Ani DiFranco, Nyack Jan 18...

And cancer, the great teacher
Has been opening schools
Downstream from every factory
Still, everywhere fools are
Squinting into microscopes
Researching cells
Trying to figure out a way
That we can all live in hell

Ani Difranco - Decree
(2003)

Should Governors Use National Guard Troops To Close Down and Secure Aging Reactors

Time and again (49 times to be exact) a biased and prejudice Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has ignored the will of the people, ignored safety and health concerns, and granted NRC reactor licensees 20 year extensions to operate. Anything they find incovenient (such as radioactive waste) it is simply deemed to be out of scope, and when citizens such as myself have the balls to tell seemingly ignorant ass monkeys like Lawrence G. McDade the truth, that the boards are made up of Pro-Industry Pricks, he thumps his chest, and tosses out our contentions like some anal retentive chimp tripping on LSD. Seems in his w0rld, he believes he is worthy of some respect by virtue of his position, comes from the old school of thought that judges, elected officials and the president of the United States are ENTITLED to our respect by virtue of their office...as the old saying goes, FUCK THAT NOISE. Just for the record, I'd classify George Bush as a prick as well, and would not hesitate to state such to his face.

So, back to the question. 49 communities so far are being FORCED to play host to aging and dangerous reactors for at least 20 more years. The DOE, the NRC and our federal government have FAILED to deal with the waste streams from nuclear power, defacto turning every reactor site into high level radioactive waste storage facilities without adequate safeguards, such as those required if Yucca Mountain ever gets licensed and built. The NRC acts as if it is above the law, and licensees simply buy off whoever they need to in their attempts to keep their aging, leaking, cancer causing facilities up and churning out profit.

Which raises the question...should state governors take manners into their own hands, and use the National Guard to seize control of, and shut down these facilities. Here in New York, the DEC could simply refuse to grant a discharge permit, could demand that the Indian Point facility shut down until such time as it has installed a Closed Cooling system that was promised some 30 years ago. Further, the State Attorney General could state that future committments to come into compliance are inadequate, could state that New York is no longer willing to wait for the Siren Systems to be up and operating correctly. All this being so, and based on the very real reality that the NRC has NEVER TERMINATED a license against the reactor owners wishes, is it time to use our State National Guard to shut down Indian Point? What is George Bush going to do, call out the Army to go to war against us? DOUBTFUL.

The state could hire whatever former Entergy employees were needed to maintain safe shut down, and to decommission the reactors. Might seem harsh, but lets be real. Our community agreed to play host for 40 years, and only if the operator obeyed ALL LAWS and REGULATIONS as written. The NRC has granted Indian Point hundreds of exemptions to the rules, so they have broken their contract with our community. We would be fully within our rights as a state to use our military troops to shut down a dangerous facility that is endangering human health and the environment.

While we are doing some radical thinking, here is some more food for thought. The State of New York, and all counties being forced to pay for Emergency Planning and Security have the LEGAL RIGHT to simply STOP PAYING FOR THOSE COSTS, and the NRC has no choice but to force FEMA to step in and pay them...sure if FEMA were suddenly having to pick up the tab for ENTERGY, they might have a change of heart about the adequacy of Indian Points Emergency plan. By the way, EVERY REACTOR COMMUNITY IN AMERICA HAS THAT RIGHT.

Pilgrim waste needs critical look, AG says

The state has gone to court to force the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to look at the safety of waste storage at Pilgrim. (File/The Boston Globe)

EmailPrint Text size – + By Robert Knox

Globe Correspondent / December 13, 2007

The state attorney general's office has gone to federal court to argue that the storage of nuclear waste at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant should be studied by federal regulators as a possible danger to residents.

more stories like this

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Brock, in oral arguments in the US Court of Appeals in Boston last week, challenged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's refusal to hold a hearing on the safety of storing spent fuel at the Plymouth plant. Briefs in the case will be prepared over the next month and filed by the end of January.

Brock's office is arguing that the potential risk of fire in the spent-fuel storage pools - whether sparked by accident or terrorism - should be weighed by the NRC in its decision on whether to extend Pilgrim's license for another 20 years.

