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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 in Aiken to discuss the agency's most recent round of reviews of the Energy Department's $4.86 billion mixed oxide fuel facility under construction at Savannah River Site. The meeting, to be held at the Aiken Municipal Center, 215 The Alley, is a federal "management meeting" at which the parties involved in the project will discuss recent inspections. "Public attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff at the conclusion of the management meeting, but before the meeting adjourns," according to the meeting notice. The MOX facility, scheduled to open in 2016, is designed to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium by using small amounts to make fuel for commercial reactors.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 in Aiken to discuss the agency's most recent round of reviews of the Energy Department's $4.86 billion mixed oxide fuel facility under construction at Savannah River Site. The meeting, to be held at the Aiken Municipal Center, 215 The Alley, is a federal "management meeting" at which the parties involved in the project will discuss recent inspections. "Public attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff at the conclusion of the management meeting, but before the meeting adjourns," according to the meeting notice. The MOX facility, scheduled to open in 2016, is designed to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus weapons-grade plutonium by using small amounts to make fuel for commercial reactors.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Friday, Dec. 11 to discuss with officials of Global Nuclear Fuel -- Americas, LLC of Wilmington, N.C., apparent violations of NRC requirements associated with the company's safety analysis of the facility. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at the NRC Region II office in Atlanta, located in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth St. SW, Suite 23T85. The meeting will be open to observation by the public, and NRC officials will be available at its conclusion to answer questions from interested observers. Members of the public interested in attending the meeting or participating by toll-free audio teleconference should contact the NRC's Chad Cramer at 404-562-4712 or chad.cramer@nrc.gov or the NRC's Richard Gibson at 404-562-4718 or richard.gibson@nrc.gov. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss apparent violations related to shortcomings in the company's required safety analysis, including the failure to identify or document credible accident scenarios.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Friday, Dec. 11 to discuss with officials of Global Nuclear Fuel -- Americas, LLC of Wilmington, N.C., apparent violations of NRC requirements associated with the company's safety analysis of the facility. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at the NRC Region II office in Atlanta, located in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth St. SW, Suite 23T85. The meeting will be open to observation by the public, and NRC officials will be available at its conclusion to answer questions from interested observers. Members of the public interested in attending the meeting or participating by toll-free audio teleconference should contact the NRC's Chad Cramer at 404-562-4712 or chad.cramer@nrc.gov or the NRC's Richard Gibson at 404-562-4718 or richard.gibson@nrc.gov. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss apparent violations related to shortcomings in the company's required safety analysis, including the failure to identify or document credible accident scenarios.

"The Department of Energy will hear public comments at a Jan. 26 meeting in Richland on a wide-ranging draft study that lays the groundwork for cleanup of the Hanford nuclear reservation for decades to come. It's one of eight meetings planned in the Northwest. The Richland meeting at the Red Lion Hanford House will start with an open house at 6 p.m. followed by presentations by DOE and the Washington State Department of Ecology at 7 p.m. Public comment then will be heard until 10 p.m. Other meetings will be Feb. 2 in Boise; Feb. 9 in Hood River, Ore., and Feb. 10 in Portland. A Seattle meeting is being rescheduled and three more meetings will be added to the list."

The third Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Executive Committee meeting was held here on Friday, on which its member countries stressed to support a peaceful and safe use of nuclear energy. Zhang Guobao, director of the National Administration of Energy, presided over the meeting. In an opening address, Zhang said nuclear energy that is clear, safe and greenhouse gas emission-free, would play a crucial role in the world energy system. At the meeting, the Executive Committee reconfirmed that safety, security and non-proliferation were fundamental prerequisites for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. All partnership activities should be conducted in a manner to enhance them. According to the GNEP Joint Statement issued at the meeting, the partners will further strengthen cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and other relevant international organizations.

The third Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) Executive Committee meeting was held here on Friday, on which its member countries stressed to support a peaceful and safe use of nuclear energy. Zhang Guobao, director of the National Administration of Energy, presided over the meeting. In an opening address, Zhang said nuclear energy that is clear, safe and greenhouse gas emission-free, would play a crucial role in the world energy system. At the meeting, the Executive Committee reconfirmed that safety, security and non-proliferation were fundamental prerequisites for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. All partnership activities should be conducted in a manner to enhance them. According to the GNEP Joint Statement issued at the meeting, the partners will further strengthen cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and other relevant international organizations.

"Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS); Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Radiation Protection and Nuclear Materials; Notice of Meeting The ACRS Subcommittee on Radiation Protection and Nuclear Materials will hold a meeting on April 21, 2010, Room T2-B3, at 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The meeting will be open to public attendance. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Wednesday, April 21, 2010-8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The Subcommittee will review changes to NUREG-1536, ``Standard Review Plan for Spent Fuel Storage Systems at a General License Facility.'' The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with NRC staff and other interested persons regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the Full Committee. "

oday I have had the opportunity to meet with Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other distinguished Indian leaders. We had productive discussions about the opportunities for partnerships between our two countries on clean energy technologies. Meeting the climate and clean energy challenge is a top priority for President Obama. In the past ten months, the United States has demonstrated its renewed commitment to these goals both by supporting domestic policies that advance clean energy, climate security, and economic recovery; and by vigorously vigorously re-engaging the international community through bi-lateral relationships, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, the G20, and the UN negotiations. The U.S. will continue to work hard toward combating climate change and reaching a strong international agreement that puts the world on a pathway to a clean energy future. Working together, we can meet the clean energy and climate challenge in a way that will drive sustainable, low-carbon economic growth in the 21st century.

oday I have had the opportunity to meet with Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other distinguished Indian leaders. We had productive discussions about the opportunities for partnerships between our two countries on clean energy technologies. Meeting the climate and clean energy challenge is a top priority for President Obama. In the past ten months, the United States has demonstrated its renewed commitment to these goals both by supporting domestic policies that advance clean energy, climate security, and economic recovery; and by vigorously vigorously re-engaging the international community through bi-lateral relationships, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, the G20, and the UN negotiations. The U.S. will continue to work hard toward combating climate change and reaching a strong international agreement that puts the world on a pathway to a clean energy future. Working together, we can meet the clean energy and climate challenge in a way that will drive sustainable, low-carbon economic growth in the 21st century.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct two public meetings Wednesday at the Ohio State University South Centers Auditorium at 1864 Shyville Road in Piketon. The first meeting will begin at 7 p.m., and NRC officials plan to discuss the results of USEC Inc.'s annual review of safety performance with officials from USEC. The second meeting will be conducted immediately after the first and will discuss the NRC's performance review of the American Centrifuge Lead Cascade facility. Both meetings are open to the public, and officials will be available to answer questions following both meetings.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is asking hospitals, universities, and others who use radioactive materials for research to explain how they are affected by limited access to low-level waste disposal facilities. If important research has been affected or stopped because disposal is limited, NRC wants to know and factor that into future decisions, according to its announcement of an Oct. 7 public meeting on this topic that appeared in the Federal Register. The meeting will take place at NRC's Rockville, Md., headquarters, and the public will be able to participate via a Webcast. NRC's public Web site will provide Webcast and meeting details starting in late September. The questions NRC asked in its notice of the meeting included:

The NRC is seeking comments on a proposed rule, published in today's Federal Register, that would change emergency preparedness requirements for operating nuclear power plants, for those that might be licensed and built in the future, and for research and test reactors. The proposed rule would limit the duties of a plant's onsite emergency responders to ensure they are not overburdened during an emergency event, and require specific provisions to protect them and other plant personnel during a hostile action event. In addition, the proposed rule would require all nuclear power plants to incorporate hostile action scenarios in their drills and exercises, which currently primarily focus on nuclear-related scenarios. New requirements for back-up measures for alerting and notification systems are also included in the proposed rule. The NRC has held several public meetings while developing the proposed rule and will be holding additional public meetings at six locations over the next several weeks. At these meetings, hosted jointly by the NRC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), staff from both agencies will be available to answer questions about the proposed regulations and draft guidance. The first meeting will be held in the Philadelphia, Pa., area on June 2, 2009. Attendees are strongly encouraged to read the documents on http://www.regulations.gov (Docket Nos. NRC-2008-0122 and FEMA-2008-0022) before the meeting. After reviewing all public comments, the NRC staff plans to submit a proposed final rule to the Commission in February 2010.

The National Research Council governing board's executive committee will meet next month to discuss the study that would determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia. The meeting will take place Nov. 10 in Washington and will be closed to the public, said Jennifer Walsh, spokeswoman for the National Academy of Sciences. Walsh said she does not know if the committee will decide during next month's meeting whether to approve the study. Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. VUI, through Virginia Tech's Center for Coal and Energy Research, would pay for the study's first phase focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.

