Nuclear Power Today articles from March 2005

Nuclear Power Today archives from March 2005

NEI Board Committee Names New President Emeritus.(Nuclear Energy Institute)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) recently announced that the executive committee of its board of directors has named Joe Colvin president emeritus of the institute. According to NEI, Colvin retired earlier this month as the institute's...

Russian Officials Say Three New Reactors Under Development.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that nuclear industry officials in Russia revealed late last week that the country expects to bring three new commercial reactors online by 2010, as well as enhance security at its existing 31...

Two Chinese Provinces Plan Nuclear Plant Construction.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... China Daily recently reported that a Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission source has revealed the province plans to construct three new nuclear power plants by 2010, with an annual capacity of between four to six million...

Nuclear Waste Found Spreading Inland From Tsunami Effects.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Voice of America (VOA) News recently reported that the United Nations (UN) released a report last week which warns that illegally disposed nuclear waste along Somalia's coastline has spread radioactive contamination as much as 10 kilometers...

NRC Licensing Board Finds in Favor of Company in PFS Case.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Private Fuel Storage)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2005... The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, an independent judicial arm of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), recently issued a decision on the last issue before it on the spent nuclear fuel storage facility proposed for Skull Valley, UT by...

NPPD Announces Successful Refueling at Cooper Plant.(Nebraska Public Power District)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2005... Cooper Nuclear Station owner and operator Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) recently announced the return to operations of the facility in what district officials say is one of the most successful refueling outages in the plant's 30-year...

U.S. Reevaluates Impact of Earthquake on Harford Waste Facility.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that new information released by a U.S. science laboratory indicates that an earthquake occurrence at the $6-billion Hanford nuclear waste treatment facility could potentially be 38-percent more...

NRC Permits Westinghouse to Export Nuclear Supplies to China.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has issued a license authorizing Westinghouse Electric Company to export to China the reactor systems, components, and associated equipment and engineering services to build and...

PPL Shuts Down Susquehanna Unit 2 for Refueling.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... PPL Corporation recently announced it has shut down Unit 2 at its Susquehanna nuclear power plant for biennial refueling and maintenance following 677 consecutive operating days, a company record. According to PPL, the outage is the 12th...

U.S. Signs International Nuclear Energy Development Agreement.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that the U.S., together with Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and the U.K., has signed the framework agreement of the...

PUC Preliminarily Approves to PG&E Generator Replacement.(Public Utilities Commission)(Pacific Gas and Electric Company)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2005... The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recently announced it has approved preliminary findings regarding the cost-effectiveness of the steam generator replacement program proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for its...

AREVA Delivers Bid for Reactor Development in China.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2005... The AREVA Group recently announced the official submission of its bid in response to the international call for bids issued last September by Chinese authorities for the construction of four nuclear islands in Yangjiang and Sanmen and the...

Weekly Update.(Calendar)
March 4, 2005... ANDRA INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: USING NATURAL AND ENGINEERED CLAY-BASED BARRIERS FOR THE COANTAINMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE, March 14-18, 2005, Congress Centre of Tours, Tours, France GENERATION ADEQUACY IN ONTARIO: THE LATEST STRATEGIES TO...

NRC Proposes Fine for Discrimination at Perry Nuclear Plant.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently proposed a $55,000 fine against FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company following an investigation into an incident in 2000 at the company's Perry Nuclear Power Plant. According to NRC, the...

AECL President Appears Before CNSC to Address Safety Concerns.(Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission)(Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. (AECL) recently announced that its president and CEO Robert Van Adel appeared late last month before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to address recent events and media reports concerning operational...

Russian Official Says Country Uninvolved in Security of Bushehr.(Bushehr nuclear power facility in Iran)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Russian Information Agency (RIA) Novosti recently reported that Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency head Alexander Rumyantsev has denied claims made by various news sources that the nation's military is involved in protecting the safety of the...

NRC Approves Power Uprate for Seabrook Station.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has approved a request by FPL Energy Seabrook to increase generating capacity at its Seabrook Station by 5.2 percent. According to NRC, its staff determined the reactor's design...

Tetra Tech Awarded Contract to Support DOE Nuclear Program.(Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2005... Consulting, engineering and technical services provider Tetra Tech, Inc. recently announced it has been awarded a design, construct and integration contract to support the Department of Energy (DOE) with the National Nuclear Security...

Russian Official Says Fuel for Bushehr Will Meet Regulations.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2005... Russian Information Agency (RIA) Novosti recently reported that Federal Atomic Energy Agency director Alexander Rumyantsev reaffirmed last week that Russia will supply radioactive fuel for Iran's new Bushehr nuclear power plant in accordance...

NRC Renews License for Surry Spent Fuel Installation.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has approved a 40-year license renewal for Dominion Generation's dry-cask independent spent fuel storage facility at the Surry nuclear power plant in Surry, VA. According to...

