Four Strikes and this AIN'T T-BALL!!!

Friday, April 6, 2007
Indian Point 3 reactor shut down after fire, explosion

From:
www.poughkeepsiejournal.com

BUCHANAN - An explosion and fire in the transformer yard at the Indian Point nuclear power complex today led to the shutdown of the Indian Point 3 reactor, but officials said the fire was quickly extinguished with no impact on public health and safety.

The incident was reported at around 11:15 a.m. Shortly after noon, Michael Slobodien, a director of emergency planning for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which owns and operates the plant, said the facility was stable and under control.

"Between the transformer and the reactor, there's a huge concrete structure," he said.

But the unplanned shutdown, the second this week, may push the plant's safety rating to white from green, the safest of four operational categories.

Entergy has declared a "notice of unusual events," the lowest of four emergency classifications in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with the state and regional counties. An investigation has been launched to determine what caused the fire and what kind of damage.

"It's too early at this point," Slobodien said.

The Entergy declaration prompted Westchester County to open its emergency operation center at the Transportation Management Center in Hawthorne. Officials plan a press briefing there early this afternoon.

The Verplanck Fire Department responded to the scene this morning, but they were told they were not needed because the facility's internal brigade handled the situation.

Buchanan Mayor Dan O'Neill said he was not concerned about the fact that the fire had taken place at the nuclear facility.

"Unfortunately, these things happen when you're making electricity," he said. "It could happen at any type of power plant. ... This had nothing to do with nuclear power, it had to do with making electricity."

Indian Point 3 had returned to service Saturday, following a scheduled 24-day refueling outage when workers replaced 96 of the 193 fuel assemblies used during operation.

Then, a steam generator problem prompted workers to manually shut down the plant early Tuesday morning, but no release of radiation was reported and the plant was restarted less than 24 hours later.

Coming up from a re-start after that unplanned shutdown, Indian Point 3 was at about 90 percent capacity when today's fire broke out, officials said.

The plant, which went online 31 years ago this week, had two unplanned shutdowns in 2006, according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission records.

On Monday, 123 of the 150 new emergency-warning sirens failed to successfully complete an operational test. The sirens are required to be ready to go by a week from Sunday. It was not known immediately if the existing siren system sounded today or if it was supposed to.

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Marilyn Elie of WestCAN spoke with Richard Backley at the NRC and published this on the indianpointsec list:

It is transformer 31 that caught on fire. At his time they do not know the extent of the damage and it is being investigated. "At this time we don't know what route the company will take in either repairing or replacing the transformer." This is one of two transformers. Evidently it is possible to operate with one, if power is reduced.

I think that this is the same transformer that was a problem several years ago when a grounds keeper was electrocuted. It was entered into the corrective action matriix then. I asked Backley for more information about this and will keep you posted. This unplanned shut down should take Unit 3 out of the white caegory and put it squarely in the green.

The plant uses part of the electricity they produce for internal purposes. Backley claims that emergency systems are not comprised and that the plant is running on electricity from the switch yard. He said that first responders were not notified promptly because the firewas extinguished on site. First responders wiere not notified until 12:15.

There is no emergency event notification on the NRC web site yet which is odd. A reactor in MO, Calloway, had a transformer fire yesterday morning and it was posted right away even though the plant was already in shut down. Why not Indian Point? Also, it was hard to get information. It is entirely possible that there is more here than meets the eye - at least so far. Stay tuned...

Nuclear, Entergy-The Shaw Skank Deception

Nuclear is in the news in a BIG WAY these days, and unless you live under a rock you are aware of the nuclear industry's dreams of a Nuclear Renaissance here in America. So, when you find a man (Jim Bernhard) who was the head of the Democratic Party in Louisiana, yet had donated $100,000 to George Bush's Inaugural Celebration, it grabs your attention. When that man's company, The Shaw Group, got the contract with the US Postal Service to clean up after the anthrax scare, and after Hurricane Katrina gets hundreds of millions, including $200 million in no bid contracts, I'm going to start Googling.

When my Googling exposes a man trying to buy his credentials as a real player in the nuclear industry, I start getting nervous. When said man makes deals with GE, Westinghouse, and forms a 50/50 partnership with Entergy (second largest nuclear player in America) I am thinking alarms, bells and whistles all going off at once. Then when further investigation shows me that Entergy's vice president is on the board of NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute-lobbying arm of the nuclear industry), I want Dan Rather or 60 Minutes on the phone. Couple all this with Shaw Group's government contracts with both the military (in Iraq) and the DOE, mix it with the fact that Jeb Bush as a member in good standing in CASEnergy (fully funded by NEI) and I'm thinking a brewing Enron on the horizon...it seems to be a more carefully orchestrated Hunt Brothers scenario when they tried to corner the silver market. However, in this case we have the Bayou Boys (Entergy and Shaw Group Inc.) wanting to own the lion's share of the nuclear renaissance, and have the ability to hold America hostage in the bargain.

