Thursday 24 March 2011

Radioactive cloud from Fukushima arrives in Britain

Bloomberg 23rd March 2011

Mycle Schneider: As far back as 2005, I warned Eisaku Sato, governor of Fukushima at the time, about the dangers of letting spent fuel accumulate in cooling ponds at the prefecture's nuclear plants and the need to put it into much safer dry stores as soon as possible. He seemed to be the only one who listened. But clearly there were people who always knew better and whose arrogance characterizes the nuclear industry.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-22/nuclear-fallout-comes-with-aura-of-arrogance-mycle-schneider.html

The U.S. military is considering the mandatory evacuation of thousands of American troops and their families in Japan out of concern over rising radiation levels, a senior defense official tells CNN. The official, who did not want to be on the record talking about ongoing deliberations, says there are no discussions to evacuate all U.S. troops across the country. The talks have focused exclusively on U.S. troops in Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo, the official said.

Yokosuka is home to America's largest naval base in Japan. The military is monitoring radiation levels on a constant basis.

CNN 22nd March 2011

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/03/21/japan.military.evacuation/index.html

Parents have been advised not to give children water from Tokyo's taps after some samples contained more than double the legal limit of the hazardous substance. The discovery increases fears of food and water safety nearly two weeks after the devastating earthquake and tsunami which killed thousands and damaged a nuclear plant in Fukushima, leading to a radiation leak. Residents of cities in Japan's northeast earlier had already been advised not to drink tap water due to elevated levels of radioactive iodine, which can cause thyroid cancer. Until Wednesday, levels found in Tokyo tap water had been minute, according to officials.

Telegraph 23rd March 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8399928/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Tokyo-water-unsafe-for-children.html

Times 23rd March 2011

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article2957469.ece

BBC 23rd March 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12825342

High radiation levels have been found in the sea off Japans earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant, fuelling fears about the impact on the nations fishing industry. Operator Tokyo Electric Power said unusual amounts of five kinds of radioactive material had been found in water samples near the Fukushima Daiichi plant. One of the substances, Iodine-131, was found at nearly 127 times the permitted level.

FT 23rd March 2011

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f0b52038-54b1-11e0-b1ed-00144feab49a.html

Japan said on Wednesday there was no need to extend a 20 km (12 mile) evacuation zone around its tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, despite elevated radiation readings outside the area.

Yahoo 23rd March 2011

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20110323/twl-uk-japan-evacuation-zone-bd5ae06.html

IAEA update 23rd March

IB Times 23rd March 2011

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/125728/20110323/fukushima-nuclear-power-plant-iaea.htm

Japan's top lenders including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group are in talks to provide up to 2 trillion yen ($24.7 billion) in emergency loans to Tokyo Electric Power to help the operator of a stricken nuclear plant rebuild its power supply network.

Reuters 23rd March 2011

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/23/tepco-loans-idUKL3E7EN03U20110323?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=bankingfinancial-SP&rpc=401

STV 23rd March 2011

http://news.stv.tv/business/238095-japan-banks-eye-12-billion-in-loans-for-nuke-operator-source/

It emerged that the plant had contained far more spent fuel rods than it was designed to store, while its technicians failed to carry out the necessary safety checks, according to documents from the reactor's
operator.

Independent 23rd March 2011

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/nuclear-plant-was-storing-too-much-spent-fuel-as-tsunami-hit-2250144.html

Guardian 23rd March 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/japan-nuclear-power-plant-checks-missed

Radiation from the stricken Japanese nuclear power plant has reached Europe and is heading towards Britain, it emerged last night. Officials in Iceland have detected  a minuscule amounts of radioactive particles believed to have come from Fukushima, the site of the worst nuclear accident in 25 years. Last night the Government said radiation from Japan had not been detected by Britain's network of monitoring stations set up after the 1986 Chernobyl explosion. A spokesman said any signs of radiation were not expected in the next few days. However, France's nuclear agency said tiny amounts were likely to arrive in the country by today.

