Anti-nuke march in shadows of Point Beach and Kewaunee to commemorate Chernobyl's 25th amidst Fukushima catastrophe

As local Fox t.v. reports, on April 23rd Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear joined Nukewatch of Wisconsin and other Badger State allies for a seven mile march from Kewaunee nuclear power plant, down the Lake Michigan shoreline, to the Point Beach nuclear power plant to mark Chernobyl's 25th anniversary amidst the on-going Fukushima nuclear catastrophe. In recent years, the two reactors at Point Beach represented a majority of the "red findings" issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- the agency's highest safety violation -- amongst the entire 104 reactor U.S. fleet. Similarly, Kewaunee had a majority of the NRC's "yellow findings," the second highest safety violation, more than the rest of the industry's 104 operating reactors combined. Kamps called for solar, wind, and efficiency to replace the three reactors, on the edge of the Great Lakes, 20% of the world's surface fresh water, drinking water supply to 40 million people in the U.S., Canada, and a large number of Native American and First Nations communities.

36 years later, Browns Ferry still at risk of fire

Susan Stranahan at iWatch News has reported that nearly four decades after an accidental fire nearly led to a reactor disaster at Browns Ferry Unit 1 atomic reactor in Alabama, and despite U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission fire safety regulations adopted in its aftermath, Browns Ferry remains vulnerable to catastrophic accidents initiated by fires.

Congressional foes of Indian Point lead NRC Chairman on tour

CNN has reported that Democratic U.S. Representatives Nita Lowey and Elliot Engel of New York State took U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Greg Jaczko on a tour of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant near New York City, listing for him the numerous concerns they have and calling for the atomic reactors' permanent shutdown.

Risk of natural gas pipeline disaster at Indian Point

Susan Stranahan at iWatch News has reported on the risks posed by two high pressure natural gas pipelines that pass just 600 feet from the Indian Point Unit 3 atomic reactor containment building and its vulnerable control room, needed for safely shutting down and cooling a reactor during an emergency.

Entergy Nuclear & NRC break safety promises at Palisades atomic reactor

Beyond Nuclear, in alliance with Don't Waste Michigan, has issued a media release accusing Entergy Nuclear of indefinitely postponing multiple, vital safety repairs -- and NRC of letting them get away with it. The 44 year old atomic reactor, which just began its NRC-approved 20 year license extension on March 24th, needs its reactor lid replaced, its steam generators replaced, its emergency sumps upgraded, and its fire protection regulations upgraded. In addition, Palisades' high-level radioactive waste dry cask storage -- just 100 yards from the water of Lake Michigan -- remains vulnerable to earthquakes; Palisades' indoor pool, storing many hundreds of tons of high-level radioactive waste, remains vulnerable to disruptions of the primary electric grid, as it lacks any backup power. Any one of these risks could lead to Chernobyl- or Fukushima-scale radioactivity releases in the heart of the Great Lakes, source of drinking water for 40 million people in the U.S., Canada, and many Native American First Nations.  (In the photo above, Mike Keegan, Alice Hirt, and Kevin Kamps of Don't Waste Michigan's board of director speak out against the reactor and radioactive waste risks at Palisades during the Aug. 2000 Nuclear-Free Great Lakes Action Camp; Palisades' cooling tower steam is visible in the background; the crosses bear the names of surrounding downwind communities that could be ruined in the event of a catastrophic radioactivity release).