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Mysteries linger 6 months after New Mexico nuclear waste blast
http://www.sfchronicle.com/nation/article/Mysteries-linger-6-months-after-New-Mexico-5714532.php
" ...... The accident contaminated the nation's only dump for nuclear-weapons waste - previously a focus of pride for the Energy Department - and gave the nation's nuclear chemists a mystery they still cannot unravel.
Six months after the accident, the chemical reaction that caused the drum to burst is still not understood. The Energy Department has been unable to precisely identify the chemical composition of the waste in the drum, a serious error in a handling process that requires careful documentation and approval of every substance packaged for a nuclear dump.......he accident at the facility near Carlsbad, N.M., known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is likely to cause at least an 18-month shutdown and possibly a closing that could last several years. Waste shipments have already backed up at nuclear cleanup projects across the country, which even before the accident were years behind schedule.
A preliminary Energy Department investigation found more than 30 safety lapses at the plant, including technical shortcomings and failures in the overall approach to safety.
The 15-year-old plant, operated by a partnership led by URS Corp. of San Francisco, "does not have an effective nuclear safety program," the investigation found."
" ...... The accident contaminated the nation's only dump for nuclear-weapons waste - previously a focus of pride for the Energy Department - and gave the nation's nuclear chemists a mystery they still cannot unravel.
Six months after the accident, the chemical reaction that caused the drum to burst is still not understood. The Energy Department has been unable to precisely identify the chemical composition of the waste in the drum, a serious error in a handling process that requires careful documentation and approval of every substance packaged for a nuclear dump.......he accident at the facility near Carlsbad, N.M., known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, is likely to cause at least an 18-month shutdown and possibly a closing that could last several years. Waste shipments have already backed up at nuclear cleanup projects across the country, which even before the accident were years behind schedule.
A preliminary Energy Department investigation found more than 30 safety lapses at the plant, including technical shortcomings and failures in the overall approach to safety.
The 15-year-old plant, operated by a partnership led by URS Corp. of San Francisco, "does not have an effective nuclear safety program," the investigation found."
Solar and wind power for all. But just don't ruin my view when you put up those wind turbines. (said a famous Democrat)
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Petition-seeks-closure-of-Diablo-Canyon-nuclear-5714455.php#/0
"The environmental group that helped shut down the San Onofre nuclear plant last year is now using the same tactic in a bid to close California's last nuclear power plant, PG&E's Diablo Canyon.
The plant, near San Luis Obispo, risks catastrophic failure during an earthquake and should be shuttered pending a public review of its safety, according to a petition that Friends of the Earth filed with federal regulators Tuesday.
The group filed the petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, arguing that Diablo's design may not be strong enough to withstand earthquakes from fault lines that nearly surround the plant. As proof, the environmentalists cite a recently disclosed report from a former federal inspector at the plant who reached the same conclusion.
Earthquake fears have long shadowed the plant, which opened in 1985 after years of protests. Several fault lines were found only after work on the plant began, with the latest discovery coming in 2008.
Diablo's operating license requires that it be able to shut down safely following a major quake. But the petition argues that nearby faults are capable of much stronger shaking than Diablo's design anticipated, rendering the license invalid.
"PG&E cannot run this reactor without a valid license, and they don't have one," said Damon Moglen, senior strategic adviser for Friends of the Earth. "There is nobody in this country, PG&E included, who would want to build a reactor today at Diablo Canyon. It would never pass muster."
It mirrors the strategy the environmental group used to help force the closure of the San Onofre nuclear plant in San Diego County.
San Onofre's operator, Southern California Edison, shut down the plant in 2012 after a small leak of radioactive steam revealed equipment wearing out faster than anticipated. Friends of the Earth filed a petition insisting that Edison apply for a license amendment - a process that requires public hearings - before restarting the plant. The NRC's licensing board agreed. Three weeks later, Edison announced that it would decommission the plant instead.
Friends of Earth now wants PG&E to seek a license amendment to continue running Diablo.
"They now know that the ground motion of these faults is greater than is contained in their license," Moglen said. "I think the argument here is extremely straightforward."
The move follows the disclosure of a 2013 document written by a former NRC inspector stationed at the plant. The inspector, Michael Peck, recommended shutting down Diablo until the commission determined whether the plant's equipment could survive higher seismic stress levels.
"Continued reactor operation outside the bounds of the NRC approved safety analyses challenges the presumption of nuclear safety," Peck wrote.
Peck's opinion was revealed by the Associated Press on Monday, touching off a fresh round of criticism of the plant. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, promised a public hearing into the matter.
