September 1, 2016 – Las Vegas Review-Journal – US rescinds contract to operate Nevada National Security Site – The National Nuclear Security Administration on Wednesday rescinded a $5 billion, 10-year contract it awarded last week to a Lockheed Martin subsidiary to manage and operate the Nevada National Security Site because the company did not tell the agency it had sold the unit. “This change in ownership raises substantial questions about the information in the NVS3T proposal, which could significantly impact the evaluation of the proposal and award decision,” said a statement from the National Nuclear Security Administration, a branch of the Department of Energy. The decision to rescind the contract to NVS3T — short for Nevada Site Science Support and Technologies Corp. — has prompted the federal agency to “reconsider all offers previously received in response to the request for proposals,” the statement said.

September 1, 2016 – Dickinson Press – Western ND landfill operator found with radioactive waste – The State Health Department ordered IHD Solids Management to remove nearly 950 tons of material and undergo a third-party inspection of the landfill after the radioactive waste was detected in separate inspections in May and June. Two other oil field waste companies also were found to have illegal materials on site, though in much smaller quantity. Both of those — Secure Energy Services and Gibson Energy WISCO — are applying for expanded permits under North Dakota’s new rules that allow up to 50 picocuries of radioactive oil field waste in specially permitted landfills.

September 1, 2016 – Power Magazine – Lloyd’s Register on Current Nuclear Power Challenges – POWER Editor Gail Reitenbach interviewed King Lee of Lloyd’s Register on June 29 at the World Nuclear Exhibition in Le Bourget, France. The firm is a “non-profit distributing charity with a public benefit mandate,” which means that it is independent from shareholders, and profits are distributed to a variety of educational and other charities. Its nuclear group has provided independent, expert technical advice on safety and risk management for more than 60 years, beginning with the UK’s Calder Hall reactors in the 1950s. The UK vote to exit the European Union (EU), known as “Brexit,” had taken place the previous week. Questions and answers have been edited for length and style. [Click here for interview.]

September 1, 2016 – Bloomberg News – How new nuclear could lift renewables at a third of Hinkley cost – A former chief scientist for one of the world’s biggest consumer-goods companies says he can make nuclear power cheaper and safer and wants $30 million so that he can prove it. After working 25 years at Unilever PLC, Ian Scott came out of retirement in 2013 to found Moltex Energy LLP. Three years later, the biochemist says he has come up with an atomic-reactor design that produces more power for less money than standard pressured-water unit like the ones planned at Hinkley Point in Somerset, England. “The Stable Salt Reactor is a U.K.-developed technology that can produce electricity at a third of the Hinkley-C strike price,” Scott said in an interview in London. “It can store energy at grid scale — catalyzing the further rollout of renewables — and can be powered by the country’s existing nuclear waste.”

September 1, 2016 – OneIndia – Ahead of Bharat Bandh, radiologists go on nationwide strike from Sept 1 – Indian Radiology and Imaging Association (IRIA) which has more than 20,000 radiologists has given a call for a nationwide indefinite strike starting from September 1.Scores of radiologists will hold a protest at the Jantar Mantar on Thursday to press for their demand to amend a legislation that “equates” even minor clerical mistakes committed during their jobs to sex determination.

September 1, 2016 – Newsmaker – Research report explores the United States X-Ray Machine Industry – The United States X-Ray Machine Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the X-Ray Machine industry. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The X-Ray Machine market analysis is provided for the United States markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.

September 1, 2016 – Al Manar – Iran to Build Two Nuclear Plants with Russia: Salehi – Iran will build two new nuclear power stations with assistance from Russia, the head of its Atomic Energy Organization said late Wednesday. “Operations to build two new nuclear power plants in Bushehr will start on 10 September and it will take 10 years for the power plants to be completed,” Ali Akbar Salehi said, according IRNA news agency. “We will save 22 million barrels of oil per year by building these two power plants,” said Salehi, who is also a vice-president, adding that the project would cost an estimated $10 billion. He pointed to Russia’s cooperation saying: “In the cooperation contract with the Russians, the emphasis has been laid on making use of technical capabilities of Iran for implementation of the project.”

September 1, 2016 – AllGov – Uranium Firm to Fix Leaks onto Utah Highway of Radioactive Sludge Used to Make Yellowcake – A uranium mining company has agreed to corrective measures after two spills of radioactive sludge, the most recent on March 29 when some of the material from a Wyoming mine leaked from a truck onto a highway, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday. The low-level radioactive sludge leaked onto U.S. 191 outside a radioactive waste disposal facility in Utah, the NRC said in a letter Tuesday to Brent Berg, the president of mine owner Cameco. The company isn’t aware of any danger to the environment or people, Cameco spokesman Kenneth Vaughn said Wednesday. Besides failing to prevent the spill, Saskatchewan-based Cameco failed to accurately determine the amount of radioactive material in the sludge and adequately document the material in shipping papers, according to the NRC.