Last year, the five members of the NRC, appointed by the president, rejected that notion. Instead, they accepted their staff's conclusions that the consequences of a "spent-fuel pool accident" are unlikely to be serious.

The state appealed, leading to last week's hearing.

The possible danger of storing nuclear waste on site has become a rallying cry for critics of the NRC, which regulates the nuclear power industry.

Local advocates, including residents of Plymouth and Duxbury, signed a letter to Attorney General Martha Coakley this week backing her action in taking the spent-fuel issue to court. The letter states that Massachusetts's actions have set a precedent that other states such as New York are following.

The governor and attorney general of New York have gone to court to question the security of the Indian Point reactor.

New York officials contend that the attacks of Sept. 11 changed the nature of risk at nuclear plants, warranting a new and critical look at the safety of on-site spent fuel storage.

A New York Times editorial last week backed that state's actions and also questioned how other plants across the nation, such as Pilgrim, can be permitted to operate with on-site, above-ground nuclear waste storage systems.

While spent nuclear fuel rods are stored outside New York's Indian Point reactor facility, at Pilgrim they are stored in water inside the plant.

Critics of that method, including the National Academy of Sciences, have argued that Pilgrim's storage method renders the plant vulnerable to a spent fuel fire caused by an attack or by human or mechanical error.

Both NRC and Pilgrim officials have repeatedly defended the safety of the plant. The NRC has pointed to security upgrades it required plants to institute after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said his agency took the possibility of a terrorist attack into consideration in previous court challenges and concluded that even under the "most severe, plausible-threat scenarios" - ground assault and aircraft impact - radiation emissions would probably be too low to pose a problem for Pilgrim's neighbors.

Local critics of the NRC say the outcome of the state's appeal may have important consequences for Pilgrim's neighbors.

Without a victory on appeal, "highly toxic spent fuel assemblies will be stored on site for the indefinite future," said Mary Lampert of Pilgrim Watch, a regional advocacy group that also raised the spent fuel storage issue.

The NRC has ruled that both issues of stored nuclear waste and plant security - concerns frequently raised at public meetings held on relicensing in the Plymouth area over the last two years - are outside licensing proceedings and therefore off the table when the NRC decides whether to extend Pilgrim's operating license.

But those issues are considered in the ongoing regulation of the nation's nuclear facilities, the NRC states.

Having heard the oral arguments, the court asked the two parties whether they could agree on a date for holding a review of the state's appeal, Sheehan said.

Amie Breton, spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office, said the court is expecting written briefs by Jan. 31 if a date has not been set.

In addition to the current appeal, the state has also filed a so-called rule-making petition asking the agency to change its current licensing policy and consider spent fuel storage in relicensing reviews. The appeal was necessary, Lampert said, because relicensing could occur before the petition to change the rules is decided.

Robert Knox can be contacted at rc.knox@gmail.com.

The Nuclear Renaissance and The Peaceful Atom

Just one quick example of the so called PEACEFUL ATOM as the world runs headlong down the path to putting nuclear reactors in almost every country in the world...a cut and paste of some nuclear stories making the rounds yesterday...remember folks, it is only a matter of a few steps to go from commercial nuclear use, to military nuclear use.

Delhi Energy India Nuclear Photos Gulf Daily News India boosts nuclear plan NEW DELHI: India announced major plans to increase its nuclear capabilities yesterday, saying it was close to testing a ballistic missile capable of hitting targets up to 6,000km away. Such a dist... (photo: Creative Commons/ )

Delhi India Media Missile Photos The Times Of India India working on doubling nuclear strike range: official NEW DELHI: India announced Wednesday it was working on a new ballistic missile capable of hitting targets 6,000 kilometres (3,800 miles) away, which would more than double its current nuclear strike... (photo: AP /Ajit Kumar, File)

Independent online Iran still seeking nuclear bomb - Olmert Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that Iran was still pursuing a nuclear weapon and called on the international community to pressure the Islamic Republic to suspend its... (photo: AP Photo/Amos Ben Gershom-GPO,HO) Election Government Minister Photos Politic

The Australian Pakistan dismisses nuclear theft threat PAKISTAN'S military vowed a strong response to any international attempt to seize its atomic arsenal as the army successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile. The security of Pakistan'... (photo: AP Photo/B. K. Bangash) Military Nuclear Pakistan Photos US

Bombs and Nuclear Reactor Sites

Seems we have another case involving a worker, a homemade bomb, and a nuclear reactor site that are making the news. This one involves a man working at the Sellafield Reactor over in England. Seems that authorities found the bomb in a recently employed contractor's flat/home, and the authroities are searching for the man who was last seen enjoying a pint in a local pub.

