NEI: EDF meets with UK suppliers
’In a packed conference room in west London, EDF executives explained how it is planning to organise the work required to build the four 1650MW PWRs it plans for the UK over the next 15 years. More than 600 people registered to attend the one-day event, which included 10-minute meet-and-greet sessions with some suppliers and EDF procurement staff. "From here on in, the world will be watching us," said EDF Energy CEO Vincent de Rivaz. "Not just to see whether EDF Energy or its supply chain can deliver what they promise, but to see how well the UK rises to this historic challenge," he said. EDF is developing Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C roughly in parallel, said Richard Mason, Nuclear New Build director of planning and external affairs, with about 18 months between reactor units. A geological study of Hinkley was finished last year; another is planned for this year, with a study at Sizewell. He added that site preparation work has been helped by British Energy's earlier abortive attempts to build reactors in the 1990s at Hinkley Point and Sizewell. EDF hopes for strategic site assessment approval in 2009, and aims to submit the first site planning application in early 2010. EDF plans to break ground in about a year, although the first concrete pour would not begin until 2013. First electricity generation is planned for 2017.’

Chosun Ilbo: Nuclear Reprocessing Should Be an Economic Question
.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher in a written response to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the EU, India and Japan reprocess nuclear fuel within their own territories at present, but she did not think the Obama administration must apply those cases of authorized reprocessing to other countries, including South Korea. She added there was no need for a revision in the Atomic Energy Agreement signed between South Korea and the United States. The comments effectively slap down calls within South Korea to start reprocessing its own spent nuclear fuel. The U.S. government seems wary of South Korea reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from the standpoint of "peaceful" use of nuclear energy, suspecting that the country over the long-term wants to make its own nuclear weapons. South Korea tried to develop nuclear weapons in the 1970s, but scrapped the plan. Now the issue has re-emerged after North Korea's second nuclear test. But reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear armament are separate issues. South Korea is the world's fifth-largest atomic energy producer, with four nuclear power plants and 20 reactors that account for 40 percent of power generation. Each year, around 700 t of spent fuel is produced from the 20 reactors, which are stored in water tanks at the power plants. Already, the amount of spent fuel stored in such facilities exceeds 10,000 t and will reach maximum capacity in 2016.’

Bloomberg: North Korea Shows No Sign of Imminent Missile Launch, U.S. Says
2 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. doesn't see any indication North Korea is poised to test-launch a long-range ballistic missile capable of landing near the Hawaiian Islands, according to four government officials. The officials, who are privy to information about North Korean launch preparations, said there are no signs of the work necessary to launch a long-range missile during the U.S. July 4 Independence Day celebration. The officials don't rule out the firing of short- and medium-range missiles capable of reaching Japanese waters. A North Korean ballistic-missile launch in April, followed by a test nuclear blast in May, underscored the regime's defiance of international calls for it to scrap its nuclear- arms effort. The U.S. is especially concerned about North Korea selling nuclear and missile technology to other governments. The U.S. assessment of North Korean missile intentions contrasts with evidence seen earlier this year before a major launch. Commercial and intelligence satellites tracked for at least a week North Korean preparations to assemble and fuel a three-stage Taepodong-2 missile before its April 5 launch and failed attempt to put a satellite in orbit, the officials said.’

Kyiv Post: EBRD to provide EUR 3.5 million for independent assessment of Chornobyl projects safety
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will provide Ukraine a grant worth EUR 3.5 million for holding an independent assessment of the safety of the waste fuel storage facility number two and the liquid nuclear waste processing plant, head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Committee of Ukraine Olena Mykolaichuk has said. According to her, these funds will be transferred from the EBRD Nuclear Safety Account replenished by the donor states and intended for funding the implementation of Chornobyl programs.’

AP: Analysis: Hopes fading for Iran nuke talks
’VIENNA (AP) - New waves of acrimony between Iran and world powers over the Islamic Republic's disputed presidential vote are dimming what were already modest prospects for meaningful negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. President Barack Obama's offer of direct U.S.-Iranian talks on nuclear and other issues still stands. But Tehran seemed uninterested in new negotiations even before Iran's crackdown on demonstrators protesting what they say was a skewed election in favor of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad burdened already tense relations with the West. In a reflection of how unlikely any nuclear meeting has become, a senior Iranian official said Wednesday that the EU had lost the right to talk to Iran about its atomic activities. The last meeting on the nuclear issue was a year ago. It ended within hours, with Iran spurning an offer by six world powers - Washington and the other permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany. At the Geneva talks, the six offered to refrain from new U.N sanctions if Iran froze its uranium enrichment program. The tradeoff was designed to set the scene for in-depth talks the West hopes would end in Tehran agreeing to a long-term freeze of enrichment, which can make both nuclear fuel and nuclear warhead material.’

Baltimore Sun: Constellation, PSC head to court over EDF deal
legal fight between the state and Constellation Energy Group began Wednesday when the Maryland attorney general's office asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by the company that challenges the authority of energy regulators to investigate its deal to sell half its nuclear power assets to a French utility. The court fight stems from the Maryland Public Service Commission's decision last month that Constellation's $4.5 billion deal with Electricite de France must be in the public's interest to go forward, thereby initiating a regulatory review. In response, Constellation, the parent of the region's largest utility Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., filed a lawsuit in Baltimore City Circuit Court seeking to overturn the PSC's ruling. Joshua Auerbach, an assistant attorney general, argued that the PSC's order is not final because the review process is ongoing, therefore, Constellation is premature in asking for relief from the court. Judge expected to issue decision on Thursday’