September 1, 2016 – Huffington Post – The link between uranium from the Congo and Hiroshima: a story of twin tragedies – I participated in a groundbreaking event at the South African Museum in Cape Town entitled The Missing Link: Peace and Security Surrounding Uranium. The event had been organised by the Congolese Civil Society of South Africa to put a spotlight on the link between Japan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): that the uranium used to build the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima came from the Shinkolobwe mine in the province of Katanga. This was the richest uranium in the world. Its ore had an average of 65% uranium oxide compared with American or Canadian ore, which contained less than 1%. The mine is now closed, but its existence put it at the centre of the Manhattan Project in the second world war. The Congo was a Belgian colony at the time and the Congolese suffered from the harsh colonial reality of racism, segregation and extreme inequities.

September 1, 2016 – Korea Times – N. Korea leader treats nuclear scientist well despite reign of terror – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is exceptionally favoring scientists and engineers tasked with nuclear development despite his growing reign of terror. The young leader has been providing “all possible assistance” to nuclear researchers, including employees of a think tank under Pyongyang’s Second Economic Commission and also the ruling Workers’ Party’s Munitions Industry Department. The commission oversees the development of military technology in general, while the department is in charge of nuclear programs. This is in contrast to the latest revelation that North Korean Vice Premier Kim Yong-jin was executed while two other senior officials ― Kim Yong-chol and Choe Hwi ― were banished to re-education farms.

September 1, 2016 – Asahi Shimbun – Ban to be lifted on Fukushima’s worst-affected zone in 2022 – Some of the most contaminated areas of Fukushima Prefecture rendered uninhabitable by the 2011 nuclear disaster will be declared safe to live in again in 2022. The government’s decision to lift the partial ban on repatriation to the “difficult-to-return zone” was announced Aug. 31 after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called a joint meeting of the government’s Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters and Reconstruction Promotion Council. By 2022, the area’s 24,000 or so residents will have been displaced for more than a decade and there is no way of knowing how many will choose to return to their hometowns. The difficult-to-return zone encompasses seven municipalities situated in a 20-kilometer radius of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as well as a spur of land northwest of the radius.

September 1, 2016 – Counter Punch – The Dangerous Nuclear Plant Rising on DC’s Doorstep – Dominion Virginia Power, a section of the giant utility Dominion, is proceeding unlawfully with construction of its $19-billion-plus power reactor 80 miles from Washington, DC — called North Anna 3 — and must get formal approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) before it can continue, according to a petition filed August 30th by the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (VCCC; ), a nonprofit group based in Elliston, Va. The group’s “Petition for a Declaratory Judgment” says in part: “At an estimated total cost of at least $19.2 billion, North Anna 3 would be the most expensive power [reactor] ever built in the United States and could raise customers’ rates by 26 % or more according to the Virginia Attorney General. While Dominion claims that North Anna 3 is needed for compliance with the federal Clean Power Plan, it would be far costlier than the low-carbon alternative of combined renewables, demand-side management, and efficiency.

September 1, 2016 – Arutz Sheva – Report: US secretly agreed to waive Iran nuclear restrictions – The Obama administration may have secretly agreed to waive restrictions placed on the Iranian regime’s nuclear program as part of the landmark 2015 deal. According to a soon-to-be-published report by the Institute for Science and International Security, the US and fellow negotiating partners secretly agreed to permit the Islamic regime to ignore some restrictions on its nuclear program, thereby paving the way for the removal of economic sanctions against the rogue state. The report, which was reviewed by Reuters, was co-authored by the institute’s president, David Albright, cites government officials who participated in the negotiation process prior to the signing of the deal last July. Albright, himself a former United Nation’s weapons inspector, told Reuters the US and its allies had colluded to create “loopholes” for the Iranian regime.

September 1, 2016 – Mondaq – Nuclear power under consideration by South Australian government – Using nuclear fuels to generate base load electricity to address increasing electricity prices, as well as the need to reduce carbon emissions, is being considered by the South Australian government who established a Royal Commission to investigate the possibilities. The Commission has found that while expanding the nuclear fuel cycle in that state may be possible, bipartisan support federally for making the necessary legislative changes will be a crucial factor.

September 1, 2016 – Wilkes-Barre Times Leader – Talen Energy withdraws application for Bell Bend power plant – A local power plant company announced Wednesday it is withdrawing an application to build a second proposed nuclear power plant. Talen Energy, which owns the Susquehanna plant, has sent a written request to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) withdrawing a license application for the Bell Bend nuclear power plant project. The Bell Bend plant would be adjacent to the existing Susquehanna site. According to a press release issued by Talen, the company sees “no viable path” to obtaining the license.

September 1, 2016 – WVVA – Group asks regulators to stop work on proposed nuclear plant – A consumer group wants electric utility Dominion Virginia Power to get explicit approval from state regulators before it spends any more money prepping for a potential new $19 billion nuclear plant. The Virginia Citizens Consumer Council filed a motion Tuesday arguing that Dominion is currently in violation of state law because it’s started doing preliminary construction on a new nuclear plant, known as North Anna 3, without permission from state regulators. Dominion has not committed to build the new plant, but plans to have spent at least $647 million by next year preparing for a potential build. The company says such preparations are prudent and ratepayers will benefit from having the option to build a reliable, long-lasting and carbon-free power source.

