[ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] DOE Extends Deadline for Comments on Nuclear Plant

[Sandy Perle]

Index: 

DOE Extends Deadline for Comments on Nuclear Plant 
Chernobyl Radiation Equal to Everyday Risks, Study Finds 
British Energy still in nuclear plant restart talks 
Atom Stroi to take part in IAEO tender on nuclear power plants 
Logistical units of Bushehr nuclear power plant begins operation 
China reveals nuclear lunar roverHeading for the moon in 2012 
New Lab Can Diagnose Radiation Victims In Nuclear Emergency 
Landowner to allow Owyhee nuclear plant 
China plant to expand nuclear power capacity 
Kuwait seeks NATO's assistance to combat nuclear radiations 
Cost of Nuclear Electricity May be Half That of Gas-Fired Generation 
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DOE Extends Deadline for Comments on Nuclear Plant 

Apr. 3-- -- A two-month extension will allow people to incorporate 
comments about a Paducah siting study for a 1,000-job spent nuclear 
fuel recycling plant into a nationwide environmental impact 
statement. 

The Department of Energy announced Monday that it has extended the 
comment deadline for its Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program 
from Wednesday to June 4. Comments will be used to help DOE decide by 
June 2008 whether and where to build one or more recycling plants and 
advanced recycling reactors that would generate electricity while 
destroying a large amount of highly radioactive waste left over from 
fuel rods. 

A Paducah task force, which is competing with 12 other cities for the 
facilities, has until May 30 to finish its siting study. Task force 
representative Dale Allen said the study should be finished and 
posted on the local Web site, www.paducahgnep.com, by May 1. 

"We were really time-constrained in getting the report in, but this 
will give the public an opportunity to see the finished report and 
comment directly into the programmatic environmental impact 
statement," Allen said. "We'll put our report on the Paducah Web site 
word for word." 

Allen said concerns were expressed at a recent public meeting about 
the time constraints for public comments. 

"Continuing the environmental scoping process means we will continue 
to better understand the environmental conditions under which we will 
be operating," DOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis 
Spurgeon said. "We have seen strong support for GNEP all across the 
country, and it's encouraging to hear that an increasing number of 
Americans recognize the growing need for nuclear energy, a safe, 
affordable and emissions-free power source." 

In two previous public meetings in Paducah, GNEP has received support 
from business and governmental leaders but opposition from some 
environmental activists and neighbors of the proposed plant site. The 
$15 billion recycling factory is targeted for 580 acres just 
southwest of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and would open about 
2020. 

Two other public meetings are scheduled -- April 10 at Harrah's 
theater in Metropolis, Ill., and April 12 at Kentucky Dam Village 
State Resort Park Convention Center in Gilbertsville. Each meeting is 
scheduled to last from 6 to 8:30 p.m. 
------------------ 

Chernobyl Radiation Equal to Everyday Risks, Study Finds 

LONDON -- The risk of survivors of the Chernobyl accident dying early 
is far less than supposed, ranking about the same as exposure to air 
pollution or passive smoking, according to new research published on 
Tuesday. 

The human toll from the world's worst civil nuclear accident has been 
hotly debated ever since the Ukrainian power station's No. 4 reactor 
blew up on April 26, 1986, spewing radioactive dust across Europe. 

Now a top British scientist has evaluated the comparative risks and 
concluded that for those most affected by the disaster -- emergency 
workers and people living nearby -- the increased risk of premature 
death due to radiation is around 1 percent. 

That is roughly the same as the risk of dying from diseases triggered 
by air pollution in a major city or the effects of inhaling other 
people's tobacco smoke, said Jim Smith of Britain's Centre for 
Ecology and Hydrology. 

Smith has been a regular visitor to the contaminated 30-km (20-mile) 
"exclusion zone" around Chernobyl that straddles parts of Ukraine and 
neighbouring Belarus and has found wildlife to be thriving there. 

Some people are also living in the area and surviving well into their 
70s, he noted. 

"Populations still living unofficially in the abandoned lands around 
Chernobyl may actually have a lower health risk from radiation than 
they would have if they were exposed to the air pollution health risk 
in a large city such as nearby Kiev," Smith wrote in the journal 
BioMedCentral Public Health. 

His study focused on long-term health risks to survivors who received 
high but non-lethal doses of radiation. 

It excluded the cases of 134 firemen and helicopter pilots who 
suffered acute radiation sickness, leading to death in around 40 
cases. 

