Nuclear Power Today articles from November 2005

Nuclear Power Today archives from November 2005

NRC Schedules Conference to Discuss Turkey Point Plant.
November 1, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has scheduled a regulatory conference with officials of Florida Power & Light Company (FP&L) for November 8 in Atlanta to discuss the risk significance of inspection findings related to unprotected...

NRC Allows IEER President's Testimony on NM Enrichment Plant.
November 1, 2005... The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) recently announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has dealt a blow to advocates of a New Mexico uranium enrichment facility by requiring licensers to hear testimony from...

Constellation to File COL For New Nuclear Power Plant.
November 1, 2005... Constellation Energy recently announced its intention to file a combined construction and operating license (COL) with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The COL could result in Constellation's first nuclear power plant in 30 years. ...

International Isotopes FEP Receives NRC Licensing Approval.
November 2, 2005... International Isotopes, Inc. recently announced that the company has received an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its fluorine extraction process (FEP). According to International Isotopes, the NRC...

Crystal River Nuclear Plant Begins Refueling Outage.
November 2, 2005... Progress Energy recently announced that its Crystal River nuclear unit began a scheduled shutdown this past weekend to replace fuel and perform maintenance, following a two-year operating cycle. During the outage, plant workers will replace...

ACF President Says Nuclear Not the Answer to Climate Change.
November 2, 2005... The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) recently announced that ACF president Ian Lowe commented last month at the National Press Club in Canberra that he believes Australia's big economic opportunity with China is in renewable energy...

Progress Energy Prepares COL for Potential Nuclear Plant.
November 3, 2005... Progress Energy recently announced it has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that the company is preparing to file an application for a second combined operating license (COL) for a possible new nuclear plant. Progress Energy...

U.K. Minister Seeks Recognition of Nuclear Power as Renewable.
November 3, 2005... U.K. newspaper The Times recently reported that British science and innovation minister Lord Sainsbury declared during a recent House of Lords discussion of energy security issues that he supports the consideration of nuclear power as a...

NRC Proposes Use of Risk Info in Reactor Cooling Requirements.
November 4, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently proposed the voluntary use of risk information in refining requirements for how nuclear power plants must safely handle loss-of-coolant accidents of various sizes. According to NRC, the...

BLM Action Delays License for Nuclear Waste Facility in UT.
November 4, 2005... U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) recently announced that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has alerted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that the bureau will not grant its approval to Private Fuel Storage's (PSF) request for a nuclear...

Duke Power Not Considering Nuclear Plant for Stokes County Site.
November 4, 2005... Local North Carolina newspaper the Greensboro News & Record recently reported that a Duke Power official has revealed that the company is not considering a site in Stokes County, NC as the potential location for a new nuclear power plant. ...

Weekly Update.
November 4, 2005... CANADIAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CANDU MAINTENANCE: November 20-22, 2005, Holiday-Inn-on-King, Toronto, Ontario EUROPEAN NUCLEAR CONFERENCE (ENC) 2005, December 11-14, 2005, Palais des Congres of Versailles,...

NRC Announces Enhanced Oversight of Indian Point.
November 7, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it will conduct additional inspections at Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, NY. Through enhanced specialized inspections, NRC said it will oversee plant operator Entergy's...

Radioactive Water Leak Found at Connecticut Yankee.
November 7, 2005... Local Connecticut newspaper the Hartford Courant reported last week that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has revealed that workers involved in the decommissioning of the Connecticut Yankee nuclear power plant's spent fuel pool recently...

Australian Mining Company Considers Uranium Sales to China.
November 7, 2005... Reuters recently reported that Australian mining company BHP Billiton Ltd./Plc has said that while it recognizes China as a potential customer for its uranium, the company will not attempt to persuade the Australian government to make such...

South Korean City of Kyongju to Host Nuclear Waste Site.
November 8, 2005... Reuters recently reported that the city of Kyongju, South Korea will be home to a new nuclear waste storage site. According to Reuters, approximately 90 percent of city residents voted to host the storage site earlier this month. "The...

GSE Awarded Contracts for Nuclear Plant Simulator Upgrades.
November 8, 2005... GSE Systems, Inc. recently announced it has been awarded several contracts, totaling more than $3.6 million, for nuclear plant simulator upgrades in North America, Asia and Europe. According to GSE, the North American contracts include the...

