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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regulatory Agenda is a semiannual compilation of the agency's recent rulemaking activities. It contains a summary and the status for each ongoing rulemaking and petition for rulemaking received by the agency. Organization of the Agenda The agenda consists of two sections that have been updated through December 31, 2008. Section I, "Rules," includes: (A) rules on which final action has been taken since June 30, 2008, the closing date of the last NRC Regulatory Agenda; (B) rules published previously as proposed rules on which the Commission has not taken final action; (C) rules published as advance notices of proposed rulemaking for which neither a proposed nor final rule has been issued; and (D) unpublished rules on which the NRC expects to take action. Section II, "Petitions for Rulemaking," includes: (A) final actions on petitions for rulemaking since June 30, 2008; and (B) petitions pending staff review. In Section I of the agenda, the rules are aligned numerically with the parts of Title 10, Chapter I, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (Title 10). If more than one rule appears under the same part, the rules are arranged within that part by date of most recent publication. If a rule amends multiple parts, the rule is listed under the lowest numbered affected part. In Section II of the agenda, the petitions are aligned numerically with the parts of Title 10 and are identified with a petition for rulemaking (PRM) number. If more than one petition appears under the same CFR part, the petitions are arranged by PRM numbers in consecutive order within that part of Title 10.

The agency regulating Florida Power & Light's nuclear reactors gave the facility good marks during its annual review, but declined at a meeting Tuesday to talk about the utility's security practices. Officials from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission hosted a public meeting at Homestead City Hall to discuss their assessment of the Turkey Point nuclear power station east of Homestead. ''FPL operated Turkey Point Units 3 and 4 in a manner that preserved public health and safety,'' Marvin Sykes, branch chief of the division of nuclear projects, told the 40 or so elected officials, activists and residents in attendance.

Representatives of Central Asian governments have met at a conference in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, to find ways of jointly tackling the issue of radioactive waste dumps and their environmental and health impacts. "The issue of uranium waste dumps and industrial waste in Central Asia is a very serious one and if there is not an urgent and effective solution to it, it can be the reason for serious implications for millions of people in the region. The mitigation of those implications might require dozens of years and substantial resources," Neal Walker, head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN system in Kyrgyzstan, said.

Toshiba Corp will take a 52 percent stake in a Japanese nuclear fuel producer for about 10 billion yen, the Nikkei business daily said without citing sources. Westinghouse Electric Co, a U.S. subsidiary of Toshiba will buy shares of Nuclear Fuel Industries Ltd from Furukawa Electric Co (5801.T) and Sumitomo Electric Industries (5802.T) in an equal joint venture, the paper said. As a result of the deal, stakes of Furukawa Electric and Sumitomo Electric will come down to 24 percent each.

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.

Thorium is a slightly radioactive element, a cousin of uranium. For the past four decades, in fits and starts, researchers have been testing it as a potentially attractive competitor to uranium as a source of nuclear fuel. Within the nuclear community, it's won a small, devoted following. Up to now, it's had little commercial impact. People Who Read This Also Read * Gauging the Prospects for Nuclear Power in the Obama Era 23399268 * The Truth About All Those Green Jobs 23289542 * Gang of Juvenile Dinosaurs Discovered 23288904 * Bailout Scorecard: The End of the Beginning 23296138 * Depression Linked to Brain Thinning 23391986 Recommendations by Loomia Today, however, thorium is getting a serious second look from some powerful global players. With interest in nuclear power soaring, thorium is being re-examined as a potential solution to-or at least a palliative for-some of the industry's daunting problems, particularly the production of hazardous radioactive waste. Advocates say that adding thorium to a nuclear reaction would help reduce the volume of nuclear waste that is produced and help prevent civilian nuclear fuels from being converted into weapons-grade material.

Weld County residents opposed to the proposed uranium mine near Nunn are still not convinced their groundwater will be protected from contamination. Two weeks ago, Gov. Ritter signed legislation to protect groundwater from contamination as a result of leach uranium mining. House Bill 1161 requires that companies using leach uranium mines restore all affected groundwater to the condition it was in before mining. A new study, however, shows that these types of regulations may not prevent all groundwater contamination. Weld residents now are using this information as their primary argument against the uranium mine. Powertech Uranium Corp., a Canadian firm, is continuing to collect samples and apply for permits. President and CEO Richard Clement said all the work applications should be completed by mid-summer. The applications take about a year and a half to process.

All numbers are estimates because exact numbers are top secret. * Strategic nuclear warheads are designed to target cities, missile locations and military headquarters as part of a strategic plan.