"A year ago, a qualified NRC inspector informed the NRC that the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant should be shut down until it is clear that the plant can withstand the kind of earthquake that has been predicted for the area," said Boxer, D-Calif. "I am alarmed that the NRC has not followed this recommendation and has not required actions to protect the 500,000 people who live near the site."
PG&E insists that the plant can withstand earthquakes on any of the faults nearby. Following the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Japan, PG&E conducted more seismic tests near the plant, including embedding seismometers on the ocean floor. The company is now analyzing that data, said spokesman Blair Jones.
"The region surrounding Diablo Canyon is one of the most seismically researched places in the United States," Jones said.
The operating licenses for Diablo's twin reactors expire in 2024 and 2025, and until Fukushima, PG&E had been in the process of asking the NRC to renew the licenses. That process is now on hold until PG&E finishes its latest seismic study and submits the results to California regulators.
"Any decision on whether or how to proceed with license renewal will wait until after we complete the seismic report," Jones said. "
"The environmental group that helped shut down the San Onofre nuclear plant last year is now using the same tactic in a bid to close California's last nuclear power plant, PG&E's Diablo Canyon.
The plant, near San Luis Obispo, risks catastrophic failure during an earthquake and should be shuttered pending a public review of its safety, according to a petition that Friends of the Earth filed with federal regulators Tuesday.
The group filed the petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, arguing that Diablo's design may not be strong enough to withstand earthquakes from fault lines that nearly surround the plant. As proof, the environmentalists cite a recently disclosed report from a former federal inspector at the plant who reached the same conclusion.
Earthquake fears have long shadowed the plant, which opened in 1985 after years of protests. Several fault lines were found only after work on the plant began, with the latest discovery coming in 2008.
Diablo's operating license requires that it be able to shut down safely following a major quake. But the petition argues that nearby faults are capable of much stronger shaking than Diablo's design anticipated, rendering the license invalid.
"PG&E cannot run this reactor without a valid license, and they don't have one," said Damon Moglen, senior strategic adviser for Friends of the Earth. "There is nobody in this country, PG&E included, who would want to build a reactor today at Diablo Canyon. It would never pass muster."
It mirrors the strategy the environmental group used to help force the closure of the San Onofre nuclear plant in San Diego County.
San Onofre's operator, Southern California Edison, shut down the plant in 2012 after a small leak of radioactive steam revealed equipment wearing out faster than anticipated. Friends of the Earth filed a petition insisting that Edison apply for a license amendment - a process that requires public hearings - before restarting the plant. The NRC's licensing board agreed. Three weeks later, Edison announced that it would decommission the plant instead.
Friends of Earth now wants PG&E to seek a license amendment to continue running Diablo.
"They now know that the ground motion of these faults is greater than is contained in their license," Moglen said. "I think the argument here is extremely straightforward."
The move follows the disclosure of a 2013 document written by a former NRC inspector stationed at the plant. The inspector, Michael Peck, recommended shutting down Diablo until the commission determined whether the plant's equipment could survive higher seismic stress levels.
"Continued reactor operation outside the bounds of the NRC approved safety analyses challenges the presumption of nuclear safety," Peck wrote.
Peck's opinion was revealed by the Associated Press on Monday, touching off a fresh round of criticism of the plant. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, promised a public hearing into the matter.
"A year ago, a qualified NRC inspector informed the NRC that the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant should be shut down until it is clear that the plant can withstand the kind of earthquake that has been predicted for the area," said Boxer, D-Calif. "I am alarmed that the NRC has not followed this recommendation and has not required actions to protect the 500,000 people who live near the site."
PG&E insists that the plant can withstand earthquakes on any of the faults nearby. Following the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Japan, PG&E conducted more seismic tests near the plant, including embedding seismometers on the ocean floor. The company is now analyzing that data, said spokesman Blair Jones.
"The region surrounding Diablo Canyon is one of the most seismically researched places in the United States," Jones said.
The operating licenses for Diablo's twin reactors expire in 2024 and 2025, and until Fukushima, PG&E had been in the process of asking the NRC to renew the licenses. That process is now on hold until PG&E finishes its latest seismic study and submits the results to California regulators.
"Any decision on whether or how to proceed with license renewal will wait until after we complete the seismic report," Jones said. "
I may sound like an old hippie but I still will say, NO NUKES !
This is more than a slogan, it's common sense.
This is more than a slogan, it's common sense.
" Waste shipments have already backed up at nuclear cleanup projects across the country, which even before the accident were years behind schedule. "
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