About 4,000 people also developed thyroid cancer in 1986 as a result 
of the accident, most of them children and adolescents, although the 
survival rate has been 99 percent. 

Smith told reporters it was important to put the relative risks of 
radiation in perspective -- not least to help survivors of Chernobyl, 
who have suffered two decades of mental anguish about the risk of 
developing various cancers. 

"The mis-perception of radiation risks has caused serious economic, 
social and psychological problems for the population," he said. 

The World Health Organisation puts at 9,000 the number of people 
expected to die of radiation exposure from Chernobyl, while 
environmental group Greenpeace has predicted an eventual death toll 
of 93,000. 

Smith's research was funded by Britain's government-backed Natural 
Environment Research Council. 
------------------- 

British Energy still in nuclear plant restart talks 

LONDON (Reuters) - Nuclear watchdog is still in talks with British 
Energy over the generator's request to restart its Hinkley Point 
power plant, a spokesman for the Health & Saftey Executive said on 
Tuesday. 

British Energy must convince the HSE's Nuclear Installations 
Inspectorate (NII) that Hinkley Point, which has been shut for about 
six months for boiler repairs, can run safely at 70 percent of 
capacity until further work planned for next year. 

The company had hoped to get at least one of the two affected 
reactors at the power station in southwest England going by the end 
of March, subject to NII approval. 

But the watchdog is still not satisfied. 

"There's been no decision made either way," the HSE spokesman said. 
"There's no restart date yet." 

He declined to say how much longer the talks would continue. 

One of the reactors at Hinkley Point has been shut since late 
September while the other was stopped a month later because of cracks 
in boiler pipes. 

The company's Hunterston B power station in Scotland has also been 
shut since October but the company has already said that plant would 
not restart until April, again subject to NII approval. 

The long-term outages not only slashed British Energy's output last 
year but also led to an increase in carbon emissions as coal fired 
power plants had to make up for the lack of carbon-free nuclear 
power. 

Britain emitted 1.25 percent more carbon dioxide last year than in 
2005, mostly because power stations switched to high-carbon coal from 
gas and nuclear generation, the government said last week. 
-------------------- 

Atom Stroi to take part in IAEO tender on nuclear power plants 

IRNA Apr 3 - A delegation representing the contractor of Bushehr 
nuclear power plant project, Atom Stroi Export Company, is expected 
to depart to Iran in the near future. 

This was declared by the spokeswoman for Atom Stroi Export Co., Irina 
Yesipova in an exclusive interview with IRNA on Tuesday. 

Two round of talks between Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) 
and Atom Extroi Export Co. about the project have so long been held 
in Moscow and Tehran, but due to New Year holidays in Iran the second 
round was stopped. 

She said that only 10 million dollars was paid by Iran in March to 
cover the expenses of the power plant, which is not sufficient to 
continue the project. 

The Russian spokeswoman referred to the favorable and stable trend of 
works at Bushehr nuclear power plant, saying that various sections of 
the project are now being tested and prepared to be commissioned. 

In response to a question about the prospect of participation of Atom 
Stroi Export Co. in Iran's upcoming tender for establishment of 
nuclear power plants in the country, Yesipova said, "We will 
certainly take part in the tender if the offered conditions are 
acceptable." The spokeswoman for the Russian Atom Stroi Export Co. 
declared the company's readiness in this regard. 

Meanwhile, IAEO deputy head for international affairs, Mohammad 
Saeedi, told IRNA that Iran will hold a tender on establishment of 
more nuclear power plants in Iran in the coming 3-4 months to 
generate 2,000 MWs out of the predicted 20,000 MWs of nuclear power. 
--------------- 

Logistical units of Bushehr nuclear power plant begins operation 

TEHRAN, Apr.03 (ISNA) -The logistical units of Bushehr nuclear power 
plant commenced operation today in the presence of the Iranian vice 
president, Parviz Davoudi. 

The four newly launched units include non-mineral water production, 
central cold water for controlling systems, central pumping station 
and a 400 KW electrical transmission facility. 

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief who was also present at the 
ceremony gave news of a 360 Megawatt power plant constructed in line 
with the Bushehr plant. 

"The first goal and phase of achievement for the organization was 
development and employment of nuclear fuel and the second phase is 
nuclear power plant development," said Reza Aghazadeh while informing 
that 92 percent of the new plant construction was complete. 

