Nuclear Waste
An anti-nuclear group has warned west Cumbrians: “Be afraid, very afraid” after bosses at the Drigg waste dump admitted they don’t know what’s buried there. Martin Forwood, spokesman for Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (Core), said the admission should send shockwaves through the local community. He added: “Be afraid, very afraid. “If they can’t even account for the lower category of radioactive wastes, what hope is there for the volumes of significantly more dangerous intermediate and high level wastes they now so desperately want to dump deep underground somewhere in the UK?
Business Gazette 16th Feb 2009 more >>
The new owners of Sellafield have advertised to ask people who worked there in the 1960s, 70s and 80s if they can remember what low-level radioactive waste they disposed of. They themselves don’t seem quite sure what the previous owners buried, or where they put it. I know the feeling exactly. I spent 10 minutes this morning looking for my red gloves, and can tell LLW Repository Limited the secret of these things. Whatever it is, it’s always in the last place you look.
Independent 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Environment Agency
New Environment Agency chairman Chris Smith has pledged his support for nuclear power, a radical departure from former Agency boss Barbara Young’s opposition to new schemes. Speaking at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts last week, Smith said the challenges of climate change and developing a low carbon economy meant nuclear power could not be ignored.
New Civil Engineer 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Scotland
Scottish ministers were today accused by Westminster of failing to come up with a sophisticated argument for their opposition to nuclear power. The charge was made by Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy who claimed that their opposition may cost Scotland thousands of potential jobs and billions in lost investment. Mr Murphy made the criticism in a speech to a nuclear industry conference in Edinburgh. He told the audience his father helped build South Africa’s first nuclear power station when his family lived in that country in the 1980s. But the Scots Secretary was criticised by the Liberal Democrats for his speech. Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael said: “It is well known that the diary of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not suffer from being overfilled but one has to wonder exactly why Jim Murphy is attending a conference of this sort. “The fact of the matter is that there is no public acceptance of new Labour’s dash for nuclear power in Scotland.”
Herald 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Scotsman 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Carrick Gazette 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Planning Resource 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Jim Murphy was just plain wrong for backing nuclear power. The contrast couldn’t be clearer, while Jim Murphy was speaking to a conference of nuclear spin doctors in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond will be opening the new offices of a marine renewable company – the latest renewable company to base its operations in Scotland.
Press and Journal 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Scotland needs to have a nuclear future to secure energy supplies and jobs, the Scottish secretary has insisted. At a conference in Edinburgh, Jim Murphy underlined Westminster’s intention to promote the expansion of nuclear energy.
BBC 16th Feb 2009 more >>
New Nukes
Letter from Steuart Campbell: Pete Roche’s argument (Alternative Take, 11 February) is flawed on several counts. It is not a choice between nuclear power and an energy efficiency programme; new nuclear plants will be paid for by the nuclear industry, not the government. Although replacing existing nuclear stations may have little effect on emissions, replacing them by plant burning fossil fuels would cause a large increase in output (pace carbon capture and sequestration, not yet shown to work). Then, increasing the number of nuclear stations (as planned) would greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Scotsman 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Renewables
Plans to build 10 wind farms off the coast of Scotland moved a step forward after the Crown Estate gave companies the green light to explore the sites.
BBC 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Submarines
HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant are understood to have both been severely damaged in the underwater accident earlier this month. Both are fitted with state-of-the-art technology aimed at detecting other submarines, but it apparently failed completely.
Telegraph 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser 16th Feb 2009 more >>
FT 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Guardian 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Times 16th Feb 2009 more >>
BBC 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Daily Mail 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Daily Mirror 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Independent 16th Feb 2009 more >>
Netherlands
German energy company RWE is prepared to invest in new Dutch nuclear energy power plants following its acquisition of Dutch peer Essent, its Chief Executive told a Dutch daily on Saturday.
Reuters 15th Feb 2009 more >>
Sweden
Sweden looks set to reverse a decades-old ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants as part of a new energy and climate policy.
Modern Power Systems 15th Feb 2009 more >>