George W. Bush: Nuclear President

The "renaissance" also now comes with what Mariotte says "may be the most ardently pro-nuclear power presidency in U.S. history." The Bush administrations stance on nuclear power is aggressive and minimizes the dangers of atomic technology.

As Bushs Secretary of Treasury Paul ONeill has told The Wall Street Journal, "If you set aside Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, the safety record of nuclear is really is good."

The administration struck a close working relationship with the nuclear industry well before taking office. Its energy "transition" advisors included:

1. Joseph Colvin, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the lead nuclear industry-funded trade group.

2. J. Bennett Johnston who as a senator was a leading pro-nuclear power figure in Congress and now runs a consulting firm that assists the nuclear industry.

3. Thomas Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute and former head of the American Nuclear Energy Council, forerunner of the NEI, and a friend of Bush going back to their days at Yale.

4. Representatives of four U.S. utilities involved with nuclear power.

Two weeks after being sworn in, Bush set up a "National Energy Policy Development Group" and appointed Vice President Dick Cheney as its chairman. Its members included ONeill and Andrew Lundquist, who also coordinated the energy "transition" team was named executive director.

If you were looking to find a scandal of this magnitude, you'd imagine a firm getting hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts all over the world after making generous donations to various politicians on both sides of the isle, including $100,000 towards George Bush's Inaugural celebration. We have that in spades. Imagine this company getting contacts with the US EPA, NASA, the Pentagon, Army Corp of Engineers, and even the US Postal Service to clean up after the Anthrax scare! No, we are not talking Haliburton here, but looking into this company you realize they are just as bad, if not worse. Where is a special federal prosecutor looking into the business dealings of the Shaw Group, and Jim Bernhard's joint collaboration (with Entergy) to own a major portion of the nuclear industry's dream about nuclear renaissance? Just how involved in this scam are the Bush brothers, and is it true that Entergy/Shaw sat in on the Energy Policy meetings with Dick Cheney?

To understand this story, one first has to look at the founder of the Shaw Group, examine its founder, try to figure out what makes Jim Bernhard tick. A read of the information let out to the press paints an image of a man that Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and even Pippi Longstockings would be envious of. A barrel chested man who worked his way up from digging trenches to become a titan of industry who now heads a fortune 500 company. After getting his bachelors degree from Louisiana State University, he bounced around working for various pipe fitters before striking off on his own with a couple of his college buddies. NOT EXACTLY.

First, it appears this man led a pampered childhood in many ways, the proverbial silver spoon stuck up his ego driven ass. His family owns Bernhard Mechanical Contractors which was started in 1919 by Jim's Grandfather, and the multimillion dollar firm is now run by Jim's brothers. It's easy to picture him as the good looking spoiled rich kid that had life handed to him on a platinum platter. If he saw something he wanted, he took it, and if that failed, Daddy probably went out and bought it for him...this to some degree is born out in the way Jim Bernhard has gone after acquisitions for his once small pipe fitting company, The Shaw Group.

When his inside government sources led him to believe there would be a Nuclear Renaissance, it appears he leveraged the Shaw Group to the hilt and went into the Federal Bankruptcy Court to buy himself and his company nuclear credentials that are not really his, and is using them to run around the world like a paper tiger making deals...problem is, can the building of nuclear reactors be trusted to a newbie in the field, and more importantly will his political cronies in Washington keep the government contracts flowing in long enough for his gamble with other people's money to pay off, or will his scheme backfire leaving America's small investors holding the bag in yet another Enron Pyramid scheme?

Jim Bernhard seems to have had an uncanny ability to land VERY LARGE government contracts from the start back in the mid eighties when the Shaw Group was first started. Once you take a look at the family business, Bernhard Mechanical Contracting, you see where the ability and CONNECTIONS come from. Bernhard Mechanical Contracting has been getting rich off of the taxpayers money for decades now.

A cursory look at records easily found online show for instance tens of millions of dollars flowing into the Bernhard till just from work done in their end of building prisons, and even some major work on a Federal Court House. Looking at the list of Bernhard projects, it's very obvious the family business has some very serious connections at all levels government, and perhaps had no problems in using them to win favor. In short, Jim Bernhard seems to have mentored with the best, grew up from chilhood learning and playing the game. So much for the tears in our eyes story about a young man working his way up from the bottom, but then if you listen to Donald Trump or Ted Turner, they did it all on their own as well.

