Flooded nuclear power plant cited for yet another safety violation

The Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant, most of which is inundated under a couple feet of water due to historic flooding on the Missouri River, has been cited by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for yet another safety violation, reports Omaha's ABC t.v. affiliate. This latest decrease in safety margin is all the more alarming given that just six feet of flood margin or so remains before "all bets are off" on the nuclear utility's ability to maintain essential cooling to the reactor core, as well as the high-level radioactive waste storage indoor pool and outdoor dry casks. Adding to the risk, Nebraska is suffering an alarming heat wave, which has contributed to electrical outages elsewhere in the Omaha Public Power District's service area, reports the Omaha World-Herald. The loss of the primary electric grid at Ft. Calhoun, as by extreme weather, could be the first domino leading to a catastrophic radiation release, as seen at Fukushima Daiichi.

State of Vermont wins first round in legal battle against Vermont Yankee

As reported by Vermont Public Radio, in an 18 page ruling U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha denied Entergy Nuclear's request for an injunction against the Vermont state law which would force the closure of Vermont Yankee atomic reactor at the end of its original 40 year license next March. Entergy Nuclear needs to refuel Vermont Yankee this fall if it is to operate the reactor beyond March 22, 2012, so sought an injunction against the state's mandated closure by July 23rd, in order to decide whether or not to order the replacement fuel. The judge clarified that his rejection of Entergy's request for an injunction does not indicate how he will rule on the overall case, in which Entergy seeks to nullify the Vermont state law via federal pre-emption over nuclear safety matters. Judge Murtha has announced he will hear that case beginning on September 12th. On legal grounds, Vermont has argued its decision to shut down Vermont Yankee has to do with economics and reliability, not health and safety, which are federally pre-empted. "From Fukushima to VT Yankee: The Vermont Nuclear Power Conference" will be held in Burlington on  Saturday, July 23rd, to build further momentum to shut Vermont Yankee.

Risks of flooding at Callaway

Kay Drey, long-time watchdog on the Callaway nuclear power plant in Missouri, and a Beyond Nuclear board of directors member, has written Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Associates in Vermont, asking about the risks to the water intake structure from flooding. She references Callaway's 1975 Construction Permit, as well as its 1982 Final Environmental Statement. Kay also wrote the pamphlet "Routine Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Power Plants in the United States: What Are the Dangers?", another issue referenced in her letter.

Dr. Michio Kaku discusses radioactive risks from fires and floods

Dr. Michio Kaku (pictured left), a professor of theoretical physics at City University of New York, a radio host, and popular t.v. personality who has been interviewed extensively by national news media regarding the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, has written "United States Hit With a Triple Nuclear Threat - How Dangerous is it?" and "Preparing for the 100 Year Storm and Wondering if the Three Simultaneous Nuclear Crises are an Accident?". Kaku questions whether global climate change could account for the severe weather extremes currently threatening nuclear facilities simultaneously -- historic floods on the Missouri River putting the Fort Calhoun and Cooper atomic reactors in Nebraska at risk; historic wildfires in New Mexico that nearly overtook the Los Alamos nuclear weapons lab. He warns that "we might have more 'unprecedented' nuclear crises due to historically bizarre weather patterns."

Army Corps of Engineers' competence at predicting and managing historic flood questioned

The Omaha World-Herald reports that some are questioning the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' competence at predicting and managing the historic floodwaters on the Missouri River, now threatening the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant. The article reveals that a cooler than expected spring in Montana may have prevented the floods from being even worse right now -- melting of a historic snow pack has been delayed. The article does not report how the summer's heat melting that remaining snow pack will impact downstream river levels. The criticism of the Army Corps of Engineers also begs the question, how much can we trust the agency's assurances that the six major dams upstream from Ft. Calhoun, Cooper atomic reactor in Nebraska, and Callaway atomic reactor in Missouri, will not breach?