This incident raises two important questions.

1. How can the NRC claim that nuclear sites are not the target of terrorist, that the chance of a terrorist attack is so remote as to be unworthy of consideration in and Environmental Report when this is the second such BOMB SCARE for a reactor site in a period of well under two months?

2. Was the first bomb scare here in America a STAGED FAKE EVENT to make the reactor site look good during and NRC investigation? We posed this question at the time of the event, and it seems rather odd that we have seen NO FOLLOW UP ON THAT STORY since the day it happened. The worker that had the truck in the bed of his pickup truck was cleared almost INSTANTLY, and police and the NRC both almost instantly said they had no clue how such and explosive device ended up in the man's pick up truck bed, but reasoned it was probably TOSSED THERE by someone at the apartment complex. Where is the news media in bringing us and update on this important story? Sorry,but we here at GNB smell a skunk, and until we learn otherwise believe the event at Palo Verde was a staged propaganda event.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=a5krYQE2Wue4&refer=uk
U.K. Man Held; Bomb Found at Nuclear Worker's Home, BBC Says

By Paul Dobson

Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Police arrested a 30-year-old man after a bomb was found at the house of a contractor who worked at the U.K.'s Sellafield nuclear site, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported, without saying where it got the information.

Sellafield worker in bomb scare

Darren Morris was last seen at Egremont's Red Lion pub A bomb has been discovered at the home of a contractor recently employed at the Sellafield nuclear plant. Explosive experts were called to Southey Walk in Egremont, Cumbria, on Monday afternoon, where the "rudimentary device" was made safe. Police are now seeking Darren Morris, the property's current occupant, who was last seen in a local pub. The 30-year-old is understood to have been involved in maintenance work at the nuclear reprocessing complex. Cumbria Police are liaising with Sellafield Ltd in a bid to trace Mr Morris. Acting Supt Gary Slater said: "I would like to reassure local people that this is an isolated incident and something which is rare in Cumbria. "A thorough investigation is under way, but we are asking for the public's help in finding Mr Morris." 'Security measures' The contractor was last seen at the Red Lion pub in Main Street, Egremont, on Monday afternoon. A spokesman for Sellafield Ltd said: "Following an incident in Egremont on Monday, Sellafield Ltd and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary were asked to assist Cumbria Police in its search for Darren Morris, who has recently worked on the site as part of externally contracted work. "The request came following the discovery of a suspicious package at a house occupied by Mr Morris. "Sellafield Ltd and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary will continue to work with Cumbria Police in an effort to trace Mr Morris."

was disarmed by safety experts, the BBC said.

The Roy Process For Neutralizing Nuclear Waste

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



More information:
theroyprocess@cox.net

Another Entergy Reactor Site LEAKING Tritium...NRC Promises To Help Cover It Up!

OK, we extrapolated based on the experience here at Indian Point that the NRC will help in a cover up of the newly found Tritium Leak at Entergy's Palisades reactor site, but you can bet money that Neil Sheehan will be running to the news media shortly claiming there is no immediate risk to the General Public of Michigan, and that Entergy is within their license allowances since the tritium has not left the site yet...sounds like a COVER UP TO US.

Radioactive substance found in well outside Palisades plant

December 12, 2007 - 3:10PM

COVERT (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Entergy, the owner of the Palisades Nuclear Plant, has informed the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a radioactive substance has been found in one of their monitoring wells.

The substance found was tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. It is often used in watch dials and exit signs that glow in the dark. Curious here...have you ever seen the lengths that the NRC goes to to retrieve missing exit signs? BUT, let a reactor leak tritium, and its fine.

