Nuclear commission cites MOX violation issues
‘The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has again cited Shaw Areva MOX Services for violation issues related to the design and construction of the $4.8 billion Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MOX). In a report made public Tuesday, four specific, minor violation were noted from the most recent round of inspections. From July 1 to Sept. 30, on-site and regional inspectors conducted a review of the progress of the facility. The violations were all graded as severity level IV, the lowest level of infraction. Most deal with specific technical procedures and design. Despite the violations, most of the comments on the facility by inspectors were positive.’

1st 'pluthermal' power generation to start at Genkai plant
‘Nov. 4--FUKUOKA -- Kyushu Electric Power Co. said Wednesday it will resume the operation of the No. 3 reactor at its Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture on Thursday, which will lead to the start of Japan's first plutonium-thermal power generation. The reactor, loaded with plutonium-uranium mixed oxide, or MOX, will go critical as early as Thursday evening to start the power control operations of so-called "pluthermal" electric generation, it said. Full-fledged operation will begin on Dec. 2 after safety checkups by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.’

Nuclear power isn't the answer, expert says
‘Former federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission member Peter Bradford does not believe nuclear power will be a major answer to America's energy issues. That's because of its high cost, its potential for nuclear weapons proliferation through reprocessing, and the tendency to shift costs from power plant investors to consumers and taxpayers. Speaking Tuesday night at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Bradford went through a series of what he described as the "myths" of nuclear power. One is that we are in the midst of a nuclear renaissance, with many power plants being proposed or submitted for licensing in the past decade.’

Kouchner hardens stance against Iran's nuclear dallying
‘AFP - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Wednesday that talks with Iran on its nuclear programme were on the point of breakdown and warned of a "dangerous situation" in the Middle East. Kouchner said that if Iran continued to refuse to respond to a UN-brokered offer to oversee its nuclear enrichment programme then the six world powers leading negotiations would be forced to abandon talks with Tehran. "The situation is dangerous, in a dangerous Middle East," he told reporters. "It's a bad idea to provoke the Israelis with the potential, putative, in any case unproven existence of nuclear bomb construction," he said, implying that he feared Israel might take unilateral action against Tehran.’

Indigenous Uranium Forum Denounces Mining, Militarization, and Hate Crimes in Indian Country
‘Indigenous Peoples from Bolivia, Alaska, and throughout Indian country gathered at the 7th Southwest Indigenous Uranium Forum and told the same story: Uranium mining is a hate crime in Indian country. "Leave it in the ground," said Native Americans whose parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles died from cancer, respiratory diseases, and brain tumors resulting from uranium mining. With uranium prices climbing, new uranium mining permits are soaring in Indian territory. Today, at least 10 uranium mining companies have targeted this area of Mount Taylor in the Greater Grants Mineral Belt: Rio Grande Resources Corp., Strathmore Minerals Corporation, Urex Energy Corporation, Laramide, Ltd., Neutron Energy, Inc., Max Resources Corporation, Western Energy Development Corporation, Uranium Resources, Inc., Uranium Company of New Mexico, Energy Metals Corporation, and Quincy Energy Corporation. Over 250 representatives of Pueblos, Navajos, and other indigenous peoples gathered at the Indigenous Uranium Forum Oct. 22-24 in Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico. The gathering had the dual purpose of sharing experiences in the fight against uranium mining on native land and to protect nearby Mount Taylor, considered a sacred mountain and the site of recent hate crimes against Native Americans after Mount Taylor was designated a Traditional Cultural Property by the state of New Mexico in 2009.’

India, EU to sign deal on civil nuclear energy this week
DELHI: The European Union and India are likely to sign an agreement on civilian nuclear energy, dealing with India's participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, during the India-EU summit that takes place this week. "An agreement on civil nuclear energy, focusing on India's participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, is expected to be signed," Daniele Smadja, ambassador, head of the European Commission's delegation to India, told reporters. She further said the agreement will facilitate India's participation in the project. One of the costliest and largest scientific
project, ITER is an international fusion research project which has seven participants, including the European Union, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Russia, India and the US. India was inducted into the ITER project as the seventh member in 2006. In fact, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recently referred to ITER project, saying it was a good example of a collaborative clean technology effort. New Delhi is keen to contribute to the ITER project and have a constructive involvement. But the project, which is coming up at Cadarache in France, has been running behind the schedule. The EU countries, which have to provide 45% of the cost, are still debating how they will pay for their share of the costs. The first leg of the construction is now expected to start in 2010.’

Nuclear rainy day
‘Now that Turkey has joined Iran, Libya and Egypt in demanding that Israel give up its nuclear weapons, or at least open its nuclear facilities to international inspection, it is time to start worrying. Turkish Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdogan has displayed open hostility toward Israel since Operation Cast Lead, and he appears to be leading his government toward abandoning the strategic alliance between the two countries. Now, his call to curb Israel's nuclear program has added momentum to a worrying trend, which is gaining momentum, even among Israel's friends in the West. The backdrop is the international effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. Why stop Iran, many people across the globe are asking, when Israel possesses such weaponry, if foreign media reports are true? Once again, we are hearing the old idea of declaring the Middle East a nuclear-free zone, or in other words, making Israel get rid of any nukes it may have. Israel has no objection in principle, but in practice buries every initiative by insisting that first all the countries in the region must sign peace treaties with it. Only after satisfactory security arrangements are in place will talks begin on dumping all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear ones. Some experts in Israel, although they may not say so openly, admit there is a certain logic to the proposals.’