Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Gov't releases new radiation map for Tohoku, Kanto districts

From the Mainichi Daily News:

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has released a new map showing the spread of radiation from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant across 10 prefectures, including Tokyo and Kanagawa.

The map released on Oct. 6 shows levels of radioactive cesium (cesium-137 and cesium-134) that have accumulated in soil in the prefectures of Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Tokyo.

The map shows 30,000 to 60,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium per square meter of soil in the areas of Higashikanamachi, Mizumotokoen and Shibamata in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, as well as some parts of Kitakoiwa in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward.

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Gov't releases new radiation map for Tohoku, Kanto districts

From the Mainichi Daily News:

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has released a new map showing the spread of radiation from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant across 10 prefectures, including Tokyo and Kanagawa.

The map released on Oct. 6 shows levels of radioactive cesium (cesium-137 and cesium-134) that have accumulated in soil in the prefectures of Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Tokyo.

The map shows 30,000 to 60,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium per square meter of soil in the areas of Higashikanamachi, Mizumotokoen and Shibamata in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, as well as some parts of Kitakoiwa in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward.

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GE warns nuclear reactors could struggle in earthquake

From NJ.com:

A manufacturer of dozens of boiling water nuclear reactors in the country, including many on the East Coast, warned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year and reiterated last week that earthquakes could hinder its reactors from shutting down.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which manufactured the boiling water reactors at Oyster Creek, Hope Creek and two plants in Pennsylvania, said that an earthquake could prevent rods that cool the reactor from being inserted.

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Monday, October 3, 2011

Peach Bottom: Issuance of Amendments Re: Liquid Nitrogen Storage

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 – Issuance of Amendments Re: Liquid Nitrogen Storage (TAC Nos. ME4131 and ME4132) ADAMS Accession No.: ML112570049

Peach Bottom: Issuance of Amendment Re: Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio Value Change

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Unit 3 – Issuance of Amendment Re: Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio Value Change (TAC No. ME6391) ADAMS Accession No.: ML111860015

Summary of June 14, 2011, Meeting with Exelon

Summary of June 14, 2011, Meeting with Exelon Re: Proposed Amendment Request to Implement an Extended Power Uprate ADAMS Accession No.: ML111740739

Recipe for Disaster: Time to Make Nuclear Power Safer

From the Union of Concerned Scientists:

History has shown—most recently with the Fukushima disaster in Japan—that accidents happen. But those responsible for U.S. nuclear power safety and security—Congress, the White House, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the nuclear industry—continue to offer overly optimistic assurances that everything is fine and everyone is safe.

In fact, they could and should be doing much more to protect Americans from a nuclear accident, and their failure to address known threats is a recipe for disaster. For example:

Radioactive fuel rods are stored in hazardous conditions at all 104 U.S. nuclear reactors

More than 40 of the 104 reactors fail to meet basic fire safety standards that have been in place for years

A dozen plants have not even fully implemented terrorism prevention requirements—10 years after 9/11

Nuclear reactors currently supply nearly 20 percent of America's electricity needs, and that won't change anytime soon. What has to change is the attitude of the people entrusted with keeping Americans safe.

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TEPCO sell-off to cover damages

From the Daily Yomiuri:

Tokyo Electric Power Co. has begun preparations to sell off assets, including company residences and recreation facilities, through four trust banks to raise money for compensation related to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant crisis, it has been learned.

Initially, TEPCO intends to sell about 40 pieces of real estate for about 10 billion yen. Later, the utility will designate further assets to sell, coordinating with the government's TEPCO Management and Finance Investigation Committee, a third-party panel monitoring the company's restructuring efforts.

Eventually, the company hopes to raise about 600 billion yen through sales of real estate and stock.

According to sources, TEPCO will commission four trust banks to sell the assets. They are Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corp., Mizuho Trust and Banking Co., The Chuo Mitsui Trust and Banking Co. and The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co.

The utility will begin by selling employee residences in Setagaya and Meguro wards, Tokyo, and Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture; dormitories in Chiba's Chuo Ward and Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture, and Konan Ward, Yokohama; recreation facilities in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, and in the Shukugo district of Utsunomiya. These assets are expected to be sold relatively easily.

The bidding for these assets is expected to take place from early to mid-October with winning bidders likely to take over the properties beginning in November.

It is important for TEPCO to raise money quickly to compensate people affected by the crisis at the Fukushima power plant. The firm's operating costs have also increased, as TEPCO, with its idled nuclear power plants, has to purchase fuel for thermal power generation.

TEPCO will sell its assets before beginning compensation payments in October. Originally, TEPCO planned to sell them around August, but coordination with the government committee took longer than expected, delaying the sales.

TEPCO plans to consider other assets it can sell over the next one or two years with a goal of raising about 100 billion yen.

