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Showing posts from December, 2022

Protecting Maine’s Life-Giving Rivers

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This was a published news story that I wrote after interviewing leaders of Maine's First Nations and doing some research on the Maine Settlement Act. Even though it's from 2001, it gives background of what went wrong in 1980 (and before), and why Senator Angus King's betrayal of Maine's First Nations is just another BETRAYAL by white men in power! I still stand behind this piece, and so wish Senator King would have EVOLVED! Maybe he needs to attend a Wabanaki REACH workshop and watch Dawnland. Even allies like myself should watch Dawnland! Anyhow, here it is. And yes, there is a LOT more work to be done! TRADITIONAL CARETAKERS

 The Penobscot Nation believes they are the caretakers of the Penobscot River, and that they have a sacred duty to protect the river and its surrounding region. They have traveled and collected food from all areas within the watershed of the Penobscot River, long before the arrival of the white man. In 1820, Captain Francis, a Penobscot delegate ...

ASR Concrete Degradation a Concern at Seabrook Nuclear Plant

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 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...