A 6.4 preliminary magnitude quake on Japan's central coast injured more than 60 people and shut down the two reactors at the Hamaoka plant. Two other reactors in the plant complex have been shut for years due to delays in construction upgrades that would make them more earthquake-resistant. More damage has been found than originally thought, putting a quick restart in doubt.
The nuclear industry's steady march in retreat continued this week when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced it would not go forward with three of four new reactors planned for its Bellefonte site. TVA has scaled back its ambitions to just one new reactor according to reports. The Bellefonte site already has two incomplete reactors mothballed since 1988.
Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal are touring the U.S. together this summer for the first time! The tour will benefit progressive organizations, including Beyond Nuclear. Please visit the "BonTaj"dedicated Web page to learn more about the tour and to cast your vote to decide which causes the tour should support. And please look for Beyond Nuclear information tables at select events.
As you know, reaching ever wider audiences is important for a number of reasons. We must educate as many people as possible about the real dangers of nuclear energy and contradict the false propaganda put out by the industry. We need to enlighten our political leaders and the media. We absolutely must ensure that nuclear power does not steal federal funding - via the Climate bill - that is so needed to support renewable energy. To achieve these goals and more, Beyond Nuclear needs to raise money.
We are privileged to have the support of one of this country's most dedicated activists and beloved actors, Ed Asner. He will appear for us in an ad due to run in The Nation magazine (draft version shown above). But to place this ad we need to raise funds. Will you please consider making a donation? Please donate now on line and let us know your contribution is to support the ad. Or you may mail us a contribution marked Nation ad to Beyond Nuclear, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 400, Takoma Park, MD 20912.
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Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada is urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to ensure Congress repeals the Nuclear Waste Policy Act that designates Yucca Mountain as a high-level nuclear dump. President Obama has supported the Yucca cancellation but Gibbons expressed impatience with the apparent slow progress. "Every few weeks or months we hear from someone in Congress that Yucca Mountain is dead, yet the project and the licensing process continue," Gibbons said. Gibbons reportedly told Reid to "put up or shut up" on working to stop Yucca while Reid's office fired back that "Gibbons has done very little as governor to advance the state's fight against Yucca Mountain."
Meanwhile, as previously reported on these pages, President Obama looks set to nominate a pro-Yucca candidate to a commission seat at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission if William Magwood - the rumored candidate - takes the job.
August 20, 2009