Daily Mail 23rd March 2011

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368716/Japan-nuclear-crisis-Britain-radiation-risk-Fukushima-heats-AGAIN.html

Daily Record 23rd March 2011

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/03/23/radioactive-cloud-from-japan-nuclear-plant-blast-is-heading-for-europe-86908-23009511/


An excess of optimism has become a recurring theme of Japan's nuclear crisis, the world's worst for 25 years. For critics of Japan's atomic energy policy in general, and of the official response to breakdowns at Fukushima in particular, the emergency has been framed in terms of chronic failures to acknowledge risks and prepare for worst-case scenarios. Beyond the broad question of whether the world's most earthquake-prone country should host 54 nuclear reactors, doubts have been raised about the location and design of
some plants. Regulators last year approved a 10-year extension of the life of Fukushima Daiichi's No 1 reactor, its oldest, which began operating in 1971. They did so in spite of finding 16 shortcomings in plant facilities, including poorly conducting radiation metres and cracked water-level gauges. Tepco was given five years to fix the most serious problems, according to regulatory filings.

FT 23rd March 2011

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/86dfc390-54af-11e0-b1ed-00144feab49a.html

Japanese nuclear technicians moved closer to restoring power to crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic station on Wednesday, but internal cooling systems that will be key to stabilising the plant's four most damaged units remained offline.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0cdbb5be-54f9-11e0-96f3-00144feab49a.html

The pro-nuclear chairman of Japan's atomic watchdog yesterday called for a worldwide review of the nuclear energy industry after admitting that mistakes had been made in the design of the Fukushima power plant. His remarks came as it emerged that minuscule numbers of radioactive particles were detected as far away as Iceland and were believed to have originated from the plant.

Times 23rd March 2011

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article2956186.ece

Implications

The chief executive of RWE Npower has warned that it could be forced to delay plans to build UK plants, especially if any major safety changes prompted by Japan's atomic disaster push up the cost of reactors. Volker Beckers also told the Future of Utilities conference the UK's new nuclear power stations are already expected to slip behind schedule by "three to six months" as a result of the Sendai earthquake. UK regulators had been expected to approve the design for new reactors in June, but this may now take until late 2011 because of further checks. "It is getting very difficult to persuade investors to fund new projects," the executive said. "Especially given what's going on in Japan, we can't just carry headlong into [the carbon price
support] this early". The new tax may be introduced as soon as 2013, although it will not incentivise new nuclear until 2018.

Telegraph 23rd March 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/8399058/Japan-earthquake-Crisis-may-force-up-cost-of-UK-nuclear.html

From a communications perspective, the challenge facing the nuclear energy industry goes beyond the specifics of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns. Public concern is so great, media coverage so voluminous, the response from politicians so easily misinterpreted, and the fact patterns so detailed, that it would be immensely challenging for any industry to dig out from the weeds and identify a few fundamental themes to guide a strategy going forward.

Forbes 22nd March 2011

http://blogs.forbes.com/richardlevick/2011/03/22/an-immodest-proposal-to-spur-nuclear-energy-industry-growth-and-global-safety/

Scotsman 23rd March 2011

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/opinion/John-McTernan-Nuclear-sector-is.6738692.jp

Next week, the person in the hotseat will be Keith Parker, chief executive of the UK’s Nuclear Industry Association. The NIA represents almost every company involved in providing UK nuclear power, and even lists the stricken Tepco among its members. In the wake of the Japan nuclear crisis, this is your chance to ask him about nuclear safety, the role of nuclear in providing low-carbon energy and whether the industry can ever recover from the events of the past two weeks. Email all your questions to energysource@ft.com by the end of Sunday, March 27th.

FT 22nd March 2011

http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2011/03/22/your-chance-to-quiz-the-nuclear-industry/

THE Somerset Chamber of Commerce is hosting an event near Bridgwater this Thursday, to show local food and drink businesses how they could benefit from Hinkley Point C.

