“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 19, 2024

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This photo taken on September 11, 2022 shows a general view of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. STRINGER / AFP

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Monday, (08/19/2024)

So, are we already seeing a growing, more serious, nuclear war in the making? I have long contended that the constant attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine over the past couple of years is proof that nuclear power plants are easily used as nuclear weapons. And now we have the Russian nuclear power plant in Kursk also involved in attacks by Ukraine combatants. This is an alarming and extremely dangerous situation, and it could very easily get worse quickly. And it should be a dramatic lesson to us all.

This is what International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi had to say about the vulnerability of nuclear power plants suffering direct military attacks: “Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, and neither are they supposed to, just as with any other energy facility in the world. This latest attack highlights the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones and the need to continue monitoring the fragile situation.” (Read the article just below for more.)

To me, that means nuclear power plants can, if they’re not already, being used as weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and if such a menace can exist in the Russian/Ukraine war, it can happen anywhere in the world where nuclear power plants exist, and, yes, the United States leads the world in the number of operating nuclear power plants. Canada also has a large collection of nuclear power plants along the Eastern seaboard just north of the USA. These two nations are simply sitting ducks for nuclear warfare to radiate the entire central and eastern population in both countries.

In the early stages of her recent book, “Nuclear War: A Scenario”, Annie Jacobsen, in her alarming well-researched book describes how a nuclear power plant can easily be used as a WMD out of the blue, in just one shocking instant and, in a short time more, destroy a huge part of California. She creates a scenario of North Korea dropping a nuclear bomb on the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, owned by the infamous Pacific Gas & Electric utility (PG&E), the last commercially operating nuclear power plant in California. The scenario shows how chaos and death arrive virtually instantly in Southern California, also affecting downwind States to the west. Just one nuclear bomb can kill millions of people and other life in a matter of minutes and a few hours.

And yet we are anxious to quickly build more of these nuclear power plants, that are, in reality, vulnerable sitting ducks — waiting to be transformed into nuclear bombs that, as Mr. Grossi describes above, cannot withstand a military attack, much less a nuclear one, What on Earth are we thinking? ~llaw

IAEA urges ‘maximum restraint from all sides’ at Zaporizhzhia

19 August 2024

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warns that the nuclear safety situation is deteriorating after a drone strike on a road near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s perimeter.

(Image: ZNPP/Telegram)

The IAEA team stationed at the Zaporizhzhia plant (ZNPP) was informed on Saturday that an explosive carried by a drone detonated just outside the plant’s protected area, close to the cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 metres from the Dniprovska power line, which is the only remaining 750 kilovolt line providing external power supply to ZNPP.

“The team immediately visited the area (see picture above) and reported that the damage seemed to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive payload. There were no casualties and no impact on any NPP equipment. However, there was impact to the road between the two main gates of ZNPP,” the IAEA update said.

There has also been “intense” military activity close to the plant over the past week, the IAEA team reports. Recent days have seen a fire in one of the cooling towers and damage to a power and water substation in nearby Energodar, where many of the nuclear power plant workers and their families live.

Grossi said: “Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers … I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant.”

He added: “Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, and neither are they supposed to, just as with any other energy facility in the world. This latest attack highlights the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones and the need to continue monitoring the fragile situation.”

The six-unit ZNPP, Europe’s largest, has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. It is close to the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Kursk nuclear power plant

Grossi reported that he had held talks at the weekend about the safety and security situation at Zaporizhzhia and also “recent events in the territory of the Russian Federation, including the proximity of military action to an important and operating nuclear power plant”.

The Director General of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said that during talks with Grossi he had invited the IAEA’s head to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant. The IAEA statement said “Director General Grossi has expressed his readiness to assess the situation, including by making a visit to the plant”.

Ukraine and Russia each accuse the other side of putting nuclear safety at risk and breaching the IAEA’s central safety principles for nuclear facilities. Grossi explained at the United Nations in April that the IAEA would not attribute blame without “indisputable proof” and said the agency aims to “keep the information as accurate as we can and we do not trade into speculating”.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Monday, (08/19/2024)

Nuclear Power

NEWS

IAEA urges ‘maximum restraint from all sides’ at Zaporizhzhia – World Nuclear News

World Nuclear News

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warns that the nuclear safety situation is deteriorating after a drone …

Nuclear power will be procured at pace and scale country can afford, says Ramokgopa

Energy Central

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has reiterated that government will procure nuclear power at a pace and scale the country …

Safety at Ukraine Nuclear Plant Deteriorates After Nearby Blast: IAEA – Kyiv Post

Kyiv Post

Russian occupying management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant claimed a Ukraine drone dropped an explosive charge on a road used by staff, …

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

UN watchdog IAEA ‘extremely concerned’ about safety at Russia-controlled nuclear power …

The Hill

GMT], the Ukrainian drone dropped a shell on the road that runs along the power units outside the perimeter. Personnel use this road all the time. No …

Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day: Americas – Bloomberg

Bloomberg

Good morning. Stocks are poised for a muted open as focus turns to the Federal Reserve, with clues as to its monetary policy expected at the end …

Nuclear War

NEWS

North Korea Warns US of ‘Prelude’ to Nuclear War – Newsweek

Newsweek

North Korea has criticized the “provocative joint military exercises” of the U.S. and South Korea, warning that these could lead to military …

Putin Ally Set To Attack Ukraine From Behind As Kursk Revenge? Big Move By Russian … – YouTube

YouTube

… war #russiansoldiers #war #ukraineRussia #ukraineRussiaconflict … Big Move By Russian Nuclear Bomb Host. 5.1K views · 1 hour ago #kursk …

North Korea calls allies’ latest joint military drills a ‘prelude to a nuclear war‘

Stars and Stripes

… -scale military exercise that kicked off Monday, likening it to a “beheading operation” against Pyongyang and a “prelude to a nuclear war.”

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Algeria Provides Emergency Fuel Aid to Lebanon | OilPrice.com

Oil Price

Algeria began supplying fuel oil to Lebanon to restart its power plants and restore electricity after a complete blackout caused by a severe fuel …

PSPA Emergency Declaration Declared At Hervey Bay – Mirage News

Mirage News

PSPA Emergency Declaration Declared At Hervey Bay. Police have … Iran Lacks Domestic Uranium for Nuclear Power: New Signs. 20 Aug 2024 1 …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

North Korea Warns US of ‘Prelude’ to Nuclear War – Newsweek

Newsweek

… threats posed by North Korea. Sign up for Newsletter Newsletter. The Bulletin. Your Morning Starts Here. Begin your day with a curated outlook of top …

US and South Korea begin joint military drills as North Korea accuses them of invasion rehearsal

NY1

… nuclear attack scenarios. The U.S. military has not confirmed the … threats of nuclear conflicts against Washington and Seoul. Earlier this …

South Korea, US kick off annual drills over North’s military, cyber threats

Yahoo News Canada

Pyongyang has long denounced the allies for stoking tensions with military drills, calling them rehearsals for a nuclear war. … threats of nuclear …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 18, 2024

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The war in Israel (Shutterstock)

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Sunday, (08/18/2024)

I don’t believe there is such a thing as a “nuclear regional war”, because any war that includes nuclear weapons, no matter how regional, will be joined by major nuclear armed countries. For instance the U.S. would join Israel if nuclear arms were used in the Palestinians could be aided by several countries, including Iran (if they successfully build their intended nuclear arsenal) and even North Korea, which would make such a regional war an immediate international war which would become WWIII.

But I have purposely avoided posting the Middle East war situation here until now, hoping that Israel would come to its senses, but when I read that Israeli leader Netanyahu wants a “larger war”, I was forced to change my mind. This article, which points out all the factions and discuses the possibilities of the future, seems like a logical place to begin . . . ~llaw

Still overlooked connections: Israel, “Palestine” and regional nuclear war

A “Two-State Solution” would enlarge not “only” the jihadist terror threat to Israel (conventional and unconventional), but also prospects for major regional war. In these existential security matters, Israel doesn’t need more common sense. It needs disciplined and dialectical thought. Opinion.

Prof. Louis René Beres

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  Aug 18, 2024, 1:07 PM (GMT+3

North Korea nuclear threatIsraeli Nuclear ProgramPakistani Nuclear ThreatNuclear WarProf. Louis René Beres

The war in IsraelShutterstock

Though significant, connections between Palestinian Arab statehood and nuclear war remain generally ignored. For Israel, the seemingly discrete perils of war with Iran and Palestinian Arab statehood are potentially intertwined and mutually reinforcing. This means that continuing to treat these issues as separate security problems could represent an especially grievous policy error.

There are variously clarifying particulars. Once established, a Palestinian state could tilt the balance of power between Israel and Iran. For the moment, there is no law-based Palestinian state (i.e., no Palestinian Arab satisfaction of authoritative requirements delineated at the Montevideo Convention of 1934). But if there should sometime come a point where Palestinian statehood and a direct war with Iran would coincide, the effects could prove determinative. In a worst case scenario, the acceleration of competitive risk-taking in the region would enlarge the risks of unconventional warfare.

For the moment, any direct war between Israel and Iran would be fought without any “Palestine variable.” Ironically, however, one more-or-less plausible outcome of such a war would be more pressure on Israel to accept yet another enemy state. To be sure, Iran’s leaders are unconcerned about Palestinian Arab well-being per se, but even a continuously faux commitment to Palestinian statehood would strengthen their overall power position.

Additionally, any formal creation of “Palestine” would be viewed in Tehran as a favorable development regarding wars fought against Israel. While nothing scientifically meaningful can be said about an unprecedented scenario (in logic and mathematics, true probabilities must always be based upon the determinable frequency of pertinent past events), there are persuasive reasons to expect that “Palestine” would become a reliably belligerent proxy of Iran.

A “Two-State Solution” would enlarge not “only” the jihadist terror threat to Israel (conventional and unconventional), but also prospects for major regional war. Even if such a war were fought while Iran was still pre-nuclear, it could still use radiation dispersal weapons or electromagnetic pulse weapons (EMP) against Israel and/or target the Dimona nuclear reactor with conventional rockets. In a worst case scenario, Iran’s already nuclear North Korean ally would act in direct belligerency against the Jewish State.

In these complex strategic assessments, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations ought never be confined to “general principles.” Rather, variously specific issues will need to be addressed head-on: borders; Jerusalem; relations between Gaza and the “West Bank;” the Cairo Declaration of June 1974 (an annihilationist “phased plan”); the Arab “right of return” and cancellation of the “Palestine National Charter” (which still calls unambiguously and unapologetically for the eradication of Israel “in stages”).