The amount of tritium was relatively low, although over the limit allowed in drinking water. The water in the well is not used for drinking, so Entergy was not technically required to report the findings. A representative said that they made the report as a conservative measure. Entergy did make the county and local municipalities aware of the situation. This is the same bull shit response Entergy gives the citizens around Indian Point!

No Time For Congressman John Hall's ISA Bill, But Christmas and Christ Got It Made

We have some very serious issues in this country, and in our own district here in New York, with Indian Point and Illegal Aliens at the top of the list, followed closely by the War in Iraq. Congressman John Hall's bill calling for and ISA (Independent Safety Assessment) of Indian Point languishes in obscurity in some long forgotten subcommittee, but in their race to appease the radical right wing voters of America, Congress is falling over backwards to eliminate separation of Church and State with H. Res. 847!

Seems that our dearly loved DO NOTHING CONGRESS is all in a tizzy to push through this Christians of Good Faith Christmas Resolution for the born again, Bible Thumping, God Fearing folk of the world, and to reiterate that America would not be America if not for God, Jesus and the Holy Smoke. Lawrence G. McDade probably wet himself with holy water upon hearing about this bill, good Christian Pro Nuclear Judge that he is. No mention of the Jews, Muslims or agnostics and not even Santa Claus has earned a howdoyoudo in this CHRISTIAN' ONLY love fest of a resolution.

So, no Democratic push to DEFUND THE WAR, no bill to Impeach Bush and Cheney, and all of us host communities with aging, dangerous cancer causing reactors are shit out of luck, but trust me, the Christians will get their JESUS RESOLUTION before Congress heads home on Christmas Break. We here at GNB thought we would add a few missing words to the resolution.

H.Res.847

Recognizing the importance of Christmas Sales and the Christian faith that will protect children from lead contaminated Chinese Import Toys.

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the importance of Christmas Sales and the Christian faith that will protect children from lead contaminated Chinese Import Toys.

Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great financial significance to Americans and their greedy corporations, and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians and those who just like the concept of Santa Claus and getting gifts throughout the United States and the world;

Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 supposed Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;

Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 supposed Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest self serving religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;

Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who believe in the salvation from sin offered to them through the sacrifice of their savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and who, out of gratitude for the gift of salvation, commit themselves to living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Bible; as long as it is not inconvenient, and requires no personal sacrifice;

Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization; and the molesting of tens of thousands of Children in the name of Christ...(see Catholic Priests in footnote);

Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its roots in Christianity;

Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ; even Mitt Romney;

Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God's redemption, mercy, and Grace; and the gifts and feasting are just extra added attractions;

Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others, such as their corporate masters that make them work on Christmas Eve: Now, therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--Having Nothing Better To Do


(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world; right behind Nascar, and Sunday Football
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide; as long as it does not interfere with Corporate Profits, or Homeland Security

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas Sales and the Christian faith



(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in driving holiday sales, and the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization



(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide, but its OK to think of homosexuality as a abomination against God; and



(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

Entergy's Butt Buddies Out of Process

Just in from Lawrence G. McDade's law clerk...Entergy's brown nosing butt buddies are dropping like dead flies in their attempts to intervene on Entergy's behalf. Last week Buchanan was drop kicked out of the process for failing to submit a viable contention. Today, both NY AREA (funded by Entergy, and the garage where Patrick Moore is parked) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation where shown the door. So, that leaves how many PRO ENTERGY buffoons in the process? ZERO, ZIP...none of their imposters, none of their black horses are in the race. Maybe Norris McDonald and his dear friend Condi Rice should have filed something substantial in the process...sure Entergy would have funded it in a heartbeat.

First in Series of Entergy Originals

In the first of a series of Entergy Originals, Sherwood Martinelli and Green Nuclear Butterfly are pleased to post today a reproduction of an original pencil sketch that we are looking into putting into Poster Production for distribution around the Indian Point and Vermont Yankee facilities. Please feel free to print up and distribute this powerful art image.

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Wake Up Call!

