellafield (guardian.co.uk)
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/17/nuclear-power-waste-pollution
  A massive incinerator that could burn atomic waste is under consideration by the operator of the Sellafield nuclear complex.
• UNR Grant to Study Recycling Spent Nuclear Fuel (KTVN)
  http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=9364184
  The University of Nevada, Reno has received a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study recycling spent nuclear fuel.

Safety and Security

• 2 sirens in nuke plant drill didn't sound (York Weekly)
  http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081118-NEWS-811180324
  Two of the nuclear power plant's 121 sirens did not sound in the first-ever audible demonstration of the emergency alert system Oct. 25.

Nuclear Power

• UPDATE 1-Entergy Miss. Grand Gulf reactor reduced due fire (Reuters)
  http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN18168920081118
  N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reduced the 1266-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear power station in Mississippi on Nov. 17 due to a fire in a protected area, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a report.
• NRC OKs nuke plant's safety shield (Asbury Park Press)
  http://www.app.com/article/20081118/NEWS02/811180351/1070/NEWS02
  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission released a report that concludes that there are no significant conditions that would affect safety and the operation of Oyster Creek Generating Station's drywell liner until its next examination in four years.
• Report supports Vt. Yankee (BurlingtonFreePress.com)
  http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20081118/NEWS02/811180309
  A group that supports the continued use of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

Nuclear Weapons

• Nerpa nuclear submarine to join Russian Navy (Malaysia Sun)
  http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/431579/cs/1/
  The Russian Navy will commission the Nerpa nuclear submarine, which was involved in a fire accident killing 20 people on board recently, rather than sell or lease it to India, the chief of the General Staff told a Russian daily Tuesday.
• Conventional forces treaty a year after Russia's moratorium (RIA Novosti)
  http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20081118/118379982.html
  It goes without saying that their deployment and weapons will not be the same as in the CFE quotas. This means that a new security and trust infrastructure should be created in Europe, with the CFE treaty replaced with some other agreement, which should include the proposals made by President Dmitry Medvedev to the EU.
• Report on Nuclear Security Urges Prompt Global Action: Yearly Study Offers Agenda for New Administration (Washington Post)
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/17/AR2008111702976.html?sub=AR
  When armed men attacked South Africa's most closely guarded nuclear facility a year ago, they penetrated the detection systems at the perimeter, cut through an electrified fence and broke into the emergency control center, shooting one worker there in the chest before escaping.

News for November 14, 2008

Radioactive Waste

• Diplomats: Uranium found at suspect Syrian site (Washington Post)
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/10/AR2008111001923.html
  Samples taken from a Syrian site bombed by Israel on suspicion it was a covert nuclear reactor contained traces of uranium combined with other elements that merit further investigation, diplomats said Monday.

Safety and Security

• Newest Dominican port gets radiation detectors (Dominican Today)
  http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2008/11/14/30066/Newest-Dominican-port-gets-radiation-detectors
  Santo Domingo-The Dominican Customs Agency (DGA) announced Thursday it installed radioactive material detectors in Multimodal Caucedo port.
• Officials ask if laptops caused Qantas plane dive (KSL-TV)
  http://www.ksl.com/?nid=235&sid=4791251
  Air safety investigators are exploring whether interference from a U.S.-Australian naval transmitter or even a passenger's laptop caused a Qantas jetliner to nose-dive twice over the Australian coast last month, an official said Friday.
• Review finds Spain´s nuclear safety regulation positive (Environmental Expert)
  http://www.environmental-expert.com/resultEachPressRelease.aspx?cid=7374&codi=39852&idproducttype=8&level=0
  It relies on peer review and information exchange on safety practices regarding nuclear installations, radiation, waste, transport, and emergency preparedness.

Nuclear Power

• Vt. legislators seek radiation rule review (Brattleboro Reformer)
  http://www.reformer.com/ci_10982258
  Vermont lawmakers want the state Department of Health to rewrite a rule about how radiation from Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is measured.
• ENERGY: Richland nuclear plant to go off-line (Mid Columbia Tri City Herald)
  http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/383242.html
  The Northwest’s only nuclear power plant will be off-line for about five days of maintenance starting this weekend.

Nuclear Weapons

• North Korea rejects request for nuclear sampling (Washington Post)
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/12/AR2008111200444.html
  North Korea said Wednesday it will not allow outside inspectors to take samples from its main nuclear complex to verify the communist regime's accounting of past nuclear activities.
• North Korea Limits Tests of Nuclear Site (NYTimes)
  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/world/asia/13korea.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=nuclear&st=cse&oref=slogin
  In its first major act of defiance since Senator Barack Obama’s election, North Korea said Wednesday that it would bar international nuclear inspectors from taking soil and nuclear waste samples, which are considered crucial to determining the extent of its weapons program.

News for November 13, 2008

Radioactive Waste

• Radioactive materials getting recycled into goods (Los Angeles Times)
  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-radioactive12-2008nov12,0,2329473.story
  Improper disposal of industrial equipment and medical scanners containing radioactive materials is allowing nuclear waste to trickle into scrap smelters.

