New York Times calls on Entergy to "stop abusing the Hudson River"

In a remarkable editorial, the New York Times has celebrated the State of New York's decision to block Entergy Nuclear's Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant's NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit, which could force the two reactors to shut down in 2013 and 2015. The Times praised Hudson Riverkeeper, as well as folk singer Pete Seeger, for their watchdogging of the reactors, pointing out that a billion river organisms per year are killed by the plant's obsolete "once through" cooling system. (The Times may have to run a correction, though, as only 15% of the metro NYC area gets electricity from Indian Point -- the 30% figure referred to in the editorial includes nuclear electricity supplied by additional reactors in New York State and New Jersey.)

South Africa tries for new reactors on whale route

BANTAMSKLIP IS A WORLD HERITAGE AND NATURAL WONDER. Eskom and the South African Government, has earmarked Bantamsklip on the Cape Whale Route coast as one of the preferred sites for its nuclear power station roll out. The Save Bantamsklip Association supports and promotes the sustainable use and appropriate  conservation development of the Bantamsklip coast and not for the siting of a nuclear industrial complex. It believes that Bantamsklip, Groot Hagelkraal farm and the Dyer Island Marine Sanctuary to be World Heritage Site status and, as such, should be incorporated into the Agulhas National Park, thus further enhancing its conservation and tourism potential and not used as a nuclear power station site.The SAVE BANTAMSKLIP ASSOCIATION is calling on the public to oppose this ill advised and grossly inappropriate proposal by registering as an Interested and Affected Party (I&AP). Visit www.savebantamsklip.org and become familiar with the Bantamsklip site, the precious ecology of the Agulhas region and follow the resistance to this outrageous proposed development.

The rare monk seal is under threat from uranium contamination

Depleted uranium disposed of by the military into the ocean ecosystem is threatening to wipe out the already rare Mediterranean monk seal and other marine species. A new study looked at the effects of uranium contamination. Clearly, further studies are needed to look at these impacts in all water sources into which nuclear materials are discharged, including nuclear power reactors.

The power of one: Nancy Burton's lonely victory over Millstone

Connecticut lawyer, Nancy Burton, watched her lawsuits against the Millstone nuclear plant thrown out one after the other until the state Supreme Court ruled in her favor. It took a decade but Burton - who aims to shut Millstone down - last month won the right to legal standing to sue the state of Connecticut for failure to enforce pollution standards under the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act. Burton has pointed out that the Millstone reactors pulverize billions of fish and eggs using the once-through cooling system (see her Gone Fission chapter in our 2001 report, Licensed to Kill). The reactors also pump out radioactive water, damaging to human health.

Animal populations waning around Chernobyl accident site new study finds

Animal populations around the Chernobyl reactor accident site are diminishing, not flourishing, according to a new study. The investigation, the first of its kind, found that many species were significantly fewer in number since the 1986 reactor explosion, contradicting earlier assertions that animal populations were expanding in the absence of human populations in the region.