DoomsdaysCW

 ASR, or Alkali-Silica Reaction has many causes, and is a concern for aging nuclear plants worldwide -- not just in the USA Nuclear power plants are made with special concrete which uses "high-density aggregates" to help "shield effectively against radiation" (Phung, et al). It is also used in making cooling towers and other structures, as well as long-term storage. However, the very make up of the concrete make it more prone to ASR -- which can occur from a number of situations, including exposure to moisture, and acidic water (acid rain), freezing and thawing, etc. But most troubling -- exposure to ionizing radiation can accelerate ASR (Phung, et al). The discovery of ASR in 2009 at Seabrook nuclear plant put ASR on the radar screen of a local environmental watchdog group, C-10.  The discovery of more damage than Seabrook's owners admitted to was not un-noticed by C-10, who tirelessly call the NRC on their lack of thorough and timely inspections on critical st...

Sizewell C was just approved in the UK. The project, touted to be the solution to the UK’s energy needs, is plagued with financial and technological issues. In February, 2022, former Labour MP Derek Wyatt wrote that there were “three critical issues surrounding the future of the Sizewell C project were missing from the recent announcement. The first is the appalling state of EDF’s finances. This is coupled with shutdowns at its French power stations, using similar technology to Sizewell C. Newer nuclear power stations are not working." Critics also point out the cost of the project. A spokesperson for Stop Sizewell C pointed out that "Despite the government's paltry £700m, there is still a huge amount of money to find and no-one is prepared to come clean about what the ultimate cost will be," — typical of nuclear plants! There are also concerns about the environmental impact of Sizewell C, since nearby Sizwell Marshes is a "Special Protected Area," which pr...

 So, the IAEA just told Japan that the decision whether or not to dump radioactive water into the Pacific was Japan’s decision — in direct violation of the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution. Right after the March 2011 accident happened, what would have been considered illegal dumping, was allowed, with the Japanese government giving “TEPCO an exemption” (Time Magazine). Why do I have a problem with this? Perhaps it has something to do with TEPCO’s track record. In the past, TEPCO has admitted to concealing data, and only when confronted, admitted to their errors. They were also recently caught using dosimeters meant to record higher amounts only, thus claiming the treated water is down to “safe” levels (Fukushima Diary)! TEPCO has also failed to fully explore other options (like storing tritiated water until it turns into helium or binding the radionuclides into a solid form). According to a 2013 RFI, TEPCO received proposals for "storing tritium-contained wate...

Burdened with problems and located on a fault line, the Biden administration voted to approve up to $1.1 billion in conditional funding for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, originally planned to be retired in 2025. An Office of Inspector General investigation of the US NRC revealed that Diablo Canyon had many issues overlooked by NRC inspectors, including a failure of the plant’s “backup water supply”. Other concerns include if the steel around the reactors have undergone nuclear embrittlement, a problem identified at other nuclear plants, including Doel 3 and Tihange 2 in Belgium. Citizens and environmental groups continue to fight the plan, including the NRDC. Diablo Canyon’s earthquake vulnerability is from the Shoreline Fault, which according to PG&E (owners of Diablo Canyon) could produce quakes up to magnitude 6.5. Tags: #DiabloCanyon #NoNukes #California Sources: California’s last nuclear power plant gets $1bn funding to extend life, November 2022. https://www.theguardian.co...

 November 18, 2022, via The Holland Sentinel "A last-ditch effort to save a West Michigan nuclear power plant has been denied. "Pat O'Brien, director of government affairs and communications for Holtec Decommissioning International, acknowledged in a prepared statement the organization knew the reversal would be 'a challenge.' "'We appreciate the consideration that the Department of Energy put into our application for the Civilian Nuclear Credit Program,' he said. 'We fully understood that what we were attempting to do, re-starting a shuttered nuclear plant, would be both a challenge and a first for the nuclear industry.' "In July, Holtec proposed a plan to move radioactive materials off-site during the dismantling of Palisades by road, rail — and perhaps most controversially — by barge shipments on #LakeMichigan." #NoNukes https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/application-reopen-palisades-nuclear-plant-002517130.html

 Nov 5, 2022, via Fukushima Diary: "It was found out Tepco has repeatedly been emphasizing the safety of contaminated water by using dosimeters that cannot detect the radioactive tritium and that do not react to cesium unless the concentration level is extremely high." #NoNukes #Fukushima #WaterIsLife https://fukushima-diary.com/2022/11/tepcos-been-emphasizing-the-safety-of-contaminated-water-by-measuring-with-incompatible-dosimeters/