Not to be overlooked by any means, any justice-based plan would need to acknowledge the historical and legal rights of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria. Such an acknowledgment would represent an indispensable corrective to lawless Hamas claims of “resistance by any means necessary” and to genocidal Palestinian calls for “liberating” all territories “from the river to the sea.” On its face, the unhidden Palestinian Arab expectation is that Israel would become part of “Palestine”. But this ought not to come as any surprise. All Islamist/Jihadist populations already regard Israel as “occupied Palestine.”

“Everything is very simple in war,” warns classical Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz in On War, “but the simplest thing is still very difficult.” American presidents have always insisted that regional peace be predicated on Arab recognition of the Jewish people’s right to security in their own sovereign nation- state.

Concurrently, most Arab leaders in the Middle East secretly hope for a decisive Israeli victory over Hamas in Gaza and over Hezbollah in Lebanon. For these leaders, Hamas represents a foreseeably unmanageable scion of the Egyptian “Moslem Brotherhood” and Hezbollah a terror-surrogate of Shiite and non-Arab “Persia.”

What about North Korea and future Middle Eastern war? Pyongyang has a documented history of active support for Iran and Syria. Regarding ties with Damascus, it was Kim Jung Un who built the Al Kibar nuclear reactor for the Syrians at Deir al-Zor. This is the same facility that was preemptively destroyed by Israel in its “Operation Orchard” (also known in certain Israeli circles as “Operation Outside the Box”) on September 6, 2007.

For Israel, nuclear weapons, doctrine and strategy will remain essential to national survival. In this connection, the country’s traditional policy of “deliberate nuclear ambiguity” or “bomb in the basement” should promptly be updated. The key objective of such dramatic changes would be more credible Israeli nuclear deterrence, a goal that will correlate closely with “selective nuclear disclosure.” Despite being counter-intuitive, Iran will need to become convinced that Israel’s nuclear arms are not too destructive for purposeful operational use. Here, in an arguably supreme irony, the credibility of Israel’s nuclear deterrent could vary inversely with its presumed destructiveness.

In order for Israel to construct theory-based nuclear policies, not policies that are merely visceral, ad hoc or “seat-of-the-pants” creations, Iran should be considered a rational foe. It remains conceivable that Iran would sometime act irrationally, perhaps in alliance with other more-or-less rational states (e.g., Syria, North Korea) or with kindred terror groups (e.g., Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Houthi).

In any event, such altogether realistic prospects should never be dealt with in Washington or Jerusalem as matters of “common sense.” In existential security matters, Israel doesn’t need more common sense. It needs disciplined and dialectical thought.

What about non-Arab Pakistan? Unless Jerusalem were to consider Pakistan a genuine enemy, Israel has no present-day nuclear foes. Still, as an unstable Islamic state, Pakistan is subject to coup d’état by assorted Jihadist elements and is closely aligned with Saudi Arabia. At some point, the Sunni Saudi kingdom could decide to “go nuclear” itself, in large part because of Iran’s “Shiite” nuclear program.

Would such a decision by Riyadh represent a net gain or net loss for Israel?

It’s not too soon to ask this question.

For Israeli nuclear deterrence to work longer-term, Iran will need to be told more rather than less about Israel’s nuclear targeting doctrine and about the invulnerability of Israel’s nuclear forces/infrastructures. In concert with such changes, Jerusalem will also need to clarify its still opaque “Samson Option.” The point of such clarifications would not be to suggest Israel’s willingness to “die with the Philistines,” but to enhance the “high destruction” pole of its nuclear deterrence continuum.

If the next US president maintains America’s support of Palestinian statehood,[1] Iran will more likely consider certain direct conflict options vis-à-vis Israel. At some point in these considerations, Israel could need to direct explicit nuclear threats (counter-value and/or counter-force) toward the Islamic Republic. As policy, this posture could represent a “point of no return.”

For Israel, the unprecedented risks of Palestinian statehood could prove irreversible and irremediable. These risks would likely be enlarged if they had to be faced concurrent with an Israel-Iran war. It follows that Jerusalem’s core security obligation should be to keep Iran non–nuclear and to simultaneously prevent Palestinian statehood. From the standpoint of authoritative international law, meeting this two-part obligation would be in the combined interests of counter-terrorism, nuclear war-avoidance and genocide prevention. Prime facie, meeting this overriding obligation would be in the interests of regional and global justice.

LOUIS RENÉ BERES was educated at Princeton (Ph.D., 1971) and is Professor (Emer.) of International Law at Purdue. Born in Zürich at the end of World War II, he writes extensively on world politics, law, literature and philosophy and is a member of the Oxford University Press Editorial Advisory Board for the annual Yearbook on International Law and Jurisprudence. He is also a six-times contributor to this publication, including lead articles, and has been published at Horasis (Zurich); Jurist; Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; global-e (U. of California); Yale Global Online; Harvard National Security Journal (Harvard Law School); International Security (Harvard); World Politics (Princeton); The Atlantic; The New York Times; Israel National News; US News & World Report; Air-Space Operations Review (USAF); The Brown Journal of World Affairs; Parameters: Journal of the U.S. Army War College; Modern War Institute (Pentagon); The War Room (Pentagon); BESA Perspectives (Israel); INSS (Israel); Israel Defense (Israel); The Hudson Review (New York) and others. His twelfth book, Surviving Amid Chaos: Israel’s Nuclear Strategy, was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2016 (2nd. ed., 2018)

[1] Supporters of a Palestinian state often argue that its prospective harms to Israel could be reduced or eliminated by expecting the new Arab state’s original “demilitarization.” For informed legal and diplomatic reasoning against this argument, see: Louis René Beres and (Ambassador) Zalman Shoval, “Why a Demilitarized Palestinian State Would Not Remain Demilitarized: A View Under International Law,” Temple International and Comparative Law Journal, Winter 1998, pp. 347-363; and Louis René Beres and Ambassador Shoval, “On Demilitarizing a Palestinian `Entity’ and the Golan Heights: An International Law Perspective,” Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Vo. 28., No.5., November 1995, pp. 959-972.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Sunday, (08/17/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Paying MORE Tax The Only Way To Simplify Taxation? | Moneynomics | Vivek Kaul | Neil Borate

YouTube

… all things budget, taxation, indexation… and all others kinds of … Why I changed my mind about nuclear power | Michael Shellenberger | TEDxBerlin.

Ukraine war latest: Safety ‘deteriorating’ at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after drone strike

Sky News

“I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles …

Opinion: Special interests are pushing a dangerous new nuclear missile – The Portland Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald

The Pentagon is in the midst of an enormously expensive program aimed at building a new generation of nuclear-armed missiles, …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

How likely is it that nuclear power plants will be hit in Ukraine, Russia? | DW News

YouTube

The Ukrainian airforce says they have struck and destroyed another bridge in Russia’s Kursk region – as they seek to disrupt Moscow’s combat …

Military experts suggest Iran may declare itself a nuclear power by year’s end | Fox News

Fox News

The move to declare itself a nuclear power would provide Iran protection at certain levels but ultimately does not create invincibility from any …

A New Era for Nuclear Power in the U.S. | OilPrice.com

Oil Price

… nuclear plants and the development of small modular reactors. Nuclear. The U.S. Palisades Power Plant could become the first nuclear plant to …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Safety at Russian-Occupied Nuclear Plant Worsens After Drone Strike – BNN Bloomberg

BNN Bloomberg

… emergencies ministry. Ukrainian forces also attacked a fuel depot in Russia’s Rostov region overnight in a joint operation by military …

Zambia Weighs Emergency Power Price Hike as Crunch Deepens – Energy Connects

Energy Connects

Zambia Weighs Emergency Power Price Hike as Crunch Deepens. By Bloomberg. Aug … Nuclear energy poised for its global moment. Dr Sama 1920X1080 …

Flight attendant turned author reveals her top emergency safety tips – Daily Mail

Daily Mail

Her latest novel, Worst Case Scenario, looks at exactly that, with an airplane crashing into a nuclear power plant. But the Phoenix-based writer …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Ukraine war latest: Safety ‘deteriorating’ at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after drone strike

Sky News

Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear facility in Europe and has been occupied by Russian soldiers since the early stages of its war with Ukraine.

Still overlooked connections: Israel, “Palestine” and regional nuclear war | Israel National News

Arutz Sheva

Though significant, connections between Palestinian Arab statehood and nuclear war remain generally ignored. For Israel, the seemingly discrete …

Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia nuclear safety deteriorating, says IAEA – BBC

BBC

The plant was seized by Russia’s forces early in the war and has come under repeated attacks which both sides have blamed the other for. ‘Russians are …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Still overlooked connections: Israel, “Palestine” and regional nuclear war

Arutz Sheva

North Korea nuclear threatIsraeli Nuclear ProgramPakistani Nuclear ThreatNuclear WarProf. … nuclear threats (counter-value and/or counter-force) …

Clarifying Strategic Risks: Scenarios of an Israel-Iran War – Modern Diplomacy

Modern Diplomacy

Clarifying Strategic Risks: Scenarios of an Israel-Iran War … Iran continues to taunt Israel with threats of annihilation. But such threats have no …

“As The Only Victim…” China Pans Japan For “Not Learning From History” After Nuclear …

YouTube

… nuclear threats and regional tensions. Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang denounced their actions as Cold War thinking and warned that the US .

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Surprise Yellowstone geyser eruption highlights little known hazard at popular park

The Daily Gazette

Yellowstone encompasses the caldera of a huge, slumbering volcano that shows no sign of erupting any time soon but provides the heat for the …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 17, 2024

1

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Radiant Industries’ Kaleidos microreactor is designed to fit inside a shipping container.

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Saturday, (08/17/2024)

This dream is a nightmare waiting to happen, but the story is well prepared and thorough in it presentation from Freethink, but overly optimistic. I am not going to comment in detail on the article’s content until I have had time to study the graphics and the implied grandeur of the future of nuclear power only if we are indifferent and ignorant enough to lower our safety standards and management controls and related limitations on the most dangerous product ever devised on planet Earth.

That alone is enough to say that such a nuclear engineered world is far too complicated, expensive, limited, and life-threatening for humanity to control ‘all things nuclear’ from the most basic of applications upward to the most complicated nuclear weapons and nuclear power production. We are utter fools to think otherwise. ~llaw

America’s plan to resurrect nuclear power

The US is investing billions of dollars into nuclear. Will it pay off?