He also went on to say that the preliminary reports on security 
analysis of the Bushehr power plant were ready in 17 volumes and 
approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

The final security reports were also ready to go through the 
procedure and facilitate the operation of Bushehr plant. 

Speaking to the reporters before the trip to Bushehr, Aghazadeh said 
he would have some good nuclear news for journalists and the Iranian 
nation in the upcoming week. 

He also referred to the delay in the Bushehr plant fuel, scheduled to 
be delivered by Russia back in February. 

"I have no doubts that this is a political matter but I do not agree 
that the Russians plan not to provide us with the fuel anyway," he 
said while reiterating that the launching Bushehr plant and fuel 
delivery were dependable on political issues. 

Aghazadeh further added that it would not be of any advantage to 
Russia to generate mistrust in case of fuel delivery to a power 
plant, particularly when "they are responsible for its construction". 


"After the political obstacles are removed, various countries will 
judge Russia's decisions and dealings," he said while asserting that 
political issues would be resolved sooner or later. 
-------------- 

China reveals nuclear lunar roverHeading for the moon in 2012 

China is planning to send a nuclear powered rover to the moon in 2012 
on its first unmanned mission to our natural satellite. 

Several technology institutes across the country are competing to 
develop the vehicle, although there is no word on when the official 
selection will be made. In what seems to be a bid to get the edge on 
their competitors, engineers at the Shanghai Institute demonstrated 
their prototype to the press this week. 

The vehicle, as yet unnamed, will roll over the lunar surface on six 
wheels. Shanghai Daily reports that the rover is 1.5 metres tall and 
weighs in at 200kg. The paper adds that it should be able to transmit 
video in real time, dig, collect, and analyse soil samples, and 
produce 3D images of the lunar surface. 

Shanghai Institute director Luo Jian says: "We want it to be better 
than the early US rovers," according to reports. 

The rover will be able to roll at a top speed of 100 metres per hour, 
and will be equipped with sensors to stop it crashing into things. 

Researchers say they still need to refine the rover's ability to 
withstand the rigours of the lunar environment: low gravity, extreme 
temperatures, and exposure to cosmic rays are all engineering 
challenges. 

Although the notion of strapping nuclear material to a rocket and 
hoping it doesn't explode on its way to space sounds a bit risky, it 
isn't a new idea. The first nuclear powered satellite, Transit 4A, 
was launched in 1961 and until the Columbia disaster in 2003, NASA 
had been pushing hard to expand the use of nuclear power in space. 

The space agency estimated that the chance of something going wrong 
on a nuclear satellite launch hovered at around one in 230. In the 
event of an explosion, people downwind of the launch site for up to 
60 miles could be affected by nuclear material, the most serious risk 
from inhalation of "small quantities of radionuclides". 

Once in space, away from handy plug-in chargers, the options for 
power are fairly limited. If solar won't do it, the only realistic 
alternative is a nuclear power source. Advocates argue that nuclear 
power in space is vital for long term exploration projects. 

The idea of a nuclear stage for launch rockets was also considered 
seriously for a while. The numbers never quite stacked, however, and 
the idea was abandoned. 
------------------ 

New Lab Can Diagnose Radiation Victims In Nuclear Emergency 
 
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) - The government has opened a laboratory in Oak 
Ridge capable of diagnosing radiation exposure to civilians caught in 
a nuclear accident or terrorist attack. 

The one (M) million dollar lab will be able to estimate personal 
radiation dosages based on chromosome damage in blood samples 
collected from victims wherever the incidents occur. 

The information should help physicians decide treatment. 

The lab is part of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center and 
Training Site, which is managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities 
for the federal government. 
----------------- 
 
Landowner to allow Owyhee nuclear plant 

The Lynchberg, Va.(Idaho Statesman) Apr 3 -based company that wants 
to build a nuclear power plant in Owyhee County has secured the land 
where the proposed plant would be built. 

Alternate Energy Holdings President and CEO Don Gillispie said the 
company would use a portion of 4,000 acres of land owned by James C. 
Hilliard to build a 1,600-megawatt energy complex that would include 
a nuclear and biofuels plant. 

In return for use of his land, Gillispie said Hilliard has agreed to 
become a major investor in the company. 

