[ RadSafe ] Why The U.S Is In Need Of a Nuclear Renaissance

[Sandy Perle]

Index:

Why The U.S Is In Need Of a Nuclear Renaissance
Water leak at Japan nuclear plant  
Nuclear safety guidance published
RP to study civilian uses of nuclear power 
Settlement in Radiation Therapists Strike
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Why The U.S Is In Need Of a Nuclear Renaissance

James Finch submits: Depending upon which side of the fence you are sitting, the nuclear renaissance is either in full blossom or an arid landscape. The new uranium miners – Paladin Resources (TSX: PDN.TO - News), UrAsia (AMEX: UUU - News) and SXR Uranium One (TSX: SXR.TO - News) – celebrate the record spot and long-term uranium price. Exelon Corp (NYSE: EXC - News) Chief Executive John Rowe is less sanguine, based upon comments he made this past Friday:
 
“The government may have fooled me on 17 reactors that I currently run, but I’m the one who’s being foolish if I build a new plant without knowing what they’re going to do with the spent fuel.”

Exelon is the largest owner of nuclear power plants in the United States.

In a September 19 article, we interviewed Steven Kraft, Nuclear Energy Institute Director for Used Fuel Management. Mr. Kraft hinted the stalls around the nuclear renaissance in the United States would revolve around the spent fuel depository issue. What happens with the 40,000 metric tons of used nuclear reactor fuel? Right now, they are chilling out in 141 concrete cooling ponds scattered around the country.

For the past quarter century, the nuclear industry expected the reactor fuel would end up in a centralized depository, as has been proposed at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Thanks to U.S. Senator Reid, and his efforts to squash this site, the Department of Energy has been paralyzed in moving forward. Alternatives are now being proposed, and the U.S. part of the nuclear renaissance remains stalled.

Then the other shoe drops. Because of the vociferous environmental lobbyists, pre-construction costs dissuade nuclear utilities from accelerating their plans to build new nuclear reactors in the United States. Utilities do what is convenient – they pass on these licensing costs to their utility consumers. Because of the environmental lobby, Georgia electricity consumers are paying the freight to license the new nuclear reactors proposed by Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO - News). Charlotte-based Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK - News) hopes to get the same deal in North Carolina.

How much does it cost to license a nuclear power plant? Standard & Poors analyst Dimitri Nikas estimated the permits to construct a nuclear plant would cost between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. This means roughly one-half the cost of constructing a nuclear plant in the United States goes to pay for a permit to build and operate the reactor.

Because of this expensive proposition, nuclear energy costs more to produce electricity in the United States than it would in places like China, Korea, Japan or just about anywhere else. For a nuclear plant costing $2 million per megawatt to build, the power plant’s electricity would cost $55 per megawatt hour. By comparison, a coal-fired power plant costs consumers $53 per megawatt hour for their electricity. A combined cycle integrated gasification plant fueled by coal produces electricity for $50 per megawatt hour.

On the bright side, the S&P analyst believes that after the first wave of nuclear power plant construction, overall costs could plunge to $1.5 million per megawatt hour for electricity, or roughly $44 per megawatt hour. Because of this drop Mr. Niklas concluded nuclear energy “is by far the most competitive cost from any resource, except perhaps hydroelectricity generation.” This is more good news for uranium miners now supplying the nuclear industry and those who hope to do so over the next decade.

The question facing most Americans – and we would guess 99 percent haven’t the slightest clue about this problem – is whether or not they would prefer losing the nuclear option as part of their electricity generation. The environmental lobby would cheer the loss but the utility consumer would lose up to 20 percent of their baseload electricity generation. And on a darker note, the alternative would be more coal-fired power plants – not wind or solar power, which are still more than one decade away from offering any sort of hope for baseload electricity generation.

To put this into perspective, coal now generates 54 percent of America’s electricity. One pound of coal produces 1.25 kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power one 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours. The average internet user consumes more than his body weight in coal just to surf the net: 12 hours weekly over the course of one year consumes 300 pounds of coal. Total demand for electricity by personal computers now amounts to 8 percent of the U.S. electrical supply. In the future, over one billion people will be accessing the Internet. This amount of computer time would be equal to the total ‘current’ capacity of U.S. electrical production.

If the U.S. nuclear renaissance doesn’t get launched, we will either be accessing the Internet by polluting our environment with several hundred additional millions of tons of CO2 emissions, or the Internet users will suffer. Wind and solar won’t power the Internet, but coal, gas and especially nuclear will.

And at this stage of the uranium renaissance, U.S. utilities have contracted with three non-U.S. uranium mining companies – Paladin, SXR Uranium One and UrAsia – to purchase uranium mined in Namibia, South Africa and Kazakhstan. Where is the energy independence in that observation? Next we’ll be buying our electricity from the Russians, Chinese, and quite possibly the Iranians, if this nonsense continues. Please bring this to the attention of your local environmental lobbying office. It's something that might move Exelon Corp into action.
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Water leak at Japan nuclear plant  
  
Four employees at a nuclear plant in Japan were splashed by radioactive water during a routine inspection. 
The workers' health and the area had been unaffected by the incident, the plant's operators, Kansai Electric Power Co, were quoted as saying. 

The water, with traces of radiation, leaked at the Takahama No 1 reactor in Fukui, in western Japan. 

Japan's nuclear industry has been hit by a string of mishaps and accidents but most have not involved people. 

The country is reliant on nuclear power to meet its energy needs, but its shaky safety record has fuelled popular opposition to the plants. 