By Kristin Houser

August 17, 2024

It’s 2035, and the US just reached its goal of 100% clean electricity. How did we do it? While solar, wind, and other renewables generate the majority of the nation’s electricity, we’d still be relying at least partially on fossil fuels — if not for a recent increase in clean nuclear power. 

America’s nuclear future

It’s been 85 years since scientists first split a uranium atom, and today, the energy released by that process — nuclear fission — is generating about 20% of the United States’ electricity.

Because nuclear power doesn’t produce carbon emissions and is more dependable than solar and wind power, many see it as a key weapon in the battle against climate change, but rather than increasing, the number of reactors in the US has been declining in recent decades.

To find out what can be done to reverse this trend, let’s look at America’s history with nuclear power and the ideas that could help us reach net-zero as soon as possible.

Where we’ve been  

Where we’re going (maybe)

The US is at a crossroads in its nuclear power journey.

Since the 1990s, the country has been relying on nuclear power to generate about 20% of its electricity, but its nuclear fleet is getting old — the average lifespan of a reactor is 20-40 years, and the average age of operating US reactors is 42 years.

Right now, older reactors are being decommissioned much faster than new ones are being built — in fact, there is only one new reactor under construction in the US today. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) now forecasts that nuclear power would provide just 13% of electricity in 2050. 

But to reach the Biden administration’s goal of a 100% clean electricity sector by 2035, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory predicts we may need to increase nuclear capacity to the point that it can meet 27% of our electricity demand. Combine this with suddenly surging electricity demand, after decades with little growth, and the US is going to need a lot more clean energy.

So, what can be done to increase the amount of nuclear power in the US?

Reduce red tape

Normally, the more times you do something, the better you get at it — you become more efficient and learn to avoid mistakes that might have tripped you up as a beginner. But the US has had the opposite experience with building nuclear power plants. 

If you started building a new reactor in the mid-1960s, the “overnight cost” (the cost not including any interest on financing) would likely be between $1000-1500/kW, but if you started in 1970s, you’d be paying $3000-$6000/kW (all in 2010 dollars). 

The only reactors that have started construction since — the Vogtle reactors 3 and 4 that just went online in Georgia — had an overnight cost of $7000/kW (in 2010 dollars) and took seven years longer than planned to build.

There isn’t one single reason for this decreasing efficiency, but constantly evolving regulations are a major contributor — they can force builders to make changes to previously approved designs, even to plants currently under construction, increasing labor costs and delaying construction timelines.

Building a new nuclear reactor is already a lengthy, multi-billion dollar undertaking. Add in the potential for regulatory issues to extend timelines and increase costs, and it’s not hard to understand why developers are hesitant to get involved in nuclear.

In an attempt to make the investment less risky, Congress passed and President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which includes investment tax credits of up to 50% for new nuclear reactors. In 2024, it followed that up with the ​​ADVANCE Act, a bill designed to make it easier to build and deploy new reactors in the US.

In addition to instructing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the chief nuclear regulator in the US, to reduce certain licensing fees and cut down on review times, the ADVANCE Act also updates the NRC’s mission statement to include that it will not “unnecessarily limit the…deployment of nuclear energy.”

Critics argue that the new law will make nuclear power less safe, but proponents like Ted Nordhaus, founder and executive director of the Breakthrough Institute, a research center that promotes technological solutions to environmental challenges, disagrees.

“For decades, the NRC has tried to regulate to make risk from nuclear energy as close to zero as possible, but has failed to consider the cost to the environment, public health, energy security, or prosperity of not building and operating nuclear energy plants,” Nordhaus said in a statement. “This reduces rather than improves public health and safety.”

“But with passage of the ADVANCE bill,” he continued, “Congress is telling the regulators that public benefits are and have always been part of their mission.”

Encourage innovation

The ADVANCE Act is also designed to help get new kinds of nuclear reactors licensed — this could include reactors with unique cooling systems, like TerraPower’s sodium-cooled Natrium reactor, as well as small modular reactors (SMR) and microreactors.

As you’d expect from the names, SMRs and microreactors are smaller than the huge reactors mostly in use at current nuclear plants, which means they don’t generate as much electricity. 

However, their smaller size means they can be deployed in more locations — such as near power-hungry data centers, or as a complement to wind and solar farms — and multiple reactors can be added to a single site to scale up output to whatever is required.

SMRs and microreactors generally have simpler designs with safety characteristics that make them less likely to meltdown, and because they can (theoretically) be built on assembly lines in factories — rather than constructed on site like larger reactors — they have the potential to be cheaper and faster to deploy, too.

Radiant Industries’ Kaleidos microreactor is designed to fit inside a shipping container.

Potential, but not proven. The NRC has already approved one SMR, but its developer, NuScale Power, canceled its first planned project after the construction budget exploded from $5.3 billion to $9.3 billion. That was even more expensive, per kW, than the Vogtle reactors, which themselves took twice as long and cost twice as much as originally planned.

It’s not clear whether NuScale’s situation is a sign that SMRs aren’t going to be as cheap as hoped or an example of the kinds of growing pains that can be alleviated with more experience. The ADVANCE Act could help us find out by getting more SMR and microreactor developers licensed to deploy their tech.

The DoE’s recently announced plan to provide up to $900 million in funding to SMR developers could help get help, too, as could its Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), which has issued $160 million in funding to get innovative reactors — including one being developed by TerraPower — up and running.

Address public concerns

Red tape and financial risks aren’t the only roadblocks to deploying more nuclear power in the US. While a slight majority of Americans support adding more nuclear power plants to the US electric grid, many who are opposed are staunchly against it, and that opposition can make it harder to build new plants or keep existing ones from closing.

People cite a lot of different reasons for opposing nuclear power, too. 

Some are concerned that reactors will cause harm to people or the environment, from accidents or terrorist attacks. Others see the radioactive waste from reactors as a potential health threat or believe that living near or working at a plant is enough to cause health problems.

The potential for bad actors to use the materials needed to fuel nuclear power plants to make weapons is another concern, and even people who aren’t entirely against nuclear power may protest increasing the US’s reliance on it on the grounds that solar and wind are better options.

These concerns aren’t entirely unfounded — people have sometimes died due to accidents at nuclear power plants, and some recent research suggests that working at one may slightly increase a person’s risk of dying from a solid tumor. 

However, there’s no evidence that simply living near a nuclear power plant in the US is harmful, and some newer reactor designs are essentially meltdown-proof.

Moreover, no form of electricity production is entirely without health risks. Compared to the death rates from other kinds of power, like coal and gas — widely used with minimal protest today, despite their role in climate change — nuclear is actually one of the safest forms of power.

Nuclear waste is also often misunderstood. 

Rather than being some green ooze with the potential to leak into our water and create three-eyed fish, spent nuclear fuel is solid, and reactors aren’t producing mountains of the stuff — according to the DoE, all of the waste generated since the invention of nuclear power “could fit on a single football field at a depth of less than 10 yards.”

Right now, nuclear waste is stored on site at power plants in steel and concrete casks that pose no threat to human health. The US does lack a national plan for the permanent storage of its waste, though, and the consensus among experts is that we should eventually store it deep underground.

“When it’s on the surface, it’s dependent on a government that’s going to continue to exist to protect it for 100, 200, 300 years,” Elizabeth Muller, cofounder of nuclear waste disposal startup Deep Isolation, told Freethink. “Whereas when it’s deep underground, you don’t need those sort of human mechanisms to keep us all safe.”

Deep Isolation proposes using directional drilling techniques, developed by the oil industry, to create deep boreholes in rock. These could be created in more places, eliminating the need to transport waste to a single large repository designed to store the entire nation’s waste. 

Whether the US decides to pursue something like Deep Isolation’s storage solution or not is TBD, but it is working to alleviate public concerns about nuclear power and nuclear waste.

In 2022, the DoE invested $800,000 into a program focused on community outreach and education surrounding nuclear power, and in 2023, it awarded $26 million in funding to groups that will engage with people in communities being considered for new nuclear waste storage sites.

“This funding will help DoE learn from and involve communities across the country in the consent-based siting process, answer questions and concerns, and develop an understanding so that we are good neighbors even before moving in,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

Ultimately, our electricity demand is increasing, and until we see some breakthroughs in battery tech, solar and wind likely won’t be affordable and dependable enough to support the grid by themselves. Nuclear power isn’t perfect, but the risks it poses to human health and the environment pale in comparison to those we face if we continue to burn fossil fuels.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Saturday, (08/17/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Where does nuclear waste go? An important question as Indiana welcomes small reactors

Lakeshore Public Media

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM Marketplace. 0:00. 0:00. All Things … Dry casks sit at the site of the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in …

Where does nuclear waste go? An important question as Indiana welcomes small reactors

WFYI

Hoosier Democrats, Republicans and insiders talk candidly about issues, the Indiana Statehouse and everything in between on Indiana Week In Review …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Russia says Ukraine planning Kursk nuclear plant ‘provocation’ – Reuters

Reuters

Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of planning to attack a nuclear plant in the Kursk region that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s troops have …

America’s plan to resurrect nuclear power – Freethink

Freethink

To increase its supply of clean nuclear power, the US government is cutting licensing fees, rewarding reactor innovation, and more.

Russia accuses Ukraine of bombing road near Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant | Reuters

Reuters

The Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant said on Saturday a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive charge on a road outside …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Boost Your Emergency Preparedness with Chester County’s Resources and Events

MyChesCo

… emergency responders, enhancing communication and response during emergencies. … Nuclear power plant · Chester County Offers Free Potassium Iodide …

Origin and AGL data reveals more Australians struggling to pay soaring power bills

The Chronicle

New data reveals a worrying increase in the number of Aussie households forced to take emergency action as they struggle to pay soaring power …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Dirty Nuclear Attack On Russia By Ukraine: Kyiv to target Nuclear Waste Sites – YouTube

YouTube

Russian sources claim Ukraine is planning a “nuclear false flag” attack on power plant waste storage sites using radioactive warheads.

