Idaho Samizdat is a nuclear energy blog that has grown significantly since starting three years ago. It now receives over 43,000 page views annually from readers in 70 countries. Several nuclear projects and initiatives faced challenges or unexpected issues, including a delayed Canadian nuclear plant refurbishment, a questionable proposed US reactor project, and controversial relicensing decisions. Public opposition also impacted plans for nuclear facilities in some areas.
MS Project 2010 schedule template for large NASA procurements $10-450 million
Not Even Close And No Cigar
1. Not Even Close and No Cigar A few instances where things went haywire in the nuclear industry
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Hinweis der Redaktion
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The $1.4 billion refurbishment of Point Lepreau, New Brunswick’s only nuclear reactor is going to take a lot longer because two 107-ton turbine rotors were briefly stuck in the mud under three meters of salt water in St. John Harbor. The two units are reported to be worth $10M each. According to the New Brunswick media sources, a barge carrying the two power generation components became top-heavy and flipped over dumping the huge devices into the brackish bay. No one was injured in the incident. Recovery operations have pulled the units back on to the shore where they are now drying out, but their condition at this time is unknown. It is likely the salt water did no favors to the factory-mint condition of the two rotors and turbine blades.<number>
Alternative Energy Holdings Inc., (PINK:AEHI) which says it plans to build a nuclear power plant in southwestern Idaho, sued the anti-nuclear Snake River Alliance for libel after the group’s director called the penny-stock firm “a scam.” The thin-skinned AEHI also filed assault and battery charges against a Twin Falls foot doctor after he handed out anti-nuclear leaflets at a public meeting protesting the proposed plant. The slightly built podiatrist was convicted and is filing an appeal.<number>
Former New York Gov. Elliott Spitzer wanted to shut down the two reactors at the Indian Point nuclear power station without having the faintest idea of where the replacement electricity would come from. He failed to accomplish his goal—then suddenly left office after an unrelated sex scandal. Entergy, the utility that owns and operates the plant, finally got its emergency sirens to work and pledged to spend $100 million over the next six years in plant, equipment, and safety system improvements. Entergy put up with a lot of grief during its relicensing hearings, but got some unexpected relief when the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board took action against a citizens' group that had tried its patience to the breaking point. The agency said the Westchester Citizens Awareness Network (WestCAN) was barred from future proceedings because the counsel for WestCAN repeatedly disregarded agency regulations and instructions from the panel.According to the MidHudson News for Dec 9, the NRC noted that the actions by WestCAN's counsel have \"seriously disrupted the Board's efforts to meet its responsibility to conduct a fair, orderly and efficient hearing, has interfered with the other participants' efforts to use their own litigation resources efficiently, and has made our own review of the appellate documents and the underlying record far more time-consuming than necessary.”The Commission has also taken the rare step of ordering the NRC's Office of the Secretary to not accept any further filings from the lawyers for WestCAN, unless they meet all procedural requirements.<number>
Apologies abound in the Green Mountain state. Vermont State Senate leader Peter Shumlin called the CEO of the state’s largest employer, IBM, a “liar” for his support of relicensing cheap electricity from Vermont Yankee. IBM employs 6,000 people in Vermont due to the benefit of the low rates. Vermont’s governor later apologized to IBM to reassure the firm the state really wants to keep those jobs.For their part the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant employees did everything they could to reduce public confidence in the plant. They dropped a cask of spent nuclear fuel when a crane failed and the plant suffered repeated and visually spectacular failures of the cooling system outfall pipes. No one was injured and no radioactivity was released from either incident.The NRC ruled the cooling system breach was not “safety significant,” but some of Vermont’s citizens are not buying it. They shouted down Thomas Salmon, a former Vermont governor, when he tried to testify at an NRC hearing about relicensing the plant. The NRC apologized to him for losing control of the public meeting.Anti-nuclear activists attacked the Vermont Public Service Board by bombarding workers there with plastic popcorn soaked in an obnoxious chemical. One worker was injured. The offices of the utility rate-setting agency are now closed to the public. No one from the Green Mountain Earth First group apologized for the incident.<number>
Colorado homeowners bought large lots and built expensive trophy homes in a rural historic uranium-mining district in Fremont County near Colorado Springs and then acted surprised when a firm prospecting the old claims begin drilling within 500 yards of the subdivision.Meanwhile, over in Telluride, seasonal ski enthusiasts with time on their hands are opposing development of a uranium mill located 40 miles to the west of their homes, which they fear would pollute their drinking water wells. In another amazing lapse of science and reason, they published information on a controversial web site about weapons grade-plutonium, which they implied could be found at the proposed mill site.<number>
On the high plains of eastern Colorado, Ft. Collins residents of a self-described “green” city, 19 miles to the west and decidedly up gradient from a proposed ISL mine in Nunn, Colo., turned out in force to oppose it with claims about its alleged threat to property values. They appeared unmoved by explanations that if the groundwater of the remote geologic formations weren't already full of uranium, the mine wouldn’t be built there.<number>