"I look forward to working with Alternate Energy Holdings on the 
Idaho Energy Complex - this will bring jobs and economic security to 
all of Southwest Idaho," Hilliard, who was raised in Nampa, said in a 
statement. "Farming communities and urban centers will benefit from 
continued access to reliable, inexpensive power, and farmers will 
have another market for their crops and ag waste." 

Hilliard, who now lives in Florida, has been involved in a number of 
business ventures across the United States. He owns radio stations in 
New Mexico, Dallas and Florida. 

If the company is successful and builds the plants, Gillespie said it 
would create about 500 jobs and provide enough power for about 1.5 
million homes. 

But before that can happen the company has to receive many local, 
state and federal approvals. The company also has yet to raise the 
more than $1.5 billion it would need to build the plants. 

Gillispie's company trades on the over-the-counter market - a market 
where most start-up companies begin because they don't meet the 
listing requirements of the larger public stock markets like the 
Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange. The company trades under the 
symbol AEHI.PK. On Monday, the company's stock closed at 46 cents a 
share, down 14 cents. 
------------ 

China plant to expand nuclear power capacity 

Datang International plans to have 9% of electrical generating 
capacity from nuclear plants by 2015 

BEIJING: Datang International Power Generation said 9 percent of its 
electricity generating capacity will come from nuclear plants by 2015 
as China promotes alternatives to coal and oil. 

The utility is studying between six and eight sites for reactors in 
China and expects to complete its first nuclear power plant by 2012, 
Zhang Yi, vice chairman of the second-biggest Hong Kong-listed 
Chinese electricity producer, told reporters Tuesday. 

China needs to add two reactors a year to reach a target of 
generating 4 percent of its power from nuclear energy by 2020 from 
about 2.3 percent now. The government wants to reduce reliance on 
coal, which is burned to produce two-thirds of the country's 
electricity, as part of efforts to curb pollution. 

Datang will spend as much as 70 billion yuan, or $9.1 billion, by 
2010 adding 18.4 million kilowatts of generating capacity by the end 
of the decade, Zhang said. 

The utility will increase output by 20 percent this year, its 
chairman, Zhai Ruoyu, said Tuesday. 

The company expects to operate its plants for 5,760 hours this year, 
almost unchanged from the 5,756 hours in 2006, the company's 
executive director, Yang Hongming, said. 

Datang said Monday it will buy a stake in a rival for 1.82 billion 
yuan, or $235 million, to buy 55 percent of Jinzhou East Power to 
boost capacity. Buying the stake in Jinzhou East Power, which 
supplies electricity in China's northeast, will raise Beijing-based 
Datang's generation capacity by about 6.2 percent. Jinzhou East Power 
operates six 200 megawatt generators. 

China will increase electricity generation capacity by 95 gigawatts 
to 720 gigawatts by the end of 2007, the state-owned Assets 
Supervision and Administration Commission said Feb. 7. The nation's 
power demand will rise between 11 percent and 12.5 percent this year, 
State Grid Corp. of China, the larger of the nation's two power 
distributors, said Jan. 24. 
--------------------- 

Kuwait seeks NATO's assistance to combat nuclear radiations 
 
Kuwait has submitted an official request to North Atlatic Treaty 
Organization (NATO) seeking help in assessing the emirate's strategy 
of combating nuclear radiations, Kuwait's official KUNA news agency 
reported Monday. 

Sheikh Thamer Ali al-Sabah, deputy chief of the National Security 
Apparatus, said Kuwait was keen on benefiting the anti- radiation 
experience of NATO concerning the current nuclear status in the 
Mideast. 

Kuwait's ministries of interior, defense, health, National Guards and 
Civil Defense have been assigned to monitor and assess nuclear 
radiation-related issues, said Sheikh Thamer. 

The official expected a team of NATO experts would arrive in the 
coming few days. 

More than 60 percent of the NATO states had been affected by the 
Chernobyl nuclear radiations in the former Soviet Union in 1986, he 
added. 

In a meeting held in Kuwait last December, NATO Secretary- General 
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said security cooperation between NATO and Gulf 
nations has become imperative in the face of threats such as 
terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. 
--------------- 

At a 5% Discount Rate, the Cost of Nuclear Electricity May be Half 
That of Gas-Fired Generation and in Terms of CO2 Emission Rates, 
Nuclear Power Outperforms All Other Power Generation Technologies 
except Hydropower 

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets 
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c53305) has announced the 
addition of The Future of Nuclear Power: Growth Opportunities, Market 
Risk and the Impact of Future Technologies to their offering. 
Nuclear power remains at the forefront of the debate about fuel 
security, the environmental impact of reliance on fossil fuels and 
the long-term cost benefits of switching to renewable power sources. 
Beneath the emotional arguments for and against nuclear energy there 
are also complex cost factors which alter just how attractive nuclear 
power really is in the long and short term against traditional and 
emerging power generation technologies. 