China Responds to Donald Trump’s Nuclear Weapons Claim – Newsweek

Newsweek

Hamas Says Netanyahu Wants an Even Bigger War, Not a Ceasefire · US Fighting ‘Four Cold Wars‘ at the Same Time—Iran Expert. newsweek logo · U.S.World …

Russia says Ukraine planning Kursk nuclear plant ‘provocation’ – Reuters

Reuters

Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of planning to attack a nuclear plant in the Kursk region that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s troops have …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

PODCAST: Iran and Israel playing ‘chicken’ amid ratcheting nuclear threat

iranintl.com

PODCAST: Iran and Israel playing ‘chicken’ amid ratcheting nuclear threat. in 34 minutes. Iran and Israel are on a knife edge of all-out war, amid a …

Kursk attack will force Russia to negotiate, says Zelensky aide – BBC News

BBC

The Russians have consistently made threats about nuclear weapons. The Ukrainians would argue with some force that they have called Russia’s bluff …

Kursk incursion exposes Putin’s nuclear threats as baseless | Philip Ingram – YouTube

YouTube

Kursk incursion exposes Putin’s nuclear threats as baseless | Philip Ingram. 433 views · 6 minutes ago Frontline | The War in Ukraine and Global ..

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 16, 2024

1

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Friday, (08/16/2024)

Okay, regarding the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant just southwest of San Luis Obispo, California, highlighted in yesterday’s “All Things Nuclear” issues and comments, here is the other side of that argument from Diablo Canyon’s own vice president of business and technical services, Maureen Zawalick, coupled with a re-post, in case you didn’t read it yesterday, by the Associated Press correspondent, Michael Blood’s opinion.

Please note that neither writer seriously considers or notes the grave danger to humanity that all nuclear power plants present to our health, safety, and environment. Ms. Zawalick mentions the existing tons of greenhouse gasses that fossil fuel plants in California, and compares that, a bit dishonestly, to such ‘zero’ emissions from Diablo Canyon, yet she completely fails to mention the nuclear waste and the other threatening nuclear power plant potential disasters that could occur over the sadly approved 5-year extended life of the nuclear power plant, including radiation leaks from the plant’s old age, which is why it was regulated to shut down next year. Such an attitude is like playing with fire that could easily get out of control.

But the big issue from both opinions is based, as usual, on money — financial disagreements — as the sole questionable impact on the State of California. This scheduled shutdown, though, is really not even about saving money, nor is it about the 9% that Diablo Canyon produces in electricity for the State. It is about human and other lives against the odds of continuing to operate the nuclear plant or shutting it down as scheduled.

California knows very well the sad truth about out-of-control forest fires, but playing against the odds of a nuclear disaster could be far more deadly than the loss of life and environmental damage of forest fires, and though they are tragic unto themselves, they can’t hold a proverbial candle to an out-of-control nuclear power plant. ~llaw

Opinion

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is good for California | Opinion

Maureen Zawalick

Thu, August 15, 2024 at 10:16 a.m. PDT·3 min read

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is good for California | Opinion

Joe Tarica/jtarica@thetribunenews.com

For nearly four decades, the Diablo Canyon Power Plant has been the backbone of California’s clean energy ambitions.

Today, Diablo Canyon — California’s only operating nuclear power plant — generates roughly 9% of California’s electricity, enough to meet the energy needs of more than 3 million people. All of this is clean, zero-emission, carbon-free energy. In fact, every year it operates, Diablo Canyon saves between 6 to 7 million tons of greenhouse gasses from entering the atmosphere compared to other generation sources.

In recent weeks, a lot has been said about the cost of keeping Diablo Canyon operating. I believe Californians deserve a full accounting of both the costs and financial benefits of operating California’s largest source of clean energy.

Opinion

The math is clear that keeping Diablo Canyon open through 2030 will not only ensure that California can keep the lights on without backsliding on its climate goals, it will also save customers $200 million per year on average — or more than $1 billion — over the duration of the extended operations period.

Here’s how things break down:

Operating Diablo Canyon from 2024 to 2030 will cost roughly $8.3 billion dollars, $1.2 billion of which is being paid for by state and federal programs. That leaves a remaining $7.1 billion that will be paid by customers over the six-year period in question.

For the average customer in PG&E’s service area, this works out to roughly $2 per month in 2025. The cost is significantly less for customers in Southern California, and the cost for all customers is expected to decrease significantly in the later years — to $0 in some years — of the plant’s extended operations.

These costs represent only one side of the financial equation. There are significant financial benefits for customers that come from extended operations of the plant, and when you add everything up, Diablo Canyon’s revenues and reliability value will be more than $8.2 billion — more than $1.1 billion higher than the operating costs to be paid by customers.

Here’s how:

The energy generated by Diablo Canyon will generate market revenues to the tune of $6.1 billion, 100% of which must be returned to customers to offset the costs of operations.

In addition, operating Diablo Canyon means that energy companies won’t be required to sign new and costly energy contracts to ensure that California’s grid can maintain electric reliability during periods of extreme demand. This reliability value comes out to roughly $2.1 billion in additional value, which is used to offset customers’ energy costs.

Simply put, Diablo is the most affordable way to maintain reliability. And, according to the California Energy Commission, the only resource available that wouldn’t rely on harmful fossil fuels to generate that power.

Together, these revenues and reliability values means California energy customers will see a net benefit of roughly $200 million per year on average.

But Diablo Canyon’s value doesn’t stop there. As aforementioned, Diablo Canyon saves between 6 to 7 million tons of greenhouse gasses from entering the atmosphere. These avoided emissions have societal benefits that can be quantified through things like avoided health care costs, agriculture impacts, medical expenses and impacts to the labor field and broader economy. For Diablo Canyon, the societal benefit of avoided greenhouse gas emissions has been pegged at nearly $400 million per year.

These figures, paired with the fact that keeping Diablo Canyon online prevents the state backsliding on its clean energy goals by having to integrate more fossil fuel generation into its energy, make Diablo Canyon a sound investment for all Californians — one that saves customers money and benefits society while keeping the lights on.

Maureen Zawalick is the vice president of business and technical services at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

California legislators break with Gov. Newsom over loan to keep state’s last nuclear plant running

• Michael R. BloodThu, August 15, 2024 at 10:36 a.m. PDT·4 min read

• LOS ANGELES (AP) — The California Legislature signaled its intent on Thursday to cancel a $400 million loan payment to help finance a longer lifespan for the state’s last nuclear power plant, exposing a rift with Gov. Gavin Newsom who says that the power is critical to safeguarding energy supplies amid a warming climate.The votes in the state Senate and Assembly on funding for the twin-domed Diablo Canyon plant represented an interim step as Newsom and legislative leaders, all Democrats, continue to negotiate a new budget. But it sets up a public friction point involving one of the governor’s signature proposals, which he has championed alongside the state’s rapid push toward solar, wind and other renewable sources.The dispute unfolded in Sacramento as environmentalists and antinuclear activists warned that the estimated price tag for keeping the seaside reactors running beyond a planned closing by 2025 had ballooned to nearly $12 billion, roughly doubling earlier projections. That also has raised the prospect of higher fees for ratepayers.Operator Pacific Gas & Electric called those figures inaccurate and inflated by billions of dollars.H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the California Department of Finance, emphasized that budget negotiations are continuing and the legislative votes represented an “agreement between the Senate and the Assembly — not an agreement with the governor.”The votes in the Legislature mark the latest development in a decades-long fight over the operation and safety of the plant, which sits on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.Diablo Canyon, which began operating in the mid-1980s, produces up to 9% of the state’s electricity on any given day.The fight over the reactors’ future is playing out as the long-struggling U.S. nuclear industry sees a potential rebirth in the era of global warming. Nuclear power doesn’t produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels, but it leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries.A Georgia utility just finished the first two scratch-built American reactors in a generation at a cost of nearly $35 billion. The price tag for the expansion of Plant Vogtle from two of the traditional large reactors to four includes almost $17 billion in cost overruns. In Wyoming, Bill Gates and his energy company have started construction on a next-generation nuclear power plant that the tech titan believes will “revolutionize” how power is generated.In 2016, PG&E, environmental groups and plant worker unions reached an agreement to close Diablo Canyon by 2025. But the Legislature voided the deal in 2022 at the urging of Newsom, who said the power is needed to ward off blackouts as a changing climate stresses the energy system. That agreement for a longer run included a $1.4 billion forgivable state loan for PG&E, to be paid in several installments.California energy regulators voted in December to extend the plant’s operating run for five years, to 2030.The legislators’ concerns were laid out in an exchange of letters with the Newsom administration, at a time when the state is trying to close an estimated $45 billion deficit. Among other concerns, they questioned if, and when, the state would be repaid by PG&E, and whether taxpayers could be out hundreds of millions of dollars if the proposed extension for Diablo Canyon falls through.Construction at Diablo Canyon began in the 1960s. Critics say potential earthquakes from nearby faults not known to exist when the design was approved could damage equipment and release radiation. One fault was not discovered until 2008. PG&E has long said the plant is safe, an assessment the NRC has supported.Last year, environmental groups called on federal regulators to immediately shut down one of two reactors at the site until tests can be conducted on critical machinery they believe could fail and cause a catastrophe. Weeks later, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission took no action on the request and instead asked agency staff to review it.The questions raised by environmentalists about the potential for soaring costs stemmed from a review of state regulatory filings submitted by PG&E, they said. Initial estimates of about $5 billion to extend the life of the plant later rose to over $8 billion, then nearly $12 billion, they said.“It’s really quite shocking,” said attorney John Geesman, a former California Energy Commission member who represents the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, an advocacy group that opposes federal license renewals in California. The alliance told the state Public Utilities Commission in May that the cost would represent “by far the largest financial commitment to a single energy project the commission has ever been asked to endorse.”PG&E spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said the figures incorrectly included billions of dollars of costs unrelated to extending operations at the plant.The company has pegged the cost at $8.3 billion, Hosn said, adding that “the financial benefits exceed the costs.”___This story has been updated to correct the amount of cost overruns to build two reactors at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. It was almost $17 billion, not $11 billion.Michael R. Blood, for The Associated Press via the “Canadian Press

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Friday, (08/16/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Where does nuclear waste go? An important question as Indiana welcomes small reactors

WBOI

Right now, not very far at all. At most nuclear power plants today, the … 3 things to know about spent nuclear fuel dry cask storage. U.S. …

This power provider has doubled as it charts a path for nuclear plants to drive data centers

CNBC

… things to come for further buildout,” McFarland told analysts on … All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal. Data is a real-time …

Should Ukraine capture a Russian nuclear power plant? | New Scientist

New Scientist

International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Mariano Grossi has already spoken out about the risk. “I would like to appeal to all sides …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Nuclear Energy Dependence in the Indo-Pacific – Foreign Policy Research Institute

Foreign Policy Research Institute

If any future war happens in the Indo-Pacific, Russia and China’s stranglehold over nuclear power plants would be a game changer, enabling them to …

Nuclear energy gets new investment as power demand surges – YouTube

YouTube

Nuclear energy gets new investment as power demand surges. No views · 1 minute ago …more. CNBC Television. 2.81M.

