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Canada's minister of natural resources got an earful Friday from members of the country's nuclear industry who say they want the federal government to make a firm decision on the future of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. While Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt received polite applause when she attended a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Organization of Candu Industries in Oakville, Ont., those in the industry said indecision is hurting everyone in the sector. Last spring, the government announced its plan to break up AECL and possibly sell parts of the Crown corporation, but thus far no details have been announced.

Canada's minister of natural resources got an earful Friday from members of the country's nuclear industry who say they want the federal government to make a firm decision on the future of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. While Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt received polite applause when she attended a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Organization of Candu Industries in Oakville, Ont., those in the industry said indecision is hurting everyone in the sector. Last spring, the government announced its plan to break up AECL and possibly sell parts of the Crown corporation, but thus far no details have been announced.

Canada's minister of natural resources got an earful Friday from members of the country's nuclear industry who say they want the federal government to make a firm decision on the future of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. While Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt received polite applause when she attended a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Organization of Candu Industries in Oakville, Ont., those in the industry said indecision is hurting everyone in the sector. Last spring, the government announced its plan to break up AECL and possibly sell parts of the Crown corporation, but thus far no details have been announced.

State water officials have decided to schedule a public hearing on a proposal that would transfer water rights amounting to billions of gallons from Kane and San Juan counties to a company that wants to build a nuclear power plant at Green River. They're going to get an earful. Hundreds of people and organizations have filed protests on the action, which would transfer 29,600 acre-feet of water from Kane County and 24,000 acre-feet per year from San Juan County to Blue Castle Holdings, a company working to secure a license to build a power plant. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons. The company would lease the water rights for 70 years.

State water officials have decided to schedule a public hearing on a proposal that would transfer water rights amounting to billions of gallons from Kane and San Juan counties to a company that wants to build a nuclear power plant at Green River. They're going to get an earful. Hundreds of people and organizations have filed protests on the action, which would transfer 29,600 acre-feet of water from Kane County and 24,000 acre-feet per year from San Juan County to Blue Castle Holdings, a company working to secure a license to build a power plant. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons. The company would lease the water rights for 70 years.

"The nation's top nuclear industry regulator has gotten an earful from residents concerned that the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is seeking to extend its operating permit. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko (YAZ-coh) held a 90-minute round-table discussion with residents Wednesday in Brattleboro. Several gave reasons they believe the plant should be closed. Representatives of some organizations criticized the commission at the meeting for not cracking down on the plant after radioactive tritium was found earlier this year to have leaked into soil around the plant. Opponents also are concerned about safety at the plant during the next 20 months, when its license is scheduled to expire. Vermont Yankee wants permission to continue operating."

"The State Department of Environmental Conservation will certainly get an earful when proponents and opponents of Indian Point nuclear power plants address the agency at two public hearings in Cortlandt Manor this afternoon and evening. The DEC has refused to certify Entergy's once-through cooling of Hudson River water and that certification is necessary to receive Nuclear Regulatory Commission approve of 20 year extensions for the two power plant reactors. Several environmental groups have called for construction of large cooling towers, but Entergy says they will cost far more than the system they are advocating using "wedge-wire", take years to build, as well as disrupt the viewshed. Rockland Economic Development Corporation President Ronald Hicks urged the DEC to take another look."

During the first presidential debate, while reciting their lists of energy sources that each candidate supports, something caught my ear: a discussion of nuclear-waste reprocessing. Twenty percent of our electricity comes from 104 nuclear power plants. Currently, spent nuclear waste is stored in temporary facilities at 125 sites in 39 states. These storage sites are located in a mixture of cities, suburbs and rural areas. The plan is for this waste to be permanently stored at a geologic repository, 1,000 feet below surface, 1,000 feet above groundwater at Yucca Mountain.

Contractor KBR Inc. Accused Of Exposing Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan To Deadly Contaminants Senate Hearing To Examine How Government Can Take Precautions In Such Situations Larry Roberta's every breath is a painful reminder of his time in Iraq. He can't walk a block without gasping for air. His chest hurts, his migraines sometimes persist for days and he needs pills to help him sleep. James Gentry came home with rashes, ear troubles and a shortness of breath. Later, things got much worse: He developed lung cancer, which spread to his spine, ribs and one of his thighs; he must often use a cane, and no longer rides his beloved Harley.

