Second leak in four months reported at Oyster Creek nuclear facility

Another leak has been discovered at the Oyster Creek Generating Station in Ocean County, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission revealed Wednesday. The NRC report stated the leak appears to come from a 6-inch aluminum transfer line that is used to transport water for condensation. The NRC theorizes the leak is passing through the condensers wall, which is about four feet thick. The NRC is investigating to determine if the leak contains any tritium, a naturally occurring radioactive form of hydrogen. A leak occurred at Oyster Creek in April shortly after the facility's operating license was granted for another 20 years. Jeff Tittel, director of the Sierra Club of New Jersey, called the second leak outrageous.

Privatisation of Indian nuclear power plants soon: Ansari

Vice President Hamid Ansari Wednesday expressed hope that private utility providers will run nuclear power plants in India in the "not so distant future", and stressed the need to have trained human resource in the atomic sector. "While we can import nuclear fuel and technology, human resource would have to be developed and equipped within the country," said Ansari, addressing the graduation ceremony of the 52nd batch of students of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School.

Iran receives backing from 115 Non-Aligned states for its rights as NPT signatory

At a conference of the 120-member Movement of Non-Aligned countries, 115 voted to back Iran's right to development of nuclear industry for peaceful purposes. In a declaration released by the 115 Non-Aligned in Farsi, translated by The Associated Press, the conference "reaffirmed the basic and inalienable right of all states, to develop research, production and use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes." The endorsement was sought by the Islamic Republic in its stand-off with the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany over their demand that Iran renounce its right to uranium enrichment or face a fourth set of sanctions. Uranium enrichment is needed to complete the nuclear fuel cycle and according to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) all signatory states, including Iran, have a right to develop uranium enrichment within the IAEA's monitoring powers to guarantee civilian use of the processes.

Havasupai Gather to Halt Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon

Indigenous Havasupai people held a gathering to stop uranium mining in the Grand Canyon and protect ancestral Havasupai Territory, at the south rim of the Grand Canyon, in July of 2009. Indigenous peoples and activists came from the four directions, from Arizona Hopi land and from as far away as Hawaii, to participate with sacred songs and ceremonies. For four days, Havasupai elders gathered on sacred Red Butte and listened to the legacy of uranium mining on Indian lands. They heard directly from the victims of the trail of death and cancer left behind by uranium mining corporations that were never held responsible on Pueblo and Navajo lands in the Southwest United States. They also listened to the promise of solidarity from the hundreds who gathered here to stand with them: Navajos from Big Mountain, Hualapai, Hopi, Kaibab Paiute, Paiute, Aztecs, and other American Indians from throughout the Americas.

Cabinet to consider setting up Nuclear Fuel Recycle Board

The Union Cabinet will on Thursday take up a proposal to set up a Nuclear Fuel Recycle Board with the objective to facilitate production of plutonium on a large scale. So far, the country has produced plutonium only for R&D purposes. The setting up of the board is among many steps India has taken as it prepares to derive benefits from its new-found eligibility to engage in nuclear commerce with countries that have technology and fuel. The task of the proposed board will include overseeing spent fuel reprocessing and management operations.

Bulgaria Belene Nuclear Power Plant Loan to Be Investigated

The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, will approach the Prosecutor's Office over the loan the National Electric Company has taken to finance the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. The former Socialist government hired in 2007 BNP Paribas SA, France's largest bank by market value, to arrange a EUR 250 M loan to help fund construction of a EUR 4 B nuclear power plant at the Danube river town of Belene. NEK's poor results that came in the wake of a fall in power consumption however forced it to breach the conditions on the loan, making it callable. In Borisov's words, the "incompetence" of the former Energy Minister, Petar Dimitrov, turned the loan from lucrative to callable, and now the country has to either return the money or to negotiate its extension, which will cost BGN 20 M a year.

Nuclear waste sites set for thumbs down

Two local sites earmarked for radioactive waste disposal are set to get the thumbs down from Cumbria County Council even though one - at Lillyhall - has already taken small amounts. Cabinet councillors next week are expected to approve a recommendation that the low level radioactive waste is kept at Sellafield rather than sent to Keekle Head or Lillyhall. But it emerged yesterday that the Lillyhall site already has low level waste buried under it and will not need planning permission to dispose of any more. Tim Knowles, county council cabinet member for the environment, told The Whitehaven News: "The difference is that they are talking about a massive increase in volume. "This is wrong, it is not in the interests of the community. We would hope that at the end of the day the NDA does not allow proliferation in this way."