UCS's Lochbaum: "The NRC Seven: Petitioning the NRC over Safety"

Project Mercury Astronauts (Source: Wikipedia)The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has posted commentary by its Nuclear Safety Project Director, David Lochbaum, on the 2.206 (emergency enforcement) petition submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by seven private citizens who happen to work for the NRC.

Lochbaum's "All Things Nuclear" blog begins:

Roy Mathew, Sheila Way, Swagata Som, Gurcharan Singh Matharu, Tania Martinez Navedo, Thomas Koshy, and Kenneth Miller—the NRC Seven— are not names as well known as Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton—the Mercury Seven astronauts—but their courage and service to the country are comparable. More.

New report shows ecological impacts of Fukushima will last centuries

A new Greenpeace report, written by Greenpeace Japan Senior Nuclear Campaigner, and Beyond Nuclear board member, Kendra Ulrich, examines the likely long-term ecological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and concludes they could last centuries.

"Radiation Reloaded: Ecological Impacts of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident 5 Years Later," drew on a large body of scientific research in Fukushima-impacted areas over the past five years to bring to light the current ecological situation as a result of the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

The report is described as an attempt to document what is currently known about the radioactive contamination of the forests, rivers, floodplains and estuaries of Fukushima prefecture. Given the long half-lives of some of the radionuclides released into the environment of Fukushima prefecture and wider Japan, understanding their ecological impacts is essential. 

Read the full report. And read the press release.

2nd diver sucked into St. Lucie nuclear power plant sues

A diver sucked into and through the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant intake tunnel has sued owners, Florida Power and Light.  As reported by West Palm Beach television station, WPTV, Christopher Le Cun, who was entrained at the plant at Hutchinson Island, FL last July, is bringing suit against the company in hopes that this will prevent such an incident from happening to others.  As Beyond Nuclear reported in 2001, in its landmark investigative report, Licensed to Kill, this had indeed happened before, to scuba diver Bill Lamm, whose story uncannily mirrors the one told now by Le Cun. 

Incredibly, Lamm was charged with trespass when he emerged in the plant's intake canal after his terrifying journey through the intake pipe.  This time, FPL is claiming that Le Cun deliberately entered the intake tunnel.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and FPL have been stalling a Section 7 Review for a Biological Opinion under the Endangered Species Act since 2006. 

NMFS has been stalling a Beyond Nuclear FOIA of the BO communications with FPL and NRC for nearly a year.

This fits within the pattern of behavior uncovered in our 2001 report which found capitulation and collusion between agencies and the industry in order to save the industry the cost of installing exclusion devices that would prevent the entrainment of sea turtles, manatees and other sea life --- and, as it turns out, human beings.

Please view our video below to learn more about how nuclear power plants like St. Lucie harm and endanger not only human beings but countless animals including endangered species.

"A huge loss" for the public interest, ratepayers, and environment: Exelon Nuclear takeover of Pepco poised for approval

Sept. 17, 2015 PowerDC rally against Exelon takeover of Pepco, before marching to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office to deliver the hand-signed bannerAs reported by Crain's Chicago Business, the Washington Post, and Bloomberg, Exelon Nuclear is now poised to take over Mid-Atlantic utility Pepco. Exelon won the war, despite a determined public interest, ratepayer, and environmental group coalition winning all the battles against the controversial merger over the course of the past two years.

As quoted in the Blooomberg article:

"This is a huge loss for consumers, a discouraging setback for the institutions to protect them and a sad commentary on how things are done in the District," said Allison Fisher, public outreach director for Public Citizen.

(See Allison Fisher's full statement here.)

PowerDC issued a summary and action alert. More.

Update on March 1, 2016 by admin

Hold the presses! As reported by PowerDC, as well as NIRS and CCAN, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, as well as D.C.'s Attorney General, Karl Racine, and the Office of People's Counsel, Sandra Mattavous-Frye, Esq., have all rejected the PSC's conditions for the Exelon takeover of Pepco to proceed. As reported by the Washington Post, this could well doom the corrupt deal. (Note that an earlier version of the Washington Post article stated, appropriately, that "The debate over the merger centered on the role of renewable energy sources like wind and solar against legacy technologies, such as nuclear power and natural gas. Many environmental groups opposed the deal because they believed it would hinder the migration toward renewable energies." (emphasis added) But, Orwellian "down the memory hold" style, the current version of the article has edited out this entirely appropriate language!) But eternal vigilance and redoubling of efforts is more called for than ever: PowerDC will hold a press conference at the JW Marriott near the mayor's office at the Wilson Building in downtown D.C. on Wed., March 2nd at noon, calling for an end to this bad deal, once and for all. You can take action too, by writing D.C. decision makers.

Fukushima: The Great Japan Cover-Up

The Japanese were kept in the dark from the start of the Fukushima disaster about high radiation levels and their dangers to health.  In order to proclaim the Fukushima area 'safe', the government increased exposure limits to 20 times the international norm.  Soon, many Fukushima refugees will be forced under economic pressure -- and vows that everything is once more 'safe' -- to return home to endure damaging levels of radiation.  Pregnant women and their unborn, along with babies and young children, will be most at risk.

Beyond Nuclear's Linda Pentz Gunter, reports in The Ecologist from a special presentation inside the U.K. House of Commons by Dr. Tetsunari Iida, about just how profound the information cover-up was -- and remains -- in Japan. Tepco officials, Iida said, should be on trial, just like the Tokyo war crimes trials after World War II.  "The people in the nuclear industry did not tell the public the truth and keep us informed," Iida said.

Read the full article.