National Academia of Sciences Fukushima report on implications for US reactors:“Accidents will happen”

While Beyond Nuclear continues its review and analysis of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released report on the “Lessons Learned From The Fukushima Nuclear Accident For Improving Safety Of U.S. Nuclear Plants” it must be noted at the outset that the central and the most important lesson continues to be unlearned. As it is often quoted, “accidents will happen” but in a post-Fukushima world, the consequences are now absolutely unacceptable.  These dangerous and fundamentally flawed reactors must be promptly and permanently shutdown including the 23 Mark I units and the 8 Mark II units still operating in the United States. This is the most rational conclusion in the interest of public safety and the environment given the demonstrated 100% failure rate of the three General Electric Mark I boiling water reactors that were operational on March 11, 2011, that resulted in three reactor meltdowns, three breaches of the all important containment structures and the ongoing uncontrolled release of radioactivity now more than three years after the catastrophe.

Crisis Without End: The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe

Dr. Helen Caldicott, Beyond Nuclear's Founding PresidentTeaching for Change Bookstore at Busboys and Poets welcomes Helen Caldicott, editor of the new book,

Crisis Without End: The Medical and Ecological Consequences of the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe

 introduced by Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014 

6:30 to 8:00 PM

Busboys and Poets - 14th & V, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Sponsors: 

Physicians for Social Responsibility 

Beyond Nuclear 

Teaching for Change 

Busboys and Poets

Beyond Nuclear's Cindy Folkers and Kevin Kamps presented at the 2013 symposium which led to this new book. Summaries of their presentations are included.

Update on October 9, 2014 by admin

Helen's book talk event went very well last night. We had a good turn out. Here is a link to Kevin's introduction of Helen. Helen gave a great talk, followed by a dynamic Q&A/discussion afterwards. Thanks to everyone who came, and all those who helped spread the word!

34 groups to President Obama: NRC Commissioner Magwood must go

NRC Commissioner William Magwood IVThe environmental coalition, including Beyond Nuclear, also requests a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation of Commissioner William Magwood IV’s (photo, left) violations of ethics laws, and conflicts of interest, related to seeking and landing a job promoting nuclear energy, as Director-General of the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), a branch of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has separately written the president and NRC OIG, making the same request.

These letters, to President Obama and to the NRC OIG, follow the coalition's June 18^th letter to Commissioner Magwood, urging him to step down voluntarily, and to recuse himself from any nuclear safety votes dating back to his initial bid for the NEA directorship.

However, Commissioner Magwood refused to resign and recuse himself. He has announced his last day at NRC will be Aug. 31, the very day before he is to begin his new job at NEA.

The coalition issued a press release. News coverage has included The Hill, and Bloomberg Businessweek (in which U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is quoted as referring to Magwood as a "disaster" and saying “He couldn’t leave quick enough for me”).

Update on July 23, 2014 by admin

As reported by the Energy Guardian, President Obama has nominated Jeffery M. Baran and Stephen Burns to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to fill the seats vacated by Democratic Commissioners Apostalakis (on June 30th) and Magwood (Aug. 31st).

Baran is a senior Democratic staffer on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and aide to retiring U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA).

Burns is a former NRC general counsel with three decades of experience at the agency, currently head of legal affairs at OECD's NEA, ironically enough -- the very institution Magwood is about to head.

As reported by Roll Call, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) immediately voiced concerns about the nominees. NEI's opposition to Baran likely has to do with his role in the narrow passage, largely along party lines, of the 2009 Waxman-Markey energy bill, which favoried efficiency and renewables as clean, safe, and affordable alternatives to dirty, dangerous and expensive energy industries, such as fossil fuels and nuclear. NEI's opposition to Burns centers largely upon his support for NRC Chairman Jaczko's invoking emergency powers at the agency in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe.

As investigative journalist, and Beyond Nuclear board member Karl Grossman put it at the time of Jaczko's forced resignation from NRC, the nuclear industry viewed him as "insufficiently pro-nuclear," and his invoking emergency powers was the last straw. As reported by Huffington Post, Magwood led the mutiny, seeking to replace Jaczko as NRC Chairman; the scheme failed, however, as Magwood had earned the enmity of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

As reported by Energy Guardian, U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) -- Chair and Member, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which will initiate confirmation hearings in the near future -- have expressed their support for both Obama nominees.

Church Rock: the forgotten nuclear disaster 35 years ago

35 years ago on July 16, likely the worst and certainly most forgotten U.S. nuclear accident happened.

On July 16, 1979, just 14 weeks after the Three Mile Island reactor accident, and just 34 years to the day after the Trinity atomic test, the small community of Church Rock, New Mexico, became the scene of another nuclear tragedy.

Ninety million gallons of liquid radioactive waste, and eleven hundred tons of solid mill wastes, burst through a broken dam wall at the Church Rock uranium mill facility, creating a flood of deadly effluents that permanently contaminated the Rio Puerco river. For more on the disaster at Church Rock and the implications today, read Linda Gunter's 2009 Blog on the Daily Kos, "The best-kept nuclear secret." For more details, see also Killing our Own and Southwest Research and Information Center.

NRC Commissioner Magwood refuses to resign, recuse himself

NRC Commissioner William Magwood IVIn response to a demand made last month by attorneys Diane Curran and Mindy Goldstein on behalf of 34 groups, including Beyond Nuclear, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner (NRC) William Magwood IV (photo, left) has refused to resign from the Commission, and refused to retroactively recuse himself from all votes related to nuclear power safety.

The environmental coalition has argued that, over the past many months, Magwood's application, and acceptance of the offer, to become the Director-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris -- a nuclear power promotional institution -- has biased him in his role as a nuclear safety regulator. Magwood has indicated he will leave the NRC in September to begin his new job. But the coalition has demanded his immediate resignation, as well as his recusal on all safety-related votes dating back to his initial bid for the NEA directorship.

On June 25th, attorney Terry Lodge, on behalf of several groups (including Beyond Nuclear) intervening against the proposed Fermi 3 reactor in Michigan, likewise moved for Magwood to recuse himself from the adjudicatory proceeding (see motion, and affidavit). Attorney Wally Taylor of the Sierra Club Nuclear-Free Committee has done the same in a Fort Calhoun, Nebraska NRC proceeding. However, Magwood has also refused to recuse himself in these particular proceedings.

The environmental coalition is preparing its response to Magwood's intransigence.