Thyroid cancer seems to be more aggressive in patients who were exposed to radiation at work or for treatment of another condition, a Canadian study says. Survivors of atomic bombs and children living near areas contaminated by the 1986 nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine suggest radiation is linked to both benign and malignant thyroid tumours, according to the study in the April issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. In the 1950s and 60s, people were radiated for benign conditions such as acne, ear problems or fungal infections of the skin and the chest. "[T]his study suggests that patients who have been exposed to radiation have more aggressive disease and worse clinical outcome than other patients with thyroid cancer and, therefore, may require more aggressive treatment," Dr. Jeremy Freeman, chair of otolaryngology at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, and his colleagues concluded in the study.

"Mel Knight's announcement that nuclear power will be considered as an energy option in Alberta does not sit well with the Coalition for a Nuclear Free Alberta, the province-wide alliance of grassroots organizations opposed to nuclear development. Adele Boucher Rymhs, coalition president, feels the government has turned a deaf ear to the people to save its image on climate change. "They are saying that we should consider nuclear power because of low carbon emissions, and are totally ignoring the fact that radioactive emissions will be just as big a problem in our atmosphere." Though results of the online survey indicated that 55 per cent of respondents were opposed to nuclear, the government has chosen to allow unproven new generation technology to be developed in this province. The report also showed 75 per cent of Albertans are concerned about the health impacts of nuclear and 77 per cent do not want to leave a nuclear waste problem for future generations "

"Some traditional owners from Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory were in Melbourne last night to campaign against a proposed nuclear waste dump being built on their land. Dave Sweeney from the Australia Conservation Foundation says a public meeting was held in the electorate of the federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson. Mr Sweeney says the Muckaty traditional owners are seeking national support for their cause. "They met with lawyers to consider their legal and procedural options," he said. "They've met with representatives of national environment groups to consider what range of options and what support's available there. "And wherever they go, the story that they are telling is falling on pretty open ears because it is a compelling story.""

Edano also said an exclusion zone around the plant did not need to be expanded and he urged Tokyo residents not to hoard bottled water, a plea that fell on deaf ears with many shops quickly selling out of supplies. "If this were temporary, I wouldn't be so worried. If this is a long term, I think we have a lot to worry about," said Riku Kato, father of a one-year-old baby. Physicians for Social Responsibility, a U.S. anti-nuclear group, disputed the food safety assurances and called for a more strict ban on sales of exposed food. "There is no safe level of radionuclide exposure, whether from food, water or other sources. Period," said physician Jeff Patterson, a former president of the group.

Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission tried on Tuesday to reassure local residents that recent problems with the cooling towers at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant are not symptomatic of the rest of the plant. "We did not get any indication that these design issues were occurring in other areas of the plant," said George Malone, a team leader on the recent special NRC inspection of the plant's cooling towers.

Recent news that there was yet another leak in the 42-year-old Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant's cooling system underscores the need for independent evaluation of the plant. The public has rightfully lost confidence in the ability of Entergy to maintain Vermont Yankee. More importantly, this latest failure has raised questions about the ability of the Department of Public Service to oversee Entergy's maintenance program.

Anger and frustration erupted at Mount Tabor Church Thursday night as residents demanded Lockheed Martin Corp. stop work on the Tallevast pollution plume until the community is moved out of harm's way. But relocation was not on the agenda of the meeting Lockheed called to brief the community on its final plan to clean up the 200-acre plume of toxic waste.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced today that it has extended its construction permit for the unfinished Unit 2 at the Watts Bar nuclear power plant to March 31, 2013. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which operates Unit 1 at the plant about 10 miles south of Spring City, Tenn., requested the extension in May. TVA is spending $2.5 billion to complete a second reactor at Watts Bar. NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said the agency's staff "found no significant impact on the environment" to extending the construction permit until 2013 so the construction could be completed. Work at the unit began in 1974, TVA halted the project in 1985 and is restarting construction this year.