[ RadSafe ] European Nations Reconsidering Nuclear Power

[Sandy Perle]

Index:

European Nations Reconsidering Nuclear Power
Nuclear plant guards could use some shut-eye 
Thai Energy Ministry Mulls Nuclear Power Option In 15-Year Plan 
Govt attacked over earmarked NT nuclear waste sites
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European Nations Reconsidering Nuclear Power

NPR Feb 6 -  More European countries are taking a new look at an 
energy source they had rejected. For instance, Germany's plans to 
phase out nuclear power by 2021 are under review due to concerns 
about energy security and climate change.
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Nuclear plant guards could use some shut-eye 

Harrisburg, Pa. LentonNewhouse News Service  Feb 6 -- He spends 13 
hours a day guarding the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. 

Normally, that's OK. But between August and November, the Wackenhut 
Nuclear Services employee was asked to work those hours five to six 
days a week for at least six weeks, according to pay records shown to 
the Patriot-News of Harrisburg. 

The schedule leaves time for sleep and a meal but little for 
training. Every shift at Three Mile Island has had to cancel training 
during the last six months, according to sources at the plant. 
 
That is the way it has been at TMI and other commercial nuclear 
stations, particularly since security measures were tightened after 
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Security forces charged with 
ensuring that terrorists and saboteurs don't cause a nuclear 
catastrophe say they are working at levels that test their endurance 
and risk the public's safety. 

"It's simply a matter of time until we have another inattentive event 
or somebody gets hurt because their head's not in the game," said one 
TMI officer, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal. 

In 2005, TMI officials cited three security workers for 
inattentiveness, or sleeping, on the job. Each incident occurred 
during the night shift. 

Federal regulations allow workers to report themselves "unfit for 
duty" if they are too tired to work, but officers interviewed for 
this story say most won't do it out of fear of losing their jobs. 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, upon learning of the workers' 
concerns from a reporter, said last week that it would investigate. 

The problems faced by security workers are the same as those faced by 
truck drivers, hospital workers and air traffic controllers. How long 
can a person stay on the job before his effectiveness is compromised 
by fatigue? 

Working five to six 12-hour shifts a week is risky, said Dr. Gregory 
Belenky, director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at 
Washington State University in Spokane.

Sleep sustains performance, alertness and safety, he said. 

"The schedules you describe would impair those things," he said. "It 
would make people less safe." 

The problem is widespread. 
 
In 2002, a Wackenhut employee at the Indian Point Nuclear Station in 
New York told the NRC he was fired after raising a concern about 
working excessive overtime. 

In 2004, Florida Power and Light sought the NRC's permission to 
exceed work-hour limits because of a high turnover rate among 
security workers at its Turkey Point Nuclear Station. 

In 2006, Time magazine reported that excessive overtime at the 
Pilgrim Nuclear Station in Massachusetts was linked to poor 
preparedness and performance by the guard force. 

"It's a hell of a problem around the country," said Peter Stockton, 
senior investigator for the government watchdog group Project on 
Government Oversight. 

In 2003, POGO released a study of nuclear plant security based on 
interviews with security workers around the country. The report found 
several problems, including excessive overtime. Since then, 
conditions have improved at some plants, while others have done 
nothing, Stockton said. 

"I interviewed guards on 60 and 72 hours, and I can tell you, they 
are like marginal zombies," he said. 

TMI spokesman Ralph DeSantis said overtime hours are closely tracked 
and monitored to ensure compliance with federal regulations. However, 
he confirmed that one employee recently exceeded the 72-hours-a-week 
limit. 

Exelon Nuclear, the owner of 10 nuclear plants including TMI, is 
working with Wackenhut to reduce overtime, DeSantis said. 

"Our goal would be to do training without requiring people to do 
overtime to get training done," he said. 

TMI started two training classes for new officers last year and 
recently added a third, he said. 
 
Wackenhut last week signed a contract with the United Government 
Security Workers of America, the union that represents the security 
workers, that will increase the guard force by 12 percent over three 
years. 