KEPCO Issues Report on Fatal Accident at Mihama Nuclear Plant.(Kansai Electric Power Company)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2005... The Japan Times recently reported that Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) has issued a report to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Nuclear Safety Agency concerning a ruptured cooling pipe at its Mihama Nuclear Power Plant in...

Federal Judges Reject NV's Call for More Support Against Yucca.(Nevada's funding request to fight Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site)(Brief Article)
March 9, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that a panel of federal judges has denied the state of Nevada's request for $4 million in additional federal funding to aid in its efforts to prevent development of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste...

NRC Issues Annual Nuclear Plant Assessment Letters.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has issued public assessment letters for 102 of the 103 commercial nuclear power plants currently operating in the U.S. NRC noted that the Davis-Besse nuclear facility in Ohio is...

IAEA Director Projects Increased Global Nuclear Power Generation.(International Atomic Energy Agency)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... The Press Trust of India (PTI) recently reported that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Mohamed Elbaradei revealed during a board of governors meeting last week in Vienna, Austria that the agency estimates approximately...

Former Dounreay Employee Makes Charges of Safety Violations.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... U.K. newspaper The Times recently reported it has obtained a dossier containing charges of extreme safety violations at the Dounreay plant in Caithness, Scotland made by former 30-year plant employee Herbie Lyall. According to the...

NRC Authorizes Duke Energy to Use MOX Fuel at SC Plant.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(mixed oxide)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has authorized Duke Energy Corporation to use four mixed oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies, containing uranium and plutonium, as part of the nuclear fuel at its Catawba nuclear power plant...

Fort Calhoun Conducts Refueling, Maintenance Outage.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) recently began conducting a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage at its Fort Calhoun Station nuclear power plant. According to OPPD, this is the 23rd refueling outage since the plant opened. ...

Japan Rejects EU's Insistence on Abandonment of ITER Proposal.(European Union)(International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that Japanese Office of Fusion Energy deputy director Takahiro Hayashi informed the news service earlier this week that Japan does not intend to bow to pressure from the European Union (EU) to...

Weekly Update.
March 11, 2005... ANDRA INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: USING NATURAL AND ENGINEERED CLAY-BASED BARRIERS FOR THE COANTAINMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE, March 14-18, 2005, Congress Centre of Tours, Tours, France GENERATION ADEQUACY IN ONTARIO: THE LATEST STRATEGIES TO...

NRC Extends Review of Nine Mile Point License Renewal.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has extended its operating license renewal review for Constellation Energy's Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant to allow for submission by the company of more information. ...

AECL Awarded EDF Retrofit Contract.(Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd)(Electricite de France)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. (AECL) recently announced it has won a multi-million dollar contract with French nuclear utility Electricite de France (EDF) to retrofit plants with new emergency core cooling (ECC) strainers. Under the...

Triconex Reports Successful Completion of Kozloduy Upgrades.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Process & Control Today recently reported that Invensys Process Systems unit Triconex, a leading supplier of products, systems and services for safety, critical control and turbomachinery applications, has concluded facility upgrades at...

DOE Cites CH2M Hill Hanford for Violating Safety Rules.(Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
March 15, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced it has notified the CH2M Hill Hanford Group, Inc. that it will fine the company $316,250 for violations of the department's nuclear safety requirements. CH2M is the department's contractor...

San Onofre Reactor Brought Back Online After Shutdown.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) reported last week that officials at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Onofre, CA, have brought a reactor at the plant back online after it was shut down last month due to loose valve parts. AP said...

Greenpeace Member Threatened Over Bulgarian Nuclear Plant.(Brief Article)
March 15, 2005... Greenpeace recently reported that its member Albena Simeonova has received death threats due to her public opposition to the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Belene, Bulgaria. According to Greenpeace, Simeonova began receiving...

ICE Report Finds Lack of U.K. Public Support for Nuclear Power.(Institution of Civil Engineers)(united Kingdom)(Brief Article)
March 16, 2005... The U.K. Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) recently released the results of a new public opinion survey, which finds that only one in four British citizens support the construction of new nuclear power stations in the U.K. According to...

Catapult Wins $45.6-million Contract From DOE's OCRWM.(Department of Energy)(Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management)(Brief Article)
March 16, 2005... Bethesda, MD-based information technology and consulting firm Catapult Technology, Ltd. recently announced it has been awarded a five-year, $45.6-million contract to support the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) at the...

Farley Plant Passes Environmental Impact Evaluation.(Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently concluded that a 20-year license renewal for the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2, would pose no prohibitive environmental impacts. The decision was issued this week in a...

