Nuclear Power Today articles from August 2005

Nuclear Power Today archives from August 2005

House, Senate Approve Energy Policy Act of 2005.
August 1, 2005... The U.S. Senate approved Friday afternoon, by a vote of 74 to 26, the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Thursday by a vote of 275 to 156. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce noted that...

Russia, China to Collaborate on Floating Nuclear Power Plant.
August 1, 2005... RIA Novosti recently reported that Russia and China have reached an agreement to collaborate on the construction of a floating nuclear power plant. According to RIA Novosti, the two countries have signed an $86.5-million contract to build...

New Survey Finds Californians Opposed to Nuclear Development.
August 1, 2005... The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recently announced the release of a new survey on the environment, the results of which indicate that most Californians (59 percent) oppose constructing new nuclear power plants in an effort to...

Louisiana Site Under Consideration for New Nuclear Plant.
August 2, 2005... Local Louisiana newspaper The Advocate recently reported that governor Kathleen Blanco favors the selection of a site in West Feliciana Parish for the development of a new nuclear power plant. According to the newspaper, the site is one of...

Cameco Opts Out of Investment in New Brunswick Reactor.
August 2, 2005... Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based Cameco Corporation recently announced it has decided not to invest in the 680-megawatt Point Lepreau nuclear generating system in New Brunswick. According to Cameco, Bruce Power Inc. submitted a proposal to...

South Korea Participates in Nuclear Standardization Talks.
August 2, 2005... The Korea Times recently reported that nuclear technology standardization body the International Electrotehnical Commission (IEC) permitted South Korea, during a seminar held last month in the city of Pusan, to head an effort to establish...

Iran to Resume Uranium Processing at Isfahan Plant.
August 3, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Iranian officials intend to break United Nations seals on the Isfahan nuclear plant and resume uranium processing. According to AP, Iran is frustrated by delays in negotiations with European...

Taiwan Power Company Selects Invensys for Maanshan Upgrade.
August 3, 2005... Invensys Process Systems recently announced that Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) will implement Foxboro's I/A series distributed control systems (DCS) for balance-of-plant control system upgrades for both units of the Maanshan nuclear power...

EIA Predicts Rise in Electricity Generation From Nuclear Power.
August 3, 2005... The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently announced the release of the "International Energy Outlook 2005" (IEO2005), which projects that worldwide energy consumption will grow by 57 percent between 2002 and 2005. According to...

DOE Official Reveals New Timeline for Yucca License App.
August 4, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that an official with the Department of Energy (DOE) has informed the news service that a new project timeline set to be shared with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing board sometime...

NRC Makes Oyster Creek License Renewal App Public.
August 4, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory (NRC) Commission recently announced that an application from AmerGen Energy Company, LLC for a 20-year renewal of the operating license for the Oyster Creek nuclear station is now available for public view. According...

Russian Source Says Country Considering north Korean Plant.
August 4, 2005... Russian news agency Itar-Tass news agency reported earlier this week that a source at the country's federal agency for atomic energy (Rosatom) revealed to Itar-Tass that Russia could build a nuclear power plant in North Korea in six to seven...

Russia Seeks Loans to Build New Nuclear Power Units.
August 5, 2005... RIA Novosti recently reported that Russia's Federal Agency for Nuclear Power plans to take out loans to finance construction of three new units at nuclear power plants around the country. According to RIA Novosti, in addition to a second...

New Poll Reveals Germans Support Phasing Out of Nuclear.
August 5, 2005... Japanese news agency Xinhua recently reported that the results of a new survey of German residents conducted by polling company Emnid reveal that 70 percent of respondents support putting an end to Germany's use of nuclear power. ...

Weekly Update.
August 5, 2005... ANS 2005 UTILITY WORKING CONFERENCE: THE REACTOR IS CRITICAL -- EXCELLENCE TODAY, SUSTAINING GROWTH TOMORROW, August 7-10, 2005, Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL ANS TOPICAL MEETING ON DECOMMISSIONING, DECONTAMINATION &...

NRC Proposes Stronger Worker Fitness-for-duty Requirements.
August 8, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently proposed a strengthening of the agency's fitness-for-duty requirements for workers who have unescorted access to a nuclear power plant's protected areas. The changes are outlined in a...

U.S. Responds Positively to Iran's New Nuclear Approach.
August 8, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that the State Department has welcomed Iran's decision to delay the resumption of suspended nuclear fuel-cycle activities, a move that has threatened ongoing negotiations with European nations. ...

