Disgusting Reporting

Well, I guess that's why we never found the hard hitting interview of NRC spokesperson Jim Steets conducted by RNN reporter Andrew Whitman at the last NRC public meeting on their website... I wonder if Andrew in fact still has a job at the station, and if his aggressive investigation of the high levels of thyroid cancers in the communities around Indian Point, didn't prompt this sudden sell out by his employer.

Jim Steet's Plays Duck and Run on WVOX Radio

Today at HIGH NOON Jim Steets appeared on WVOX. The first interesting event was the Pro-Entergy propaganda commercial that ran on WVOX before the show aired. Jim Steets commentary was fairly simple to follow, and went something like this, "Lie, lie, twisted fact, lie, I just don't know, lie." It was not until the very end of Mr. Steets time on the show that some fire works flew. It is no wonder he has been nominated for a BAA.

Enter our own Sherwood Martinelli, director of FUSE USA and his hard hitting questions that once again Jim Steets ducked before running out of the WVOX studio.

The questions...notes on Mr. Steets Duck and Run answers provided below them in red.

Entergy in their Environmental Report states twice that Indian Point is LEAK FREE. Yet we know there are numerous leaks. Most pointedly, earlier this fall a leak was discovered which you, Jim Steets stated the leak was a small hairline conduit leak. In fact, the leak based on a review of plant drawings is believed to be a leak in the fuel transfer canal. How do you reconcile the claim in your License Renewal Application that the plant is leak free with all the known leaks at the plant?

Mr Steets failed to address the basic question. How does Entergy reconcile their claim in the License Renewal Application that Indian Point is leak free with all the known and unknown leaks on the site? Furthermore, he quietly ALL BUT ADMITTED there is a leak in the Fuel Transfer Canal. Lastly, he trotted out the patented pin hole and hairline crack descriptors. The Spent Fuel Pool hairline crack (we have a photo) is over NINE FEET LONG.

Entergy in their application claims there are no refurbishment issue envisioned for the plant for the period of License Renewal, or in anticipation of license renewal. Yet, Entergy has new reactor vessel heads on order with scheduled installation for 2011 and 2012. Why has Entergy omitted this and other significant refurbishments from the Environmental Report?

He tried to duck this one, but again all but admitted there are plans afoot to replace the Reactor Vessel Heads at Indian Point...as Green Nuclear Butterfly and FUSE USA knew they would, Jim Steets tried to portray the Reactor Vessel Head replacements NOT AS REFURBISHMENT, but as a SIMPLE PART REPLACEMENT. Trust us folks, this is the largest REFURBISHMENT there is, and there is a reason they do not want it in the Environmental Report during License Renewal.

The NRC has admitted that in a fast breaking emergency or terrorist attack at Indian Point, the Emergency Plan will not work, and citizen would be ordered to shelter in place. Why has Jim Steets refused to answer the question, how long would it be before citizens started feeling the effects of Hypothermia if we were ordered Sheltered in Place during a winter snow storm.

Again, Jim Steets, after trying to paint the scenario as unrealistic refused to ANSWER THE QUESTION on the effects of Hypothermia. Worse, he tried to paint a picture that they want us SHELTERED IN PLACE in OUR NICE WARM HOMES. Look at the Emergency Plan folks! If ordered to Shelter in Place, we are told to TURN OFF OUR FURNACES, and TO SHUT ALL FLUES AND DAMPERS.

Lastly...why has Entergy refused to make publicly available their off site environmental monitoring test results.

Unfortunately, we got cut off before we could get this question asked, so Jim Steets got a pass on it.

'Worst EU Greenwash' Goes To German Nuclear Forum

As the Green Nuclear Butterfly gets closer to awarding our first BAA's to various and nefarious folks in the Nuclear Industry, we thought we would share a story just in from Europe where the German Nuclear Forum won the top Greenwashing award...wonder if NEI is funding them in some fashion? You still have 21 days to nominate people for a BAA, so get your nuclear nominations in by emailing uraniumhotspot@aol.com today. Leading the nominations so far are NEI, NEI Nuclear Blog, NRC, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Rod Adams, Exelon, Entergy, Neil Sheehan, Sam Collins and Jim Steets. Surprised no one has nominated Mr. Williams up at Vermont Yankee, or Indian Point.