Entergy Begins Refueling Outage at Indian Point 3.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2005... Entergy Nuclear recently announced that Indian Point 3 control room operators removed the nuclear power plant from service late last week to perform its thirteenth refueling outage. During the outage, Entergy Nuclear said workers will...

TEPCO Unable to Restart Reactor Due to Mechanical Problems.(Tokyo Electric Power Company)(Brief Article)
March 17, 2005... Reuters recently reported that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) was unable to resume operations of the No. 3 reactor at its Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant last week due to "mechanical" problems. According to Reuters, the plant,...

VT Yankee Monitoring Equipment Records Increased Radiation.(Vermont)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that the Vermont Department of Health has revealed that one of the 40 radiation monitors at Entergy Nuclear's Vermont Yankee power plant has recorded radiation levels that surpass state regulations....

U.K.'s Sizewell A Station Wins DNV 'Level 10' Award.(United Kingdom)(Det Norske Veritas)(International Safety Rating System)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2005... British Nuclear Fuels, plc recently announced that the Sizewell A nuclear power station in Suffolk, England has won independent foundation Det Norske Veritas's (DNV) highest safety and environmental rating. DNV, an international risk...

NRC Chairman Says Nuclear Plant Protection at Highest Level.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 18, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) chairman Nils Diaz commented earlier this week during a news conference in Washington, DC that protection at the nation's nuclear power plants has reached an...

Weekly Update.
March 18, 2005... GENERATION ADEQUACY IN ONTARIO: THE LATEST STRATEGIES TO SUSTAIN A RELIABLE POWER GENERATION PORTFOLIO, March 29-30, 2005, Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ontario NUCLEAR NONOPERATING OWNERS' GROUP (NNOG) SPRING CONFERENCE, April 5-8, 2005,...

DOE, DOI Launch Investigation Into Yucca Mountain Data.(Department of Energy)(Department of the Interior)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) have launched an investigation into a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) which concluded that radiation from...

NRC Names New Senior Resident Inspector for St. Lucie Plant.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced that officials at its Region II office in Atlanta, GA have assigned Tim Hoeg, former senior resident inspector for the Grand Gulf nuclear power plant near Port Gibson, MS, as the new...

Taipower Installs Taiwan's Fourth Nuclear Reactor.(Brief Article)
March 21, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that state-owned Taiwan Power (Taipower) revealed it installed the country's fourth nuclear power reactor last week. According to AFP, Taipower chairman Lin Ching-chi said that although the...

Calvert Cliffs Completes Unit 2 Refueling Outage.(Brief Article)
March 22, 2005... Constellation Energy recently announced it has completed refueling of and brought back online Unit 2 of its 1,700-megawatt Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. According to Constellation Energy, the outage at the Lusby, MD facility lasted...

Shikoku Reports Radioactive Water Leak at Ikata Power Plant.(Brief Article)
March 22, 2005... Bloomberg recently reported that Shikoku Electric Power Company has revealed that the No. 3 reactor at its Ikata nuclear power plant in Kagawa prefecture, Japan experienced a radioactive water leak last week while undergoing regular...

NSC Decries Withholding of NAS Report on Nuclear Industry.(Nuclear Security Coalition)(National Academy of Sciences)(Brief Article)
March 22, 2005... The Nuclear Security Coalition (NSC), an alliance of 47 grassroots and public interest groups, recently accused federal officials of jeopardizing public safety by blocking the release of a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report that is...

WI PSC Approves Sale of Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant.(Wisconsin)(Public Service Commission)(Brief Article)
March 23, 2005... The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) recently approved the sale of the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant, saying the transaction will provide "substantial economic benefits for ratepayers while the new conditions ensure that the citizens...

IAEA Projects Nuclear Industry Will Grow Throughout Century.(International Atomic Energy Agency)(Brief Article)
March 23, 2005... Reuters recently reported that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Mohamed ElBaradei commented during an international conference this week on 21st century nuclear energy that the nuclear power industry is expected to...

Three Spanish Nuclear Plants Shut Down Due to Problems.(Brief Article)
March 23, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that Spain's nuclear regulatory institution Consejo de Seguridad (CDS) has revealed that three of the country's nuclear power plants have been taken off line in recent months due to various problems....

Indonesia Commits to Developing Nuclear Power Industry.(Brief Article)
March 24, 2005... Reuters recently reported that Indonesian ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Thomas Aquino Sriwidjaja revealed earlier this week during an international conference on nuclear energy that the country plans to begin...

Bangladesh, China Expected to Sign Nuclear Power Agreement.(Brief Article)
March 24, 2005... Arab News recently reported that sources at the Office of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia have revealed to the newspaper that Bangladesh is expected to sign next month an agreement with China regarding nuclear power usage. According...

