Speaking tour of Japan challenges MOX fuel use and financing for new U.S. reactors

Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps toured Japan from August 2nd to 12th, visiting Tokyo, Fukushima, Fukui, Kansai and Kyushu. Highlights included meeting with officials from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance agency, where a letter signed by 75 U.S. national and grassroots groups was delivered, urging no Japanese financing for risky new reactors in the U.S. A backgrounder spelled out these risks in detail. Most proposed new U.S. atomic reactors have designs owned by Japanese companies -- either Toshiba (Westinghouse), Hitachi (General Electric), or Mitsubishi. At South Texas Project, Toshiba and Tokyo Electric Power Company are even partners in the venture. In addition, Japan Steel Works would be the primary supplier of large nuclear components, such as reactor pressure vessels and steam generators. The Japanese news media were alerted to the letter and meeting.

Local anti-nuclear groups also asked Kevin to address the risks of long-term storage of Mixed (plutonium-uranium) Oxide (MOX) irradiated nuclear fuel in pools, given the leaks of radioactive water that have occurred at five U.S. nuclear facilities, including Indian Point, Salem, Connecticut Yankee, Brookhaven National Lab, and Babcock & Wilcox, Virginia. Several reactors in Japan are recklessly moving to load MOX fuel, even though there is no final disposition plan for the irradiated fuel that would be generated. There is a vague promise to someday build a special reprocessing facility in Japan, but that is unlikely, and would actually only make matters even worse! This means the radioactive wastes will remain in storage pools on-site for decades. Kevin also presented a power point about the many risks of storing irradiated nuclear fuel in pools.

One last highlight -- Paul Gunter's Leak First, Fix Later report was translated into Japanese!

Labor unions at uranium conversion plant picket to protect health

Union workers at the nation’s only uranium conversion plant, in Metropolis, Ill., fear that exposure in the workplace contributed to the high cancer mortality rate at the plant. According to an August 8 article in the New York Times, workers "have erected 42 crosses nearby in memory of workers who died of cancer. Twenty-seven smaller crosses symbolize workers who have survived the disease". The unions are involved in a protracted labor dispute with Honeywell, the plant operator, which is attempting to reduce pensions for newly hired workers and health benefits for retirees. The union is picketing the plant around the clock. Reported the Times: “We deal with hydrofluoric acid,” said Darrell Lillie, president of United Steelworkers Local 7-669, which represents the union workers. “We make fluorine. This is bad stuff. The least we feel like we could have is good medical benefits when we retire.”

Russian wild fires could spread radioactive dust left by Chernobyl explosion

The Russian Emergencies Minister is warning of possible radiation risks, as wildfires approach closer to the area affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, according to Russia Today. The main fear is that the fires, which are moving further south of Moscow toward the Bryansk region, could disturb and spread the radioactivity in forests, vegetation and soil contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Contaminated smoke can loft radioactivity into the air and with the wind contaminate more areas. Multiple crews have been dispatched to try to prevent the fires spreading there.

Update on August 11, 2010 by admin

Officials from Russia’s federal forest protection service confirmed that fires were burning at contaminated sites on Tuesday, and expressed fears that lax oversight as a result of recent changes in the forestry service could increase the chances that radioactive smoke would waft into populated areas. The New York Times.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki remembered

August 6 and 9 mark the days when the only two atomic bombs were dropped - by the U.S. on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively in 1945. At least 300,000 were killed either immediately or eventually. The U.S. government today sent a delegate for the first time to attend commemorative ceremonies in Hiroshima. Japan is also hoping for a visit to that city from President Obama. The art work shown here was first published as an editorial drawing in 1954. It was created by Paul Martin Butkovich and was kindly provided by his son Peter. It forms part of a retrospective of his work in conjunction with Hiroshima-Nagasaki remembrance events held by the Quakers in West Hartford, CT.

Chernobyl zone shows decline in biodiversity

The largest wildlife census of its kind conducted in Chernobyl has revealed that mammals are declining in the exclusion zone surrounding the nuclear power reactor. It was based on almost four years of counting and studying animals there reports the BBC.