U.S. looks for potential issues linked to falsified French nuclear documents

As reported by Reuters, and Tweeted by Scott Stapf of the Hastings Group: Nine U.S. reactors linked to French scandal over falsified documents over nuclear parts.

Although the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) won't name the implicated American nuclear power plants, the article reports that Dominion's Millstone in CT is directly implicated, while FirstEnergy's Beaver Valley in PA may be as well.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported on this story, in an article entitled "Coverup at French Nuclear Supplier Sparks Global Review."

Mycle Schneider, lead author of the annual World Nuclear Industry Status Report, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, warning “Likely we have seen only the tip of the iceberg.” More.

Victory! CT Supreme court reverses lower court decision on Millstone

The Connecticut Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision on the Millstone nuclear power station Clean Water Act permit, clearing the path for activists to nullify the permit on environmental grounds at an upcoming hearing.      

The Waterford CT nuclear power plant’s Units 2 and 3 cannot legally operate without a valid discharge permit under the federal Clean Water Act, which is administered by the state DEEP.      

Without a valid water discharge permit, Millstone would be forced to shut down.      

The unanimous decision, authored by Chief Justice Chase P. Rogers, is to be officially released on December 13, 2016 in the case of Nancy Burton v. Commissioner of Environmental Protection, SC 19664. https://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR323/323CR10.pdf

Burton hailed the Supreme Court decision as an “outstanding recognition by the state’s highest court of the supremacy of the law to protect the fragile environment from unnecessaryand harmful degradation.”

 The stunning Supreme Court victory came eighteen (18) years after Burton successfully brought suit to shut Millstone Unit 2 for 10 days during the peak of native Niantic River winter flounder larvae migration to the Long Island Sound. Annually, larvae were sucked by the millions into Millstone’s intake structures and destroyed. 

Read the full press release.

BREAKING: One of country's most dangerous nuclear plants, Palisades, to close

The Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, MI, will close in October 2018, its owner, Entergy, has announced. The notorious reactor has been beset by critical safety issues for decades, long neglected, ignored, or given a pass by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In July, nearly two dozen security workers at Palisades were placed on paid leave after inconsistencies in fire inspection records were found. Despite constant opposition from Beyond Nuclear and others, the NRC has consistently refused to close the plant, even though the Palisades reactor vessel has become brittle after decades of use. More details on this page, and comments from Beyind Nuclear, to come as the news unfolds. Read more.

Update on December 8, 2016 by admin

See Beyond Nuclear's press statement here. See Entergy's press release here. See Consumers Energy's press release here. See media coverage here.

Misdirected NRC email reveals "overwhelmed" safety workforce at Pilgrim nuclear plant

A leaked email from an inspector with the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission mistakenly sent December 5, 2016 to a local community activist, reveals that Entergy Corporation is “overwhelmed” by the operation of its aging Pilgrim nuclear power station in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 

Deteriorating safety conditions at the Fukushima-style nuclear power plant located 35 miles south of the Boston metropolitan area continue to challenge beleaguered station workers with potential for catastrophic consequences under accident conditions.   

The many issues reported to have “overwhelmed” site workers include:

• An emergency diesel generator necessary to power safety systems during an accident had been run with “little or no oil” in the gear box;

• Poor station performance in assessing and protecting against the potential failure modes for the emergency generator and its backup power generator;

• Several examples of inadequate corrective actions including an internal flooding issue raised in 2011 left unaddressed;

• Lack of an onsite safety culture including “poor maintenance, poor engineering practices, and equipment reliability problems,” and corrective actions that were circumvented because they were “too hard to complete.” 

The emailed memo indicates that the NRC inspection team is “struggling to figure out what all this all means.” 

The answer is quite simple. The Pilgrim nuclear power station must be permanently closed immediately.\

For more information, please review these links:

http://www.capecod.com/newscenter/nrc-e-mail-pilgrim-plant-overwhelmed-trying-to-run-station/

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/07/internal-nrc-memo-outlines-concerns-pilgrim-nuclear-plant/GFRYcbdBRgwo4PulROZBYN/story.html

http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20161207/more-deteriorating-panels-found-at-pilgrim-nuclear-plant

Nuclear-Free Future Awards identify key areas of need

Beyond Nuclear was once again a co-sponsor of the Nuclear-Free Future Awards, this time held in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 16-20.  It was perhaps the most eclectic and international of all Award gatherings in recent years and “official” events such as the Awards, the Think Nuclear-Free Symposium, and a downtown anti-nuclear rally, included, and were interspersed with much joyful singing, dancing and embracing.

The 2016 winners were: Arif Ali Cangi (Turkey), Resistance; Bruno Chareyron (France), Education; Samson Tsegaye Lemma (Ethiopia) Solutions; and Susi Snyder (Netherlands/USA) and Alfred Sepepe (South Africa) for Special Recognition. Click on each winner’s name for more information on their work and the award.

Some important themes emerged from the Think Nuclear-Free Symposium, some of which are listed below. For more, see the Nuclear-Free Future Award home page.

Some prevailing themes from the Symposium.

•  There are lies told from the beginning to the end of the uranium fuel chain story, by governments and industry. These lies and the corruption must be constantly exposed. There is a huge need for accountability and transparency.

•  It is essential to get accurate, scientific information directly to communities.The information needs to be simple, properly and fully documented, and translated into relevant languages. 

• It is important to train people to use radiation monitors so that communities can measure radiation levels themselves rather than be subjected to the lies of industry and government; understand what the levels mean; and know which protective steps they can and should take.

• In order to get information to rural or remote communities, a mobile information and training unit could be optimal, since many people cannot travel to a training event or conference.

•  How we message is also important. Rather than talking about impact, talk about consequences and appeal to the heart. This means telling personal stories and having compelling messengers who have lived the nuclear experience whether nuclear weapons (such as Hibakusha) or nuclear power/uranium mining.

• How we look at the issue and frame it can make a difference in reaching people. The anti-nuclear weapons community is emphasizing that this is a humanitarian issue and a public health issue.