This power provider has doubled as it charts a path for nuclear plants to drive data centers

CNBC

Investor interest in Talen Energy has soared since the company signed a $650 million deal in March with Amazon Web Services.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant must keep operating | Opinion

Yahoo News Canada

From earthquakes to jellyfish: See 8 emergency alerts at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Stephanie Zappelli. Wed, August 14, 2024 at 1:18 p.m. CDT …

Russia’s Belgorod region declares state of emergency after strikes by Ukraine – YouTube

YouTube

6:51 · Go to channel · Ukraine Attacks Russia: Explosions at Nuclear Power Plant Raises Fears | Vantage with Palki Sharma. Firstpost New 159K views.

Nuclear War

NEWS

Careful: The Next World War Could Start Small | The National Interest

The National Interest

Full spectrum nuclear and conventional deterrence and Soviet appreciation of the costs of war kept the Cold War stand-off from escalating into a Third …

Could the United States and China really go to war? Who would win? – Brookings Institution

Brookings Institution

That is a terrifying prospect. The two countries are the world’s top two economic and military powers, both armed with nuclear weapons, each …

A new US, Russia, China nuclear arms race spells danger | The Strategist

ASPI Strategist

Unlike in the Cold War, the United States faces the prospect in the next decade of two peer nuclear adversaries, which will together have twice as …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Amid Kim Jong Un’s Increasing Nuclear Threats, Seoul’s Defense Minister Nominee Is Open …

Benzinga

… nuclear threats. He emphasized the significance of the alliance with … nuclear war. This was followed by Germany’s decision in August to …

Ukraine’s invasion of Russia exposes the folly of the West’s escalation fears – Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council

… war. Crucially, Ukraine’s invasion of Russia has demonstrated that Putin’s nuclear threats and his talk of red lines are in reality a big bluff …

Nuclear War in the Middle East – Algemeiner.com

Algemeiner.com

… Threats to Bomb US Businesses Perceived to Support Israel … With regard to growing nuclear war risks in the Middle East, no concept 

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Yellowstone National Park: 7 UNIQUE things to find in this Park – Asianet Newsable

Asianet Newsable

Old Faithful Geyser · Grand Prismatic Spring · Yellowstone Caldera · Lamar Valley Wildlife · Mammoth Hot Springs · Yellowstone Lake · Norris Geyser Basin.

IAEA Weekly News

16 August 2024

Read the top news and updates published on IAEA.org this week.

15 August 2024

IAEA Director General Statement on a Water Leakage at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed that on 9 August 2024, TEPCO found a water leakage at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2, involving an estimated 25 tons of water from the spent fuel cooling system pump room and the heat exchanger room. The leaked water flowed into drain on the floor connected to the water collection pit (floor sump) located in a room of the first basement floor. The Agency was also informed that TEPCO has not found any leakage spread to other rooms at this stage. Read more →

15 August 2024

IAEA Director General Statement in Relation to the Agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion

The Agency was informed that on 5 August 2024 the Agreement Among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion (the “Agreement”) was signed by representatives of the three countries in Washington D.C. and it has been submitted to their legislative authorities for consideration and approval.  Read more →

14 August 2024

Gemstone Irradiation: Keeping Workers and Consumers Safe

The irradiation of gemstones in research reactors is a widespread practice, carried out to enhance their colour and increase their market value. The IAEA works with national regulators to ensure this practice is safe for workers and consumers. Read more →

13 August 2024

Update 244 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) viewed evidence provided to the team today that continues to indicate that Monday’s fire did not start at the base of the cooling tower, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. Read more →

12 August 2024

First Ever International Nuclear Science Olympiad Held in Run Up to International Youth Day

The first ever International Nuclear Science Olympiad has been held in the Philippines in the run up to today’s International Youth Day, with the support of the IAEA. Read more →

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 15, 2024

Share

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant on June 1, 2023. Laura Dickinson The Tribune

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Thursday, (08/15/2024)

It will be interesting to see the eventual conclusion of this story. California needs to review the overall operating history of PG&E’s god-awful non-nuclear accidents and questionable operations and decide whether the risk of extending the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is considered feasible and worth the nearly one billion dollar “loan” to help operate the plant until 2030, while facing a $12 billion in operating costs for the remainder of the plant’s projected future beyond 2025, that will likely never be repaid considering the history of PG&E’s several bankruptcies from previous non-nuclear accidents, some of them lethal.

(I have reported their entire accident-prone history in previous blog posts, and I believe there is no reason to trust them for any practical reason, especially because the plant is dangerous from a nuclear standpoint, that the plant only produces 9% of California’s energy requirements, which could no doubt be covered by renewable resources, and the immense risks of continuing to operate the plant.

As a concerned Nevada next-door neighbor, Governor Newsom should consider the legislators’ second thoughts, and demand that the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant be shut down as scheduled in 2025. Even then may not be soon enough. ~llaw

California legislators break with Gov. Newsom over loan to keep state’s last nuclear plant running

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Updated Aug 15, 2024 1:37 p.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The California Legislature signaled its intent on Thursday to cancel a $400 million loan payment to help finance a longer lifespan for the state’s last nuclear power plant, exposing a rift with Gov. Gavin Newsom who says that the power is critical to safeguarding energy supplies amid a warming climate.

The votes in the state Senate and Assembly on funding for the twin-domed Diablo Canyon plant represented an interim step as Newsom and legislative leaders, all Democrats, continue to negotiate a new budget. But it sets up a public friction point involving one of the governor’s signature proposals, which he has championed alongside the state’s rapid push toward solar, wind and other renewable sources.

The dispute unfolded in Sacramento as environmentalists and antinuclear activists warned that the estimated price tag for keeping the seaside reactors running beyond a planned closing by 2025 had ballooned to nearly $12 billion, roughly doubling earlier projections. That also has raised the prospect of higher fees for ratepayers.

Operator Pacific Gas & Electric called those figures inaccurate and inflated by billions of dollars.

H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the California Department of Finance, emphasized that budget negotiations are continuing and the legislative votes represented an “agreement between the Senate and the Assembly — not an agreement with the governor.”

The votes in the Legislature mark the latest development in a decades-long fight over the operation and safety of the plant, which sits on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Diablo Canyon, which began operating in the mid-1980s, produces up to 9% of the state’s electricity on any given day.

The fight over the reactors’ future is playing out as the long-struggling U.S. nuclear industry sees a potential rebirth in the era of global warming. Nuclear power doesn’t produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels, but it leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries.

A Georgia utility just finished the first two scratch-built American reactors in a generation at a cost of nearly $35 billion. The price tag for the expansion of Plant Vogtle from two of the traditional large reactors to four includes almost $17 billion in cost overruns. In Wyoming, Bill Gates and his energy company have started construction on a next-generation nuclear power plant that the tech titan believes will “revolutionize” how power is generated.

In 2016, PG&E, environmental groups and plant worker unions reached an agreement to close Diablo Canyon by 2025. But the Legislature voided the deal in 2022 at the urging of Newsom, who said the power is needed to ward off blackouts as a changing climate stresses the energy system. That agreement for a longer run included a $1.4 billion forgivable state loan for PG&E, to be paid in several installments.

California energy regulators voted in December to extend the plant’s operating run for five years, to 2030.

The legislators’ concerns were laid out in an exchange of letters with the Newsom administration, at a time when the state is trying to close an estimated $45 billion deficit. Among other concerns, they questioned if, and when, the state would be repaid by PG&E, and whether taxpayers could be out hundreds of millions of dollars if the proposed extension for Diablo Canyon falls through.

Construction at Diablo Canyon began in the 1960s. Critics say potential earthquakes from nearby faults not known to exist when the design was approved could damage equipment and release radiation. One fault was not discovered until 2008. PG&E has long said the plant is safe, an assessment the NRC has supported.

Last year, environmental groups called on federal regulators to immediately shut down one of two reactors at the site until tests can be conducted on critical machinery they believe could fail and cause a catastrophe. Weeks later, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission took no action on the request and instead asked agency staff to review it.

The questions raised by environmentalists about the potential for soaring costs stemmed from a review of state regulatory filings submitted by PG&E, they said. Initial estimates of about $5 billion to extend the life of the plant later rose to over $8 billion, then nearly $12 billion, they said.

“It’s really quite shocking,” said attorney John Geesman, a former California Energy Commission member who represents the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, an advocacy group that opposes federal license renewals in California. The alliance told the state Public Utilities Commission in May that the cost would represent “by far the largest financial commitment to a single energy project the commission has ever been asked to endorse.”

PG&E spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said the figures incorrectly included billions of dollars of costs unrelated to extending operations at the plant.

The company has pegged the cost at $8.3 billion, Hosn said, adding that “the financial benefits exceed the costs.”

___

This story has been updated to correct the amount of cost overruns to build two reactors at the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia. It was almost $17 billion, not $11 billion.

Aug 15, 2024|Updated Aug 15, 2024 1:37 p.m.

MICHAEL R. BLOOD

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Thursday, (08/15/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Seeking to discharge radioactive water from Pilgrim, Holtec will appeal denial by Monday deadline

WCAI

All Things Considered · Podcasts …more programs · Features · A Cape Cod … nuclear plants within limits, preempts the state. “There is probably …

Why Congress Shouldn’t Fund a New Sea-Launched Nuke – Just Security

Just Security

… that is all but unusable. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review announced: “The U.S. would only consider the use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances 

What if South Korea got a nuclear bomb? – The Economist

The Economist

Elites are less gung-ho about going nuclear than average voters … “And they’re really good in all aspects of engineering all things nuclear.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Powering up nuclear energy: Nuclear’s make or break moment – YouTube

YouTube

CNBC’s Pippa Stevens joins ‘Squawk Box’ from Waynesboro, Georgia with a look at the first newly built U.S. nuclear reactors in 30 years.

Decision on second nuclear plant on to-do list for Belarus’s new energy minister

World Nuclear News

… energy minister, saying there is “plenty of work … particularly … regarding our plans to build or not to build a new nuclear power plant”. The …

Is the Plan to Build New Nuclear Power Plants as Part of GX Efforts Realistic? | Column

自然エネルギー財団 – 自然エネルギー財団

Positioning of nuclear power in Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan following the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Negative public sentiment toward …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Emergency alerts at Diablo Canyon CA nuclear power plant | San Luis Obispo Tribune

San Luis Obispo Tribune

Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near Avila Beach, California, has reported eight emergency incidents to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission …

How Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant reports emergency events

San Luis Obispo Tribune

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission records incidents at power plants. Here’s a look at the types of events and how many have been recorded at …

Video: WHO declares mpox outbreak a global health emergency – The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail

3:16 · Ukraine and Russia trade blame over fire at nuclear power plant. Video 1:20 · Wildfire reaches Athens suburbs, forcing hundreds to evacuate.