Pakistan Approves Plan for Increased Nuclear Output.
August 8, 2005... The Press Trust of India (PTI) recently reported that Pakistan Planning Division deputy chairman Akram Sheikh has revealed that the county has okayed an effort to ramp up its nuclear power output from the current level of 430 megawatts (MW) to...

NRC Raises Airplane Crash-related Concerns for Yucca Site.
August 9, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has sent a memorandum to the Department of Energy (DOE) noting that the department has omitted airplane crash-related risk considerations pertaining to the...

DOE Cites Bechtel Jacobs for Nuclear Safety Violations.
August 9, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced it will fine the Bechtel Jacobs Company (BJC), the department's contractor responsible for environmental cleanup and waste management at the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, $247,500 for...

Greenpeace Urges Bulgaria to Drop Nuclear Plans.
August 9, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) reported last week that Greenpeace International has launched a campaign urging the government of Bulgaria to abandon plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Danube River and consider implementing a renewable-based...

President Bush Signs Energy Bill Into Law.
August 10, 2005... U.S. President George Bush signed into law on Monday the Energy Policy Act of 2005, comprehensive legislation designed to encourage energy efficiency and conservation, promote alternative and renewable energy sources, reduce U.S. dependence on...

Records Gathered in FPL Case Reveal Misdirected Waste Shipments.
August 10, 2005... The New York Times recently reported that "internal documents and government records" gathered in connection to two lawsuits filed against Florida Power and Light (FPL) indicate that the company misdirected the shipment of nuclear waste on a...

Iranian Ambassador Says Bushehr Plant to Open Next Year.
August 10, 2005... Russian news agency Itar-Tass recently reported that the Iranian ambassador to Russia has declared that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant will be commissioned in June 2006. According to Itar-Tass, ambassador Gholamreza Ansari said although...

Consultant Says Iran Able to Produce Weapons-grade Uranium.
August 11, 2005... Newsday reported last week that Alireza Jafarzadeh, head of Washington, D.C.-based Strategic Policy Consulting, warned the Associated Press that Iran has manufactured approximately 4,000 centrifuges capable of producing weapons-grade uranium....

Armenia to Continue Nuclear Plant Operations for 10 Years.
August 11, 2005... The Eurasia Daily Monitor (EDM) recently reported that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Mohamed El Baradei revealed after discussions late last month with government officials in Armenia that the country intends to...

EPA Proposes Public Health Standards for Yucca Mountain.
August 12, 2005... The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed public health standards for the planned high-level radioactive waste disposal facility at Yucca Mountain, NV, with the intent to protect public health for 1 million years. ...

Calvert County Encourages Expansion at Calvert Cliffs Plant.
August 12, 2005... The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in Calvert County, MD recently met with executives from NuStart Energy Development in an effort to lay the groundwork for and gather facts about the expansion of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant....

Russian Nuclear Agency Reports Lack of 'Serious' Incidents.
August 12, 2005... Russian Information Agency (RIA) Novosti recently reported that a spokesperson for state nuclear power generation concern Rosenergoatom has revealed the lack of any "serious" incidents since its inception in 1992. According to RIA Novosti,...

Weekly Update.
August 12, 2005... ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION OF MATERIALS IN NUCLEAR SYSTEMS-WATER REACTORS, August 14-18, 2005, Snowbird Resort Conference Center, Salt Lake City, UT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR NEW EUROPE 2005, September 12-15, 2005, TBA,...

Public Citizen Criticizes Proposed Yucca Mountain Standards.
August 15, 2005... Public Citizen recently criticized the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new proposal to allow two different radiation standards for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility in Nevada as failing to protect the long-term health...

NRC Official Asks Dominion for North Anna Certifications.
August 15, 2005... Local Virginia newspaper The Free Lance-Star recently reported that Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) environmental section senior project manager Jack Cushing sent a letter late last month to Richmond, VA-based power company Dominion seeking...

Iran Says Considering Reopening Additional Nuclear Facilities.
August 15, 2005... Adnkronos International (AKI) reported last week that the Iranian government is considering reopening a facility in the city of Natanz that manufactures centrifuges used to enrich uranium for atomic weapons. According to AKI, the...

Iranian Expediency Council Head Slams Proposed Isfahan Shutdown.
August 16, 2005... Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) recently reported that Iranian Expediency Council head Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has attacked an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution urging Iran to power down the Isfahan nuclear facility, a move he...