It's gotten to the point, where it's just too complicated to explain... so if people haven't been paying attention, they're just going to be left in the wake of things. Last night I sent out an invitation to my mailing list for the Fairfield County Greendrinks I'm co-hosting this Wednesday with Heather Burns-DeMelo at the Papaya Thai tiki bar in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

Now anyone with half a brain knows what that's all about... It's about deep market penetration for green products and services into the most affluent suburb in America, 200.000 homes median value $1 million dollars! Unlike New York City, where all the good green folks who attend Greendrinks, can't do anything about the buildings they live in, because they all rent, have landlords, most of them time warp stuck in the 19th Century, except for a few progressive green architects who have now embraced LEED as their new religion, there's little or nothing you can actually do to green your neighborhood, other than change your lightbulbs and recycle.

Not the case in Fairfield County, where everybody owns their little 2 acres of the American dream, and suddenly, green ambitions are more than just the Prius, they become about how much energy your house consumes, how little the new carpet out gasses, how organic your food is!

Now to me, who's been at this for going on too many years... in fact working developing all the materials now going into all these new green construction and interior design technologies, the thrill of green has gently waned... as the impending reality of rising waters strikes me at the gut level... there's still a warm place in my heart for all these people who have finally come into their own, who can see the connection between their buying habits, and the fate of the planet, who can understand they vote with their dollar, but my mind is somewhere else now... a much more pressing matter... survival of the species.

So it should be plain to see, for anyone fighting to shut down Indian Point, that for every new Light Emitting Diode system installed in a home or business, for every new energy saving device, it reduces our need for the extra power nuclear provides. It's that "magic" alternative power Governor Spitzer mentioned, which got my Rock The Reactors campaign going... but then, when he got in office, he never started the count down clock... he lied.

So it's no surprise then, that this morning, Robert Kennedy Jr's errand boy at Riverkeeper, shoots me an email to take him off my mass list, in his words: "Needless to say, you should take me off your list. not sure why you'd have me on there to begin with." This while a LED Christmas tree shines in middle of Rockefeller Center, brashly trumpeting a new era of energy conservation, which is again going to make General Electric billions, since they pretty much own all the LED patents!!!

So there you have it... a year and a half ago I start a campaign to shut down Indian Point, I tell everyone that LED can do the job, I educate the entire Hudson Valley, all of Fairfield County... businessmen from here to California... I make it happen... and the best Alex at Riverkeeper can say is take me off your list!

Well Alex, keep this in mind, I didn't work all these years fashioning green super models so you could capitalize on them... Sorry mate, but Hachette and Conde Nast, I'm taking them with me, and there's nothing your little Rockefeller/Kennedy cabal can do about it. Never mind Hachette bought Ted's autobiography. Indian Point NIMBY... Cape Wind NIMBY... cough... oops... Looks like there's fires you can't put out in your backyard... Gee, sorry bout that... didn't mean to scare the locals.

Face it, this is a lot bigger than anyone thought possible... you can't control a brush fire... Indian Point has become a national symbol, an international symbol, by excluding Rock The Reactors, Green Nuclear Butterfly, FUSE USA, by stealing our ideas and our work, by not giving credit where credit is due, you're just polarizing the issue... the haves and the have nots... making things worse... squewing the dynamics... It's Vera Cruz. You want this to be nice and clean, when we need this to degenerate into complete chaos, so we can resolve some old business.

Let it go, it's not because Susan Shapiro stole the non-profit paper work from FUSE USA, and access to the bank account that it puts our team out of commission. On the contrary, it just reinforces our resolve, not only to shut down Indian Point, but to make Indian Point the key center of attention in the 2008 election... Keep IP open, the planet dies... the death culture prevails... close it, we walk into a new green era, we stand a chance turning the Titanic away from the iceberg. Harvey Wasserman gets it, but he's got chicken feet... won't come to terms with the fact his buddy John Hall sold out his youthful NoNukes yearning for a pension.

Anyway, enough of a rant for a Tuesday morning, just wanted to let everyone know I'm still alive, and for Alex to take a chill pill... I told Robert I'd shut down Indian Point, and I intend to do just that... See you on the barricades! The question still remains, which side will you be on?

Romney Going NUCLEAR on Ron Paul?