There have been 14 collisions involving British nuclear submarines since 1988 and 237 fires on board the fleet of vessels, the government has revealed. February's collision between HMS Vanguard and French sub Le Triomphant was the sole recorded collision with another naval vessel, the MoD said.

"Two recent nuclear leaks expose the danger of overhyping a technology that is still not ready for prime time. There has been a recent bout of positive press for the hurting nuclear energy industry, with props given by the likes of Barack Obama and Bill Gates, causing some to call it a nuclear "comeback." And while I agree with both our president and our most famous billionaire that nuclear will at some point it the future be a big part of the solution, a spate of recent events has drawn attention to the fact that though it helps on the carbon front, nuclear power is still very dangerous business. Last year the Chalk River power plant in Ottowa sprung two leaks, spewing 7,000 liters of radioactive water per day into the Ottowa River and this month a similar mysterious leak at the Yankee Vermont plant is resulting in dangerous tritium contamination of the nearby Connecticut River. A full 25 percent of the 104 nuclear reactors in the U.S. have leaked tritium, a known carcinogen. Yes, these are old plants but they call attention to the fact when nuclear goes wrong it can go very wrong. Though there are some newer, safer next-generation nuclear technologies available, they are prohibitively expensive to bring online and still require highly radioactive fuel stocks. There are many exciting developments in nuclear R & D (see my visit to LANL) which make use of downgraded nuclear fuels, but they are in the early stages of development, and that means we're not likely to see them popping up in the landscape anytime in the near future. * Nuclear, Strike 1: TOXIC WASTE * Nuclear, Strike 2: EXCESSIVE COST * Nuclear, Strike 3: WATER DEMAND * The 6 myths of nuclear energy exposed"

"Pennsylvania has the highest thyroid cancer rate of any U.S. state, and rates are especially high in the eastern part of the state, which has a large concentration of nuclear reactors, according to a new study released today. From 2001-2005, the Pennsylvania thyroid cancer incidence rate was 44% above the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 18 U.S. counties with the highest rates, six are located in eastern Pennsylvania. There are 9 nuclear reactors in this area, the largest concentration in the U.S. "Epidemic levels of thyroid cancer in eastern Pennsylvania suggest that radiation emitted by reactors may be driving up rates among local residents," says Joseph Mangano MPH MBA "because exposure to radiation is the only known cause of the disease." Mangano is Executive Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project research group, and author of the article published in the current International Journal of Health Services. The research found that in the mid-1980s, Pennsylvania's thyroid cancer rate was 40% below the U.S. "Something occurred to change Pennsylvania's rate from low to high," says Mangano "and one of these possible factors is radiation from reactors.""

"An independent engineering firm and its biological experts have told the state Department of Environmental Conservation that Wedgewire and underwater screens technology would be superior to cooling towers for protecting the Hudson River aquatic life near the Indian Point nuclear power plants at Buchanan. Indian Point parent Entergy was required by the DEC to make a filing on the feasibility of cooling towers as well as present alternative technologies of comparable effectiveness to protect aquatic life in the river. In its filing, Entergy asked the DEC to issue a revised draft permit that includes the Wedgewire technology in April. The Enercon study, commissioned by Entergy, concluded that Wedgewire screens would better protect fish eggs and larvae over the 20 year period of a renewed Indian Point license in large part because they can be installed and operational 12 to 15 years sooner than cooling towers. "

This is a table of listing dozens of job categories and the number of jobs created, either direct, indirect, or induced. It includes a total of the three. Note that nuclear power is one of the worst on the list.

Quebec will create a special committee to study the potential effects of uranium exploration and mining on public health, says the province's chief public health officer Dr. Alain Poirier. Poirier made the announcement Friday, following a meeting with a group of 23 doctors in the province's North Shore region. The doctors at the Sept-Îles Hospital have threatened to resign unless the province puts in place a ban on uranium mining and exploration, which they said is a threat to public health. "We agreed to look at all the options and not just only to think if one day there will be a mine - but what are the effects now on the population," Poirier said.