Shawn Kirven, vice president of nuclear operations for Wackenhut, 
said the company does not routinely require its employees to work 60- 
to 72-hour weeks. Company records for 2006 indicate that the officers 
worked an average 44.7-hour work week. The company is working to 
reduce overtime hours, he said. 

The long hours cited by plant workers are allowed under federal 
regulations. NRC rules say security officers can work up to 72 hours 
in a seven-day period. The same rules allow workers to spend as many 
as 16 hours on a shift in a 24-hour period. 

Plant owners have leeway around that, however, because the agency 
allows the plants to use group averages. Some workers can log 
consistent 72-hour weeks as long as the overall average for the force 
doesn't exceed 48 hours a week. 

But NRC commissioners are weighing regulations that would put tougher 
restrictions on the industry's use of overtime. 

The proposal would eliminate group averaging and require security 
workers to get an average of three days off per week over a four- to 
six-week cycle. 

Jack Roe, director of operations for the Nuclear Energy Institute, an 
industry group in Washington, D.C., said plant owners recognize the 
problem of excessive overtime and support NRC efforts to reduce it.
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Thai Energy Ministry Mulls Nuclear Power Option In 15-Year Plan 

BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)  Feb 6 - Thailand's Ministry of Energy is 
considering building nuclear power plants to meet increasing power 
demand as one of its options under draft development plans for 2007-
2021 to be presented Wednesday at a public hearing.

Over the next 15 years, additional electricity capacity of around 
32,307-to- 32,877 megawatts is planned, according to documents posted 
on the ministry's Web site ahead of the hearing by the Office of 
Energy Policy & Planning.

Thailand's peak electricity demand is expected to rise to 50,223 
megawatts in 2021 from 22,684 MW in 2007. In 2006, peak power demand 
stood at 21,104 MW.

The country's current main fuel for electricity generation is natural 
gas.

The public hearing is to be held as part of the preparations for 
bidding to be opened later this year for new power plant construction 
contracts.

After a few more rounds of public hearings, the draft power 
development plan will be submitted to the Energy Policy Committee and 
the Cabinet for approval, a source at the Energy Ministry said.

Currently, the draft plan proposes three scenarios, with varying 
investment costs and types of fuel, according to the documents, which 
did not give figures for the estimated costs.

Under one option, nuclear power plants with a combined capacity of 
5,000 MW would be built to supply electricity starting in 2020 and 
2021. Other new power plants would use coal and natural gas as fuel.

In a low-cost scenario, Thailand would need to rely on coal-fired 
power plants for about 21,700 MW, while another 3,500 MW would be 
supplied by natural gas plants.

A third option would take into account potential opposition from 
local inhabitants around sites designated for coal-fired power 
plants. Under this scenario, about 22,400 MW of new supply would be 
fueled by natural gas and another 2,800 MW by coal.

Under all three options, Thailand would purchase about 5,177 MW of 
electricity from neighboring countries.

The 15-year power development plan projects annual electricity demand 
growth of 5.95% during 2007-2011, down marginally from 6% a year in 
the previous forecast. The plan is based on the assumption that 
economic growth will average 5% a year.

Electricity demand during 2012-2016 is expected to grow 6.0% a year, 
while demand growth during 2017-2021 is projected at 5.51% a year.
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Govt attacked over earmarked NT nuclear waste sites

Feb 6 - The Northern Territory Chief Minister has rejected the 
federal Science Minister's comments about the proximity of proposed 
nuclear waste dumps to people living nearby.

Julie Bishop has said the three sites under consideration for a 
nuclear waste dump in the Territory are some distance from 
civilisation.

The sites being assessed are Fishers Ridge, about 40 kilometres south-
east of Katherine, and Harts Range and Mount Everard in central 
Australia. 

Clare Martin says the Minister should talk to the people living in 
those areas.

"The Federal Government simply chose three sites in the Northern 
Territory, because they could, because we don't have the 
constitutional powers of other places and chose three defence sites," 
she said.

"They weren't based on anything more than they were owned by the 
Commonwealth.

"Julie Bishop should go and have a look at Fishers Ridge outside 
Katherine, it's got sinkholes in it the size of basketball courts - 
it's just ridiculous."


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 

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