Holy FREAKING CRAP BATMAN...just coming in on the NEWS WIRE!

Romney Counters Ron Paul Blimp with Nuclear Submarine, and Takes Aim at Mike Huckabee http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/?itemid=2877

by Kamal El-Din

The Romney campaign has pulled out all the stops as polls show their candidate in free fall. At a press conference today Mitt Romney unveiled his newest weapon in his struggle to win the presidency, the Romney Family submarine. The re-conditioned nuclear submarine sporting sharp new paint and a full payload is sure to be a hit with the Romney Faithful. The sub is scheduled to appear dozens of campaign events and TV commercials. The 'Romney', a three hundred foot nuclear powered ballistic submarine should be just the thing to help Romney counter the high flying Ron Paul Blimp and the soaring poll numbers of Mike Huckabee. "A nuclear sub is the ultimate symbol of power." Says campaign watcher David Brooks. "Romney needs to show he has what it takes to win the presidency and defend the country once in office. The sub is brilliant; it really will lay to rest any thoughts that Romney isn't as tough as Rudy Giuliani. A nuclear sub is the ultimate weapon for the War on Terror. A show of force of this magnitude could easily halt the severe erosion of Romney's poll number. " The 'Romney' will be patrolling the Eastern seaboard splitting time between the New England coast and the South Carolina ahead of the coming Primaries. The Romney campaign has indicated that 'all options are on the table' when it comes to the use of the 'Romney' to win the Republican Primary and the general election.

Thanks To Pro Nuclear Votes of Hinchey, Lowey and John Hall, We Are Step Closer To Nuclear Navy

Over a month ago, FUSE USA had major internal problems because we outed Congressmen John Hall, Maurice Hinchey, and Congresswoman Nita Lowey for voting for a ALL NUCLEAR NAVY. Thanks to their sell out of their principles, thanks to their selling out the people they are sworn to protect, our nation sadly has moved one step closer to putting hundreds of floating nuclear reactors on the Earth's oceans in the name of military might. We here at the Green Nuclear Butterfly challenge any one of these elected officials to come to this blog and explain themselves, explain their PRO NUCLEAR NAVY VOTE, explain and justify their acceptance of nuclear tainted campaign funds. Seeing as both Congressman John Hall, and Congresswoman Nita Lowey stood up with State Attorney General Cuomo and Commissioner Andy Spano and called for the closing of Indian Point, it seems the least these two could do is step forward and explain their HYPOCRISY.

Measure would require future surface warships to be nuclear

A change might mean more work for the atomic-capable Newport News shipyard.

BY DAVID LERMAN 202-824-8224

December 9, 2007

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-news_cruiser_1209dec09,0,310389.story

WASHINGTON - House and Senate negotiators have agreed on a defense policy bill that would require the Navy to design all future classes of major warships with nuclear power — a decision that potentially opens up more work for Northrop Grumman Newport News.

The Newport News shipyard is one of only two nuclear-capable yards in the country and the only one with a history of building large surface combat ships.

The only nuclear ships in the Navy's fleet today are aircraft carriers and submarines.

But the new policy — if given final approval by Congress, as expected in coming days — would require new classes of surface warships to go nuclear.

The policy would have an immediate effect on the next-generation cruiser, the first of which is set to get under construction in 2011.

A study of design options for the ship is nearing completion in the Pentagon.

The new congressional language would require the cruiser to be nuclear-powered unless the secretary of defense notifies Congress that a nuclear system "is not in the national interest."

Navy officials have long expressed interest in nuclear power because of the endurance that it provides ships at sea by forgoing the need for refueling.

But in testimony to Congress this year, they warned that nuclear cruisers would be costly, perhaps adding $600 million to $800 million to the price of a ship.

Lawmakers acknowledged the cost but said the United States had a national security interest in building toward a nuclear fleet.

TEPCO Knew About Earthquake Fault, Kept Operating Anyway!

