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It was ground zero for nuclear bomb production, then it became the nation's biggest atomic waste headache. Now the old Hanford nuclear reservation boasts a new distinction: It is the single biggest recipient of federal stimulus contracts. The plan is to pump an additional $2 billion into the enormous effort to decontaminate the remote campus a few miles from the Oregon border, where abandoned reactors rise like weeds amid miles of sagebrush, and toxic plumes of waste roil underground. The money equals Hanford's annual cleanup budget and accounts for more than a quarter of the total stimulus spending in Washington. It's the reason the state ranks third in the number of stimulus-related jobs, despite being 13th in population.

It was ground zero for nuclear bomb production, then it became the nation's biggest atomic waste headache. Now the old Hanford nuclear reservation boasts a new distinction: It is the single biggest recipient of federal stimulus contracts. The plan is to pump an additional $2 billion into the enormous effort to decontaminate the remote campus a few miles from the Oregon border, where abandoned reactors rise like weeds amid miles of sagebrush, and toxic plumes of waste roil underground. The money equals Hanford's annual cleanup budget and accounts for more than a quarter of the total stimulus spending in Washington. It's the reason the state ranks third in the number of stimulus-related jobs, despite being 13th in population.

Republican Gov. Jan Brewer says Arizona's economic future may hinge on making the state a hub for renewable- and nuclear-energy development that can both power the state and drive job creation. Speaking Tuesday in Phoenix at a gathering of the Business Summit of the West, Brewer laid out what she called "a vision for Arizona's second century." It's one that leans heavily on the production of wind, solar and other leading-edge technologies as she looks to position the state as a leader in green energy. Brewer also said it's time to revisit an older power source: nuclear.

Republican Gov. Jan Brewer says Arizona's economic future may hinge on making the state a hub for renewable- and nuclear-energy development that can both power the state and drive job creation. Speaking Tuesday in Phoenix at a gathering of the Business Summit of the West, Brewer laid out what she called "a vision for Arizona's second century." It's one that leans heavily on the production of wind, solar and other leading-edge technologies as she looks to position the state as a leader in green energy. Brewer also said it's time to revisit an older power source: nuclear.

Think your job has its share of headaches? Presiding over Savannah River Site's environmental and tritium programs was worth a $570,008 annual salary for one top executive-and he left after just two years. The figure was revealed in a government Web site that tracks American Recovery & Reinvestment Act spending and requires major recipients to divulge salaries of their top five officers. The federal database shows that Savannah River Nuclear Solutions-the primary management contractor for Savannah River Site-has been awarded $1,407,839,884 in stimulus dollars, in addition to its scheduled funding for regular operations at the site, for which the Fluor-led group received a five-year, $4 billion contract that took effect in 2008.

Think your job has its share of headaches? Presiding over Savannah River Site's environmental and tritium programs was worth a $570,008 annual salary for one top executive-and he left after just two years. The figure was revealed in a government Web site that tracks American Recovery & Reinvestment Act spending and requires major recipients to divulge salaries of their top five officers. The federal database shows that Savannah River Nuclear Solutions-the primary management contractor for Savannah River Site-has been awarded $1,407,839,884 in stimulus dollars, in addition to its scheduled funding for regular operations at the site, for which the Fluor-led group received a five-year, $4 billion contract that took effect in 2008.

It was in 1957 when the bulldozers were in action preparing the ground where the first Italian reactor would stand. The place chosen by the Italian Committee for Nuclear Research (CNRN - Comitato Nazionale per le Ricerche Nucleari) was Ispra. The pictures and films show the machines and workers on the job; the scene is one of simple, bare land, where the inhabitants, with the war behind them, were watching the first steps of what would mark a significant turning-point. The story of the reactor "Ispra 1" and of the associated research centre is told in a long documentary film, which can be seen on YouTube and on the official site of the JRC

