Hunterston leak
Thousands of litres of radioactive waste have accidentally leaked into the Firth of Clyde from the Hunterston nuclear power station in breach of pollution law. The station has been accused by the government watchdog, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), of breaking six legal promises it made to prevent people and the environment from being contaminated by radioactivity. Sepa says it is “deeply concerned” about the leak. Environmental groups, politicians and local residents reacted with outrage to the revelation yesterday. They pointed out that any additional radiation in the environment increased the risk of cancers and other illnesses. They also demanded to know why the accident, which occurred on 15 May, had been kept secret for four months. And they called on the UK government to abandon its plans to build a new programme of nuclear reactors.
Sunday Herald, 20 September 2009
RobEdwards.com, 20 September 2009 more >>
Wylfa
Anglesey Aluminium is the largest employer in north Wales, and the aluminium it produces is shipped all over the world. It opened in 1970 and is a major electricity user. Its work has been closely tied in to an energy deal with the nuclear power station at Wylfa, 14 miles away. But the station is due to be decommissioned and there were a series of efforts to secure the aluminium plant’s future.
BBC 19th Sept 2009 more >>
The immediate pretext for the closure of the plant is the ending of a discounted energy supply from Wylfa nuclear power station. The end of this deal had been on the cards for some time now – the closure of Wylfa, announced back in 2006, is expected in 2010. But the company has in the past stated that they would not be threatened by the closure of Wylfa. So what has changed now? The current crisis of capitalism and rising production costs are being used as a scapegoat, for attacks on pay and conditions and the switching of production to non-unionised plants in low wage economies, in order to drive up profit margins further.
andnowforsomethingcompletelysectarian 19th Sept 2009 more >>
Emergency Planning
A nuclear alert exercise is to take place at Sellafield later this month to test emergency procedures in Cumbria. The plant’s sires will be sounded and increased emergency service vehicles will be in the area during the drill, named Oscar 9, on Thursday.
BBC 19th Sept 2009 more >>
Proliferation
The Pakistani scientist who passed nuclear secrets to the world’s rogue states has been muzzled by his government. In a smuggled letter, AQ Khan reveals his side of the story.
Sunday Times 20th Sept 2009 more >>
UKAEA
A MAJOR slice of the country’s nuclear expertise is to transfer into private hands as the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) plans to sell its commercial arm for £50m. The authority has agreed the sale of the entirety of its wholly owned business UKAEA Limited to defence and energy support services firm Babcock International.
Newcastle Journal 19th Sept 2009 more >>
Trident
Replacing the controversial Trident missile system will cost up to 97bn, dwarfing the governments own estimate, a report suggested today. Ministers have officially estimated the cost of replacing Britain’s aging nuclear deterrent at 20bn, but according to the authors of the Greenpeace report, the government has neglected to include figures that would send the cost rocketing up to 97bn throughout the systems 30 year period of operation.
Herald 19th Sept 2009 more >>
Iran
IRAN is just months away from making its nuclear installations impenetrable to air strikes and it will have enough uranium for two nuclear weapons by February.
Sunday Express 20th Sept 2009 more >>
Renewables
Gordon Brown is wooing the boss of Europe’s largest engineering group in a desperate attempt to secure a major new wind turbine plant and reinvigorate the UK’s stuttering “green” energy strategy. The prime minister will meet Peter L scher, chief executive of Siemens, in the next two weeks to reassure him that Britain can offer an attractive financial package and genuine market growth. Last week, the UK government gave Siemens £1.1m to help it develop a new offshore wind power “converter” alongside a £4.5m grant to smaller rival, Clipper Wind Power, which is researching new prototype blades for the North Sea.
Observer 20th Sept 2009 more >>
Electricity Networks
Tensions over how to finance the multi-billion-pound overhaul of Britain’s electricity networks boiled over this weekend when the boss of Scottish Power threatened to take Ofgem, the regulator, to the Competition Commission over proposed spending cuts. The regulator has issued a draft spending and revenue programme for the electricity companies, fixing their investment in 2010-15 at £6.5 billion, 17% less than they requested. Ofgem has not, however, cut its requirement for improvements to the networks. Energy bosses reacted angrily, saying they were being asked to shoulder the responsibility for much of the government’s ambitious plans for a low-carbon future but to do it on the cheap.
Sunday Times 20th Sept 2009 more >>
Climate
Daryl Hannah: Actress and dedicated eco-campaigner: Abandon nuclear power in favour of renewable, clean energy: “We need to focus on truly renewable, regenerative, clean energy – that is not nuclear power, folks! Since more energy hits the Earth from the Sun in one hour than all other forms of energy man uses in an entire year, we should be putting our financial and mental resources toward developing community-based solar and solar-thermal projects. We could also employ micro-hydro and vertical-wind turbines. Our highest goal should be energy and resource conservation.”
Independent on Sunday 20th Sept 2009 more >>
Nick Clegg: We will fight to make Britain carbon neutral by 2050, a plan the Green Alliance described as “the leadership we would expect from the Liberal Democrats”. The policies for which we will fight are clear: 100 per cent carbon-free, non-nuclear electricity by 2050, a new high-speed rail network to get people out of their cars and aeroplanes and green loans to help to fund insulation and energy efficiency in every home over the next 10 years.
Independent on Sunday 20th Sept 2009 more >>