ANS, NA-YGN to Host Nuclear Meeting for Young Professionals.
November 8, 2005... The American Nuclear Society's (ANS) Young Members Group and the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) are joining forces to host "Young Professionals Congress, A Hitchhiker's Guide to a Career in Nuclear," a day-long session...

NRC Assigns New Senior Resident Inspector to Oyster Creek.
November 9, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has selected Marc Ferdas as the new senior resident inspector at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, NJ. According to NRC, Ferdas joined the commission in...

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant to Acquire New Generators.
November 9, 2005... The Chattanooga Times Free Press recently reported that four new steam generators will be installed at the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Watts Bar nuclear plant to replace existing units that have cracks and leaks in their tubes. The...

Famed Russian Nuclear Critic Looks to Emigrate to Finland.
November 9, 2005... Norwegian environmental group the Bellona Foundation recently reported that former Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP) employee, noted environmentalist and outspoken critic of the facility Sergei Kharitonov is now seeking asylum in Finland....

Next Week's Publishing Schedule.
November 10, 2005... EIN will not publish its newsletters on Friday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. We will resume our regular production schedule on Monday, November 14. (EIN EDITOR: 11/9)

PSEG Nuclear's Salem Unit 1 Completes Refueling Outage.
November 10, 2005... PSEG Nuclear recently announced that its Salem Unit 1 returned to service earlier this week following a refueling outage completed in "world record time." According to PSEG, the outage, Salem Unit 1's 17th, was completed 10 days ahead of...

Beaver Valley Employees Ratify Contract Agreement With FENOC.
November 10, 2005... FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corporation, recently announced that employees at its Beaver Valley Power Station represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 29...

Weekly Update.
November 10, 2005... CANADIAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CANDU MAINTENANCE: November 20-22, 2005, Holiday-Inn-on-King, Toronto, Ontario EUROPEAN NUCLEAR CONFERENCE (ENC) 2005, December 11-14, 2005, Palais des Congres of Versailles,...

NRC Seeks Public Comment on Security Requirement Revisions.
November 14, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would amend its regulations governing the requirements pertaining to the design basis threat (DBT), which specify the DBT that...

PPL Susquehanna Conducts Testing of New Emergency Sirens.
November 14, 2005... PPL Corporation recently announced that PPL Susquehanna commenced individual testing last week of 62 new emergency sirens in the 10-mile radius around the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Township, PA. According to PPL, each siren...

NNSA Converts Czech Research Reactor to Low Enriched Uranium.
November 14, 2005... The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced that a research reactor at the Czech Technical University has become the first Russian-supplied reactor to be successfully converted from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to...

Energy and Water Bill Includes $226 Million for Nuclear R&D.
November 15, 2005... The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) recently announced that the $30.5-billion Energy and Water Development appropriations bill (H.R. 2419) for FY 06 that was approved last week by U.S. Senate and House conferees features $226 million for nuclear...

NRC Considers MN Request to Become 'Agreement State'.
November 15, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it is considering a request from the governor of Minnesota to assume part of NRC's regulatory authority over certain nuclear materials in the state. Under the proposed agreement,...

NRC Monitors Efforts to Reconcile Spent Fuel Discrepancy.
November 16, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced that the agency is closely monitoring efforts by Southern Nuclear Operating Company to determine the disposition of pieces of spent nuclear fuel which cannot be accounted for in storage...

Crossfire Products Offers New Radiation Alerts for Indian Point.
November 16, 2005... Crossfire Products recently announced that, in the wake of continued failures of the Indian Point Energy Center siren system and a delay of 18 days by regulators in disclosing a leak at the nuclear plant in Buchanan, NY, the company is now...

NRC Considers Clarifying Reactor Licensing Requirements.
November 17, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it is considering revisions to clarify its regulations concerning the licensing and approval processes for nuclear power plants. According to NRC, the changes would address...

PPL Susquehanna Restarts Unit 1 Nuclear Reactor.
November 17, 2005... PPL Corporation recently announced that Unit 1 at its Susquehanna nuclear power plant was safely restarted on Monday after successful completion of a maintenance outage which sought to improve operation of the unit's control rod system. ...