TEPCO to Investigate Leak at Fukushima Reactor.
August 16, 2005... Kyodo recently reported that the discovery of a radioactive fluid leak, containing levels of tritium approximately 8,000 times greater than normal, at the No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima nuclear power plant has prompted Tokyo Electric Power...

Two New Nuclear Reactors Brought Online in South Korea.
August 16, 2005... South Korean news agency Yonhap recently reported that two new nuclear reactors have begun operating at the Ulchin Nuclear Power Plant, southeast of Seoul. According to Yonhap, the fifth and sixth reactors at the Ulchin facility -- the...

PSB Official Opts Out of Consideration of Vermont Yankee Plan.
August 17, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) chairman and former Department of Public Service advocacy office chief James Volz has removed himself from consideration of the case revolving around Entergy's...

Ionics Fabricated Joins GE Energy Nuclear Segment.
August 17, 2005... GE Energy recently announced that Ionics Fabricated Products Division will be integrated into its Wilmington, NC-based nuclear segment. According to GE Energy, Ionics Fabricated, which employs approximately 150 people at two manufacturing...

Iran Moves Forward With Heavy-Water Reactor Plan.
August 17, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Iran plans to continue building a heavy-water reactor, which it maintains will be used for peaceful purposes but the U.S. says could be used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. ...

Groups Oppose License Extension for MI Nuclear Plant.
August 18, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that local environmental groups are trying to convince the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) not to issue a new 20-year operating license for the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in South Haven, MI....

MassDEP Restricts Permit for Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
August 18, 2005... The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) late last month issued a permit to Yankee Nuclear Power Station allowing the facility to utilize "environmentally and radiologically clean" concrete rubble as on-site fill. ...

Local Officials Look to Enhance Connecticut Yankee Security.
August 18, 2005... Local Connecticut newspaper the Hartford Courant recently reported that town officials in Haddam, CT are seeking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for efforts to enhance safety at the mothballed Connecticut Yankee nuclear power...

NRC Issues Final EIS on Point Beach License Renewal.
August 19, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued its final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposed renewal of the operating licenses for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, units 1 and 2, which indicates that there are no...

Korea Looks to Collaborate With U.S. on Nuclear Hydrogen Project.
August 19, 2005... Asia Pulse recently reported that the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology has revealed that the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Doosan Heavy Industry and Construction Company are looking to collaborate with U.S. nuclear...

Report Revises Closure Plans for British Nuclear Sites.
August 19, 2005... The North Wales Daily Post recently reported that the U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has released a report calling for advancement of the timetable for the decommissioning of the country's aging nuclear plants. According to...

Weekly Update.
August 19, 2005... INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR NEW EUROPE 2005, September 12-15, 2005, TBA, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2005 NCSD: INTEGRATING CRITICALITY SAFETY INTO THE RESURGENCE OF NUCLEAR POWER, September 18-22, 2005, Knoxville Marriott Hotel,...

NRC Extends Review Schedules for Nuclear Site ESP Applications.
August 22, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it is extending the review schedules for three early site permit (ESP) applications received in late 2003. Due to an unexpected volume of comments on environmental impact...

FPL Awards St. Lucie Steam Generator Contract to SGT.
August 22, 2005... Washington Group International, Inc. recently announced that Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has awarded a contract to SGT, LLC -- Washington Group's joint venture with Framatome ANP -- to provide services for the replacement of two steam...

DOE Reveals Plan to Evaluate U.S. Nuclear Security With Bombs.
August 22, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Department of Energy (DOE) spokesperson Tim Jackson has revealed that the federal government plans to explode two car bombs of an unclassified power, not to exceed that of 15,000 pounds of TNT,...

Indian Minister Says Nine New Plants Currently Under Development.
August 23, 2005... The Press Trust of India (PTI) recently reported that India's minister of state in the prime minister's office Prithviraj Chavan informed the Council of States late last week that the development of nine new nuclear plants is currently underway...

ANA Recommends Nuclear Budget Cuts in New Report.
August 23, 2005... The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) recently released a new report, titled "Top Ten Department of Energy Radioactive Pork Projects in the 2006 Budget," which details nearly $2 billion dollars in programs that its authors recommend be...

Doosan Heavy Industries to Bid for Westinghouse.
August 24, 2005... Asia Pulse news service recently reported that South Korean power-generation equipment manufacturer Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Company has revealed its intent to bid for British Nuclear Fuels Plc unit Westinghouse Electric Company....

