Nuclear Power Gone Wrong 101: Lochbaum & Gundersen on what happened at Fukushima, and how it could happen here

In a video entitled "Why Fukushima Can Happen Here: What the NRC and Nuclear Industry Don't Want You to Know" posted at the Fairewinds Associates website, nuclear engineers Dave Lochbaum of Union of Concerned Scientists and Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds explain what went wrong at Fukushima Daiichi, then show how similar catastrophes can happen right here in the U.S., not only in General Electric boiling water reactors of the Mark 1 containment design, but in any atomic reactor. The event, sponsored by C-10 and other environmental groups, took place in June 2011 at the Boston Public Library.

"Influx of jellyfish" shut down St. Lucie

This just in:

A daily event report filed by St. Lucie nuclear power plant in Florida to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reveals:

"MANUAL REACTOR TRIP DUE TO RISING CONDENSER BACKPRESSURE"

"On August 22, 2011 at 1513 [hrs. EDT], Unit 1 was manually tripped due to rising condenser backpressure. All CEAs fully inserted into the core. Decay heat removal was initially from main feedwater and steam bypass to the main condenser. The cause of the rising back pressure was an influx of jellyfish into the intake structure, degrading the circulating water system performance...

Unit 2 is in Mode 1, currently at 70 % power. Unit 2 power is being reduced from 100% in response to the influx of jellyfish."

NRC, Entergy reach agreement regarding quality assurance, retaliation against workers for raising safety concerns

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a media release, "NRC ISSUES CONFIRMATORY ORDER TO ENTERGY WITH ACTIONS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL AND EMPLOYEE CONCERNS PROGRAMS." NRC and Entergy Nuclear have reached agreement, through a "neutral mediator," regarding safety significant quality assurance practices, as well as resolving allegations by workers that Entergy retaliates against them for raising safety concerns. NRC refers to this "neutral mediation" as its "Alternative Dispute Resolution process." Why the federal regulatory agency charged with protecting public health, safety, and the environment had to undergo "neutral mediation" with Entergy, rather than simply cracking down on the licensee's safety and workplace violations, is not explained. The agreement applies at 11 atomic reactors owned and operated by Entergy: Arkansas Nuclear One Units 1 and 2, James Fitzpatrick (NY), Grand Gulf (MS), Indian Point Units 2 and 3 (NY), Palisades (MI), Pilgrim (MA), River Bend (LA), Vermont Yankee, and Waterford 3 (LA).

Zombies urge TVA to use their brains and say NO to Bellefonte

Environmental Action Coalition's "Moving Beyond Dirty Energy" division reports that zombies descended on the Tennessee Valley Authority's Chattanooga offices on July 22nd, and again on TVA's Knoxville offices on August 5th, urging TVA's Board of Directors to remove from its August 18th meeting agenda the proposal to revive a "zombie nuke" at Bellefonte nuclear power plant that has been dormant since 1988. In fact, according to nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates, dormant reactors at Bellefonte have been "cannibalized" for spare parts over the years and decades to be used at other TVA nuclear power plants, leaving Bellefonte in a dangerous state of disrepair. "United Against Bellefonte" organizers include: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville, Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment (SOCM), United Mountain Defense, TN Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team (BEST). Chattanooga's Times Free Press has posted a video story about the July 21st protest. There is also a YouTube video from the Knoxville protest rally.

Evidence mounts that earthquake damage doomed reactor to melt down even before tsunami hit

The Independent of the U.K., in an article entitled "The Explosive Truth Behind Fukushima's Meltdown," has reported mounting evidence indicating that earthquake damage in Daiichi Unit 1 was so severe that it was doomed to melt down even before the massive inundation from the tsunami knocked out emergency diesel generators, cutting off electricity to run vital cooling water pumps. The article reports: 

"This means that assurances from the industry in Japan and overseas that the reactors were robust is now blown apart," said Shaun Burnie, an independent nuclear waste consultant who works with Greenpeace. "It raises fundamental questions on all reactors in high seismic risk areas."

As Mr Burnie points out, Tepco also admitted massive fuel melt 16 hours after loss of coolant, and seven or eight hours before the explosion in Unit One. "Since they must have known all this, their decision to flood with massive water volumes would guarantee massive additional contamination – including leaks to the ocean."