Bridgwater Mercury 21st March 2011

http://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news/8922303.Firms_urged_to_tuck_into_Hinkley_C_opportunities/

National Grid is currently carrying out a public consultation to seek people's opinions on the criteria it will use in future when analysing whether to place new electricity cables under or over the ground. This comes while the energy giant is deciding on which route a new power line from Hinkley Point C in Bridgwater to Avonmouth will take across Somerset and North Somerset.

Weston Mercury 22nd March 2011

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/council_responds_to_national_grid_policy_1_837199

COUNCIL chiefs have pledged to continue to press for a proposed 400,000 volt power line across the North Somerset countryside to run underground. The pledge follows a meeting between councillors and
National Grid to highlight concerns about the energy giant's plans to run an overhead power line between Hinkley Point and Avonmouth to bring electricity on to its transmission network.

Bristol Evening Post 22nd March 2011

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Council-digs-press-underground-cables/article-3356297-detail/article.html

Wylfa

Counter-terrorism measures at Wylfa nuclear power station in Anglesey are to come under public scrutiny later. Security chiefs will take questions from local people with nuclear safety in the global spotlight after the Japan earthquake. The Civil Nuclear Police Authority insists UK nuclear plants are in "safe hands". But
anti-nuclear group Pawb says it has concerns about Wylfa's vulnerability to cyber-attacks and air assaults.

BBC 23rd March 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-12822325

Energy Supplies

Demand in China, India and other emerging markets soars, but there is also quite considerable growth from advanced economies too. The big picture is that with an additional one billion cars on the road, demand for oil would grow 110pc to more than 190 million barrels per day. Total demand for energy would rise by a similar order of magnitude, doubling the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to more than three and a half times the amount climate change scientists think would keep temperatures at safe levels.

Telegraph 23rd March 2011

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jeremywarner/100009856/a-global-energy-war-looms/

Europe

The hysteria surrounding nuclear power in Europe which reached fever pitch in the wake of Japan's nuclear crisis (sparked by a 9 magnitude earthquake and Tsunami) has called Europe's nuclear future into question. Comments from the European Energy Commissioner about an apocalypse have done little to help. The stress tests announced soon after the tsunami. Some of the details of the stress tests emerged at yesterday's (21 March) Energy council meeting in Brussels.

EU Reporter 22nd March 2011

http://www.eureporter.co/2011/3/nuclear-stress-tests

US

Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) has launched a new campaign to permanently close the 23 General Electric Mark I reactors currently operating in the United States.

NIRS 22nd March 2011

http://www.nirs.org/reactorwatch/accidents/mkipress32111.pdf

On Monday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) delivered a letter to energy firm Entergy stating that it may keep running its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant through March, 21, 2032. The
reactor in the aged plant, which is known to have released radiation into groundwater, is virtually identical to that of the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan, whose flaws some scientists claim have contributed to the world's worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl meltdown.

World Socialist Web 23rd March 2011

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/mar2011/verm-m23.shtml

Germany

Letter: Your leader writer who is so dismissive of earthquake-related threats to German nuclear power stations has clearly never heard of the fiasco surrounding the Mülheim-Kärlich power plant. This
expensive facility began generating electricity in 1986 but was closed down just two years later; attempts to deal with the earthquake risk in the Neuwieder basin by moving the initially proposed location by 70 metres were found by the courts to have invalidated the original planning permission for the site. The plant is now being dismantled.

FT 23rd March 2011

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0164cd78-54eb-11e0-96f3-00144feab49a.html

Renerwables

The Scottish renewable energy industry is calling for more ambitious targets on the use of green heat sources. Trade body Scottish Renewables wants parties in Holyrood to increase the overall target for renewable energy use from 20% to 30% by 2020. This includes proposals for 16% of Scotland's heat energy to be generated through renewable alternatives, such as biomass.

BBC 23rd March 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12817012

**Today's news and searchable archives going back to May 2006  available at http://www.blogger.com/goog_612930359

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