NRC plays "Nuclear Waste Con Game" on the American people

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission yesterday updated its "Nuclear Waste Confidence Rule," expressing "confidence" that commercial irradiated nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste (implying reprocessing) can be stored safely and securely, either on-site or off-site, for 60 years after operation licenses have expired at atomic reactors. Added to 60 years of operations (40 year original licenses plus 20 years of extended operations -- NRC has rubberstamped approval for all 59 such license extensions applied for thus far), that adds up to a whopping 120 years of on-site storage, in pools and/or dry casks. That's over half the age of the United States as a country, going backwards in time! But the "first cupful" of high-level radioactive waste, generated by Enrico Fermi in 1942 during the Manhattan Project, has not been "safely and securely" dealt with in nearly 70 years! And suitable geology for a "safe and secure" permanent dumpsite has not been found in over 50 years of searching! (see "U.S. commercial nuclear power's 'Golden anniversary' ", page 6) Especially considering the Obama administration's wise decision to cancel the Yucca Mountain dump, and NRC's removal of any date certain for the opening of the first deep geologic repository in the U.S., it's now all too clear that the "Nuclear Waste Confidence Rule" is nothing other than false confidence, or, even worse, a Nuclear Waste Confidence Game, a con game, an elaborate swindling operation in which advantage is taken of the confidence which the victim, the American people, puts in the swindler, the NRC. This latest decision will now block any attempt by environmental groups or concerned citizens to challenge the generation of irradiated nuclear fuel at atomic reactors, as in new reactor licensing proceedings or old reactor license extension proceedings, for NRC now considers the matter closed. It shows that NRC should stand for "Negligible Remaining Credibility." As "people's historian" Howard Zinn oft reminded, Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that, when government becomes inimical to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, citizens have the right and indeed the duty to alter or abolish that government. Such a founding principle raises a various serious question concerning what must be done about NRC's rogue behavior. While we all mull that one over, concerned citizens should contact U.S. House Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA), as well as U.S. House Domestic Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), urging that they launch investigative oversight hearings into this latest NRC "favor" for the nuclear power industry -- approving unlimited generation of forever deadly high-level radioactive waste, while blocking citizen interventions seeking to prevent it.

8 "peace planters" arrested at KC nuke weapons plant groundbreaking ceremony

This just in from Ann Suellentrop, lead organizer for the action and recipient of the 2010 Alliance for Nuclear Accountability activist of the year award:

"Eight peace activists were arrested yesterday at the "Plant Peace, Not Nukes! - Groundbreaking for Works of Mercy, Not Works of War" held at the entrance of the planned site for the new nuclear weapons parts plant in KC MO [Kansas City, Missouri]. It was an alternative ground breaking ceremony to the billion-dollar replacement for the Honeywell nuclear weapon parts plant that was taking place at the same time in which local and national officials touted the new plant's local economic and national strategic importance to 500 guests. The eight peace activists broke off from the larger group of 70 "Peace Planters" and stood or knelt in front of three large VIP buses, as they tried to come onto the site and attend the official ground breaking ceremony. The buses were delayed for about 10 minutes until KC Police were able to arrest the eight activists and clear the entrance so the buses could continue on to the site." See Ann's full report here. See the National Catholic Reporter's coverage of the protest here, including a slideshow of photos.

In this article, the head of the construction company that will build the plant -- and get paid many millions in taxpayer dollars for the job -- tried to justify doing so by saying that "dozens" of countries, including rogue states, already have "the bomb," and thus we must deter their attack. At last count, "only" 9 countries have nuclear weapons (in chronological order, the U.S., Russia, U.K., France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea). Perhaps he should have said "will have" the bomb, as the building of this replacement plant is a clear signal to the world that the U.S. does not intend to live up to its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligation to abolish its nuclear weapons arsenal anytime soon -- a sure recipe for further proliferation, as other countries can claim they are seeking to defend themselves against U.S. aggression. "Do as I say, not as I do" is guaranteed to fail as a non-proliferation policy!

Ironically, the Kansas City Plant (which builds the "non-nuclear" parts of nuclear weaponry, such as guidance systems, electronics, structural components, etc.) just so happens to be located right where the 1983 t.v. movie The Day After -- about a catastrophic nuclear war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R -- was set. In non-fiction reality, the bomb making facility all but guarantees that Russian nuclear warheads are still targeting Kansas City.

French "nuclear miracle" plagued by fast-rising reactor costs and "crowding out" of renewables

A new study by Dr. Mark Cooper of Vermont Law School, released today, warns "it is highly unlikely that the problems of the nuclear industry will be solved by an infusion of federal loan guarantees and other subsidies to get the first plants in a new building cycle completed. U.S. policymakers should resist efforts to force the government into making large loans on terms that put taxpayers at risk in order to ‘save' a project or an industry that may not be salvageable." The press release contains a link to the executive summary and the full report. Steven Thomas of Greenwich University in London, expert on Electricite de France and Areva economic woes, joined Dr. Cooper for the press conference, a full audio recording of which can be found at www.nuclearbailout.org after 6 p.m. today.

"Alms for the Rich and Powerful"

A New York Times editorial has blasted the latest end run around campaign finance regulations, being carried out by Members of Congress and their friends in industry. It involves unlimited giving by companies to charities set up by U.S. Representatives and Senators, who then return the favor by supporting those companies' legislative agendas. The editorial cited the example of James Clyburn, the third most powerful Democrat in the House, stating: "...consider the dozen or so nuclear energy companies that were suddenly interested in financing scholarships for needy South Carolina students once Representative James Clyburn set up a charity to do so. The foundation holds an annual golf tournament and dinner at which corporate givers can hang around Mr. Clyburn, the Democratic whip, and donate to his favorite charity. Nuclear companies said openly they were happy to reward Mr. Clyburn for his support of their industry." These nuclear companies include: Fluor Daniel, Savannah River Remediation, Nuclear Innovation North America LLC, Nuclear Energy Institute, Shaw Areva Mox Services LLC, Duke Energy, Progress Energy, and SCANA.

German anti-nuclear activists planning huge protest rally

German anti-nuclear activists are preparing for a huge rally on September 18 in Berlin to protest license extensions for Germany's existing nuclear plants. A year ago, a similar rally due tens of thousands or nuclear opponents. The impetus comes as the German government announces a compromise position on license renewals for its 17 nuclear plants, agreeing to a 12-14-year extension rather than 20 but more than the eight-year limit pushed by the environment minister. The rally organizers  - spearheaded by Campact - also organized last April's 75-mile long and 1,200+ human chain to protest license extensions for two of the country's reactors. Hundreds already protested the license extension announcement in Berlin on September 5.