LLAW’s All Things Nuclear #695 Thursday, (07/18/2024)

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

LLOYD A. WILLIAMS-PENDERGRAFT

JUL 19, 2024

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View looking up at a multistory tower building, built in a modern style, with what appears to be concrete and marble or other stone. A sign with the agency's name is in the foreground.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission headquarters in Rockville, MD, in May 2011.

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Thursday, (07/18/2024)

I would not normally post an article like this, but it demonstrates how nuclear politics and greed (always in a big hurry) dislike being told what they can and cannot do. Let me just say that the Nuclear Industry (including uranium mining) has the most need of any industry on planet Earth to be scrutinized inside and out and strictly regulated.

We have no business restarting or extending the life of old and extremely dangerous nuclear power plants, e.g. this one in the news, the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, PG&E’s Diablo Canyon plant in California, and others dotted around the USA. Some of us are even in favor of restarting the 3-Mile Island in Pennsylvania that partially melted down in 1979 and nuclear cleanup is still ongoing and will be until at least 2037.

The industry looks the other way whenever nuclear regulation is mentioned, and that is why the recent “ADVANCE Act”, which Biden signed into law on July 9th, 2024, is probably the worst idea in the history of American politics. This direct order from our government tell the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that it must, for one thing among others, do this: The Act directs the NRC to add a new element to its mission statement, stating that it will not “unnecessarily limit” the civilian use of radioactive materials, deployment of nuclear energy, or the benefits these two things bring to society.

What needs to happen to the nuclear industry and the related nuclear military be shut down now in their entirety, and removed to underground impenetrable steel caches in underground secure facilities thousands of feet down in unknown vaults with no way of gaining entry once the job is done. You say, “Well, that’s impossible.”, and your are correct given the world situations and conditions of today. But with a cooperative and fully united world doing that singular most important job ever undertaken until it’s done, and it actually can be done, but, of course, it will never happen. ~llaw

On July 9, President Joe Biden signed a bill that among other things will change the mission statement of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

It’s been over two years since the Palisades Nuclear Plant on the shores of Lake Michigan closed its doors. But decommissioning company and Palisades owner Holtec International hopes to restart it.

“We are ready to make history and we’re going to make history,” operations manager Paul Rhodes told me. He said he’s been with Palisades for 25 years. I talked to him during a tour of the plant last spring.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the Palisades restart project is on track to be approved in August of next year, though it said this is not a hard deadline and will be moved if needed.

Much of the facility’s large equipment lay dormant in expansive open rooms as Holtec’s team worked to get the plant in operational order.

“It’s never been done before. So not only do we have people who left that want to come back because of that, they also want to come back because of the culture that we had here.”

A new mission for new times

The plan to reopen Palisades has bipartisan support, and it’s unfolding amid a push to expand nuclear energy across the country.

Advocates say nuclear could boost the economy while cutting emissions. But the U.S. nuclear industry has catching-up to do.

That’s where the ADVANCE Act comes in. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is behind the legislation. She spoke during a Senate vote on amendments in June.

“Not only is it necessary to continue developing and deploying more nuclear energy reactors from an energy and environmental standpoint, it is also vital to our national security, and it’s good for the economy.”  

The ADVANCE Act pertains to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the body that regulates all nuclear plants in the US, which will decide whether Palisades can reopen.

Among other things, the Act directs the NRC to add a new element to its mission statement, stating that it will not “unnecessarily limit” the civilian use of radioactive materials, deployment of nuclear energy, or the benefits these two things bring to society.

The NRC declined to comment on the new law before deadline.

Nuclear Reactions

Brendan Kochunas is an assistant professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences.

He’s okay with the ADVANCE Act. He said the new law does not change the NRC’s other commitments like protecting public health and safety.

Kochunas added that the law will help put the U.S. in line with countries that have made leaps in nuclear technology.

“One could argue that China is doing this more quickly because the regulatory agency or body is more efficient.”

Kochunas also points to provisions allowing for an increase in the NRC’s workforce. He said that will allow the NRC to become more efficient while still maintaining safety.

“I think the NRC has been one of those agencies that has seen a lot of attrition and experience loss over the last few decades to retirements, and they are having trouble replacing that workforce.”

Physicist Edwin Lyman said he supports the increased staffing of the NRC, but he said doing so to address the concerns of the private nuclear industry is a step in the wrong direction.