It was in 1957 when the bulldozers were in action preparing the ground where the first Italian reactor would stand. The place chosen by the Italian Committee for Nuclear Research (CNRN - Comitato Nazionale per le Ricerche Nucleari) was Ispra. The pictures and films show the machines and workers on the job; the scene is one of simple, bare land, where the inhabitants, with the war behind them, were watching the first steps of what would mark a significant turning-point. The story of the reactor "Ispra 1" and of the associated research centre is told in a long documentary film, which can be seen on YouTube and on the official site of the JRC

French nuclear giant Areva has decided to sell its power transmission and distribution network to French firms Alstom and Schneider Electric, rejecting Japanese and US bids. The sale estimated at 4.09 billion euros (6.13 billion dollars) was announced after a meeting of Areva's supervisory board late on Monday. Alstom and Schneider Electric were favourites to take over the Transmission and Distribution unit despite union concerns that the sale would lead to job losses. President Nicolas Sarkozy has made developing France's cutting-edge nuclear industry a priority and has been keen to keep it in French hands. Areva is 92 percent owned by the French state.

French nuclear giant Areva has decided to sell its power transmission and distribution network to French firms Alstom and Schneider Electric, rejecting Japanese and US bids. The sale estimated at 4.09 billion euros (6.13 billion dollars) was announced after a meeting of Areva's supervisory board late on Monday. Alstom and Schneider Electric were favourites to take over the Transmission and Distribution unit despite union concerns that the sale would lead to job losses. President Nicolas Sarkozy has made developing France's cutting-edge nuclear industry a priority and has been keen to keep it in French hands. Areva is 92 percent owned by the French state.

The new head of the International Atomic Energy Agency took office on Tuesday, amidst "stormy" negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. Yukiya Amano, a 62-year-old Japanese diplomat, arrived for his first day as director general at the United Nations agency in Vienna. He take takes over from Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, who stepped down Monday after 12 years in the job.

The new head of the International Atomic Energy Agency took office on Tuesday, amidst "stormy" negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. Yukiya Amano, a 62-year-old Japanese diplomat, arrived for his first day as director general at the United Nations agency in Vienna. He take takes over from Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, who stepped down Monday after 12 years in the job.

A proposed uranium mine north of Edgemont could add 200 construction jobs before mining ever begins, residents were told Wednesday. Representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Southwest Research Institute, a nonprofit research and development organization, met with business, community and government representatives to gauge the effects of granting a license to PowerTech USA to mine uranium in the Dewey-Burdock area north of Edgemont and to discuss the status of the application. The NRC is reviewing PowerTech's licensing application and is gathering data that will go into a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

A proposed uranium mine north of Edgemont could add 200 construction jobs before mining ever begins, residents were told Wednesday. Representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Southwest Research Institute, a nonprofit research and development organization, met with business, community and government representatives to gauge the effects of granting a license to PowerTech USA to mine uranium in the Dewey-Burdock area north of Edgemont and to discuss the status of the application. The NRC is reviewing PowerTech's licensing application and is gathering data that will go into a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Top Obama Administration officials, in Seattle for a Clean Energy Economy forum, touted new "clean" power sources as a wellspring for new American jobs. But there were surprisingly glowing words for nuclear power. "We're laying a foundation for our economic future: We all believe that a cornerstone of that will be a clean energy economy," said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency boss Lisa Jackson. But an administration colleague, Undersecretary of Energy Kristina Johnson, praised nuclear energy - even though a collapsing nuclear construction program once threatened to melt down the Northwest's economy.

Top Obama Administration officials, in Seattle for a Clean Energy Economy forum, touted new "clean" power sources as a wellspring for new American jobs. But there were surprisingly glowing words for nuclear power. "We're laying a foundation for our economic future: We all believe that a cornerstone of that will be a clean energy economy," said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency boss Lisa Jackson. But an administration colleague, Undersecretary of Energy Kristina Johnson, praised nuclear energy - even though a collapsing nuclear construction program once threatened to melt down the Northwest's economy.

Weakening Wisconsin laws regulating new nuclear reactors should not be part of a climate change bill. The Clean Energy Jobs Act, unveiled in the state Legislature recently, is a significant step toward addressing global warming while strengthening our state economy. Although much of the bill is a positive step to addressing global warming, it weakens Wisconsin's current law on building new nuclear reactors. Wisconsin's current law is common sense and protects citizens and the environment from radioactive nuclear waste, which poses considerable risks for tens thousands of years and contains plutonium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons if separated. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power.