Safety and Security

• 1 injured in Japan nuke fire, no radiation leak (Xinhua)
  http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/13/content_10352838.htm
  The fire was immediately put out and there was no radiation leak outside the facility after the fire started at around 2:00 pm at the No. 1 reactor.
• GE gets funding to make radiation detector prototype (Schenectady Gazette)
  http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/nov/11/111_genuke/
  The US Department of Homeland Security has given GE Global Research a green light to start developing a prototype mobile radiation detector.
• Radioactive device stolen from truck on the Outer Banks (The Virginian-Pilot)
  http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/radioactive-device-stolen-truck-outer-banks
  The pistol like tool, used to detect lead in paint, was most likely taken inadvertently, said Grant Mills, health physicist for the North Carolina Radiation Protection Section.

Nuclear Power

• UPDATE 1-Constellation shuts NY Nine Mile 2 reactor for work (Hemscott)
  http://www.hemscott.com/news/static/tfn/item.do?newsId=70415989718735
  Constellation Energy Group Inc shut the 1,140-megawatt Unit 2 at the Nine Mile Point nuclear power station inNew York at about midnight on Nov. 12 for planned work, a spokeswoman for the plant said Thursday.
• S.Africa to re-examine nuclear plant plan: official (Reuters South Africa)
  http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnJOE4AC0G9.html
  The country plans to build its second nuclear power plant , estimated to be worth billions of dollars and meant to provide 20000 megawatts of power .

Nuclear Weapons

• Crew member caused tragedy on Russian nuclear sub - 3 (RIA Novosti)
  http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081113/118292256.html
  The submarine's reactor was not affected by the accident, which occurred in the nose of the vessel, and radiation levels on board remained normal.
• Isolated North Korea tightens borders (Boston Globe)
  http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2008/11/13/isolated_north_korea_tightens_borders/
  North Korea reached a deal last month to resume disabling its Soviet-era Yongbyon nuclear plant and allow in inspectors to verify claims it made about its atomic arms programme after the United States removed it from a terrorism blacklist and rolled back trade sanctions.

Science

• Legislators want radiation rule rewritten (Vermont Public Radio)
  http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/82856/
  Vermont lawmakers want the state Department of Health to rewrite a rule on how radiation from Vermont Yankee is measured. And the special legislative panel wants the public to have a chance to comment on it.

News for November 12, 2008

Radioactive Waste

• Radioactive device stolen from car (CharlotteObserver.com)
  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/319912.html
  The NC Radiation Protection Section said Tuesday there would be a problem if someone broke open the sealed, stainless-steel capsule containing radioactive cobalt 57.
• Russia buries sub disaster dead (BBC News)
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7723857.stm
  The nuclear reactor, which is in the stern, was not affected and there was no radiation leak, officials said.
• Nuclear sub in Plymouth river spill (Mirror.co.uk)
  http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/11/12/nuclear-sub-in-plymouth-river-spill-115875-20888292/
  Radioactive liquid has been leaked into a river from a nuclear sub, the MoD said yesterday. The Royal Navy said 280 litres of waste spilt into the Tamar.
• EPA says mine owners must treat water (Casper Star-Tribune Online)
  http://www.trib.com/articles/2008/11/11/news/regional/99e10ef11ce6a27f872574fe0002fd26.txt
  The Environmental Protection Agency is ordering a company that owns a defunct uranium mine near Spokane to continue treating contaminated water there.
• N. Korea Sets New Curbs on Inspectors (New York Times)
  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/world/asia/13korea.html?ref=asia
  In its first major act of defiance since Barack Obama’s election, North Korea said Wednesday it will bar outside nuclear inspectors from taking soil and nuclear waste samples, which are considered crucial to determining the extent of its weapons program.
• Nuclear waste arrives in German town (PRESS TV)
  http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=75100&sectionid=351020604
  Amid large-scale protests, eleven containers of radioactive waste from a French reprocessing site have arrived at the Gorleben storage facility in Germany.

Hanford

• Hanford mystery cylinders contained nitrogen (Mid Columbia Tri City Herald)
  http://www.tri-cityherald.com/915/story/380169.html
  Two compressed gas cylinders tapped at Hanford this weekend contained nitrogen, but they apparently once were used to hold highly corrosive and toxic chemicals.

Yucca

• Nuke dump: Yucca Mountain, or somewhere else? (Carlsbad Current Argus)
  http://www.currentargus.com/ci_10959751
  At this time, it seems that nuclear power will be an important part of this country's energy future. A way must be found to dispose of the radioactive waste.

Nuclear Power

• Los Alamos scientists work on mini reactors (SmartBrief)
  http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7012992976
  Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory say that they are working on developing small, underground nuclear plants that could be used to power communities.
• The US nuclear waste issue – solved
  http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1112/p09s01-coop.html
  In 1987, Congress cut off comparative site evaluations and closed all discussion of permanent nuclear waste locations except Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. It taxed nuclear utilities to pay for it, racking up $26 billion to date.

Nuclear Weapons

• US denounces Iran missile test (AFP)
  http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jG2_wao_av1p_8cl-l32t2WSKaKA
  The United States denounced Iran's claimed test of a new medium-range missile on Wednesday and warned Tehran to halt its ballistic missile program "immediately" amid a nuclear dispute with the West.
• US shipping fuel to North Korea (International Herald Tribune)
  http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/12/america/NA-US-North-Korea.php
  The United States said Wednesday it has shipped 50,000 metric tons of heavy fuel oil to North Korea as part of a nuclear disarmament deal, even as the North slows nuclear disablement efforts because of what it says are delays in energy aid shipments.

• EPA Home
• Privacy and Security Notice
• Contact Us