Aside from real estate, the company plans to raise about 270 billion yen through securities and about 230 billion yen via the sale or liquidation of group companies.

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Fairewinds Introduces a Japanese Language Edition and Identifies Safety Problems in all Reactors Designed Like Fukushima

Fairewinds Introduces a Japanese Language Edition and Identifies Safety Problems in all Reactors Designed Like Fukushima from Fairewinds Associates on Vimeo.

Siemens to quit nuclear industry

From BBC News:

German industrial and engineering conglomerate Siemens is to withdraw entirely from the nuclear industry.

The move is a response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March, chief executive Peter Loescher said.

He told Spiegel magazine it was the firm's answer to "the clear positioning of German society and politics for a pullout from nuclear energy".

"The chapter for us is closed," he said, announcing that the firm will no longer build nuclear power stations.

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TMI: Issuance of Amendment Re: Maximum Allowable Power

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 – Issuance of Amendment Re: Maximum Allowable Power with Inoperable Main Steam Safety Valves (TAC No. ME4808) ADAMS Accession No.: ML112360581

Peach Bottom: Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Unit 3 - Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request for Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio Change (TAC No. ME6931)

Download ML112380605

Susquehanna: Amendment Re: Adoption of TSTF-514

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 -ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: ADOPTION OF TSTF-514, REVISION 3 (TAC NOS. ME6036 AND ME6037)

Download ML11221A271

PPL's nuclear plant marked down in NRC safety check

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Pennsylvania's Susquehanna nuclear power plant faces tougher scrutiny from federal regulators following a national review of plant safety. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday all of the nation's 104 plants are operating safely, but that problems at Unit 1 of the Susquehanna plant in Luzerne County made it 1 of 5 with the worst recent safety performance. No serious problems were detected at Pennsylvania's four other nuclear plants in the latest assessment. The low grades reflect four unplanned shutdowns at Susquehanna Unit 1 between April 2010 and January 2011, including one necessitated by a faulty gasket that caused 1 million gallons of river water to leak into the turbine building. NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan says the agency will conduct at least one special inspection of the plant later this year.

Susquehanna: Mid-Cycle Letter

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2 - Mid-Cycle Letter for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2 (Report 05000387/2011006 and 05000388/2011006) ADAMS Accession No. ML112430469

TMI: Mid-Cycle Letter

Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 - Mid-Cycle Letter for Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (Report 05000289/2011006)

ADAMS Accession No. ML112420674

Peach Bottom: Mid-Cycle Letter

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station - Mid-Cycle Letter for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (05000277/2011006 AND 05000278/2011006)

ADAMS Accession No. ML112411345

Analysis Of Cancer Risks in Populations Near Nuclear Facilities: Phase 1

Project Title:

Analysis Of Cancer Risks in Populations Near Nuclear Facilities: Phase 1

PIN:

DELS-NRSB-10-02

Major Unit:

Division on Earth and Life Studies

Institute of Medicine

Sub Unit:

Board on Health Sciences Policy

Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board

RSO:

Crowley, Kevin

Subject/Focus Area:

Energy and Energy Conservation; Environment and Environmental Studies; Health and Medicine

Project Scope

The National Academies will provide an assessment of cancer risks in populations living near U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed nuclear facilities. This assessment will be carried out in two consecutive phases: 

A Phase 1 scoping study will identify scientifically sound approaches for carrying out the cancer epidemiology study that has been requested by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It will address the following tasks:

1. Methodological approaches for assessing off-site radiation dose, including consideration of:

• Pathways, receptors, and source terms
• Availability, completeness, and quality of information on gaseous and liquid radioactive releases and direct radiation exposure from nuclear facilities 
• Approaches for overcoming potential methodological limitations arising from the variability in radioactive releases over time and other confounding factors
• Approaches for characterizing and communicating uncertainties.

2. Methodological approaches for assessing cancer epidemiology, including consideration of:

• Characteristics of the study populations (e.g., socioeconomic factors, all age groups, children only, and nuclear facility workers) 
• Geographic areas to use in the study (e.g., county, zip codes, census tracts, or annular rings around the facility at some nominal distances) 
• Cancer types and health outcomes of morbidity and mortality
• Availability, completeness, and quality of cancer incidence and mortality data
• Different epidemiological study designs and statistical assessment methods (e.g., ecologic or case-control study designs)
• Approaches for overcoming potential methodological limitations arising from low statistical power, random clustering, changes in population characteristics over time, and other confounding factors 
• Approaches for characterizing and communicating uncertainties.

The results of this Phase 1 scoping study will be used to inform the design of the cancer risk assessment, which will be carried out in Phase 2.

Note (05-02-2011): The Project Scope has been revised for clarity. The updated version is shown above. 

The project is sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The approximate start date for the project is 09/01/2010.

The Phase 1 report is expected to be issued in early 2012.

Project Duration:

18 months

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Cumulative US Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Inventory