The Future of Nuclear Power is a new management report that 
critically evaluates the investment in nuclear power. It includes a 
detailed analysis of the market drivers, resistors, opportunities and 
risks. This new report also comprehensively examines the current and 
future nuclear power generation technologies, the environmental 
effects, cost factors, benefits and contains a survey of nuclear fuel 
processing and reprocessing. 

Use the independent analysis in this new report to recognize future 
investment opportunities for growth and anticipate market threats. 

Some key findings from this report... 

In terms of CO2 emission rates, nuclear power outperforms all other 
power generation technologies except hydropower with between 6 and 26 
t/GWh of emissions. Life-cycle analysis of emissions also places it 
very similarly to hydropower. 
Build data shows that the cost of construction of nuclear power 
plants rose well above the rate of inflation between 1970 and 2000, 
partly because of safety and the cost of innovation. However, both 
France and Japan have been able to keep costs significantly lower, 
providing a model for future nuclear growth. 
Recent studies - and some real costs of construction - imply that the 
cost of building a third-generation nuclear power plant today is 
approximately $2,000/kW, compared to historical costs of $3,000/kW. 
Numerous studies point to nuclear power providing a lower cost of 
power than either coal or gas. At a 5% discount rate, for example, 
the cost of nuclear electricity may be half that of gas-fired 
generation. 
This new report will provide you with... 

Detailed analysis of the capital costs of nuclear power - by 
technology and across countries - versus other power generation 
technologies. 
Investigation of the true cost of electricity from nuclear power and 
comparison with competing power generation technologies. 
Evaluation of the major issues surrounding provision of adequate 
supplies of nuclear fuel and their impact on the cost of nuclear 
power. 
In-depth examination of nuclear power generation technologies, 
including third generation designs. 
Forecast of the future of nuclear power and the key drivers and 
resistors of capacity growth. 
Some key questions answered in this report... 

What is the likelihood of major changes in the cost of fuel over the 
next ten years? 
How do discount loan rates affect the cost of nuclear electricity? 
What is the impact of power generation technology on the capital cost 
of nuclear power? 
How will nuclear capacity grow between now and 2015? 
What are the CO2 emissions of nuclear power on a life-cycle based 
analysis? 
What are the main risks associated with nuclear power? 
Some hot issues covered in this report... 

Nuclear risk - the Chernobyl disaster and how it still casts a long 
shadow over the development of future nuclear projects. 
The cost of fuel - the impact on fuel costs, as military and civilian 
surpluses of enriched uranium dwindle. 
Loan discount rates - and the impact of the cost of power. 
CO2 emission rates - of nuclear power and other competing 
technologies. 
Capacity growth - the impact on investment in nuclear and the 
countries that will lead new development projects. 
Top 5 reasons to order this new report today... 

Discover the relative costs of nuclear power and other power 
generation technologies. 
Recognize the levels of risk associated with nuclear energy and its 
role in reducing CO2 emissions. 
Examine the different types of nuclear power generation and how this 
drives the cost of electricity in different geographies. 
Identify the drivers and resistors of nuclear power capacity growth 
and future growth predictions. 
Assess which factors can have an impact on the cost of new nuclear 
projects. 
Chapters Include: 

Chapter 1 Introduction to nuclear power 

Chapter 2 Nuclear fuel 

Chapter 3 Nuclear power generation technology 

Chapter 4 Nuclear risk and the environmental effects of nuclear power 


Chapter 5 Economics of nuclear power 

Chapter 6 The future of nuclear power 

List of Figures 

List of Tables 

For more information visit 
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c53305 

Source: Business Insights 
------------------ 

Sandy Perle
Senior Vice President, Technical Operations
Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.
2652 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614 

Tel: (949) 296-2306 / (888) 437-1714  Extension 2306
Fax:(949) 296-1144

E-Mail: sperle at dosimetry.com
E-Mail: sandyfl at cox.net 

Global Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/ 
Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com/