Beyond Nuclear discusses high-level radioactive waste storage pool risks on Thom Hartmann's "The Big Picture"

On June 9, 2016, Thom Hartmann, host of "The Big Picture" on RT, interviewed Beyond Nuclear's Radioactive Waste Watchdog, Kevin Kamps, regarding a Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) spokesman's admission that the 200 metric tons in each of three melted atomic reactors (for a total of 600 metric tons) is simply still missing, more than five years into the ongoing nuclear catastrophe.

Kevin talks about the risks associated with 22 identically designed General Electric Mark I Boiling Water Reactors still operating in the U.S., as well as the 8 additional Mark IIs of very similar design.

Kevin also shares the revelation from a recent U.S. National Academies of Sciences report, that a high-level radioactive waste storage pool fire at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 was very narrowly averted in March-April 2011, by sheer luck. A gate between the pool, and the adjacent water-filled reactor cavity, failed for some still unexplained reason. The flood of water prevented the pool from boiling or evaporating dry to the tops of the irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies, which then would have quickly reached ignition temperature, releasing up to ten times the radioactive Cesium-137 that got out during the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe.

Listen to the full interview, from the 44:30 minute mark to the 49:30 minute mark of the program.

Beyond Nuclear response to U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel ruling in NY v. NRC II, the Nuclear Waste Confidence Lawsuit

Media Statement by Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear’s Radioactive Waste Watchdog, in Response to U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Panel Ruling in New York v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission II,

the Nuclear Waste Confidence Lawsuit:

“We are sorely disappointed by Friday’s ruling. The court did not seem to understand the very sound and forceful arguments our coalition of environmental organizations was making.

Our lawyers are reviewing Friday’s decision. We have options for moving ahead, and we expect a recommendation from our lawyers shortly about next steps. 

Suffice it for now to say, we will continue our efforts to demand the government address the very serious environmental risks posed by atomic reactor operation and highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel generation. More.