Nuclear Waste
CUMBRIA County Council is considering ‘expressing an interest’ in a formal government process to find a suitable location for a nuclear waste dump. But council chiefs stressed they were not committing to a site and any plan would be subject to the scrutiny of a full public consultation.
Lakeland Echo 11th Nov 2008 more >>
Mini-nukes
A company started by nuclear weapons laboratory staff is proposing to power remote communities and military installations using shed-sized nuclear reactors buried underground.
Business Green 11th Nov 2008 more >>
Scotland
There are no plans to remove Scotland’s powers to effectively veto the building of new nuclear power stations, Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy has said. Under devolution, planning powers can be used by the Scottish Parliament to prevent large-scale building projects. In its submission to the Calman Commission on devolution, the UK Government warned this could undermine its energy policy. But Mr Murphy said it was important Scotland retains control over planning.
BBC 11th Nov 2008 more >>
NDA
It may be rare for a public relations firm not to varnish the truth, but Bell Pottinger seem to be doing that for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. In a document about the history of the NDA, the PR firm admits that the nuclear industry has “a tendency to be secretive and insular and, at times, of being guilty of intellectual arrogance.” In the first years of the NDA, the document says, its job involved “lifting stones, asking awkward questions and generally getting under the skin of the nuclear industry and the thorny issue of waste. It wasn’t straightforward, partly because, in the early days of the nuclear industry, record-keeping was poor, and health and safety practices were haphazard.” Not quite the message Bell Pottinger was passing on when it represented other nuclear agencies such as BNFL, the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Nirex, but these are strange times.
Guardian 12th Nov 2008 more >>
Companies
Babcock International’s chief executive predicted its nuclear business could double in size over the next five years as the support services group reported a 30 per cent increase in first-half profit. Peter Rogers said the group, which refuels the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines and provides technical expertise in handling fuel for nuclear reactors, was in discussions on several fronts about securing a role on upcoming work for decommissioning and new-build.
FT 12th Nov 2008 more >>
Nuclear Weapons
The US left a nuclear weapon lodged under ice in northern Greenland after losing it in a plane crash in 1968, it has emerged.
Telegraph 12th Nov 2008 more >>
Nuclear Submarine Leak
The Royal Navy is facing serious questions about why it kept quiet for four days about one of the worst radioactive spillages in recent years. More than 61 gallons (280 litres) of toxic coolant poured into a river from a burst hose as it was being pumped from the nuclear submarine HMS Trafalgar on November 7. The incident happened as the coolant was being pumped from the hunter-killer submarine into a large tank on a jetty at the Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, Devon.
Telegraph 12th Nov 2008 more >>
BBC 11th Nov 2008 more >>
What is tritium? Tritium is classed as a ‘soft beta emitter’, giving off low-energy beta radiation as it decays into a form of helium. Beta radiation can cause burns, cancer and DNA mutations.
Telegraph 12th Nov 2008 more >>
Syria
Claims that traces of uranium were found at the site of an alleged Syrian nuclear reactor which was bombed by Israel last year prompted a row about politically-motivated leaks yesterday. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the UN body was taking very seriously allegations that Syria has a hidden atomic programme. But he declined to confirm that uranium had been detected.
Guardian 12th Nov 2008 more >>
The U.N. nuclear watchdog criticised on Tuesday diplomatic disclosures that it had found uranium traces at a Syrian site under investigation, saying this was an effort to prejudge the agency’s conclusions.
Reuters 11th Nov 2008 more >>
Germany
Nuclear Protests Return – pictures.
First Post 11th Nov 2008 more >>
Turkey
Turkey will make changes to a nuclear energy tender law nearly two months after it received just one bid in a tender to build the country’s first nuclear power plant, an Energy Ministry source told Reuters on Tuesday.
Interactive Investor 11th Nov 2008 more >>