Japanese AEC Approves Plans for Nuclear Waste Exchange.(Atomic Energy Commission)(Brief Article)
March 24, 2005... Japan newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun reported last week that the country's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) has approved a plan submitted by the United Kingdom's (U.K.) British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) under which BNFL will reprocess Japan's...

Bruce Power Negotiates With Ontario to Restart Bruce A Units.(Brief Article)
March 25, 2005... Bruce Power recently announced it has reached a tentative agreement with a provincial negotiator in Ontario for the potential restart of Units 1 and 2 at the Bruce A generating station in Tiverton. According to Bruce Power, details of the...

NRC Signs Agreement With Belgium to Share Safety Info.(Nuclear Regulatory Commission)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has renewed for an additional five years an "Arrangement for Technical Cooperation" with Belgium's Federal Agency of Nuclear Control (FANC). Under the agreement, NRC and FANC...

U.K. Environment Agency Seeks Public Views on UKAEA Regs.(U.K. Atomic Energy Authority)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2005... The U.K. Environment Agency recently announced it is seeking public views on proposals for the future regulation of radioactive waste disposal at the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) site in Windscale, Cumbria. According to the...

NRCan Announces Appointment of New AECL Board Member.(Natural Resources Canada)(Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd)(Brief Article)
March 25, 2005... Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) recently announced the appointment of Claude Lajeunesse as a member of the board of directors of Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. (AECL). According to NRCan, Lajeunesse is currently president and...

Weekly Update.(Calendar)
March 25, 2005... GENERATION ADEQUACY IN ONTARIO: THE LATEST STRATEGIES TO SUSTAIN A RELIABLE POWER GENERATION PORTFOLIO, March 29-30, 2005, Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ontario NUCLEAR NONOPERATING OWNERS' GROUP (NNOG) SPRING CONFERENCE, April 5-8, 2005,...

DOE Selects CH2M-WGI for Idaho National Lab Site Cleanup.(Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) announced last week it has chosen CH2M-WG Idaho, LLC, to finish cleanup efforts at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). According to DOE, the Idaho Cleanup Project contract is worth $2.9 billion, with work...

Delta to Supply Security Barriers to Four U.S. Nuclear Plants.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... Delta Scientific recently announced it has been contracted to supply vehicle barricade systems to the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert, MI, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California, the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant in...

PPL Susquehanna Safely Completes Plant Outage.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2005... PPL Corporation recently announced the reconnection to the electrical transmission network of Unit 2 of its dual-unit Susquehanna nuclear power plant located outside of Berwick, PA. According to PPL, the refueling and inspection outage was...

NMC Files License Renewal Application for Monticello Plant.(Nuclear Management Company)(Brief Article)
March 29, 2005... Nuclear Management Company (NMC), at the direction of Xcel Energy, submitted late last week to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) an application to renew the operating license for the Monticello nuclear power plant in Minnesota, which is...

KEPCO President to Resign Due to Deadly Reactor Accident.(Kansai Electric Power Company)(Brief Article)
March 29, 2005... Reuters recently reported that a Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) spokesperson has revealed that company president Yosaku Fuji plans to resign in June in relation to a steam and water leak that killed five workers at the Mihama nuclear...

MEPs Urge Bulgaria to Keep Older Reactors Online.(Member of European Parliament)(Brief Article)
March 29, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported last week that United Kingdom (U.K.) Member of European Parliament (MEP) Terry Wynn, joined by four other socialist MEPs, urged Bulgarian officials not to shutter two "Soviet-era" reactors at a nuclear power...

Westinghouse, RWE Extend Nuclear Plant NDE Services Contract.(RWE Power AG)(Brief Article)
March 30, 2005... Westinghouse Electric Company recently announced it will extend a long-term agreement with RWE Power AG under which Westinghouse will provide all non-destructive examination (NDE) services at RWE's nuclear power plants -- Biblis A&B, Emsland...

Russia Ratifies Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Convention.(Brief Article)
March 30, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill that ratifies the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, which requires nuclear operators to pay at least $60 million in...

WesDyne Sets Performance Records at Byron Plant.(WesDyne International)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2005... WesDyne International recently announced a successful refueling outage at Exelon's Byron Generating Station, with time and safety records set in several categories for the plant. During the outage, WesDyne, a Westinghouse Electric Company...

DOE Awards Hanford Site Cleanup Contract to Washington Closure.(Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced it has awarded Washington Closure, LLC a contract to manage the cleanup and remediation of the Columbia River Corridor at DOE's Hanford Reservation in Washington. According to DOE, the...

RACE Granted Permit to Develop Waste Incinerator in Memphis.(Radiological Assistance, Consulting and Engineering LLC)(Brief Article)
March 31, 2005... Local Tennessee television news station WREG recently reported that Memphis, TN-based Radiological Assistance, Consulting and Engineering (RACE), LLC has been granted a health department permit for the development of a new radioactive waste...