North Korea
North Korea’s decision on whether to conduct a second nuclear test depends on the actions of the United States, a North Korean official was quoted as saying by a Japanese lawmaker, Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday.
Reuters 13th Jan 2007
Israel-Iran
In recent weeks Israel’s leaders have been bombarded with increasingly doom-laden scenarios about Iran’s progress towards producing a nuclear bomb, a threat that might push them towards unilateral military action if diplomacy fails.
FT 13th Jan 2007
NDA
Due to projected cuts in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) budget there are likely to be delays in using new nuclear clean up technology to deal with radioactive nuclear materials left untouched for many years after accidents on two nuclear sites. This is not acceptable say GMB the largest union in the nuclear industry.
GMB Newsletter 12th Jan 2007
CUMBRIA Nuclear Solutions Ltd, a consortium of firms, competing for nuclear decommissioning work has been given the go-ahead by British Nuclear Group to compete for up to £60m of contracts. The group including Shepley Engineers, James Fisher Nuclear, Stobbarts, White Young Green and REACT Engineering has now been given a nuclear decommissioning framework agreement by BNG and can compete for specific jobs as they arise. The group was formed to offer a full range of services when bidding for nuclear work, rather than just their own specialist areas.
West Cumberland Times and Star 12th Jan 2007
THE fate of the Sellafield site 50 years into the future, is being discussed by groups of local ‘stakeholders’ holding a series of conferences across West Cumbria. At the latest gathering, in Cleator Moor, last Thursday, local groups discussed options under the chairmanship of Coun Dave Moore, from Seascale. The consensus from much of the working groups was that parts of Sellafield should be developed for commercial or industrial use, whereas the Drigg low level dump land would be better considered for recreational or leisure access. The West Cumbrian site’s stakeholder group meetings will continue throughout 2007. The study is being organised at a cost of £40,000 by Westlakes Scientific Consulting Ltd.
Whitehaven News 11th Jan 2007
IN its bid to recoup the massive losses caused by the Thorp nuclear plant leak, the NDA has slapped in a claim against an insurance company which is owned by itself. State owned NDA has already imposed a £1 million ‘penalty’ on state owned BNG over the crippling leak and subsequent shut down. Now the NDA has made an insurance claim against Hinton Insurance. The Whitehaven News has established that Hinton is a wholly owned and set up by BNFL. And Hinton Insurance Ltd is incorporated in the tax exile of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. According to a BNG spokesman: “Hinton was among the assets transferred to the NDA on April 1 2006. It is an insurance ‘captive’ and is a form of holding fund that offsets risks with other insurers.”
Whitehaven News 11th Jan 2007
THORP
THE Health and Safety Executive has given the thumbs up for Sellafield’s Thorp plant to re-start. Thorp was forced to close in April 2005 after a massive radioactive liquor leak which led to operators BNG being fined £500,000 for safety breaches. The soonest Thorp will re-start is in April but other sections will be brought back before any move to full production, which still needs the NDA’s approval. The HSE said: “We are satisfied that BNG has done all the work necessary to ensure that Thorp can be re-started and operated safely.” The spillage, which went undetected for eight months, was caused by a fractured pipe.
Whitehaven News 11th Jan 2007
IN the latest legal twist over the £½ million Thorp fine, BNG has tried to claim back the money from a German power company. British Nuclear Group Sellafield was fined the huge amount last year after admitting a radioactive leak, the size of a lorry load of thallium, and 160 kgs of plutonium. Now German power station company E.ON Kernkraft and two related companies fear that British Nuclear Group is trying to pass on the fine to them, as well as massively increased costs resulting from the radioactive leak. The three companies have turned to the High Court, seeking a ruling that BNG is not entitled to recover the costs of the leak at Thorp – the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant – from them. A 42-page writ details the circumstances which led to the leak, and a culture of complacency among staff who believed that there could be no leak in the new plant. E.ON says it should not pay for the costs of the leak because it was caused by British Nuclear’s negligence, and breach of contract and statutory duty. But British Nuclear has already billed E.ON for some of the costs, and now E.ON seeks a declaration that these costs are not payable by it.
Whitehaven News 11th Jan 2007
Europe
South West Conservative MEP Giles Chichester is supporting measures to promote energy efficiency but warns greater support for nuclear energy will be needed.The EU is aiming to become the world’s most energy efficient region, with proposed targets to improve its energy efficiency by 20 per cent compared to 1990 levels, with one fifth of the overall energy mix sourced from renewable energy, by 2020.
Exeter Express and Echo 12th Jan 2007
Faslane
A HAMPSTEAD woman has been arrested after joining a naval base blockade against the government’s £25billion plan to renew Trident.
Hampstead and Highgate Express 12th Jan 2007
An Exeter University lecturer was arrested when academics took part in an anti-nuclear demonstration.Margaretta Jolly was taking part in an academics’ and scholars’ blockade of the Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland when she and members of her family were taken to police cells last weekend. Around 30 other protesters were also arrested.
Exeter Express and Echo 12th Jan 2007
Bulgaria
Bulgaria will try to push the European Union’s executive next month to let it reopen two Soviet-made nuclear reactors closed due to safety concerns or to pay it more in compensation, its energy minister said on Friday. The Balkan country agreed to shut down two 440 megawatt nuclear reactors at its Kozloduy plant at the end of 2006 ahead of its entry into the bloc on Jan. 1.
Reuters 12th Jan 2007