September 1, 2016 – World Nuclear News – Reactor vessel in place at Summer unit 2 – The steel vessel, which is over 10 metres tall and weighs 278 tonnes, will lie at the heart of the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor currently under construction at the South Carolina site. It was transported from the Port of Charleston on a special rail car and lifted into place by one of the largest cranes in the world. The vessel will house the reactor core and all associated components including the reactor vessel internals which support and stabilize the core within the reactor vessel, as well as providing the path for coolant flow and guiding movement of the control rods. September 1, 2016 – WTVC News Channel 9 – Transformer causes fire at Watts Bar nuclear plant – Several fire crews responded to a fire at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant on Tuesday night. Authorities tell us the fire was caused by a failed transformer, and the nuclear reactor was not affected.

September 1, 2016 – Dyersburg State Gazette – TVA surcharge leaves residents feeling the heat – Many residents in both the city as well as the county, when receiving their electric bills, have questioned the excessive TVA surcharge on their monthly statement. When questioned about the surcharge, Dyersburg Electric System President and CEO Stephen M. Lane responded, “Around 2007 TVA elected to break out the pricing for their generation fuel from the base charges for power. Each TVA distributor was allowed the option to list the Fuel Cost Adder (FCA) as a separate line item or embed the charge into the base. DES elected to show our consumers the TVA fuel price in an effort of transparency. This charge is collected by DES and all other TVA distributors and forwarded to TVA on our power bill each month.” According to the TVA, fuel and purchased power costs are their largest single expense, and they are subject to change. The expense rises and falls with the weather, global supply and demand, and other factors.

September 1, 2016 – Nuclear Energy Insider – US waste facility developer acts on local impact queries to avoid delays – Texas’ Waste Control Specialists (WCS) has responded to all of the NRC’s Environmental Report questions following its application to build the U.S.’ first Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) as it looks to speed development ahead of an expected surge in plant closures, Scott Kirk, WCS’ Vice President of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, said. WCS submitted April 28 a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build a 5,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) above-ground storage facility on its 14,000 acre site in Andrews, West Texas. NRC then sent WCS a formal Request for Supplemental Information (RSI) and WCS responded to 50% of these items on July 20, including the two items related to the Environmental Report, Scott Kirk, WCS’ Vice President of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, told a webinar hosted by Nuclear Energy Insider on July 27.

September 1, 2016 – Pueblo Chieftain – No nuclear reactor – In New Mexico with the fires in the past few years, they nearly took out a site that handles nuclear materials. The site was caught off guard and it was NOT located near a river, which is a must to cool a reactor. In the Northeast a few years back during the heavy flooding, the intake cooling waters from the river got blocked from debris and were a huge concern for the nuclear reactor. Rocky mountains are “new” mountains and earthquakes can happen anywhere in the next 1,000 years. To not build a facility to dispose of a nuclear failure first is like buying a home, getting a mortgage and not having the job to pay for it.

September 1, 2016 – Rexburg Standard Journal – INL partners with other labs to outline advanced reactor technology needs – In a report announced Monday, INL’s nuclear experts, in collaboration with their counterparts at Argonne and Oak Ridge National Labs, presented pathways to deployment for advanced test and demonstration reactor concepts to support key national nuclear energy needs. This collective effort reflects the growing sense of urgency and the groundswell of support for developing advanced reactor technologies. “To meet the objectives of the nation’s energy policy — and meet energy demand without emissions — we must realize the promise of innovative nuclear technologies,” said Dr. Kemal Pasamehmetoglu, director of INL’s Nuclear Science & Technology Directorate. “Deployment of an advanced test reactor and demonstration of new nuclear power plant technologies are necessary to achieve these objectives.”

September 1, 2016 – Long Beach Post – Cal State Long Beach Professors Talk Fukushima Radiation Disaster and Impact on Coastline – Recent samples collected by researchers from Kelp Watch and Cal State Long Beach professors have determined that no detectable radiation has entered the ecosystem along the West Coast since the disaster, which occurred in 2011. Scientists collected samples from sites ranging from Baja Mexico to Alaska, including locations in Long Beach, according to a release. “Results from our fifth sampling period from March through June of this year were very similar to the previous sampling periods obtained over the past two years and demonstrate no detectable amounts of Cesium 134 or elevated Cesium 137 levels in kelp that could be attributed to the Fukushima disaster,” said CSULB’s Dr. Steven Manley, a professor in Department of Biological Sciences.

September 1, 2016 – Half Moon Bay Review – Radioactive waste found on ship – When the USS Independence was scuttled in 1951, Navy records show it carried an unspecified number of barrels of radioactive waste in 50-gallon drums filled with concrete and sealed in an engine room. The barrels contained the protective gear and cleaning tools that workers used to decontaminate the radioactive ships when they returned to Hunters Point from atomic testing. The practice was not unusual: Between 1946 and 1970, approximately 47,800 barrels, concrete blocks and other containers of low-level radioactive waste were dumped into the waters near the Farallon Islands.