Russian Nuclear Officials Oppose Privatization.
August 24, 2005... Russian Information Agency (RIA) Novosti reported last week that officials with Rosenergoatom, the agency that oversees the country's electric and thermal energy generation plants, have voiced strong opposition to privatizing the nation's...

Consultant Estimates Yucca Mountain Expenses for Clark County.
August 24, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that the commission of Clark County, NV has projected that the Department of Energy's (DOE) planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository will cost the county $3.7 billion in public safety expenses,...

Plant Vogtle To Be Evaluated for New Nuclear Units.
August 25, 2005... Georgia Power recently announced that Southern Nuclear Operating Company has informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that it has selected the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, owned by Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, the...

EU Halts Negotiations With Iran Over Nuclear Activities.
August 25, 2005... Reuters recently reported that representatives from the European Union (EU) have cancelled talks with Iran scheduled for August 31, citing Iran's failure to halt uranium conversion at its plant in Isfahan. Iran had voluntarily halted the work...

IAEA to Conduct Flooding Hazard Risk Workshop in India.
August 25, 2005... The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will host the "International Workshop on External Flooding Hazards at Nuclear Power Plant Sites" from August 29 through September 2 at India's Kalpakkam nuclear power plant. According to IAEA,...

NRC Announces New Head of State and Tribal Programs.
August 26, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced the appointment of Janet Schlueter as director of the agency's Office of State and Tribal Programs. According to NRC, Schlueter, who joined the commission in 1989 as a health...

Ukrainian Nuclear Reactor Experiences Automatic Shutdown.
August 26, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that a nuclear reactor at the Khmelnytskyy facility in western Ukraine shut down automatically after a sensor detected a malfunctioning cooling system pump. According to AP, the number 2 reactor...

Japanese Plant Personnel Exposed to Radioactive Coolant.
August 26, 2005... AFX News recently reported that two workers at the Kansei Electric Power nuclear facility in Mihama, Japan were exposed to "minimally radioactive" coolant following the rupture of a reactor pipe. According to AFX, the company issued a...

Weekly Update.
August 26, 2005... INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR NEW EUROPE 2005, September 12-15, 2005, TBA, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2005 NCSD: INTEGRATING CRITICALITY SAFETY INTO THE RESURGENCE OF NUCLEAR POWER, September 18-22, 2005, Knoxville Marriott Hotel,...

NRC Provides Update on Oyster Creek License Renewal Process.
August 29, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently reported that Johnny Eads, NRC senior project manager for the license renewal review of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, NJ, has said a 20-year renewal of the facility's...

SCE&G, Santee Cooper Consider New Nuclear Plant.
August 29, 2005... SCANA Corporation recently announced that its principal subsidiary, South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (SCE&G), and Santee Cooper will consider the possibility of extending their present nuclear generation joint ownership arrangement to...

U.S., Libya Sign Sister Laboratory Arrangement.
August 29, 2005... The National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Sister Laboratory program recently signed an arrangement with Libya's National Bureau of Research and Development for the joint pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. According to...

EDF Orders Steam Generators From MHI for PWRs.
August 30, 2005... Japan Corporate News Network (JCNN) recently reported that Electricite de France (EDF) has ordered six steam generators from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for use in its pressurized water reactors (PWRs). According to JCNN, the steam...

Citizens' Group Sues DOE Over Inadequate Nuclear Cleanup.
August 30, 2005... The Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes filed a complaint late last week against the Department of Energy (DOE) over failure to fully clean up the West Valley nuclear site located outside of Buffalo, NY. According to the coalition, DOE...

NRC Staff Proposes Fine Against Westinghouse Electric.
August 31, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced that its staff has proposed a $16,250 fine against Westinghouse Electric Company for safety requirement violations at the company's Hematite Manufacturing Facility in Festus, MO. ...

DOE Cites Fluor Fernald for Nuclear Safety Violations.
August 31, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently notified Fluor Fernald, Inc. that it will fine the company $33,000 for violations of DOE nuclear safety requirements. According to DOE, the department's issuance of a preliminary notice of violation...

Belarus Counters Nuclear Waste Dump With Pig Farms.
August 31, 2005... U.K. newspaper The Guardian recently reported that Belarus has revealed its intention to build two pig farms, anticipated to house more than 215,000 swine, near Lithuania's southern border, following Lithuania's decision to build a nuclear...