BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12

Subject: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Aug 12 - 05:33 PM

I missed this story in the Chicago papers while I was out there. This morning I found a supporting editorial in my home town newspaper. Great news!

On August 7 the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission suspended issuing final decisions on new licenses and on license renewals for nuclear power plants until the agency decides how to deal with the thorny issue of spent nuclear fuel.

Here's the full story: Click here for article

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Aug 12 - 10:10 AM

So in the meantime it just accumulates and accumulates and is sent to Idaho...y'all are welcome.

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Aug 12 - 10:36 PM

Rapparee-

Most of the high-level nuclear fuel waste goes nowhere. It's either sitting on site in spent fuel pools or is in dry cask storage. It's an easy target for terrorists there and someday someone is going to figure that out.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Aug 12 - 06:48 PM

refresh!

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: gnu
Date: 18 Aug 12 - 08:44 PM

A major step forward in the present state of chaos.

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: michaelr
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 12:05 AM

Folks seem to be missing the point here:

the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission suspended issuing final decisions on new licenses and on license renewals for nuclear power plants

This is good news! It means that the regulatory agency decided not to rubber-stamp renewals for existing nuke plants, nor approve new ones. For now. This decision is to be celebrated. Hooray!

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 08:14 AM

michaelr-

As I said in my initial post, I applaud the NRC decision, and would only add it's about time!

I'm now wondering if this decision would rescind the NRC's previous approval of the license renewal of Vermont Yankee, which is still in the process of legal appeal. Vermont Yankee is a boiling water reactor, the same age and vintage as some of the ones at Fukushima.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 07:07 PM

Charley -- I'm afraid not. I've seen these casks come via the UP railroad and by truck, going out to "The Site", the proper transportation labels for radioactives quite prominently displayed on the truck/car.

The clean-up out there is on-going and a horrendous undertaking. MUCH spent nuclear fuel was buried, as were perfectly good rods which were no longer needed for research. These are now being dealt with. However, the problem is complicated by the unexploded WW2 ordnance which is still found on the grounds of the Idaho National Lab -- it was originally a weapons/munitions/bomber-school test site.

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 08:49 PM

Relying on stainless steel casks for storing high-lvel nuclear waste is only a temporary storage solution, currently planned for up to 100 years. Unfortunately high-level nuclear waste is dangerous to living things for 100,000 years or more. Anyone see a problem?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 05:06 PM

I am priviledged to know (and see with my own eyes) that off site depositories of spent fuel is a dirty "big" secret. The sad part is that sometimes the off site 'glass pits' are adjacent to playgrounds.

Hospitals are often faced with the delemma of on-site storage and the seldom spoken of - off site storage.

Subject: RE: BS: NRC Nixs Nukes 8-7-12
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 05:42 PM

Hospital radioactive waste is strictly low-level radioactive waste. It still has to be safely stored but it's dangerous to living things for less than a hundred years.

The high-level nuclear waste is what I'm primarily concerned about, and what the nuclear industry and politicians prefer not to think about.

Charley Noble