Nuclear War

NEWS

Reluctantly, America will have to build more nuclear weapons – The Economist

The Economist

North Korea says it is “bolstering” its nuclear programme. This week Donald Trump claimed he would build an “Iron Dome” missile shield to protect …

Why Congress Shouldn’t Fund a New Sea-Launched Nuke – Just Security

Just Security

John Erath sends a clear message to U.S. Congress: Support a strong Navy and stop funding the Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile.

Iran Nuclear Explosions Likely? Nuke War Alarm Amid Anticipated Revenge On Israel …

YouTube

Iran is planning to carry out deadly nuclear explosions before an anticipated revenge attack on Israel. Amid heightened West Asia tensions, …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Reluctantly, America will have to build more nuclear weapons – The Economist

The Economist

The nuclear de-escalation that followed the cold war is over, the Pentagon warned this month. … Facing new nuclear threats will be a test for America, …

Local activist group raises alarm over governor’s comments on Pacific nuclear threat | News

Pacific Daily News

Comments by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero in an Aug. 6 interview with Radio New Zealand about the nuclear threat in the Pacific have drawn alarm from …

Putin’s nuclear threats proven hollow as Ukraine invades Russia, expert says

Euromaidan Press

Putin’s nuclear threats proven hollow as Ukraine invades Russia, expert says … war against Ukraine and Ukraine’s struggle to build a democratic 

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 14, 2024

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North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, is seen here guiding a nuclear counterattack drill in April

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Wednesday, (08/14/2024)

The following UPI article and linked stories are serious concerns for many reasons, not the least of which is that the U.S. is dedicated to and linked with South Korea relative to war and all ‘threats’, including nuclear. Having spent a year in South Korea, stationed close to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), in the early 1960s, I was and still am aware of South Korea’s never-ending need for military support and aid from the United States to protect their nation from North Korean aggression. Adding to the serious nature of the “cannon fodder” threat is the inclusion of Japan. ~llaw

World News

Aug. 14, 2024 / 5:38 AM

North Korea warns South Korea, Japan will be nuclear ‘cannon fodder’

By Thomas Maresca

North Korean state media warned Tuesday that U.S. allies Seoul and Tokyo would be nuclear “cannon fodder.” Leader Kim Jong Un, seen guiding a nuclear counterattack drill in April, has declared North Korea a nuclear state. File Photo by KCNA/EPA-EFE

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (UPI) — North Korean state media has warned that strengthening trilateral ties with Washington risks turning the people of South Korea and Japan into “cannon fodder” for a nuclear attack.

An unsigned commentary in state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday said that military threats from the United States have forced the North into “bolstering up its nuclear war deterrence.”

“The DPRK’s ‘nuclear threat,’ touted by the U.S., is an inevitable result of the latter’s deep-rooted hostile policy toward the former that has lasted decades after decades and generation after generation,” the KCNA article said.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

Related

• U.S., South Korea to start joint military drills next week amid mounting North Korea threats
• North Korean defects across neutral waters to South: military, media reports
• Kim Jong Un oversees transfer of new tactical missile launchers to border

The article added that growing security ties among the United States, Japan and Tokyo in response to North Korean threats has created a “serious tripartite security crisis” in the region.

“The strengthened tripartite security cooperation trumpeted by the U.S. has only made the peoples of Japan and the puppet ROK cannon fodder of nuclear war,” the article said, using the official acronym for South Korea.

The three allies held a summit in Camp David last year and have since ramped up their military partnership, including holding the first trilateral multi-domain military exercise in June.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Wednesday, (08/14/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Musk interviewed Trump in a freewheeling conversation that covered many subjects

Central Florida Public Media

Elon Musk is using the power of his social media platform X to put his weight behind Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Thinking about solar? Here are some things to consider – NPR

NPR

Solar power is booming, helping the country meet its climate goals. But the rooftop solar industry is a big source of consumer complaints and the …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Alert spurred by transformer fire at Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in Georgia, ends

Live 5 News

Fires at nuclear power …

Alert spurred by transformer fire at Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in Georgia, ends

Atlanta News First

Georgia Power said the …

‘Alert’ declared at Georgia nuclear power plant after fire breaks out – WSB-TV

WSB-TV

— One of Georgia’s nuclear plants has declared an alert, indicating that an event has happened that may have reduced the plant’s safety. Plant Vogtle …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Transformer fire triggers ‘alert’ level emergency at Vogtle nuclear power plant in East Georgia

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An “alert” level emergency was issued Tuesday at the Plant Vogtle nuclear power station near Augusta due to a transformer fire outside the …

Fire sparks Georgia nuclear plant alert, but officials say no safety threat as reactors unaffected

AP News

WAYNESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s largest nuclear plant declared an emergency alert Tuesday after an electrical transformer caught fire.

Transformer Fire Led to Emergency Alert at Georgia’s Largest Nuclear Plant – Newsweek

Newsweek

… nuclear materials, has four classifications for emergencies at commercial nuclear power plants. An “alert” is the second-least serious category …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Israel and Iran could ‘attack each other’s nuclear facilities’ | Middle East Crisis – YouTube

YouTube

Former foreign secretary Lord Owen has warned that tension in the Middle East could escalate to a nuclear confrontation.

Commentary: Special interests are pushing a dangerous new nuclear missile

Kennebec Journal

… attack, greatly increasing the risk of an accidental nuclear war based on a false alarm. Given this risk, the wisest policy would be to cancel the …

North Korea Calls Japan a “War Criminal State” After Hiroshima Ceremony – Newsweek

Newsweek

North Korean state media has accused Japan of hypocrisy over its alleged attempt to develop a nuclear arsenal.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

North Korea warns South Korea, Japan will be nuclear ‘cannon fodder’ – UPI.com

UPI

… threats from the United States have forced the North into “bolstering up its nuclear war deterrence.” “The DPRK’s ‘nuclear threat,’ touted by the …

‘Iran has been threatened with a nuclear strike,’ says Amir al-Mousawi

Al Mayadeen English

… nuclear attack would be met with a proportional response. According to al-Mousawi, those conveying the threats were met with far stronger …

‘Israelis are losing sleep out of fear – and unjustifiably so; Iran is a weak country’ – www …

Israel Hayom

We must not allow them to turn us into hostages of the Iranian nuclear threat. … The Cold War ended in 1989, and military powers that threaten 

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 14, 2024

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Tuesday, (08/13/2024)

Attacks on nuclear power plants in the Russia/Ukraine war seem to be growing more frequent and have moved into Russia as well as Ukraine. This is the 3rd auspicious and dangerous threats in as many days, but the nuclear attacks by Ukraine in Russia are recent, while the attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is operated by Russia, have been going on for more than two years.

But the fact that nuclear power plants are becoming more frequently involved in these skirmishes demonstrates that it may be easier to fight a nuclear war involving radioactive power plants than it is to fight a war with conventional weapons. One could easily say that this war has already turned into a nuclear war, which could indicate that nuclear war is already officially underway. This ongoing situation could get much worse, and, of course, will never get better if the nuclear reactors at these nuclear power plants (and others) are used as weapons of mass destruction. ~llaw

IAEA unable to determine cause of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fire

By Reuters

August 12, 20243:58 PM PDTUpdated a day ago

The logo of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is seen at their headquarters before an emergency meeting at the request of both Ukraine and Russia, to discuss attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, after both countries accused each other of drone attacks, in Vienna, Austria April 11, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

Aug 13 (Reuters) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said late on Monday that its representatives inspected a damaged cooling tower at the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in Ukraine but could not immediately determine the cause of a fire there at the weekend.

Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of starting the fire at the vast dormant nuclear power plant in Ukraine, with Russia blaming a drone attack and Ukraine saying it was likely Russia’s negligence or arson.

The IAEA team found no immediate sign of drone remains and assessed that it was unlikely that the primary source of the fire began at the base of the cooling tower, the IAEA said in a statement on its website.

“The team has not been able to draw definitive conclusions (on the cause of fire) on the basis of the findings and observations so far,” the agency said.

Neither Moscow or Kyiv have reported signs of elevated radiation.

The IAEA said damage was most likely concentrated on the interior of the tower at the water nozzle distribution level, at roughly 10 metres (33 ft) high.

“The team confirmed that there were no significant signs of disturbance of the debris, ash or soot located at the base of the cooling tower,” the IAEA said.

“The nuclear safety of the plant was not affected, as the cooling towers are not currently in operation.”

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Monday, (08/12/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Trump & Elon Musk Talk About Russia-Ukraine War – YouTube

YouTube

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump termed the assassination attempt against him “not pleasant” during his much-awaited interview with …

You had a lot of questions about next-generation nuclear reactors. We posed them to the experts

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Bill Gates’ company, TerraPower, is the first in the U.S. to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a construction permit for an advanced …

What we know about Trump’s claim that Iran hacked his campaign – Vox

Vox

Trump also nixed a 2015 nuclear deal which would have, among other things … This moment is all about feelings. Enter a friendly Midwestern …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

IAEA unable to determine cause of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fire – Reuters

Reuters

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said late on Monday that its representatives inspected a damaged cooling tower at the …

The State Of Nuclear Power: Growth, Decline, And Regional Shifts – Forbes

Forbes

Explore global nuclear power trends in 2023, from China’s rapid growth to Europe’s decline. Discover key insights from the Energy Institute’s 2024 …

Nuke watchdog warns attacks on Russia-controlled plant ‘must stop now’ as smoke seen …

New York Post

Shocking photos captured thick black smoke billowing out of a Russia-controlled nuclear power plant in Ukraine — a “reckless” attack that risked a …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

IAEA unable to determine cause of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fire – Reuters

Reuters

IAEA Board holds emergency meeting on Zaporizhzhia attacks. A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant outside Enerhodar. Item 1 of 2 The …

Berwick area nuclear power plant to test emergency alert sirens this week

The Shenandoah Sentinel

SALEM TOWNSHIP, Luzerne County – This Thursday, the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station will sound its sirens as part of a test of its system.

IAEA unable to determine cause of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fire – Yahoo

Yahoo

FILE PHOTO: IAEA Board holds emergency meeting on Zaporizhzhia attacks.