Weakening Wisconsin laws regulating new nuclear reactors should not be part of a climate change bill. The Clean Energy Jobs Act, unveiled in the state Legislature recently, is a significant step toward addressing global warming while strengthening our state economy. Although much of the bill is a positive step to addressing global warming, it weakens Wisconsin's current law on building new nuclear reactors. Wisconsin's current law is common sense and protects citizens and the environment from radioactive nuclear waste, which poses considerable risks for tens thousands of years and contains plutonium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons if separated. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power.

The Canadian government on Thursday moved to get out of the nuclear energy business, inviting bids for its commercial reactor division amid heady global demand for atomic energy. "Nuclear energy is an emission-free source of power that is experiencing a renaissance around the world," said Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt in a statement. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL)'s CANDU reactor division "needs strategic investors to take full advantage of this opportunity, strengthen its global presence and reduce the financial risks carried by taxpayers." Proposals are to be assessed based on the buyer's ability to grow the division's domestic and foreign reactor sales, helping to retain some 30,000 Canadian jobs in the sector.

The Canadian government on Thursday moved to get out of the nuclear energy business, inviting bids for its commercial reactor division amid heady global demand for atomic energy. "Nuclear energy is an emission-free source of power that is experiencing a renaissance around the world," said Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt in a statement. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL)'s CANDU reactor division "needs strategic investors to take full advantage of this opportunity, strengthen its global presence and reduce the financial risks carried by taxpayers." Proposals are to be assessed based on the buyer's ability to grow the division's domestic and foreign reactor sales, helping to retain some 30,000 Canadian jobs in the sector.

During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing Tuesday, U.S. Senator John Barrasso criticized the Department of Energy's management of its excess uranium stockpiles. Barrasso noted that the DOE's policy of forcing too much of its uranium stockpile into the market will artificially drive down uranium prices, undercutting domestic uranium mining and hurting jobs in Wyoming. Barrasso highlighted the negative impact the DOE's plans will have on Wyoming if it transfers $150-$200 million worth of excess government uranium to the U.S. Enrichment Corporation over the next year.

During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing Tuesday, U.S. Senator John Barrasso criticized the Department of Energy's management of its excess uranium stockpiles. Barrasso noted that the DOE's policy of forcing too much of its uranium stockpile into the market will artificially drive down uranium prices, undercutting domestic uranium mining and hurting jobs in Wyoming. Barrasso highlighted the negative impact the DOE's plans will have on Wyoming if it transfers $150-$200 million worth of excess government uranium to the U.S. Enrichment Corporation over the next year.

The Legacy of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Upon US Indigenous & Communities of Color We are communities that, in partnership with the Peace Development Fund, form the Building Action for Sustainable Environments Initiative (BASE). We are citizens who represent some of the communities in the US who bear the legacy of 50 years of nuclear energy and weapons production. We are indigenous nations, we are Latino citizens and farm-workers, and we are African American communities living near nuclear power and weapon production sites. Reducing and eliminating the wasteful and dangerous means of producing nuclear energy and bringing renewable green energy production and jobs to our communities are the goals in which our communities have a major stake. Our communities suffer from diseases and illnesses that we contend are related to our exposure to the highly toxic processes of mining and milling uranium, the unsafe storage of radioactive materials and the lack of clean-up of sites and facilities, the transportation of highly radioactive waste through our communities, and the lack of safe disposal methods for highly deadly nuclear waste. Cancer, neurological damage, genetic damage, lung disease, respiratory disorders, lupus, and heart problems are among some of the illnesses that affect our communities.