Quebec will create a special committee to study the potential effects of uranium exploration and mining on public health, says the province's chief public health officer Dr. Alain Poirier. Poirier made the announcement Friday, following a meeting with a group of 23 doctors in the province's North Shore region. The doctors at the Sept-Îles Hospital have threatened to resign unless the province puts in place a ban on uranium mining and exploration, which they said is a threat to public health. "We agreed to look at all the options and not just only to think if one day there will be a mine - but what are the effects now on the population," Poirier said.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, it was Sen. John McCain, not then Sen. Barack Obama, who touted nuclear power. Obama, for the most part, was noncommittal on the subject. But in the year since being elected, President Obama and congressional Democrats increasingly appear to be embracing nuclear power. Democrats' support has not been entirely rock solid. Obama's decision, last spring, to scrap a decades-old plan to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada was interpreted by some critics as an early sign of an antinuke stance within the administration. But many less high-profile moves, especially in recent weeks, suggest that Democrats in the White House and on Capitol Hill, far from turning their backs on nuclear power, now see it as a way of advancing their goals on energy and climate policy.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, it was Sen. John McCain, not then Sen. Barack Obama, who touted nuclear power. Obama, for the most part, was noncommittal on the subject. But in the year since being elected, President Obama and congressional Democrats increasingly appear to be embracing nuclear power. Democrats' support has not been entirely rock solid. Obama's decision, last spring, to scrap a decades-old plan to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada was interpreted by some critics as an early sign of an antinuke stance within the administration. But many less high-profile moves, especially in recent weeks, suggest that Democrats in the White House and on Capitol Hill, far from turning their backs on nuclear power, now see it as a way of advancing their goals on energy and climate policy.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, it was Sen. John McCain, not then Sen. Barack Obama, who touted nuclear power. Obama, for the most part, was noncommittal on the subject. But in the year since being elected, President Obama and congressional Democrats increasingly appear to be embracing nuclear power. Democrats' support has not been entirely rock solid. Obama's decision, last spring, to scrap a decades-old plan to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada was interpreted by some critics as an early sign of an antinuke stance within the administration. But many less high-profile moves, especially in recent weeks, suggest that Democrats in the White House and on Capitol Hill, far from turning their backs on nuclear power, now see it as a way of advancing their goals on energy and climate policy.

"The federal government has set aside nearly $2 billion in stimulus funds to clean up Washington State's decommissioned Hanford nuclear site, once the center of the country's Cold War plutonium production. That is more stimulus funding than some entire states have received, which has triggered a debate as to whether the money is being properly spent. The facility sprawls across approximately 600 square miles of south-central Washington, an area roughly half the size of Rhode Island. It was built in the 1940s as part of the "Manhattan Project" to develop the first atomic weapon during World War II. "

"Children exposed to 137Caesium (137C) released from the Chernobyl disaster fallout show signs of breathing difficulties, according to research published online this week in Environmental Health Perspectives. The research adds changes in lung function to the list of health problems associated with long-term exposure to the radiation. "The long term prognosis of these children is poor," Erik Svendsen and colleagues write. "Some will probably develop significant respiratory problems as they age." Chernobyl was the most serious nuclear accident in history. One of the plant's reactors exploded in 1986, showering radioactive material across many European countries with parts of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine worst hit. The health of people living in these countries has been affected by the radiation, which is known to cause thyroid cancer, leukaemia, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease. More than twenty years after the event people living in some areas continue to be exposed to radioisotopes that linger in the environment through tainted water supplies and locally grown food. One of these is the Ukrainian farming district of Narodickesky, which lies 80km west of the nuclear power plant. The region experienced "considerable" radioactive fallout from the disaster leaving the soil in some areas heavily contaminated with 137C, according to the authors. "

"GOVERNMENT officials were grilled by 350 members of the public over plans to build a nuclear power plant in Kirksanton. Angry residents made their voices heard with calls for the Department of Energy and Climate Change to pull the plug on the project. The meeting, held on Saturday at Millom School, followed a three-day exhibition in Millom Network Centre."

"Nuclear power stations pose a threat to three out of four Germans, according to a new study published Tuesday by the German Environmental Foundation. But the government has recently decided to extend nuclear power. The figures are based on the foundation's 'Nuclear Power Atlas,' which counts the number of people living within a 150-kilometer (93-mile) radius of each of the 17 nuclear power stations in Germany - putting them in immediate danger in the event of a nuclear accident. Between 5.4 million and 11.8 million people were counted within the various zones, which cover most of the western and southern regions of Germany. The city of Bremen, within 150 kilometers of six nuclear powers stations, is particularly at risk. "

"The Cold War is a fading memory and nuclear weapons production in the Alle-Kiski Valley ended decades ago. But the remnants of that production - involving radioactive plutonium - still lie just beneath the surface of 14 acres in Parks, Armstrong County. The site remains uncontained, on top of an abandoned coal mine and close to the Kiskiminetas River. The Valley News Dispatch has spent a year reviewing thousands of documents - many newly declassified - concerning the site and talking to the people whose lives have been unalterably changed by the defunct company known as NUMEC."