As you read this article, keep in mind that Indian Point sits atop its own EARTHQUAKE fault here in New York. It seems, that TEPCO knew almost four years before the near catastrophic earthquake that their seven reactor site was sitting atop an ACTIVE FAULT LINE that could at any moment cause a richter scale 7 earthquake! Even worse, Japan's equivilent of the NRC also knew about the active earthquake fault line. In short, both TEPCO, and the regulator decided to roll the dice with human health, and public safety. My question, "The arrests start when?"

Tokyo Electric Knew Fault Could Cause Earthquake (Update1)

By Megumi Yamanaka

Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co., Japan's biggest power utility, said it knew in 2003 an undersea fault near its Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear facility could cause a magnitude 7 earthquake.

The nuclear plant, the world's biggest, was shut after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on July 17 caused a fire and minor radiation leaks. The trade ministry ordered the utility to keep the facility closed until it gives the approval for a restart.

A survey by the utility in 2003 found the fault near the nuclear plant was active, conflicting with results from a survey conducted between 1979 and 1980, according to documents Tokyo Electric filed to a trade ministry committee on Dec. 5.

Tokyo Electric didn't reveal the 2003 findings because the company didn't expect that to affect plant safety, Masaaki Kobayashi, a company spokesman, said by phone today. The company informed the ministry's nuclear safety agency of the result at that time.

"The nuclear safety agency also concluded at that time there was no danger,'' Yoshinori Moriyama, director of the agency's nuclear power licensing division, said by phone. The nuclear watchdog made the decision based on data provided by the utility.

The safety agency in 2002 asked Tokyo Electric and Japan's other nuclear plant operators to conduct surveys using the latest seismological knowledge as a safety precaution.

The power company used the results of the 1979 and 1980 survey when it applied to add two reactors to the facility in 1988. The Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear plant has seven reactors with a total generation capacity of 8,212 megawatts. The first reactor started operation in 1985.

According to the 2003 assessment, the fault was 20 kilometers (12 miles) long, nearly triple the 7 kilometers discovered during the 1979 and 1980 survey.

The company expects to complete a new seismic survey of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa area by the end of March.

To contact the reporter on this story: Megumi Yamanaka in Tokyo at myamanaka@bloomberg.net.

German Study Confirms What We Already Knew-Reactor Causes Leukemia

What if it WERE YOUR CHILD?

The United States government, the nuclear industry, and America's 104 nuclear reactors and their NRC licensees have used every trick in the book to eliminate, deny or discredit any report that showed a link between the operation of a nuclear reactor, and cancer. Yesterday, a new study out of Germany shows a link between children who live near a nuclear reactor, and Leukemia.

The study reports that 37 children living within three miles of a nuclear reactor (think Peekskill)had developed Leukemia between 1980 and 2003. The statistical average for the area studied should have only been 17. At what cost nuclear power? Are we as a society willing to say TO BAD, that is a small price to pay for the convenience of a nuclear society? Are you willing to tell those 20 families that their child MUST DIE so that you can save a few dollars each month on your electric bill?

The data from the study convincingly shows that children living within 50 kilometers (just over 30 miles) of a nuclear reactor are at an increased risk of contracting cancer. More importantly, the studies states that these children could be struck down with various cancers, including Leukemia before the age of five.

Child cancer risk higher near nuclear plants: study
Sat Dec 8, 8:48 AM ET
Story Link
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German study has found that young children living near nuclear power plants have a significantly higher risk of developing leukemia and other forms of cancer, a German newspaper reported on Saturday.

"Our study confirmed that in Germany a connection has been observed between the distance of a domicile to the nearest nuclear power plant ... and the risk of developing cancer, such as leukemia, before the fifth birthday," Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper quoted the report as saying.

The newspaper said the study was done by the University of Mainz for Germany's Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BFS). A copy of the report was not immediately available.

The researchers found that 37 children within a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius of nuclear power plants had developed leukemia between 1980 and 2003, while the statistical average during this time period was 17, the paper said.

The newspaper cited an unnamed radiation protection expert familiar with the study who said its conclusions understated the problem. He said the data showed there was an increased cancer risk for children living within 50 kilometers of a reactor.

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement that he would examine the study. He said the BFS should also evaluate its findings.

Germany plans to prematurely shut down all of its nuclear power plants by the early 2020s.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau)