Group items tagged

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- The construction of the U.K.'s first nuclear power plant in more than 20 years could be delayed as Electricite de France (EPA:EDF) (Paris) called on the government to dramatically increase its support for nuclear power. The French state-owned company wants the U.K. government to offer greater incentives for nuclear power, suggesting that a carbon tax would help. For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News at http://www.industrialinfo.co.uk/showNews.jsp?newsitemID=147716, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.co.uk. Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news. For more information send inquiries to europe@industrialinfo.co.uk or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe (http://www.industrialinfo.co.uk).

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- The ageing Wylfa nuclear power plant in Wales has moved closer to being decommissioned following consent from the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. The agency's permission is the first of two needed for the Wylfa plant to finally start decommissioning work. For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News at http://www.industrialinfo.co.uk/showNews.jsp?newsitemID=145612, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.co.uk. Join Industrial Info Resources at POWER-Gen-Europe May 26-28, 2009 in Cologne, Germany and get a hands-on demonstration of our industrial market databases!

"Terrie Barrie of ANWAG (Alliance of Nuclear Worker Advocacy Groups) passes along a letter from Glenn Podonsky of the Dept. of Energy, responding to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, on issues pertaining to GAO's recommended reforms of the sick nuclear workers compensation program, and some follow-up info. Here is a link to the letter that responds to the senator's June 25 correspondence. Cantwell, and fellow U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, subsequently announced that a new online database had been made available for worker at Hanford and other sites to help them get exposure information needed for compensation claims."

"The Labor Department has released more information on toxic substances at many of the government's historic nuclear weapons facilities, and that info is expected to make it easier for sick nuclear workers and their families and advocates to research claims for compensation under EEOICPA (Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act). What's being termed an "enhanced" Site Exposure Matrices website is available by clicking here. The Alliance for Nuclear Worker Advocacy Groups issued a press release saying it was "encouraged" by the release of the exposure data, which has been used to rule on some of the claims under Part E of the program. The group is pushing for an independent oversight board to evaluate the accuracy of aspects of the proram, including the Site Exposure Matrices."

According to info distributed by the Alliance of Nuclear Worker Advocacy Groups, ANWAG and the action groups at Linde Ceramics are petitioning NIOSH and the Dept. of Labor to make rules changes in the administration of the sick nuclear worker compensation program. "Congress never intended this program to develop into the ongoing and overwhelming burden it has become for sickened nuclear weapons workers or their survivors," Terrie Barrie of ANWAG said in a statement. "Congress was well aware when they passed EEOICPA that the Department of Energy did not keep adequate exposure records, particularly for chemicals and heavy metals. Yet, DOL requires claimants to provide proof of exposure where none exists. It is long past due to return this program to the original intent of the law."

According to info distributed by the Alliance of Nuclear Worker Advocacy Groups, ANWAG and the action groups at Linde Ceramics are petitioning NIOSH and the Dept. of Labor to make rules changes in the administration of the sick nuclear worker compensation program. "Congress never intended this program to develop into the ongoing and overwhelming burden it has become for sickened nuclear weapons workers or their survivors," Terrie Barrie of ANWAG said in a statement. "Congress was well aware when they passed EEOICPA that the Department of Energy did not keep adequate exposure records, particularly for chemicals and heavy metals. Yet, DOL requires claimants to provide proof of exposure where none exists. It is long past due to return this program to the original intent of the law."

The financial compensation of top contractor executives in Oak Ridge, recently revealed as part of the Recovery Act reporting requirements, created a buzz of attention (Who's making the big bucks in Oak Ridge?). It also prompted questions from readers about how much the federal counterparts earn at the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration: Below are some of the FY09 salaries for top execs at DOE and NNSA in Oak Ridge, including any performance bonuses received for 2008. Bonus info for '09 is not yet available. Here's the compensation for members of the Senior Executive Service at the NNSA's site office at Y-12 Ted Sherry -- YSO Manager -- $192,541 Kevin Smith -- YSO Deputy Manager -- $167,052. Here's the compensation for top officers at DOE's Oak Ridge Operations:

The financial compensation of top contractor executives in Oak Ridge, recently revealed as part of the Recovery Act reporting requirements, created a buzz of attention (Who's making the big bucks in Oak Ridge?). It also prompted questions from readers about how much the federal counterparts earn at the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration: Below are some of the FY09 salaries for top execs at DOE and NNSA in Oak Ridge, including any performance bonuses received for 2008. Bonus info for '09 is not yet available. Here's the compensation for members of the Senior Executive Service at the NNSA's site office at Y-12 Ted Sherry -- YSO Manager -- $192,541 Kevin Smith -- YSO Deputy Manager -- $167,052. Here's the compensation for top officers at DOE's Oak Ridge Operations:

"The Fissile Materials Working Group expressed disappointment that G-8 leaders didn't renew a Global Partnership effort to lock down weapons of mass destruction around the world. According to info distributed by the coalition of nuclear security experts and advocates, the G-8 leaders opted to evaluate renewed funding options instead of making a firm commitment. In a statement, Kenneth Luongo, president of the Partnership for Global Security and co-chair of the Fissile Materials Working Group, said: "The G-8 Global Partnership is a vital multilateral mechanism for securing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Its geographic expansion and renewed funding commitment are essential for international security. "

The vantage point of the above photograph was roughly the same for Tuesday's ceremony in which workers started knocking down the southwest corner of K-25's west wing. According to info from the Dept. of Energy, the demolition of the half-mile-long west wing should be completed in 2010, with the demolition of the entire U-shaped, mile-long K-25 building accomplished by the end of 2011. Production operations in the K-25 building, where highly enriched uranium was achieved, shut down in the early 1960s. Lower enrichment activities continued at the Oak Ridge gaseous diffusion plant plant until 1985, when the facilities were placed on cold standby and then permanently shut down.

According to John Krueger, the B&W manager who's heading Y-12's work on the Integrated Facilities Disposition Program, the costs for Alpha-5 will be about $873 million. That's about 11.8 percent of the total projected cost of IFDP at Y-12, he said. The Alpha-5 estimate includes utility reconfiguration and excess equipment disposition, he said. There's more on Alpha-5 on Knoxnews.com. Here's the link. Also more info below:

As of Sept. 30, 2008, the total assets in the BJC pension fund for grandfathered employees were $219 million, according to info provided by Bechtel Jacobs. "The pension plan is not fully funded at this time," Bechtel Jacobs said, but declined to put a percentage on it. Company spokesman Dennis Hill said the company was meeting its requirements. "For a multi-employer plan, the funding regulations require a minimum funding level of 80%," BJC said in a statement. "As required under federal law, all multi-employer plans must provide an annual funding notice to the participants of the pension plant, which will be done in the next few weeks." There are 2,114 participants or beneficiaries covered by the plan

Web site gives info on plant design Looking for some new reading material? The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced yesterday it has put DTE Energy's application for a Fermi 3 reactor online. That's, um, nearly 17,000 pages of engineering studies, minus proprietary or security-related details. While that may not fall under the layman's definition of light reading, the agency has been putting applications online as it receives them. This one can be accessed at www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/fermi.html.

Disc containing personal info for thousands of DOE employees lost; local workers not at risk OAK RIDGE - Free medical screenings for workers at Oak Ridge and other Department of Energy sites have been put on hold while DOE investigates an incident in which personal information could have been compromised. The department also is establishing a new protocol for handling such data. The incident involved a lost disc containing the personal information for thousands of current and former employees at DOE's Idaho National Laboratory. Local officials emphasized Tuesday that no information involving Oak Ridge workers had been placed at risk.

The owners of Oyster Creek Generating Station have asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the full analysis regarding the cause of a recent tritium leak at the plant not be made public. Advertisement Earlier this month, state Sen. Christopher J. Connors and Assemblymen Brian E. Rumpf and Daniel M. Van Pelt, all R-Ocean, called for the immediate release of the root-cause analysis of the leak that occurred in April at the plant in the Forked River section of the township. "We will discuss what our review of the root-cause analysis found in our upcoming inspection report on the groundwater contamination issues at Oyster Creek," NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said Wednesday. He added that the report should be issued next month.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting June 30 in Monroe, Mich., to discuss the proposed license termination plan for the Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant, Unit 1. The meeting will be held from 7 - 10 p.m. at the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, 125 E. Second St., in Monroe. DTE Energy, the licensee, submitted its proposed license termination plan and an application for license amendment on March 25. The proposed plan is to demonstrate compliance with NRC criteria for unrestricted release of the property, although the facility will remain DTE property. There is no Fermi 1 spent nuclear fuel remaining onsite. Fermi 1 was a sodium-cooled fast-breeder reactor that operated from 1963 until it was permanently shut down in 1972. Much of the decommissioning for Fermi 1 was completed in 1975. Fermi 2, a boiling-water reactor, is still in operation at the same location in Newport, in Monroe County, on the shore of Lake Erie about 25 miles northeast of Toledo, Ohio. At the June 30 meeting, members of the NRC staff will discuss the proposed license termination plan and NRC's technical review of the plan. Information about Fermi 1 is available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/decommissioning/power-reactor/enrico-fermi-atomic-power-plant-unit-1.html.

Gary Gilmartin, executive director of the Oak Ridge Energy Parks Initiative, is the speaker at the June 25 membership meeting of ETEBA (Energy, Technology and Environmental Business Association). According to info distributed by ETEBA, Gilmartin will speak on the Tennessee Valley Nuclear Energy Coalition, a partnership of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, ORNL, Y-12 and TVA. "The partners plan to make the Tennessee Valley Corridor a center of excellence for nuclear research, technology and power generation," the ETEBA release said. Gilmartin, in his role as executive director of the Energy Parks Initiative, is working with CROET to develop a pilot energy park in Oak Ridge.

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will hold a public reading this Sunday (July 12) on the lawn of the UT College of Law, marking the 13th anniversary of the World Court's opinion on "Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons." According to info distributed by OREPA, fourteen community leaders -- including members of local churches -- will participate in a public reading of the court ruling. It's expected to take about three hours. The event is scheduled to start at about 1 p.m. Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of the peace alliance, said in a statement:

Recently, President Obama announced his intention to rid the world of nuclear weapons. This is a very worthy goal. Almost daily, we hear about the threat of nuclear proliferation. But little is said about the tens of thousands of US workers who are suffering and dying prematurely due to toxic exposure to radiation, heavy metals and other poisons they received while working in nuclear facilities making or cleaning up after these weapons. Over half a million people worked during the Cold War and WWII to build atomic bombs. 165,000 of them or their survivors have filed claims with the US Government- Department of Labor. Only 1 in 4 have been compensated. * Book of Hearts's diary :: :: * Last month, the PBS show Exposé ran a segment available here (sorry, can't embed it). It was a follow-up to a super investigative series by Laura Frank, published by the now defunct Rocky Mountain News back in July, 2008. There is a lot of info, so I will summarize as much as possible.