Nuclear War

NEWS

North Korea Issues Nuclear ‘Cannon Fodder’ Warning to US Allies – Newsweek

Newsweek

North Korea has warned that American actions have forced it to “bolster” its nuclear arsenal, and put its allies at risk of a retaliatory attack …

Leaked Russian documents reveal chilling plans to target Europe with nuclear missiles

AOAV

… nuclear weapons in a conflict scenario, viewing them as potential “war-winning” tools. The documents detail how Russian surface ships have …

Ukraine war briefing: Cause of fire unclear at Russia-controlled nuclear plant in … – The Guardian

The Guardian

Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of starting the fire at the vast dormant nuclear power plant in Ukraine, with Russia blaming a drone attack …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Terrifying ‘nuclear war‘ map identifies areas of US most likely to be targeted – MSN

MSN

The threat of nuclear war looms over parts of America as Russia’s … US-South Korea drills ramp up amid North Korean nuclear threats …

U.S. wants U.N. measure to say Iran is threat to peace | Reuters

Reuters

… nuclear ambitions posed a threat to international peace and security, diplomats said … Ukraine touts huge gains in Kursk region as it takes war …

US-South Korea military drills next week over North’s missiles, cyber threats… – Firstpost

Firstpost

… nuclear threats. The exercises, known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, are … nuclear attack scenarios, Lee said. Animosity on the Korean Peninsula ..

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 13, 2024

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Vladimir Putin at a meeting with security officials (Reuters)

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Monday, (08/12/2024)

There is so much trouble going on in the Russia/Ukraine war that I have switched back to Sky News (because their coverage is always the most comprehensive and you can pick and choose the stories of interest to you to your heart’s content. We now have two major nuclear power plants directly involved in this war, which ought to alert you about what nuclear power plants can become at anytime anywhere; and that is nuclear weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs.

We will start with their continuing coverage of this rapidly escalating serious and dangerous conflict — that could well, with a single errant spark, turn into an international war involving most, if not all, nuclear armed countries, but it would only take one ICBM, Submarine, Jet Bomber, or any other kind of nuclear attack from any one of them to start WWIII, or the end of the world as we know it. Some of us call it nuclear armageddon . . . llaw

Ukraine-Russia latest: Ukraine now controls 1,000sq km of Russian territory, official says – as Putin responds to Kyiv’s assaults

Parts of the Russian region of Belgorod are evacuated, as the local governor reports “Ukrainian activity”. This follows local reports that Kyiv’s forces entered the region yesterday. In the nearby Kursk region, Ukraine’s invasion continues.

Monday 12 August 2024 23:03, UK

• Russia
• Ukraine

Why you can trust Sky News

Key points

• Second Russian region evacuated due to ‘Ukrainian activity’  View post
• Ukraine controls 1,000 sq km of Russian territory  View post
• Belgorod also under missile alert – with residents told to go to basements  View post
• Putin appears ‘hesitant and rattled’ in public comments over Ukrainian attacks
    View post
• Kursk invasion has given Ukraine ‘battlefield initiative’  View post
• Zelenskyy on Kursk invasion: Russian strikes deserved ‘fair response’  View post
• Michael Clarke analysis:Possible aims of the Kursk invasion  View post
• Cooling tower at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant may have to be replaced – report  View post

1h ago14:56

That’s all for our coverage today

We’ll be back tomorrow morning with more updates on the Ukraine war.

Before we go, here’s a reminder of what has happened today: 

• Some 11,000 people were evacuated from the Krasnoyaruzhsky district in Russia’s Belgorod region due to activity by Ukrainian forces;
• Kyiv’s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed Ukraine controlled around 1,000 square kilometres of Russia’s Kursk region;
• The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukraine’s invasion of the Kursk region had allowed Kyiv to seize the battlefield initiative for the first time since the end of last year;
• A fire broke out at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant;
• China called for de-escalation after Ukrainian troops launched a surprise assault inside Russia;
• Vladimir Putin said the Russian military must “dislodge” Ukrainian troops from border regions, according to reports;
• The governor of Russia’s Kursk region claimed Ukrainian forces used shells containing chemical weapons during their invasion.

Vladimir Putin at a meeting with security officials (Reuters)

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Monday, (08/12/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

How Everything Became National Security | Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs

In the language of foreign policy observers, national security questions, such as regulating weapons of mass destruction, are matters of “high …

Rebroadcast: Your brain on menopause | On Point – WBUR

WBUR

And so we went back, and we asked every single person in the study about their menopausal status and then we were able to show the differences. So …

AI Is About to Boost Power Bills—Who’ll Take Heat for That? – WSJ

WSJ

0.38%increase; green up pointing triangle —pushed back on an aspect of Talen Energy’s agreement to sell nuclear … all-nighters and 100-hour weeks that …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

What’s happening with Ukraine’s Kursk incursion and nuclear plant fire – CNBC

CNBC

Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for a large fire that broke out at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine on Sunday, with the …

Russia sets Ukrainian nuclear power plant on fire, says Zelenskyy – POLITICO.eu

POLITICO.eu

Fighting close to large nuclear facilities in Ukraine and Russia has caused concern among atomic experts.

Zelensky says Russian forces started fire at Russian-controlled nuclear plant in southern Ukraine

CNN

Russian forces started a fire at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Ukraine and Russia trade blame over fire at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – BBC

BBC

Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other after a fire broke out at the giant Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Sunday. … Emergency trains from …

Ukraine, Russia trade accusations over fire at occupied nuclear plant – VOA

VOA

… nuclear power plant in Energodar, Southern Ukraine. … Citing local Russian emergency ministry representatives, TASS said it was a non-functioning …

Ukraine war briefing: Main fire at Russia-controlled nuclear plant in Ukraine extinguished

The Guardian

Citing local Russian emergency ministry representatives, Tass said that it was a non-functioning tower. Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of …

Nuclear War

NEWS

America prepares for a new nuclear-arms race – The Economist

The Economist

The build-up could start in 2026, with the expiry of New START, a treaty between America and Russia that restricts the world’s two largest nuclear …

Ukraine-Russia latest: Second Russian region evacuated due to ‘Ukrainian activity’ | World News

Sky News

… War · US · Climate · Science & Tech · Business · Ents & Arts · Offbeat · Travel … “Team was told by (the nuclear plant) of an alleged drone attack …

Fire At Russia-Controlled Ukraine-Based Nuclear Plant Started By Russian Forces: Zelensky

YouTube

Go to channel. LIVE Russia-Ukraine War | Zelensky Says Russian Forces Attack Nuclear Plant | Putin News Live | N18G. CNN-News18•61 watching · 20:27.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

South Korea and U.S. Announce Drills Against North Threats – Newsweek

Newsweek

North Korea Blasts US ‘Nuclear War Plan’. By Lilith Foster-Collins. News … threats of nuclear strikes against the United States and South Korea.

South Korea, US to stage annual drills over North’s missile, cyber threats | Reuters

Reuters

The drills will reflect “realistic threats” across all domains, including the North’s missile threats but also GPS jamming, cyberattacks and other …

South Korea and US will start summer military drills next week to counter North Korean threats

ABC News – The Walt Disney Company

Joint military exercises focus on defense against North Korean nuclear threats. ByKIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press. August 11, 2024, 7:48 PM

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Forest Service honors 28 lives lost on 65th anniversary of Hebgen Lake earthquake with …

KULR-8

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. – In mid-August of 1959 several lives were lost … Yellowstone Caldera · Geology · Volcanoes Of Wyoming · Solid Mechanics …

Forest Service honors 28 lives lost on 65th anniversary of Hebgen Lake earthquake with …

Fairfield Sun Times

Yellowstone Caldera · Geology · Volcanoes Of Wyoming · Solid Mechanics · Volcanoes Of Idaho · Yellowstone National Park · Environment Of Montana …

Forest Service honors 28 lives lost on 65th anniversary of Hebgen Lake earthquake with …

ABC Fox Montana

Yellowstone Caldera · Geology · Volcanoes Of Wyoming · Solid Mechanics · Volcanoes Of Idaho · Yellowstone National Park · Environment Of Montana.

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 11, 2024

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The Kursk Nuclear Power plant is close to where Russian and Ukrainian forces could be fighting (Image: Getty )

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Sunday, (08/11/2024)

The following article is an update from yesterday’s post concerning the possibility of a potential nuclear disaster amid the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war. We are now seeing nuclear power plants, either by accident or by war strategy, adding possible nuclear tragedy to innocent citizens who are evacuating the Kursk reactor location.

A news report yesterday, posted here, said that 76,000 Russian citizens were ordered to evacuate , and yesterday even Russian president Vladimir Putin is urging more evacuations, apparently not directly due to war, but to the possibility of ta Kursk Power Plant meltdown and radiation released ot the atmosphere, similar to the long ongoing concerns of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. where nearby fighting has been ongoing for nearly two years.

My point here , as I have often mentioned in past posts in this daily blog, is that nuclear power plants are potentially as dangerous as nuclear war, whether accidentally by earthquakes, floods, typhoons, hurricanes, or, just as likely, operational errors by plant operators, and most certainly as weapons of war when available. We are well advised, therefore, to not only disarm all nuclear weapons on the face of the Earth, but also do the same with nuclear powerplants. It is a mystery to me why nobody seems to understand the ‘all things nuclear’ threat to all life on the planet, including animal life. as well as our own. ~llaw

Nuclear disaster warning for two countries as Putin orders urgent mass evacuation

Ukrainian forces have made a surprise incursion into Russian territory sparking fears fighting could develop around the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

By Richard Ashmore, Senior News Reporter

18:32, Sat, Aug 10, 2024 | UPDATED: 18:33, Sat, Aug 10, 2024

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The Kursk Nuclear Power plant is close to where Russian and Ukrainian forces could be fighting (Image: Getty )

The head of the international atomic monitoring body has issued a stark warning to Russia and Ukraine to avoid fighting getting close to huge nuclear power plant.

Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), urged both militaries to “exercise maximum restraint” if combat erupts near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

In a bold move Ukraine has stunned President Putin and the Kremlin with a military incursion on Tuesday into the Russian provinces of Kursk, and most recently the neighbouring Belgorod region.

A humiliated Vladimir Putin has now been forced to issue a massive evacuation order for more than 76,000 civilians from the Kursk region. The measures, which also apply to the neighbouring Belgorod and Bryansk provinces that border Ukraine, allow the government to relocate residents, control phone communications and requisition vehicles.

The Russian Defence Ministry said today (Saturday) that fighting was continuing in the Kursk and that the army has conducted airstrikes against Ukrainian forces.