“Introducing this commercial and promotional consideration, that’s really harmful and really would undermine the last 50 years of nuclear safety.”

Lyman is the director of nuclear power safety for the advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists.

He said the nuclear industry views the regulator as a bureaucratic dinosaur that hinders more than it helps.

Lyman said the new mission statement could be used against the agency.

“My fear is that the regulated community, that is the nuclear industry, will come in and attack essentially every move the NRC tries to make to strengthen safety by asserting that that’s going to limit what they can do.”

But enthusiasm for the ADVANCE Act ran high on both sides of the aisle. Only 13 House members voted against it, along with two members of the Senate.

Democratic U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib of the Detroit-area 12th district was the only Michigan member of Congress who did not vote for the ADVANCE Act.

Tlaib explained her decision to vote ‘present’ in an email statement to WMUK.

“I voted present in objection to the ridiculous decision to tie the reauthorization of vital firefighting programs for our communities together with poison pills that undermine nuclear safety and were strongly opposed by leading grassroots environmental organizations like Friends of the Earth and Food and Water Watch,” Tlaib wrote.

“I have very strong relationships with the fire chiefs in my district, and explained the situation to them ahead of the vote. They were as surprised as anyone that their critical funding was being tied to completely unrelated legislation to fast-track dangerous nuclear energy.”

Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.


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TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Thursday, (07/18/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

A new law aims to advance U.S. nuclear power, but some fear it shortchanges safety

WMUK

… all nuclear plants in the US, which will decide whether Palisades can reopen. Among other things, the Act directs the NRC to add a new element to …

Scoop: U.S. privately warned Iran over suspicious nuclear activities – Axios

Axios

… all elements of national power to ensure … Some U.S. and Israeli officials said the intelligence was a worrying signal about Iran’s nuclear …

Nuclear Must Be Part of The Solution – Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs

There have even been open discussions about whether nuclear … As a result, the agency cannot assure that all the activities in Iran’s growing nuclear …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

France’s EDF faces fresh setback after losing Czech nuclear bid | Reuters

Reuters

French state power giant EDF lost a bid to build at least two new nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, a major blow to Europe’s …

El Dabaa project reports progress on construction of units – World Nuclear News

World Nuclear News

Egypt’s first nuclear power plant is pushing ahead – with the core catcher for unit 3 now on site, a 2000-tonne capacity crane installed and …

Czech Republic Pick Korea’s KHNP Over EDF to Build Nuclear Reactors – Bloomberg

Bloomberg

The Czech Republic picked Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. over Electricite de France SA to build two nuclear reactors, a multibillion-dollar …

Czechs pick South Korea’s KHNP over French bid in nuclear power tender | Reuters – Reuters

Full Coverage

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Nuclear power plan puts thousands of farms in “radiation alert zone” | RenewEconomy

Renew Economy

Farmers will have to take on expensive responsibilities in the event of an emergency if the Coalition’s nuclear policy comes to fruition, …

Nuclear plan threatens food production, government report says | SBS News

SBS

US farmers in those zones must take on preventative measures in an emergency … Nuclear power if we win power: Coalition reveals planned reactor sites …

EDITORIAL: Stop politicizing nuclear energy – Taipei Times

Taipei Times

The first reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in … nuclear power” as a backup in case of emergency. However, nuclear power …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Russia says it may deploy nuclear missiles in response to US weapons in Germany

Reuters

Interfax news agency cited Ryabkov as saying that the defence of Russia’s Kaliningrad region, which is wedged between NATO members Poland and …

Nuclear Must Be Part of The Solution – Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs

A little more than 70 years ago, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower gave his famous Atoms for Peace speech before the United Nations General …

What Trump Gets Right and Wrong About War – Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg.com

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Ukraine Joining NATO = War?! | Russia’s Nuclear Threats & Donetsk Gain Explained – YouTube

YouTube

… war. His remarks, which come after NATO’s reaffirmation of support for … | Russia’s Nuclear Threats & Donetsk Gain Explained. 36 views · 16 …

Russia poses nuclear threats to Western countries | The DONG-A ILBO

donga.com

It is interpreted that Russia would not avoid a third World War using nuclear arms if it is put under threat by Ukraine’s new membership to the group.

Never let a good crisis go to waste! The impact of great power conflict on the nuclear non …

European Leadership Network

First, there is a new sense of urgency around nuclear risks. Russia’s nuclear threats in its war against Ukraine, the fear around artificial .

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