NRC approves AP1000 reactor design for proposed new reactors in Georgia & South Carolina

As reported by the New York Times, the five Commissioners of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission today approved the design certification for Toshiba-Westinghouse's so-called "Advanced Passive 1000" (AP1000, which is actually an 1,100 Megawatt-electric reactor) reactor design. This would allow construction of two new reactors at Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia, and two new reactors at Summer nuclear power plant in South Carolina, to accelerate. The approval comes despite a major design flaw identified by nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen, working on behalf of an environmental coalition opposing new AP1000s proposed across the Southeast. Both the Vogtle and Summer new reactor projects enjoyed ratepayer subsidies in the form of current "Construction Work in Progress" charges on electricity bills, something that is illegal in most states. In addition, the Vogtle project received an $8.3 billion nuclear loan guarantee, announced by President Obama himself in February, 2010. If actually built, this would be the first new reactor order actually constructed in the U.S. since October 1973. All other orders after that point were either cancelled outright, or abandoned midway.

Update on December 22, 2011 by admin

U.S. Energy Secretary Chu praised NRC's design certification of the AP1000. Not only did the Energy Department award the two proposed new Vogtle AP1000s an $8.33 billion nuclear loan guarantee, at taxpayer financial risk -- DOE also chose the AP1000 as a "Nuclear Power 2010" program design, subsidizing its engineering design as well as regulatory licensing costs in a 50-50 cost-share with industry, another taxpayer giveaway to an already heavily subsidized, filthy rich industry.

Erin Brockovich warns about "Hot Water" across U.S. due to radioactivity leaks from atomic reactors

CNN interviewed famous environmentalist Erin Brockovich (pictured, left) about her new novel, Hot Water, on the health risks of radioactivity leaks into the environment from nuclear power plants across the U.S. Brockovich warns that radioactivity ingestion by children, as evidenced through such projects as the "Tooth Fairy," could begin to explain cancer epidemics in certain locales nationwide. Beyond Nuclear has long warned its not just accidental ("unmonitored, uncontrolled") leaks of hazardous radioactivity, but also "routine releases" (supposedly "controlled and monitored") allowed and permitted by government regulators as a daily part of atomic reactors' operations, that need to stopped. Children are significantly more vulnerable to radiation's hazards, as revealed by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research's "Healthy from the Start" campaign.

Japan PM declares Fukushima Daiichi stable, but many don't believe him

As reported by the New York Times, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, in a nationally televised address last week, declared that the four destroyed units at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been brought under control, and "cold shutdown" will be achieved by year's end, ending a catastrophic chapter in Japan's history. However, critics warn that the decommissioning and "clean up" of the site could take 40 years, and that nuclear criticality in the melted cores is still a risk. Noda's announcement comes with an "all clear" from federal, prefectural, and local authorities for many of the 90,000 nuclear evacuees to return to their homes for the first time in nine months, but many of them question such assurances, and people across Japan still fear the documented radioactive contamination of the food supply.

Meanwhile, the Mainichi Daily News reports that a journalist, Tomohiko Suzuki, worked undercover inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for over a month this summer, and now reports that "absolutely no progress is being made," that rushed work is often shoddy and done for cosmetic, not safety purposes, and that major short cuts are being taken on such vital activities as decontaminating vast quantities of cooling water highly contaminated with radioactivity. Suzuki quotes one worker as saying "Working at Fukushima is equivalent to being given an order to die," and reports that many games are being played to under-report actually radiation doses being suffered by workers.

The article reports: " '(Nuclear) technology experts I've spoken to say that there are people living in areas where no one should be. It's almost as though they're living inside a nuclear plant,' says Suzuki. Based on this and his own radiation readings, he believes the 80-kilometer-radius evacuation advisory issued by the United States government after the meltdowns was "about right," adding that the government probably decided on the current no-go zones to avoid the immense task of evacuating larger cities like Iwaki and Fukushima." (emphasis added)

National Academy of Sciences study sounds cautionary note on uranium mining in Virginia

The long-awaited (22 months) study by the National Academy of Sciences into the feasibility of uranium mining in Virginia was released on December 19 before the Virginia General Assembly Uranium Mining Subcommittee. The lengthy report, now available on line, sounded a cautionary note and presented a series of serious challenges to the Commonwealth if it insists on overturning the current mortatorium on uranium mining in Virginia. The study concluded that there are "steep hurdles to be surmounted before mining and processing could be established in a way that is appropriately protective of the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment."

Behind the push to over-turn the moratorium is Virginia Uranium which has spent millions of dollars to support its hopes to mine uranium at Coles Farm in Pittsylvania County. However, the NAS, which was not tasked to do a site-specific analysis, warned that the environmental and health impacts, the threat of natural events (such as the recent major earthquake), and the wet environment (which contrasts with most arid uranium mine sites) would need to be mitigated using international best practices should uranium mining be undertaken. Virginia lacked experience in the field technically, and the regulatory landcape is confusing. Concerns were also raised about the lack of adequate public participation. A thorough site characterization conducted at Coles would be essential. "Additionally, until comprehensive site-specific risk assessments are conducted, including accident and failure analyses, the short-term risks associated with natural disasters, accidents, and spills remain poorly defined," the report said.

Beyond Nuclear attended the presentation. Our assessment was that the report represented uranium mining as risky and challenging and by no means a green light for lifting the ban. The study was by consensus with no minority report. However, Virginia legislators will now need to base their decision-making on the science within the report, not the lobbying powers (and dollars) of Virginia Uranium. The considerable complications, challenges, risks and expense of undertaking the needless venture of mining uranium in Virginia, as outlined in the NAS report, should be enough of a deterrent to end all consideration of this project and instead shift focus onto sectors where real, meaningful and safe jobs can be developed instead.

The NAS pointed out:

"Three over-arching best practices should be guiding principles if uranium mining were to be permitted: the need to plan at the outset of the project for the complete life cycle of mining, processing, and reclamation; the need to engage and retain qualified experts familiar with internationally accepted best practices for all aspects of a project; and the need to encourage meaningful and timely public participation throughout the life cycle of a project, beginning at the earliest stages."

NRC Rubberstamps Risky Reactor Restarts

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently approved some remarkably risky reactor restarts. NRC has approved a restart at Dominion's North Anna nuclear power plant in Mineral, Virginia, even though an August 23rd 5.8 magnitude earthquake, epicentered just 11 miles away, caused ground motion twice as strong as the twin reactor station was designed to withstand. NRC's restart approval for both North Anna reactors came even though one reactor was inadequately inspected, and the other almost not at all; many questions remain about the status of the reactors, the radioactive waste stored on-site, and even dams retaining cooling water vital to North Anna's safety. Beyond Nuclear and an environmental coalition have filed an emergency enforcement petition against the North Anna restart. Beyond Nuclear's Paul Gunter and Kevin Kamps, along with their environmental allies, just defended and supplemented the emergency enforcement petition before an NRC Petition Review Board on Dec. 12th.

Similarly, NRC has approved the restart of the Davis-Besse atomic reactor near Toledo, Ohio, despite significant cracking discovered in its secondary containment shield building. Beyond Nuclear and an environmental coalition has intervened against the 20 year license extension sought by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company at Davis-Besse. U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has strongly questioned NRC's rush to restart Davis-Besse while so many basic questions about the cracking linger.

At both nuclear power plants, NRC has, effectively, said "Restart Now, Fix Later (If At All)."