German car trio and nuclear lobby shamed at 'Worst EU lobbying' awards 2007

December 2007, EU Business BMW, Daimler and Porsche win public vote for "Worst EU Lobbying Award" and German Atomic Forum receives prize for "Worst EU Greenwash". German car manufacturers BMW, Daimler and Porsche were disgraced today when they were named winners of a public poll for the 'Worst EU Lobbying' Award 2007. The German Atomic Forum was also named and shamed with a special prize for 'Worst EU Greenwash' at a ceremony in Brussels hosted by the award organisers Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe, LobbyControl and SpinWatch. BMW, Daimler and Porsche - nominated together in the worst EU lobbying category - gained more than 30 per cent of the vote. Their joint lobbying offensive designed to water-down and delay the mandatory CO2 emission reduction targets proposed by the Commission after voluntary targets were not met was deemed to be the worst and most deceptive by voters across Europe.

Read The Full Article...

Refusing To Die When Everyone Wants You Dead

This afternoon I received notice that all of FUSE USA's contentions have been dismissed for an assortment of filing errors. The NRC does not give a rats ass about public health and safety, does not give a crap about the merits of the contentions, they only care about PROCESS, and may the best funded attorneys win. Further, they have their heads so FAR UP THEIR ASSES, that they never even READ FUSE USA's third filing, which was completely different...instead, they read Entergy's pleading, denied it to seem impartial, and then dismissed everything under the guise of keeping a TIDY DOCKET, thus giving ENTERGY EVERYTHING THEIR MOTION ASKED FOR. Yes, as I am sure any one reading this knows, I am now officially PISSED OFF, and getting me OFFICIALLY PISSED OFF means I am going to start being a world CLASS PRICK where both Entergy and the NRC are concerned...they can choke on their rules as far as I am concerned.

A part of me blames myself...I should have known better than to trust anyone but myself to do the filing. I was talked into believing that a former nuclear industry expert, and a licensed attorney knew better, allowed myself to be convinced that having FUSE USA documents filed by an attorney LOOKED BETTER, gave us more legitamacy as an organization. Maybe if your attorney had a FREAKING clue this all might be true, but enough of that, what is done is done. I should have stepped in when the first filing prepared and put together by Ulrich Witte and Susan Shapiro was found to have significant shortcomings in it. Instead, I continued to move forward on other contentions, continued to do research instead of stepping in and demanding to take over the process of fixing the problems.

I have no choice but to reshuffle the cards, pull up everything that has been filed, review it one page at a time, and rework, reprint and refile it all because Entergy and their FUCKING hot shot attorneys have no hearts or souls, but are only interested in doing what ever it takes to win License Renewal for Indian Point, public health, safety and the environment be damned, as that is what they are handsomely paid to do...FINE, this is WAR.

They won the first round, had all of FUSE USA's months of hard work dismissed on technicalities by the fucking Atomic Safety Board judges that suck the ass of the nuclear industry. NRC employees acting as judges...what a FARCE. If the board, and Entergy think they are keeping FUSE USA, and me out of this, they are SADLY mistaken. We will have contentions filed by the deadline. As for those in the Close Indian Point camp who don't like my tactics, who think I am a little rough around the edges...just do me a favor, and stay the hell out of my way.

Trust me, when the filings go in, the NRC will have their Certificate of Service, their notice of appearance, and everyone will get a copy of every GOD DAMN PAGE of EVERYTHING WE FILE. Further, there will not be someone acting as a buffer between Entergy and me as a stakeholder in the community. Entergy and their Park Avenue hot shots can deal with me, a dumb old farm boy, their INDUSTRY EXPERTS will answer my questions under cross examination. When the dust settles, Entergy may win their precious License Renewal, but not without the biggest fight that has ever taken place in a License Renewal Application.

I read the rules, and no where in them does it say STAKEHOLDERS have to be represented by an attorney at law...let the games begin.

Just In From The Fake Jim Steets Prayer Blog

Breaking News From Fake Jim Steets...seems he has his new Christmas Cards!

Dear God, Got My New Corporate X-Mas Cards

Dear God:

In keeping with the $pirit of the $eason, and to let the community know that we are good neighbors, I just got my Entergy Greeting Cards. I have to say, Entergy's PR folks have out done themselves this year.

The kids are really excited about the upcoming lighting of the reactor domes, and of course they always love doing their Christmas shopping in the Entergy gift catalog. The ten percent employee discount really helps save us money. I'm getting the wife that Entergy bed throw this year, and may splurge for a set of the Entergy coffee mugs.

By the way God, could you put in a word upstairs, and ask management to bring back the Christmas giveaways. The maintenance team really misses those canned hams.