The National Research Council governing board's executive committee will meet next month to discuss the study that would determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in Virginia. The meeting will take place Nov. 10 in Washington and will be closed to the public, said Jennifer Walsh, spokeswoman for the National Academy of Sciences. Walsh said she does not know if the committee will decide during next month's meeting whether to approve the study. Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill, about six miles northeast of Chatham. VUI, through Virginia Tech's Center for Coal and Energy Research, would pay for the study's first phase focusing on the technical and public-safety aspects of mining.

"The U.S. Department of Labor will visit Livermore, Calif., on June 29 and Emeryville, Calif., on June 30 to present information about the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, which provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Through town hall meetings, officials will present details about two new classes of former employees at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently added to the EEOICPA's Special Exposure Cohort, as well as provide an overview of the program. The Labor Department's California Resource Center staff will also be available at the town hall meetings for extended periods of time to assist individuals with the filing of claims under the EEOICPA. A worker who is included in a designated SEC class of employees, and who is diagnosed with one of 22 specified cancers, may receive a presumption of causation under the EEOICPA. On April 5, 2010, the secretary of health and human services designated the following two classes of employees as additions to the SEC: all employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors, who worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., from Jan. 1, 1950, through Dec. 31, 1973, and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., from Aug. 13, 1942, through Dec. 31, 1961, for at least 250 workdays occurring either solely under this employment or in combination with workdays within other classes of employees in the SEC. Both designations became effective on May 5, 2010. As the Department of Health and Human Services determines and introduces new SEC classes into the EEOICPA claims process, the Labor Department's role is to adjudicate these claims based on the new SEC class definition. To date, more than $118 million in compensation and medical bills have been paid to 1,0

The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel's Pre-License Application Presiding Officer (PAPO) Board will hold a case management meeting Dec. 2 in Rockville, Md., to discuss how classified information will be protected and handled during adjudicatory hearings on the proposed high-level waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev. Representatives from the Department of Energy, the state of Nevada, and the NRC staff will attend the meeting at the ASLB hearing room at NRC headquarters, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Other potential parties who have filed a notice of appearance may participate either in person or by video hookup in the NRC's Las Vegas Hearing Facility, Pacific Enterprise Plaza, Building 1, 3250 Pepper Lane, Las Vegas, beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Members of the public are welcome to observe the meeting at either location. The meeting will also be Webcast on the Internet at http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=53642.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled two meeting with officials of Nuclear Fuel Services in Erwin, Tenn., one to discuss the company's efforts to improve the facility's safety culture, and a second the following day to review NFS performance during the first half of 2008. The first meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the NFS Training Center on Jackson Love Highway, which is off Interstate 26 in Erwin. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the progress of the NFS Comprehensive Safety Culture Improvement Initiative, which was ordered by the NRC last year after a series of safety violations at the facility. The meeting is open to the public, and NRC officials will be available to answer questions from interested observers.

Alyaksandr Valchanin, leader of the Union Chernobyl-Belarus, met with Mikhail Rusy, chairperson of the Chernobyl aftermath committee in the House of Representatives, on Monday to discuss the rights of workers involved in the massive cleanup effort after the 1986 nuclear accident. In an interview with BelaPAN, the activist said that he had been pushing for a meeting with the lawmaker for a long time but all of his petitions had been unanswered. The meeting was arranged after Mr. Valchanin petitioned Uladzimir Makey, head of the Presidential Administration, over the matter. The activist described the meeting as "constructive." "Mr. Rusy assured me that we can develop joint projects and representatives of our association would be invited to the committee's meetings. We discussed health resort treatment for Chernobyl cleanup workers, benefits for Chernobyl-affected people," he said. Mr. Valchanin said that the Belarusian authorities were ready to maintain some cooperation with the association. "This is even good that Mr. Rusy is poised for dialogue. I, for my part, offered to use my international contacts for solving the problems of Chernobyl-affected people. It seems to me that the proposal found understanding," he noted. Mr. Valchanin said that the possible registration of the union in Belarus had not been discussed. "But we intend to get registered in our country and will make every effort for this," he said. BelaPAN

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold public meetings Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Sweetwater, Tenn., to discuss the agency's review of an Operating License application for a second reactor at the Watts Bar site near Sweetwater, and the environmental issues the agency should consider in reviewing the application. The NRC will meet with the public from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Magnuson Hotel, 1421 Murrays Chapel Road in Sweetwater. The NRC will transcribe the meeting, including any follow-up answers the staff provides after the meeting, and post the information on the agency's Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/plant-specific-items/watts-bar/key-correspondence.html . NRC staff will be available for informal discussions with members of the public during "open house" sessions from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. No formal comments on the environmental review will be accepted during these open houses.