The Legacy of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Upon US Indigenous & Communities of Color We are communities that, in partnership with the Peace Development Fund, form the Building Action for Sustainable Environments Initiative (BASE). We are citizens who represent some of the communities in the US who bear the legacy of 50 years of nuclear energy and weapons production. We are indigenous nations, we are Latino citizens and farm-workers, and we are African American communities living near nuclear power and weapon production sites. Reducing and eliminating the wasteful and dangerous means of producing nuclear energy and bringing renewable green energy production and jobs to our communities are the goals in which our communities have a major stake. Our communities suffer from diseases and illnesses that we contend are related to our exposure to the highly toxic processes of mining and milling uranium, the unsafe storage of radioactive materials and the lack of clean-up of sites and facilities, the transportation of highly radioactive waste through our communities, and the lack of safe disposal methods for highly deadly nuclear waste. Cancer, neurological damage, genetic damage, lung disease, respiratory disorders, lupus, and heart problems are among some of the illnesses that affect our communities.

Wisconsin's business community is divided over Gov. Jim Doyle's clean energy plan that calls for increasing the use of renewable fuels and opens the door to nuclear power, with opponents saying the new mandates will weaken Wisconsin's already struggling manufacturing sector. Doyle's plan was introduced in the Legislature on Wednesday and the governor discussed it Thursday at a news conference in Madison. He and other proponents, including large employers like auto parts and building products maker Johnson Controls, argue it will improve the environment and create thousands of green-energy jobs.

Wisconsin's business community is divided over Gov. Jim Doyle's clean energy plan that calls for increasing the use of renewable fuels and opens the door to nuclear power, with opponents saying the new mandates will weaken Wisconsin's already struggling manufacturing sector. Doyle's plan was introduced in the Legislature on Wednesday and the governor discussed it Thursday at a news conference in Madison. He and other proponents, including large employers like auto parts and building products maker Johnson Controls, argue it will improve the environment and create thousands of green-energy jobs.

"Would a truly "clean energy" source produce "one of the nation's most hazardous substances"? Of course not. So why include provisions on nuclear reactors in the state's Clean Energy Jobs Act, recently introduced in the state legislature? Nuclear reactors generate high-level radioactive waste, which is "one of the nation's most hazardous substances," according to the U.S. Govern-ment Accountability Office. In a November 2009 report, the respected nonpartisan agency found there were no good options for dealing with the radioactive waste. And, as the federal government continues its decades-long struggle to find a solution to this grave public safety, environmental and political problem, the costs to taxpayers and ratepayers will skyrocket."

"Would a truly "clean energy" source produce "one of the nation's most hazardous substances"? Of course not. So why include provisions on nuclear reactors in the state's Clean Energy Jobs Act, recently introduced in the Legislature? Nuclear reactors generate high-level radioactive waste, which is "one of the nation's most hazardous substances," according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In a November report, the respected nonpartisan agency found there were no good options for dealing with the radioactive waste. And as the federal government continues its decades-long struggle to find a solution to this grave public safety, environmental and political problem, the costs to taxpayers and ratepayers will skyrocket. In the meantime, radioactive waste is piling up at 80 sites in 35 states, including three sites in Wisconsin. Many sites have active nuclear reactors, where the mounting waste problem has forced plant operators to rearrange "the racks holding spent fuel in (cooling) pools … to allow for more dense storage," according to the GAO report. "Even with this re-racking, spent nuclear fuel pools are reaching their capacities.""

"Safety standards for workers at the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture have been relaxed without any scrutiny, forcing workers to do their jobs without being completely decontaminated, it has emerged. Workers who are struggling to get the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)-operated Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant under control as well as experts have expressed grave concern about possible health hazards. Radiation levels on the premises of the power station remain high, with part of the ruins of its No. 3 reactor building -- badly damaged by a hydrogen explosion -- emitting 900 millisieverts of radiation per hour."

