EPA: Should 1977 radiation standards be revised? Comments needed

The EPA is considering revising its limits for radiation releases and doses to the public from normal operation of nuclear power and other uranium facilities. In the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), EPA makes clear that it is not proposing any changes currently but is gathering information and comments. It is hosting a series of informational webinars (scroll to bottom), the next of which is March 19, 2014 at 1pm EST (click to register). Beyond Nuclear will continue updates and make comments closer to the deadline. Details.

COMMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 2014 on this ANPR.

Public comment is essential as the EPA decides whether or not to revise these standards. EPA has already, with heavy nuclear industry input, revised the radiation recommendations in cases of catastrophic releases so that as many as 1 in 6 people could get cancer in addition to current cancer rates. We cannot allow EPA to weaken the standards for routine releases as well.

UPDATED FUKUSHIMA CIVILIAN PANEL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS LARGELY UNADDRESSED “HUMAN FACTORS” AS IMPORTANT AS EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IN 2011 REACTOR DISASTER

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation have joined forces to re-release an independent investigation of the "lessons learned" from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe. The report was originally released in late Feb. 2012, just before the one-year mark on the
nuclear catastrophe.

It had first reported that Prime Minister Kan's administration was drawing up contingency plans to evacuate 30-50 million people from the metro Tokyo area, if a "demonic chain reaction" of atomic reactor meltdowns, and high-level radioactive waste pool fires, were to have unfolded in mid-March 2011.

What's next at Fukushima? Are U.S. nuclear plants at risk? Beyond Nuclear press release

Read the full press release here.

Some excerpts:

“Few lessons from Fukushima have been learned in the U.S. One of the most important should be that high density U.S. pools are emptied into hardened on-site storage as soon as possible, before the worst happens, whether due to natural disaster or terrorist attack.” Kevin Kamps

“The American Medical Association has passed a resolution pressing for seafood testing for the U.S. But independent testing is almost non-existent. We have the highest allowable limit of radioactive cesium in the world, but not the robust food testing needed to see if we are exceeding it." Cindy Folkers

“The U.S. nuclear industry has claimed that our nuclear power plants are not vulnerable to severe earthquakes and tsunamis. In reality, 34 U.S. reactors located downstream of 50 major dams could suffer a prolonged and potentially catastrophic loss of power caused by a dam break and the resulting inland tsunami." Paul Gunter

"Japan’s predicament spotlights exactly how detrimental the nuclear energy path has been to preserving our planet. We cannot take back the disastrous releases of radioactivity. But Japan, like Germany, could now choose to renounce any further such risks.” Linda Gunter

City of Milan, MI passes resolution against Canadian radioactive waste dump on Great Lakes shore

As reported by The Milan News-Leader, the City of Milan in Southeast MI has joined dozens of other municipalities in Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, and beyond in passing a resolution opposed to the DUD (Deep Underground Dump) for so-called "low" and "intermediate" level radioactive wastes targeted by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) at its Bruce Nuclear Generating Station on the Lake Huron shore in Kincardine, ON. A full list of resolutions is posted at Beyond Nuclear's website.

"Ukraine says stepping up protection of nuclear plants"

Map showing Ukraine's four nuclear power plants, with 15 operating atomic reactors. Zaporizhzhya, Europe's largest nuclear power station with six operating reactors, is located just north of Crimea, and just east of the border with Russia. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant (not shown), with one destroyed and three permanently closed reactors, is located about 100 km (62 miles) north of Kiev, near the border with BelarusAs reported by Reuters, the interim government of Ukraine has called upon the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency to send monitors to its 15 operating atomic reactors, and to take other actions, to deter Russian military attack given the current, escalating Ukraine-Russian territorial dispute.

Ukraine also notified the IAEA that it would be strengthening security at its four nuclear power plants.