In an urgent statement issued last night, IAEA boss Rafael Grossi said: “The IAEA has been monitoring the situation on the reported military activities taking place in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

READ MORE: Ukraine troops pose with Ukrainian flag in Russian village

President Putin has been forced to issue an evacuation order for civilians (Image: Getty )

“In view of the reportedly significant military activity, I wish to remind all parties of the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict.”

Mr Grossi urged Russia and Ukraine to respect principles adhered to so far in the conflict which have been used to protect the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine.

He added: “These include, among others, the imperative to ensure the physical integrity of a nuclear power plant. This is valid irrespective of where an NPP is situated.

“At this juncture, I would like to appeal to all sides to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences.”Subscribe

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Sunday, (08/11/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Fusion power might be 30 years away but we will reap its benefits well before – The Guardian

The Guardian

Discoveries made in pursuit of nuclear fusion have potentially huge practical applications in everything from curing cancer to superior batteries …

Troubled trail ahead for San Onofre’s spent nuclear fuel – San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego Union-Tribune

Virtually all the nuclear fuel used in the past 50 years at San Onofre … “All things being equal, rail transport is safer,” he said. “The …

Nuclear fusion game-changer: New method can cut reactor design time by decade

Interesting Engineering

It involves everything from neutrons on the quantum scale to macro-scale coolant flow and heat transfer. Multiple layers of physics are also tightly …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

With New York’s climate action goals in question, governor’s comments on future role of …

RiverheadLOCAL

… nuclear power worry environmental advocates. The Shoreham nuclear power plant built by LILCO was one of several planned by the utility across the …

You had a lot of questions about next-generation nuclear reactors. We posed them to the experts

Houston Chronicle

… reactor that would operate as a commercial nuclear power plant. Readers … Nuclear power plants don’t emit the planet-warming greenhouse …

The Changing Geopolitics of the Nuclear Energy Market – China – UxC – UxC

Full Coverage

Rushville among 16 Nebraska sites studied as possible locations for a next-generation …

Star-Herald

… nuclear power plant in Nebraska … NPPD operates the Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, the state’s only nuclear power plant.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

DOH distributing free potassium iodide tables | News | citizensvoice.com

The Citizens’ Voice

Close-up view of the twin cooling towers at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, the nuclear power plant in Salem Twp. … nuclear emergency and when …

Urgent nuclear warning for two countries as Vladimir Putin orders mass evacuation – MSN

MSN

… nuclear power plant.

Nuclear disaster warning for two countries as Putin orders urgent mass evacuation

Daily Express

Ukrainian forces have made a surprise incursion into Russian territory sparking fears fighting could develop around the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

Nuclear War

NEWS

How to survive nuclear fallout in the US hour by hour as World War III fears mount – Irish Star

Irish Star

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has specific guidance for what to do in the case of a nuclear attack (Image: Getty …

Nuclear bunker: How a Cold War relic is being transformed – BBC

BBC

BBC News NI gets rare access to an old nuclear bunker being converted into an environmental archive.

Ukraine launches ‘attack of astonishment’ as troops ‘enter another Russian region’ after …

Sky News

Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Kursk is continuing, with battles raging into a sixth day. Drones and missiles have been launched and Volodymyr …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Set To Orbit Above Moscow’s Missiles, Starlab Hopes Space Truce Holds – Forbes

Forbes

Russian threats to escalate Space War I – by … Russia’s ongoing barrage of nuclear threats, combined with its staging of simulated nuclear war ..

Why is the U.S. spending $2 trillion on more weapons that could end the world? | Salon.com

Salon.com

Pentagon’s plan will rain money on big weapons contractors — and threaten Armageddon for the rest of us.

Severely threatening Iran’s stability is only way to prevent attack – opinion – The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post

A credible American and Israeli threat to strike critical Iranian assets and sites – including military, nuclear, oil and electricity facilities, as ..

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Remembering the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake | News | bozemandailychronicle.com

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Yellowstone Caldera · Solid Mechanics · Volcanoes Of Wyoming. Contact the Chronicle. Send us your thoughts and feedback as a letter to the editor …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 10, 2024

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Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia under siege from weather and war

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Saturday, (08/10/2024)

I apologize for not posting my comments on the extremely dangerous world-threatening nuclear war and/or nuclear power yesterday, so I have updated the status of the Russia/Ukraine war situation. This time it comes from the Russian side of the border between the two nations . . . ~llaw

Conflicts Ukraine

Ukraine updates: Russia says 76,000 evacuated from Kursk

Russia said tens of thousands of residents of the Kursk border region have been brought to safety as a Ukrainian incursion lasts into its fifth day. Meanwhile, Belarus said Ukraine violated its airspace. DW has more.

What you need to know

• Russia says 76,000 evacuated from Kursk region amid Ukrainian incursion 
• Russia launches new operations to fight back Ukraine’s incursion into border regions 
• Belarus says Ukraine violated its airspace
• IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, called for restraint from Ukraine and Russia.
• Russia imposed anti-terrorism measures in the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions

Here is the latest on Russia’s war in Ukraine from Saturday, August 10:

Zelenskyy alludes to Kursk incursion in evening address

During his evening address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s border region of Kursk.

“Today, Commander-in-Chief Syrsyki has already reported several times – on the frontline situation and our actions to push the war out into the aggressor’s territory,” Zelenskyy said. He expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian miltiary for its efforts.

“Ukraine is proving that it really knows how to restore justice and guarantees exactly the kind of pressure that is needed – pressure on the aggressor,” Zelenskyy said.  

Russia says over 76,000 residents of Kursk evacuated

Russia on Saturday said over 76,000 residents in the western parts of Kursk bordering Ukraine have been evacuated so far this week. 

“More than 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated to safe places,” the state-run TASS news agency quoted an official from the regional emergency situations ministry as saying at a press briefing on Saturday.

Ukrainian forces began an incursion on Tuesday into the Kursk region in a surprise attack.

The fighting, which has caught Russia off guard, now persists into a fifth day.  

---

ARTICLE 2 from IAIA:

IAEA Director General Statement on Developments in the Russian Federation

09 Aug 2024

Vienna, Austria

The IAEA has been monitoring the situation on the reported military activities taking place in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).

This NPP has six units of two different reactor types: RBMK-1000 and VVER-510. Two of the RBMK-1000 are in shutdown and two are fully operational. The two VVER-510 units are under construction.

In view of the reportedly significant military activity, I wish to remind all parties of the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during an armed conflict. Additionally, I emphasize the five concrete principles to help to ensure nuclear safety and security which have been established for the Zaporizhzhya NPP in the context of the current conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, and which are equally applicable in this situation. These include, among others, the imperative to ensure the physical integrity of a nuclear power plant. This is valid irrespective of where an NPP is situated.

At this juncture, I would like to appeal to all sides to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences. I am personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries and will continue to be seized of the matter. I will continue to update the international community as appropriate.

---

Subscribe

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are 3 Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Saturday, (08/10/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Puppy Wars in Alabama: Who gets pets during a divorce?

Alabama Public Radio

If you are the primary caretaker of a pet or pets, my advice is to keep logs of everything you do for them on a daily basis. When the judge is faced …

Not More, But More Assured: Optimising US Nuclear Posture

The International Institute for Strategic Studies

… nuclear capabilities across all domains. The PLA Air Force is developing a nuclear-delivery capability, though it will at least initially be …

You had a lot of questions about next-generation nuclear reactors. We posed them to the experts

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The United States is speeding up efforts to license and build a new generation of nuclear reactors to supply carbon-free electricity.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Tech companies want nuclear power. Some utilities are throwing up roadblocks – CNBC

CNBC

Investors are looking at nuclear plants as an increasingly valuable resource as data centers’ power needs grow.

Kursk region mayor warns Ukrainian forces approaching key nuclear plant

novayagazeta.eu

The Kursk Nuclear Power Station is one of the largest atomic power facilities in Russia and supplies electricity to the entire federal district, which …

You had a lot of questions about next-generation nuclear reactors. We posed them to the experts

AP News

The AP turned to White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi and experts at the Energy Department and Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help answer …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Ukraine updates: IAEA warns of nuclear disaster in Kursk – DW – 08/10/2024

DW

Security forces and the military are given enhanced emergency powers … nuclear power plant. “The actions of the Ukrainian army created a …

IAEA Director General Statement on Developments in the Russian Federation

International Atomic Energy Agency

Emergency preparedness and response … These include, among others, the imperative to ensure the physical integrity of a nuclear power plant.

Kremlin declares a state of emergency near border after major Ukraine incursion – Semafor

Semafor

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned of dangers posed by fighting near a nuclear power plant in Kursk, following Ukraine’s …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Canada a terrible place during a nuclear war, scientist says – Toronto Star

Toronto Star

Nuclear war would turn Canada into one of the worst places on the planet. And scientists fear we are inching closer. The resulting nuclear winter …

‘Absurd Connections’ — Israel, North Korea, and Nuclear War – JURIST – Commentary

Jurist.org

For conspicuous reasons, the likelihood of direct war between Israel and Iran is increasingly “high.”[1] What remains inconspicuous is that such a war …

Modernizing Nuclear War – ScheerPost

ScheerPost

Bill Hartung of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft joins Scheer Intelligence to discuss the history and legacy of nuclear weapons in …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Iran Is Freaked: Israel Has Jericho Missiles Armed with Nuclear Weapons

The National Interest

-This arsenal forms the backbone of Israel’s nuclear deterrence strategy, designed to prevent existential threats against the state. -With a range …

Scientists Say These Are the Greatest Threats to Humanity

FOX Sports Radio New Jersey

The Weekly Crisis Newsletter notes, via LinkedIn, that another one of the biggest threats to humanity is nuclear war. They note that even though the …

10 Most Thrilling James Bond Movies, Ranked – Collider

Collider

… threat of nuclear war. From Russia With Love was particularly intense … threats in the Connery era in the franchise. On Her Majesty’s 

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Yellowstone explosion, explained: A dive into park’s thermal activity – USA Today

USA Today

Part of the active volcanic area that spans northern Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming is the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field, which includes the caldera.

What would REALLY happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted? – MSN

MSN

But, while geologists regard this July 23 ‘Biscuit Basin’ explosion as a ‘normal event,’ the incident has sparked renewed fears about Yellowstone’s …

These Volcanoes Are Packed With Lava and Ready to Erupt – MSN

MSN

The Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park was created at least 631,000 years ago by a massive eruption resulting from a volcanic hotspot.