Amen

Entergy To Add More Sirens to Failed System

Entergy has announced plans to add new sirens to their failed Emergency Notification Sirens in the hopes of getting FEMA to approve the system...this after their needless cutting down and trimming of trees FAILED TO DO THE TRICK. In a related news item, FUSE USA have been granted a hearing on ground contamination and siren issues that will be held via telephone on December 21st, beginning at 1 PM. If you are interested in listening into this hearing, or want to participate, please send and email to fuse_usa@yahoo.com

Owner of Indian Point nuclear plants to add sirens to new system

By JIM FITZGERALD Associated Press Writer

7:34 PM EST, November 15, 2007

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - The owners of the Indian Point nuclear power plants will augment their new emergency siren system with about a dozen more sirens in an attempt to satisfy federal regulators that the system is loud enough, officials said Thursday.

The siren system is meant to alert residents within 10 miles when there is a major problem at either of the two reactors in Buchanan, 35 miles north of midtown Manhattan.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had declared in September that the new system, which was ordered by Congress, did not meet the loudness standards originally promised by Entergy Nuclear, the plants' owner: 60 decibels in low-population areas and 70 decibels in high-population areas. Full Story

PHASE, Alec Baldwin Hold Pro Entergy Press Conference?

Talk about the anti-nuclear movement taking a HUGE BLACK EYE. Today's press conference in New York with Alec Baldwin was it...at least, that is the way it appeared on the coverage seen on NBC's New York Nightly News with Chuck Scarborough this evening on Channel 4.

Lead off hitter was Alec Baldwin, with Susan Shapiro, as always lurking just behind him with her ever present scowl. The first words out of his mouth were, "I'm not necessarily against Nuclear Energy"!

CUT! Let's re roll the footage on that one more time please.

Lead off hitter was Alec Baldwin, with Susan Shapiro, as always lurking just behind him with her ever present scowl. The first words out of his mouth were, "I'm not necessarily against Nuclear Energy"!

Holly CRAP Batman!

That ranks right up there with Maurice Hinchey, Nita Lowey and anti-nuclear musician now Congressman John Hall voting in favor of a all Nuclear Navy. PHASE should have maybe discussed Alex's message with him before he went to the microphone? This movement, supposedly PHASE as an organization is about shutting down dangerous nuclear reactors, not giving a back handed quasi endorsement to the Nuclear Industry that maybe SOME PLANTS could be safe.

Next up, was Joe Mangano who got a decent single up the middle speaking to a very sparse crowd...basically, NBC did not give him much coverage, and did a poor close up of a document assumed to be his work for about five seconds. It is a pity as his work is very important, and deserved far better.

From here on out things went rapidly down hill, as the press conference, and who was allowed to seize control of it should have been much better handled...IE, who let Jim Steets in? Talk about sandbagging the opposition, Susan Shapiro left herself, and thus the anti-nuclear movement wide open for attack today.

There is Joe Mangano speaking, then fad to a picture of the Indian Point reactors, and then, BAM, Susan Shapiro with her mouth gaping in shock is seen standing off to the back and side as she lets Entergy Villain Jim Steets take over and steal the press conference, and turn it into a Pro Entergy infomercial. Did it occur to her to STEP FORWARD and CONFRONT HIM ON CAMERA? Or was she afraid she did not have enough grasp of the facts at hand to carry the day...either way, it was a grave and horrid disaster to watch.

A huge opportunity to bring star power to our movement SQUANDERED AWAY.

Unfortunately, it got worse, or as Cafferty would say, "It's getting ugly out there."

As Jim Steets of Entergy was seizing control of Susan Shapiro's moment in the spot light, her proverbial two seconds of fame, the few anti-nuclear folks there, realizing what was occurring, that Susan was frozen in place out of shock started to react but unfortunately far to late as the damage was done.

A few of them started weakly chanting...ok, it was more like a shrill panicked cackle, "He's Lying". The news piece ended as one panicked or irate cackler literally LUNGED towards Jim Steets of Entergy, stumbling in his general direction.

FINE JOB SUSAN SHAPIRO, fine job. This kind of media coverage has probably set our movement back several months , but that is just one writer's lone opinion.

Have we seen the end of PHASE? Will Susan Shapiro resign from this newly formed organization and create yet another anti-nuclear vehicle, after her self chosen resignation from FUSE USA? Stay tuned to this same Green Butterfly Channel as we watch the exciting exploits of Rockland County's self proclaimed anti-nuclear maven.

PS...what happened to the promised appearance of Christie Brinkley? Enquiring minds want to know.