EnergySolutions, Inc. (NYSE: ES) announced today that $22.9 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding has been allocated to the Moab UMTRA project. The total amount of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for the Moab project is $108 million. The funding is being used to accelerate removal of uranium mill tailings away from the banks of the Colorado River. Thus far 160 jobs have been created this year as a result of Recovery Act funding. "We are thrilled that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated sufficient funding to the Moab project to accelerate the cleanup of the site. This is great news for the community and for all who use the Colorado River and Lake Powell," said Steve Creamer, CEO and Chairman of EnergySolutions. The Recovery Act funding is being used to excavate, transport and dispose of additional mill tailings from the Moab site to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved disposal cell at Crescent Junction. This additional work began in June and will continue through September 2011. Additionally, this additional funding supports increasing the size of the disposal cell as well as crushing, transporting, and placing final rock cover on the disposal cell. This portion of the work began in August and continues through September 2011. Sixteen million tons of uranium mill tailings will eventually be relocated 30 miles north of Moab to a location designated by the DOE.

EnergySolutions, Inc. (NYSE: ES) announced today that $22.9 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding has been allocated to the Moab UMTRA project. The total amount of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for the Moab project is $108 million. The funding is being used to accelerate removal of uranium mill tailings away from the banks of the Colorado River. Thus far 160 jobs have been created this year as a result of Recovery Act funding. "We are thrilled that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated sufficient funding to the Moab project to accelerate the cleanup of the site. This is great news for the community and for all who use the Colorado River and Lake Powell," said Steve Creamer, CEO and Chairman of EnergySolutions. The Recovery Act funding is being used to excavate, transport and dispose of additional mill tailings from the Moab site to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved disposal cell at Crescent Junction. This additional work began in June and will continue through September 2011. Additionally, this additional funding supports increasing the size of the disposal cell as well as crushing, transporting, and placing final rock cover on the disposal cell. This portion of the work began in August and continues through September 2011. Sixteen million tons of uranium mill tailings will eventually be relocated 30 miles north of Moab to a location designated by the DOE.

Could nuclear power be an option for Mohave County? At least two county supervisors think so. "Why not? As long as it provides a big enough benefit to the residents of the county and it didn't draw water from an aquifer," said Supervisor Gary Watson. A nuclear plant, if done right, could provide much-needed jobs and tax revenues for the county, he said.

Could nuclear power be an option for Mohave County? At least two county supervisors think so. "Why not? As long as it provides a big enough benefit to the residents of the county and it didn't draw water from an aquifer," said Supervisor Gary Watson. A nuclear plant, if done right, could provide much-needed jobs and tax revenues for the county, he said.

The Lakeshore area has been a longtime friend of the nuclear power industry. We are home to the nuclear plants at Point Beach in the town of Two Creeks and a few miles away near Kewaunee. Advertisement They provide hundreds of good-paying jobs and produce energy in the context of a good safety record. Wisconsin in 1983 banned construction of new nuclear plants, in large part because there is no national or international site to permanently dispose of the waste they would generate. That's still the case 26 years later and it's the reason we remain concerned with proposals to lift the moratorium on nuclear plant construction.

The Lakeshore area has been a longtime friend of the nuclear power industry. We are home to the nuclear plants at Point Beach in the town of Two Creeks and a few miles away near Kewaunee. Advertisement They provide hundreds of good-paying jobs and produce energy in the context of a good safety record. Wisconsin in 1983 banned construction of new nuclear plants, in large part because there is no national or international site to permanently dispose of the waste they would generate. That's still the case 26 years later and it's the reason we remain concerned with proposals to lift the moratorium on nuclear plant construction.

In what is being called a rare victory for whistle blowers, a U.S. Department of Labor appeals panel has ruled that a Tennessee Valley Authority contractor violated the federal whistle-blower law when it fired a Tuscumbia man 2004. In a decision that was made public today, the Department of Labor's review board ruled that James Speegle was improperly dismissed from his job as a painting foreman for Louisiana-based Stone and Webster Construction Inc., while working at Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant near Athens after reporting safety concerns to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

In what is being called a rare victory for whistle blowers, a U.S. Department of Labor appeals panel has ruled that a Tennessee Valley Authority contractor violated the federal whistle-blower law when it fired a Tuscumbia man 2004. In a decision that was made public today, the Department of Labor's review board ruled that James Speegle was improperly dismissed from his job as a painting foreman for Louisiana-based Stone and Webster Construction Inc., while working at Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant near Athens after reporting safety concerns to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.