US
New reactors are facing the same obstacles as they did in 1996 when the last new plany opened at Watts Bar after 22 years of construction at a cost of $7 bn.
Mathaba 2nd July 2007 more >>
Spanish accident
The year was 1966, the height of the cold war and the final years of the Franco dictatorship, when an American B-52 bomber carrying four thermonuclear bombs collided with a supply plane above the village of Palomares in south-eastern Spain. Two bombs landed intact, one just outside the village of 1,200 people in the province of Almería, the other salvaged, unscathed, by a fisherman five miles offshore in the Mediterranean, at a depth of 760 metres (2,500 feet). The third and fourth bombs were damaged by a chemical explosion on impact, releasing about 20kg (44lb) of plutonium into the centre of Palomares and surrounding hills.
Guardian 2nd July 2007 more >>
Iran
President George Bush is expected to use a 24-hour summit with Vladimir Putin at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, to seek support from Russia for a proposal to ratchet up economic sanctions on Iran for its continuing refusal to halt uranium enrichment at its nuclear facilities. With Mr Putin arriving for dinner last night, and more formal talks today, officials from both sides were lowering expectations of any far-reaching accords.
Independent 2nd July 2007 more >>
New nukes
Two of Britain’s largest power companies, Scottish & Southern Energy and Centrica, have teamed up to submit a joint proposal to British Energy for building a new generation of nuclear power stations, the Sunday Telegraph reported, citing industry sources.
Interactive Investor 1st July 2007 more >>
Nuclear waste
Communities bidding to store thousands of tonnes of nuclear waste have been warned they could be left financially ruined if they win the controversial contract despite the promise of huge Government subsidies. Volunteer local authorities are being looked for to host an underground storage site for radioactive material in return for millions of pounds of investment in schools, roads and sports facilities. But Greenpeace campaigners are warning the “winners” could end up with a poisoned chalice. A study carried out in the 1980s identified two sites in the North as potential homes for a storage area. These were an offshore facility near Redcar, Teesside and another at Sellafield in Cumbria. Greenpeace nuclear advisor Jean McSorley – who lives in Cumbria – claims that apart from the obvious environmental dangers of hosting radioactive waste civic leaders should think about the long-term economic effects of their area being essentially marketed as a nuclear dumping ground.
Newcastle Sunday Sun 1st July 2007 more >>
Nuclear weapons
Japan’s defence minister Fumio Kyuma has apologised for a statement where he termed the atomic bombs dropped by the US on Japan an inevitable way to end the second world war.
View London 1st July 2007 more >>
North Korea
The top U.S. military commander in South Korea on Monday criticized last week’s missile test launches by North Korea, saying the country remains a threat despite its recent moves toward dismantling its nuclear program.
Guardian website 2nd July 2007 more >>
