Screen Power Struggle and support Beyond Nuclear

Thanks to Robbie Leppzer, director of Power Struggle, Beyond Nuclear will be the beneficiary of private at home screenings of the film during the month of March.

Almost 10 years ago, as the Fukushima nuclear disaster began to unfold, Vermont citizen activists were engaged in their own eventually successful struggle to close a near identical nuclear reactor, Vermont Yankee.

Now, you can view the film that told their story — Power Struggle — filmed over five years by director Robbie Leppzer, in which activists and local officials challenged the federal government and one of the biggest power companies in the U.S., and won. The film shows how ordinary people, organized in sustained opposition, can make a difference. The film is available for a limited time only (March 1-30).

Click here for the virtual screening. Watch the trailer. Proceeds from the screening will benefit Beyond Nuclear. And look for a feature article about the story behind Power Struggle on Beyond Nuclear International on Monday, March 1. More 

CANCER CONNECTION?

"Study: Elevated cancer deaths in Monroe may be result of nuclear plant," by Tyler Eagle, Monroe Evening News/USA TODAY NETWORK, March 12, 2021.

Watch a recording of the press conference here, posted at WTVG/ABC-13's website. (The first three minutes of the recording are microphone checks, so fast-forward to the 3 minute mark of the recording, where the press conference begins.) The press conference features: Michael Keegan of Don't Waste Michigan, a Monroe native; Joseph Mangano, executive director of the Radiation and Public Health Project, and author of the newly published cancer fatality rate study focused on Fermi 2; and Christie Brinkley, also a native of Monroe, and board member of the Radiation and Public Health Project.

Here is the Radiation and Public Health Project's postings related to this newly published report focused on Fermi 2.

Update on March 10, 2021 by admin

See the press advisory put out by Don't Waste Michigan and the Radiation and Public Health Project.

Update on March 13, 2021 by admin

DTE (formerly Detroit Edison), owner/operator of Fermi 2, responded to Mangano's report, as reported by the Monroe Evening News.

Fukushima 10 years later: It still could happen here

NRC file photo of the Duane Arnold GE BWR Mark IAn article by Dr. Edwin Lyman of Union of Concerned Scientists, published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

Initially, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission had declined to take a closer look at the risks of a core meltdown at Duane Arnold atomic reactor in Iowa (photo, left), severely damaged by a derecho in August 2020. (Duane Arnold never recovered, but instead announced permanent shutdown.) But an NRC staffer dissented, forcing the agency to take that harder look.

Update on March 17, 2021 by admin

Lyman has tweeted the following:

The @NRCgov has released the final risk analysis of the derecho that struck the Duane Arnold #nuclear plant in #Iowa in August 2020 and caused a loss of offsite power. The mean risk of core damage was 1/1250, but without FLEX credit was nearly 1 percent. https://nrc.gov/docs/ML2105/ML

As Arnie Gundersen, chief engineer at Fairewinds Energy Education, has put it, "This was a close call."

Update on March 18, 2021 by admin

Good thing radioactive catastrophe was narrowly averted at Duane Arnold last August, or else the site would be too contaminated for workers to safely install solar panels there!

SOLAR:
• NextEra Energy unveils plans for a 690 MW, $700 million solar project at a decommissioned nuclear plant in Iowa. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Nuclear impact still plagues Japan 10 years after Fukushima tsunami

Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps, was interviewed by RT America.

Protecting our Earth -- Citizens Resistance at Fermi Two (CRAFT) Fukushima 10-year commemoration

Fermi 2, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission file photo.Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps, was honored and privileged to make a presentation at a very moving Fukushima commemoration on March 11th, focused on the largest twin design reactor in the world, Fermi Unit 2 (a General Electric Mark I Boiling Water Reactor, almost as large as Fukushima Daiichi Units 1 and 2 put together). Following is a March 16th follow-up message from the event organizer, Jesse Deer In Water of CRAFT, starting just beneath their beautiful logo.

Fermi 2 is located on the Lake Erie shore in southeastern Michigan (see photo, left). CRAFT has been a grassroots watchdog on Fermi 2 for several decades.

Kevin's slides would not show during his presentation, unfortunately, due to a technical glitch. But here are the slides, posted online, along with notes for each slide (as they were meant to be explained verbally).

Dear Old Friends and New Family,

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank all the folks who made it to our March 11th event for taking the time from your personal lives to share digital space with us during such a special time. We'd also like to invite the rest of you to share in the blessing by checking out the video of the event and/or the presenters. We set intentions to be serious and honor the earth while uplifting the stories of our speakers in a good way. For years CRAFT has been putting in the work, while honoring earth and people, and we intend on continuing that tradition. We also would like to extend an arm of gratitude to all who contributed their efforts and energy to putting the event together, as well as the speakers, and musicians. These are the folks that helped make this moment so special and moving.

We're excited to share this recording of the event and info on the speakers and musicians that stepped up with us. We'd love for y'all to keep up with the work. Below, we're also sharing some really easy and digestible info for you to remember about the Fermi 2 facility and share if you would like.

I don't know how much I can thank you all for being a part of our work and we welcome you to the whole.

Many Wados! (thanks)

Jesse Deer In Water 

CRAFT

1) No Extended Licenses for Aging Dangerous Reactors (Like Fermi 2)

the wear and tear on the reactor leads to it degrading and becoming more unstable, and waste is piling up in the waste pool while the pools themselves contunue to degrade as well. terms- "EMBRITTLEMENT" and "REACTOR FATIGUE"

2) Secure the Radioactive Waste at Sites Like Fermi 2 (they have these densely packed spent fuel ponds which are degrading)

last year CRAFT intervened in this issue last year, there was "neutron absorbing material"(which keeps the waste stable) degrading and losing its abilities, and dte was supposed to remove and replace it in a license condition but filed to leave it in place and cover it up, we were denied, not because we were wrong, but because we didn't have the factual law that dte broke, it sucked because they were literally writing the law in this case.

3) No New Nukes

as old nuke tech begins to fade and renewable tech begins to come more to light, the nuke industry scrambles to keep a horse in the race. the small modular reactors are their bet. many issues could be brought up, who wants a small modular nuclear reactor in the middle of their city? with the waste and releases? they don't support our native brothers and sisters who bear the burden at the source of the mining and radioactive waste storage sites. The tail will be the same as big nukes.