This whole thing reminds me of the Iraq Press Scandal and the Lincoln Group back a few years ago. A young man from out of nowhere suddenly seems to know every one, and is winning Government Bids worth hundreds of millions, and forming new partnerships in an on time delivery basis. This blogger was not able to get the whole truth on the man (Christian Bailey)behind the Lincoln Group, and I still think he has ties into the CIA's black budget (covert)...it's the only way to explain the Englishman's convenient ties to George Bush and Condi Rice, and his incredible timing in placing himself and his company in Iraq, seemingly before our troops arrived. Hopefully, Jim Bernhard's footprints and timelines will give us more clues about his hidden truths, and the dark unbelly of The Shaw Group's uncanny abilities. Lets do some exploring of the man's timeline, and you the reader can make up your own mind.

1987-Jim Bernhard with two of his buddies start their business as the proverbial three musketeers, and the company gets it name from their FIRST Acquisition, the BF Shaw company out of South Carolina. Where did these three upstarts get the money to take over a large sized company like this. Further, the BF Shaw company's HORRID environmental record betrays portrayal of the Shaw Group as a Clean, Green environmentally concerned citizen. It has been suggested by some, that Shaw Connex is contributing to GREATLY increased cancer risks in Virginia...does Jim Bernhard care, and is so what is the Shaw Group doing to clean up its act?

1993-The Shaw Group gets busy, and the true sinister nature of Jim Bernhard's plan to corner the pipe fabricating industry starts to take shape with several more acquisitions.

Formed Shaw Nass Middle East, WLL, a partnership with Abdulla Ahmed Nass, a Bahrainian entity, to operate a fabrication facility in Bahrain.

To understand how to quietly BUY FAVOR, and to understand the Shaw Groups war profiteering under the George Bush Third Reich, you have to track the campaign contributions that give a company access, such as this example from a Shaw Nass Middle East Employee: (One has to wonder how many other Shaw Group employees were encouraged or coerced into making political contributions?)

Jack and Sims Gen Mgr / Reg. Nurse
Shaw-Nass Middle East Ltd. George W. Bush
$500 1624 Bomi Circle
Winter Park, FL 32792

Formed Shaw-Formiconi, CA (now known as Manufacturas Shaw South America, CA), a partnership with Formiconi CA to operate a fabrication facility in Venezuela.

Acquired Shaw Sunland Fabricators, Inc which put the company's employee base just below 2,000.

In 1996 and 1997 Shaw Group would have serious labor problems with Sunland and another company in the Baton Rouge area, both represented by local 198. Several Union members who did not want to be identified, but were around at the time freely accuss Jim Bernhard and the Shaw Group of Union busting, and one was convinced that Shaw Group A) out sources jobs, and B) may be using illegal workers (Hurricane Katrina was mentioned in this charge). We here at Green Nuclear Butterfly cannot verify this information, so like much of this artcle it is speculative and forward thinking, and falls under the heading of heresay.

Changed name to the Shaw Group Inc and went public with 3.125 million shares on the NASDAQ at $14.50.

Was the name change necessary for the stock offering, seeing as it was ALREADY OWED by someone else? Do your homework there JIMMY BOY! Anyone else a bit amazed here at this company's sky rocketing growth...could it have anything to do with Jim Bernhard's DADDY, AND THE DADDIES of his two original partners? It's not what you know, but who you know jumps to mind here.

In 1994 Shaw acquired the Fronek Company, Inc. and FCI Pipe Support Sales, Inc.

In a deal made in 2004, the Fronek assets were sold.

One important fact here. Jim Bernhard likes to paint himself and the Shaw Group out as good environmental stewards, in short, GREEN LEADERS. So why is it most of their holdings seem to be major polluters wherever they are located?

In 1996 they acquired Word Industries Fabricators, Naptech, Inc. and stock of Alloy Piping Products and Pipe Shields. Inc.

Sure are a lot of acquisitions going on...also, how is the other family business benefitting from all this elimination of the competition?

In 1997 Shaw acquired United Crafts, Inc., Merit Industrial Construction, Cojafex BV in Holland, Prospect Industries, plc, and Lancas, CA in Venezuela.

The most interesting acquisition in 1997 was Cojafex BV in Holland.

In 2000 Shaw joined with the Entergry Corporation to create Enetergy/Shaw LLC and acquired all assets of Stone and Webster, Inc..

Here with the Entergy Partnership, we see Shaw Groups attempt (through a lot of inside information?) begin to position itself to profit from the supposed Nuclear Renaissance in the same fashion it has profitted from the Iraq War, and Hurricane Katrina. Buying Stone and Webster out of bankrupcy in a predatory fashion gave the Shaw Group the beginnings of their PAPER CREDENTIALS.

In 2002 Shaw opened a facility in Cgina and acquired The IT Group, Inc., bringing the company's employee total to 18,000.