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire spooked economic development groups in Richland, WA, when she talked with Areva’s chief executive officer about a possible uranium enrichment plant in Richland and “reiterated my concern about disposal of waste.” In fact, the governor's lukewarm support, and stern lecture, about the $2.4 billion project convinced Areva the firm was not wanted in Washington. The plant is now being built in eastern Idaho which offered millions in attractive tax incentives and an overwhelmingly supportive political climate. Gregorie was unapologetic about her appeal to the west of the Cascades green vote and a roundabout slap in the face to the folks in the Tri-Cities. She survived a close election in 2008 and was returned to office for a 2nd term. No love was lost in Richland. As far as they are concerned, the mighty Gregorie had struck out costing them the jobs that went with a $2.4 billion construction project.<number>
Turkey, which dreams of energy independence from its large, resource-rich neighbor to the north, got a harsh reality check. The Turkish government published a tender for 4,000 MW of nuclear capacity, but refused to include provisions for the protection of proprietary technology, guarantees for sale of power for 15 years after startup, indemnification and the ability to have foreign workers run the plant until Turkey can train their own. Consequently 12 of the 13 potential contractors decided to forgo the bid. The only one to make an offer was Russia's Atomstroyexport. Turkey is rethinking its solicitation strategy and whether to award the contract.<number>
In a CBS 60-Minutes TV news report South African officials denied, a year after it happened, that a breach of sophisticated security systems by two teams of armed men at the Pelindaba nuclear site, which included shorting out a 10 KV electric fence, was an attempt to steal HEU. Officials called it a botched burglary. No one has been arrested for the break-in though several security guards were fired for what appears to have been an inside job.The one apparent hero of the incident, Anton Gerber, decked two of the intruders when they crashed into the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and was well on his way to knocking out the daylights out of the other two men when they shot him. He survived his wounds and is now suing his employer over the injuries.Overshadowed in the excitement is the report that another roving security team was alert and spotted the other group of four intruders. The guards opened fire under the standing rule that if you see someone at night inside the security fence, \"it's not us\" so shot first and ask questions later. They did and the four men fled into the night empty handed but not before shooting back. It isn't known whether anyone was wounded in exchange of gunfire.<number>
Aaron Tilton a former Utah state legislator, and former entrepreneur of nutritional supplements on the Internet, wants to build a 3000 MW nuclear power plant in Green River, Utah, to be guaranteed by the entire rate base for the Beehive state. The goal is to make up for the cancellation of a 900 MW coal fired power plant and to export most of the nuclear generated electricity to Los Angeles.Tilton, who is now executive director of Transition Power, inked a controversial deal for 30,000 acre feet of water for the plant with fellow legislator Mike Noel who's day job is director of the Kane County Water District. No Utah ethics laws were broken though some people think Tilton and Noel have some explaining to do about who will benefit from the proposed plant.<number>
German Chancellor Andrea Merkel and her conservative Christian Democrats thought they had a plan to save Germany’s 17 nuclear power plants from being shut down: extend their operational life by diverting some of the profits from the sale of electricity into a fund to buy down the higher costs of wind and solar power. The plan would generate €40 billion (US$56 billion) over a period of 20 years.But Social Democrat Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking for a broad coalition that include the country’s green groups, called the plan “a return of the nuclear industry.” True. It just goes to show that the German greens are sticking to their principles even if it costs them $56 billion.<number>
Fuel Cycle Week, a nuclear energy industry trade newsletter, reminds us that the world of atomic energy is not solely the serious realm of mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. There is room for \"festivals\" according to a Russian nuke by the name of Iliya Platonov who is heading up the annual \"Miss Atom\" beauty contest. This is an official event of the Russian nuclear industry and they are very serious about it. This annual event, which has been held since 2004, selects the most charming and good looking woman working in the Russian nuclear industry to be crowned as \"Miss Atom.\" It's kind of like the Miss America contest except on protons. Contestants must be hot stuff in a bikini.The bad news, according to Andrea Jennetta, publisher of Fuel Cycle Week, is that the Russians have ruled out any contestants from western countries. She protests this ban on women from the West saying \"it is patently unfair.\" And what’s more, she writes in the current issue, \"I don’t want to let a silly detail like geography get in the way of being part of the contest festivities.”<number>
Since she cannot submit herself as a contestant, nor any of the staff, who refused to a man to be part of it, she has taken the novel approach that, \"in the spirit of peace, love and international nuclear trade, Fuel Cycle Week is submitting slogans, not females, for Miss Atom 2009.”Soviets historically have been very big on slogansNow the reason for this, in terms of history, is that the Soviets are very big on slogans, like \"make more tractors for the five year plan,\" and \"deliver both a right and a left shoe the same size in every box.“We assume the picture of the winner, and the runners up, will be safe for work like their predecessors published last year. Note that the photos of last year’s contestants are really quite tame, at least by Internet standards. If that turns out not to be the case, you’ll still be notified if you win the slogan contest, but there is always the possibility Miss Atom in 2009 could be too hot to handle.<number>
These are the leading nuclear energy blogs in the U.S.<number>