Three members of the citizen board tasked with offering advice to the Department of Energy on its Piketon site submitted their resignations at a meeting Thursday night. Advertisement Lee Blackburn, Lorry Swain and Andrew Feight resigned at the start of a meeting of the Portsmouth Site Specific Advisory Board (SSAB) at The Ohio State University Endeavor Center in Piketon. In addition, Board member Terry Smith left the meeting in frustration, and two residents who had applied for an open position on the board withdrew their applications. "Overshadowing all is our recognition that the SSAB mission has been obstructed by DOE's failure to abide by federal regulations and guard against conflicts of interest," said Swain, as she read from a letter the trio was submitting to Department of Energy Environmental Management Assistant Secretary Inés Triay.

Three members of the citizen board tasked with offering advice to the Department of Energy on its Piketon site submitted their resignations at a meeting Thursday night. Advertisement Lee Blackburn, Lorry Swain and Andrew Feight resigned at the start of a meeting of the Portsmouth Site Specific Advisory Board (SSAB) at The Ohio State University Endeavor Center in Piketon. In addition, Board member Terry Smith left the meeting in frustration, and two residents who had applied for an open position on the board withdrew their applications. "Overshadowing all is our recognition that the SSAB mission has been obstructed by DOE's failure to abide by federal regulations and guard against conflicts of interest," said Swain, as she read from a letter the trio was submitting to Department of Energy Environmental Management Assistant Secretary Inés Triay.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled meetings for Thursday and Friday, June 4 and 5, to discuss plans to revise the process used for oversight and inspection of nuclear fuel enrichment, processing and manufacturing facilities licensed by the NRC. The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 4 and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on June 5, and will be held in the NRC's Region II office's main conference room, which is located in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street SW in Atlanta. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss NRC plans to produce a fuel cycle oversight process that is more risk informed and performance based, and to get industry and public feedback on those plans. It is expected that NRC staff, industry representatives and others will make presentations on improvements with discussion following. There will also be opportunities for members of the public to participate at designated points during the meeting.

"On Thursday, March 25th and Friday, March 26th, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, co-chaired by former Congressman Lee Hamilton and former National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft, will hold its first meeting in Washington, D.C. At the direction of President Obama, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu established the Blue Ribbon Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle and to provide recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing the Nation's used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The meeting is open to the press and the public. Press interested in attending the meeting should RSVP to Katinka.Podmaniczky@hq.doe.gov. Space is limited and credentials will be given on a first come, first serve basis on site. The meeting will be webcast live. Additional information will be available regarding the webcast on homepage. Read the meeting's agenda."

* Global warming necessitates investment in low-emission, base-load electric generation alternatives, including new nuclear power plants. * International standards for safety and nonproliferation are necessary to ensure the successful development of new plants. * Nuclear weapon states need to strive to meet disarmament commitments to support nonproliferation efforts. Global warming necessitates the development of new forms of low-emissions, base-load power generating capacity. To assess the financial, regulatory, and proliferation concerns confronting nuclear energy and to develop strategies for addressing the barriers to the deployment of new reactors, in late September 2008, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists convened nearly 40 scientists, policy makers, industry representatives, and nongovernmental experts from around the world. The meeting was cosponsored by the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, and the Chicago Council on Science and Technology. A subset of the meeting's participants developed the following findings and recommendations based upon the presentations and discussions at the meeting. These findings and recommendations do not represent the views of all of the meeting participants or sponsors. Conference participants who endorse this document are listed at the bottom.

There is a buzz around northwest Saskatchewan now that Bruce Power has made its presence known. Last week, the Ontario-based nuclear power company held three public open houses in the area to update residents about plans to build a nuclear power plant along the North Saskatchewan River. The open houses, held in Prince Albert, North Battleford and Lloydminster late last week, came alongside meetings organized by grassroots organization Save Our Saskatchewan (SOS) which aimed to shed light on what nuclear power is and the effect it will have on the province. In the last month SOS has held meetings in Paradise Hill, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Shellbrook, and most recently Hillmond on Monday night. Following the latest SOS meeting, secretary Meggan Hougham said the group is making a lot of headway. "We had a really good turnout again at this meeting," she said. Continued After Advertisement Below Advertisement "There were a lot of good questions and debate. People have the same negative concerns but some people asked pro questions. We are working hard to get out and give people answers."