Beyond Nuclear on Thom Hartman's "The Big Picture" re: Indian Pt. fire/oil spill & Chinese proliferation concerns

Thom Hartmann, host of "The Big Picture"Thom Hartmann, host of "The Big Picture," had Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps on to discuss the transformer fires at Entergy Nuclear's Indian Point nuclear power plant, and consequent oil spill into the Hudson River upstream from New York City. Thom and Kevin also discussed the Obama administration's attempt to extend approval nuclear power commerce with China, despite congressional concerns about dual-use technology that could be transferred to China's nuclear submarines, as well as "vertical" and "horizontal" proliferation concerns from reprocessing plutonium (adding to China's own nuclear arsenal, or the spread of nuclear weaponry to other countries or terrorist groups, respectively). (See the segment from the 46:00 minute mark to the 52:15 minute mark.)

Transformer fire at Entergy Nuclear's Indian Point causes thousands of gallons of oil to leak into Hudson River upstream of New York City

As reported by CBS New York, a transformer fire took place at Entergy Nuclear's Indian Point Unit 3 (IP) yesterday. New York Governor Cuomo rushed to the scene, concerned about the potential for leaking oil to reach the Hudson River.

Sure enough, it has. As reported by ABC News, the multiple fires did lead to an oil slick on the Hudson River, when an oil overflow tank's capacity was not enough to stem the leakage. Thousands of gallons of oil have reportedly leaked into the river, some 30 miles north of New York City.

Riverkeeper issued a press release, as well as photos (see left), stating that this latest accident is proof positive that IP should be permanently closed.

Beyond Nuclear just took part in an anti-nuclear summit very near Indian Point, held at Stony Point Conference Center on May 3rd. Hosted by Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the event focused on high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) and decommissioning issues. Beyond Nuclear's presentation addressed HLRW risks at IP, including radioactive leaks from IP's HLRW storage pools, documented in a Beyond Nuclear report and backgrounder. Representatives from NIRS, Citizens Awareness Network, Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition, and Riverkeeper also presented.

Update on May 12, 2015 by admin

The Journal News/Lohud.com reports that residents and businesses on the Hudson River are reporting not only sheens of oils up and down the river, north and south of Entergy Nuclear's Indian Point nuclear power plant, but also the smell of oil. Entergy, meanwhile, is not ready to admit the oil in the river is even from its spill! This despite an NRC admission that thousands of gallons of Entergy's transformer oil leaked into the river.

The guardian of Fukushima's lost animals

The untold human suffering and property damage left in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan has been well-documented, but there’s another population that suffered greatly that few have discussed – the animals left behind in the radioactive exclusion zone. One man, however, hasn’t forgotten – 55-year-old Naoto Matsumura, a former construction worker who lives in the zone to care for its four-legged survivors.

He is known as the ‘guardian of Fukushima’s animals’ because of the work he does to feed the animals left behind by people in their rush to evacuate the government’s 12.5-mile exclusion zone. He is aware of the radiation he is subject to on a daily basis, but says that he “refuses to worry about it.” He does take steps, however, by only eating food imported into the zone. More.

Cook nuclear plant leaks 2,000 gallons of oil into Lake Michigan over two month period

Nuclear power is "clean, carbon-free" energy? Hardly!

As reported by the Detroit Free Press on Jan. 3rd, and The Huffington Post on Jan. 7th, the twin-reactor Donald C. Cook nuclear power plant, owned by American Electric Power/Indiana-Michigan Power Company, leaked an estimated 2,000 gallons of oil into Lake Michigan, over the course of two months, before the leak was discovered and stopped.

Lake Michigan is a headwaters of the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to 40 million North Americans in 8 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces, and a large number of Native American First Nations.

And, as reported by Climate Progress on Jan. 6, Entergy's Palisades -- just 30 miles north of Cook, also on the Lake Michigan shore -- recently leaked 80 gallons of oil on the beach, but claimed it didn't reach the lake.

Climate Progress also reported a scare at Cook just months ago, that 8,700 gallons of oil had leaked into Lake Michigan -- but American Electric Power later claimed a worker misread a guage, disavowing the oil leak had actually occurred.

And Climate Progress mentioned the fears swirling around Enbridge Canadian tar sands crude oil pipelines under Lakes Michigan and Huron at the Straits of Mackinac.

1.4 million gallons of Canadian tar sands crude leaked into the Kalamazoo River, upstream of Lake Michigan, in July 2010. Inside Climate News won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2013 for its coverage of the devastating impact of this largest ever inland oil spill in U.S. history.

A recent oil leak into Lake Michigan also occurred at a BP oil refinery in Whiting, IN.

The Detroit Free Press article quoted Michael Keegan of Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes:

Michael Keegan, director of the nonprofit Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, is troubled by news of the leak.

"What's concerning is they don't really know the extent of the leak," he said. "Nearly two months later is the first determination they make that they have an oil leak? It speaks to the quality assurance of all of their other systems."

The fact that the oil is not recoverable is also problematic, Keegan said.

"There's a belief some have that the solution to pollution is dilution. It's not," he said.

From 1997 to 2000, both Cook units were shut down for major safety violations revealed by nuclear industry whistleblower Curtis Overall and David Lochbaum, Director, Nuclear Safety Program, Union of Concerned Scientists. A slogan developed in the nuclear power industry, of not wanting to get "Cooked" -- that is, busted by whistleblowers and nuclear safety advocates, forcing NRC to do its job.

An environmental coalition borrowed the phrase, and flew airplane banners over Cook, with holiday themes. For example, the Valentine's Day banner, complete with radiation symbols and hearts, read "Stop in the Name of Love! Don't Cook the Great Lakes!"

Seals entrained at Welsh nuclear power plant

As reported in Licensed to Kill, animals are sucked into nuclear power plants through the high velocity cooling water intake systems. In Wales, at the Wylfa plant, a mother seal and her pup recently endured this trauma, Fortunately both were rescued and survived. But it remains a little-publicized "side effect" of once-through cooling power plants that kill or mame millions of sea creatures, especially fish, fingerlings and spawn but also larger animals and endangered sea life such as sea turtles. More.