NRC Inspects Electrical Problems at D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant.
November 18, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has begun a special inspection of electrical problems associated with the automatic shutdown earlier this month of the D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Station's Unit 2 in Bridgman, MI. ...

CT DPUC Condemns Handling of Haddam Neck Decommissioning.
November 18, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) commissioner Anne George has accused Connecticut Yankee Power Company of mismanaging the decommissioning of the Haddam Neck Nuclear Power...

Weekly Update.
November 18, 2005... CANADIAN NUCLEAR SOCIETY 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CANDU MAINTENANCE, November 20-22, 2005, Holiday-Inn-on-King, Toronto, Ontario EUROPEAN NUCLEAR CONFERENCE (ENC) 2005, December 11-14, 2005, Palais des Congres of Versailles,...

Russian PM Appoints New Federal Atomic Energy Agency Chief.
November 21, 2005... The Moscow Times recently reported Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's appointment of former presidential envoy Sergei Kiriyenko as the new head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency. According to the newspaper, Kiriyenko, who briefly...

DOE Uncovers New Evidence in Yucca Investigation.
November 21, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) reported last week that the Department of Energy's (DOE) inspector general has discovered new e-mails that call into question data examining the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site in Nevada. AP said the...

U.S. Senators Block Confirmation of New OCRWM Director.
November 22, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that U.S. Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Harry Reid (D-NV) have exercised their right to block confirmation of Ward Sproat as the new Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste...

Bush, S. Korean President Call on N. Korea to Disarm.
November 22, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) reported last week that President Bush joined with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in calling on the North Korean government to abandon its nuclear weapons program. AP said Bush explained that the U.S. will not...

Next Week's Publishing Schedule.
November 23, 2005... EIN will not publish its newsletters on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will resume our regular production schedule on Monday, November 28. (EIN EDITOR: 11/22)

NRC Issues License for Humboldt Bay Spent Fuel Facility.
November 23, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has issued a license to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to operate an independent spent nuclear fuel storage installation at its Humboldt Bay power plant site in Humboldt...

Zimbabwe's President Reveals New Nuclear Power Plans.
November 23, 2005... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Zimbabwe's state radio station has revealed that President Robert Mugabe declared his intentions this past weekend to commence processing of newly discovered uranium to help meet the country's...

EIN Launches 'Green Building Today' Daily Newsletter.
November 28, 2005... "Green Building Today" focuses on the emerging technology, science and public policy issues associated with environmentally friendly buildings and construction. As with all of our newsletters, we will provide concise, timely summaries of...

NRC Approves Power Uprates for Palo Verde Units 1, 3.
November 28, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has approved a request by the Arizona Public Service Company to increase the generating capacity of Units 1 and 3 at the Palo Verde nuclear generating station by 2.9 percent. ...

Callaway Nuclear Plant Returns to Service Following Outage.
November 28, 2005... Ameren Corporation subsidiary AmerenUE recently announced that its Callaway nuclear plant, located near Fulton, MO, has returned to service after shutting down in September for refueling, maintenance and major equipment upgrades. According...

NRC to Assess 2005 Hurricane Season Incident Response.
November 29, 2005... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently announced it has created a task force to continue assessing the preparations for and response to the 2005 hurricane season by the commission, affected states and licensees. According to NRC,...

Japan to Discuss Uranium Efforts With Kazakhstan.
November 29, 2005... Bloomberg News Service recently reported that Japan and Kazakhstan have agreed to discuss collaborative uranium efforts in Kazakhstan. According to Bloomberg, Kazakhstan is the world's third-largest producer of uranium and hopes to expand...

Areva Denies Knowledge of China's Decision on Reactor Prototypes.
November 29, 2005... AFX News recently reported that Areva spokesperson Charles Hufnagel said the company remains in discussion with China about the potential construction of four third-generation prototype reactors in the country, despite a recent article in...

Sources Indicate Ontario Evaluating New Reactors at Darlington.
November 30, 2005... The Canadian Press (CP) recently reported that sources have informed the news service that the government of Ontario is considering the development of two new Candu 6 reactors at the Darlington nuclear power plant in the provincial town of...

Transformer Fire Causes Shutdown of Brazilian Reactors.
November 30, 2005... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that Brazil's Angra nuclear power plant shut down last week as the result of a fire in one of the Angra II reactor's electrical transformers, causing both it and the Angra I reactor to shutter...