The IT Group purchase along with some ownersip secured in Westinghouse gave Jim Bernhard the credentials to do what he wanted...testify before a Senate Sub Committee and encourage them to embrace and fund the Nuclear Renaissance, while failing to mention his own (and his company's) biased conflict of interest in taking such a position.

In 2003 Shaw acquired stock of Envirogen, Inc. and MWR, Inc., assets of Badger/P&C and stock of Energy Delivery Services.

In 2004 Shaw created a joint venture, Shaw CENTCOM Services, LLC, with construction companies in Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

Interesting to note here, that almost as soon as Shaw inked the deal with Centcom, tens of millions in Defense Contracts came rushing through the door.

In 2005 Shaw was awarded contacts with FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to assist in Katrina related recoveries.

In addition to his contacts with George Bush, and the Seargent at Arms for the Senate, seems Jim Bernhard picked a good time to be friends with the governor of Louisana, though her flying to a bowl game in Shaw Groups PRIVATE JET played no part in the $100's of millions in new bid contracts Shaw Group received for Hurricane Katrina.

There is far more to write about when it comes to the Shaw Group, but one thing is for sure...If I owned stock in this company, I'd personally DUMP IT.

1. The public record show them to be MAJOR POLLUTERS OF THE WORST KIND.

2. THEY SEEM TO BE OPPORTUNIST using their Washington contacts to get rich at the taxpayers expense...be interesting to know if Jim Bernhard is friends with Tom DeLay or Dick Cunningham.

3. They are WAR PROFITEERS-they have RAKED IN over $3 BILLION in Defense Contracts over in Iraq, but ask them what they have done for the families of the 19 Shaw Group employees KILLED IN IRAQ for their corporate GREED.

4. Entergy owns to of the most dangerous Nuclear Reactors in the world that are leaking Strontium 90 and Tritium into the Hudson River...Shaw Group holds their maintenance contract, need I say more.

IF YOU ARE A GREEN INVESTOR, GREEN NUCLEAR BUTTERFLY SUGGESTS YOU PUT YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE.

Radioactive Farming? by Hattie Nestel

How are farmers to know if their fields are radioactive? Radioactivity is not discernible through our usual senses of taste, hearing, sight, smell, or touch. The Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor, five miles from Massachusetts and New Hampshire borders in southern Vermont, emits radiation that impacts the health and safety of all three states.

“Each day, a nuclear reactor releases more than 100 chemicals into the air,” states Joseph Mangano, national coordinator of the Radiation and Public Health Project. “These chemicals, which are created only in nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors, are radioactive and cause cancer by damaging cells. After entering the body through breathing and food, each chemical affects the body in a different way. Iodine 131 attacks the thyroid gland, strontium 90 seeks out bone and cesium 137 disperses throughout soft tissues. The fetus and infant with undeveloped immune systems and rapidly diving cells are most affected.”

Radioactive elements from a nuclear reactor enter water of adjoining rivers or lakes or are released into the air. Airborne releases can land in agricultural fields hundreds or even thousands of miles away from their source. Unwitting organic farmers or their customers have little knowledge that foods certified “organic” are actually grown on contaminated soil. Ingesting contaminated crops or animal products can cause leukemia, thyroid diseases, cancers, heart disease, infertility, Down Syndrome, spontaneous abortions, immune deficiency diseases, and congenital birth defects which will be passed on to succeeding generations.

Rosalie Bertell, a cancer research scientist, has spent much of her life studying low-level radiation including ten years writing a comprehensive book entitled, No Immediate Danger: Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth. She states that there is a general nuclear illiteracy in the U.S. and “. . . only scientists are fully aware of the subtle cumulative nature of damage from low-level radiation.”

In the 2005 Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation report, the National Academy of Sciences state that there is no safe level of exposure to radiation. However, the public is kept in the dark about ongoing radioactive emissions, the dangers they pose, and the health consequences suffered by exposed populations. Federal and local governing agencies tend to protect corporate interests rather than public health. There are little accountability and few avenues for public input.

At stake are another twenty to forty years of relicensing for every reactor in the country. Forty-seven have already applied and received this extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A broad-based coalition needs to unite and say a resounding NO to nuclear power and a hearty YES to sustainable, safe, locally controlled energy options that will allow farmers to have truly organic crops.

Resources: Nuclear Power is Not the Answer by Helen Caldicott, 2006 Insurmountable Risks: The Dangers of Using Nuclear Power to Combat Global Climate Change by Brice Smith, 2006 (publ. IEER)

Deadly Deceit: Low level Radiation, High Level Cover-up by Gould and Goldman, 1990.

Author Hattie Nestel lives in Athol, Ma. 25 miles from Vermont Yankee. She works with Citizens Awareness Network, CAN@NUKEBUSTERS.ORG to shut down Vermont Yankee.

Hattieshalom@verizon.net
978-249-6224