Japan's worst nuclear accident also occurred in Fukui prefecture, at the Mihama plant in 2004 when a pipe burst killing five workers. 

The latest incident took place as the Takahama unit was closed for regular inspection on Sunday, Kansai said in a statement. 

A reported 370 litres (96 gallons) of the water leaked from a coolant pump, spraying the four staff members but not injuring them.
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Nuclear safety guidance published

Industry Channel: Energy & Utilities, Source: The Engineer Online -The UK’s principal nuclear regulators have published guidance for an integrated approach to assessing the safety of nuclear power station designs for the protection of people and the environment.  

‘The Generic Assessment of Candidate Nuclear Power Plant Design’ has been jointly published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency (EA), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Department of Trade and Industry's Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS).

According to the regulators, early scrutiny of designs will help ensure regulatory resources are applied at a stage when greater influence can be brought to bear.

The Government’s report on the Energy Review, ‘The Energy Challenge’, released on 11 July 2006, stated Government’s belief that nuclear power should have a role in the future UK generating mix, alongside other low-carbon options. Since then, the Department for Trade and Industry has carried out further consultation on the policy framework for new nuclear build, and will be publishing its findings in a White Paper later this year.

The Environment Agency (England and Wales) regulates radioactive waste disposal, air quality, cooling water discharges and operation of conventional plant, such as emergency stand-by power supplies and radioactive waste incinerators. It is also involved in flood risk management, contaminated land remediation and construction waste disposal.

‘Although, ultimately, the Government will decide whether or not nuclear power stations are needed to meet the UK’s energy demands, the Environment Agency insists all nuclear installations meet high standards of safety, security, environmental performance and waste management,’ said Environment Agency Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation Joe McHugh.

‘Assessing designs at an early stage is good for the environment and safety because we can influence the design so as to ensure people and the environment are properly protected. It is good for the public and other stakeholders because they can be well informed and engaged as part of our decision making, and it is good for the companies involved as they can make better informed investment decisions.’

The new guidance outlines the information reactor vendors, potential operators and other interested parties will be expected to provide so their proposals can be assessed. 

It also lists he processes that will be followed to ensure the assessment of generic designs is rigorous and robust, conducted in an open and transparent manner, subject to nuclear security and commercially-confidential restrictions, and involves stakeholders, including the public, at an early stage. 

At the end of the generic assessment, the regulators will each provide their views about the acceptability of a new nuclear power station design.


‘If an application is made to build a new nuclear power station on a specific site, the regulators will follow their existing regulatory processes before deciding whether or not to issue a nuclear site licence, environmental authorisations and permits, and security plan approval,’ said McHugh. 

‘Where these site-specific applications are based on a generic design that has undergone assessment, the regulators will take full account of the work they have already carried out and would continue to work together at all stages. ‘
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RP to study civilian uses of nuclear power 

Manila Times Jan 15 - The Philippines will start studying modern nuclear technology to understand its importance to economic development, but the government has no intention of activating the mothballed Bataan nuclear power plant.  

“Nuclear activities for peaceful uses by our neighbors affect us economically and environmentally,” Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla told reporters after members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their East Asian partners signed an energy cooperation agreement. 

Lotilla said other Asean countries are also currently exploring the possible use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes and Indonesia and Vietnam have likewise expressed interest. 

Sixteen leaders of Asean and their dialogue partners signed on Monday the Cebu Declaration on Energy Security. 

“The declaration recognizes that while fossil fuels will continue to be used for a considerable period of time, we can attain greater energy security by among others, promoting energy efficiency, conservation and cleaner technologies, increasing capacity and reducing costs of alternative energy resources,” Lotilla said. 

He added the agreement encourages the use of biofuels and developing freer trade in this alternative form of energy by 2010. 

President Arroyo said the Asean leaders expressed serious concern over the negative impact of high oil prices on economic growth and development. 

“The Asean agreed to adopt a strategic approach, to strengthen and promote Asean energy cooperation, especially in key infrastructure projects, including the Asean power grid and Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline,” she said. 

The ultimate goal of the Asean leaders is to create an open energy market, the President added. 

Malaysia said the plan also includes stockpiling fuel to ensure enough long-term supply for the region, besides the development of renewable energy sources. 

Lotilla said that the declaration would bring down the cost of putting up renewable energy sources. 

“Cooperation in this area through the declaration will make having those facilities much easier for us,” he pointed out. 

But Lotilla said Malaysia’s proposal of stockpiling petroleum is not a good option at time because it might add to the volatility of fuel prices. 

“We should consider other alternatives,” he said. 

Meanwhile, New Zealand and the Philippines have agreed to work on tapping renewable energy sources and putting up air linkages. 

President Arroyo and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark will discuss the issues when the Philippine leader visits New Zealand after the May election this year. 

The two leaders agreed to explore energy cooperation at their bilateral meeting on Sunday in Shangri-La Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City. 

Clark said New Zealand is willing to share technology with the Philippines, particularly in tapping geothermal energy, which could help the country secure its power needs.
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Settlement in Radiation Therapists Strike

Press Release: District Health Boards -  A pay deal’s been struck with Radiation Therapists who have called off all industrial action. Strikes threatened in Auckland and Wellington on Monday will not go ahead and DHBs will be trying to get back to normal treatment schedules as quickly as possible.  

Murray Georgel, CEO of MidCentral District Health Board and Spokesperson for the DHBs, says DHBs were able to increase their pay offer when radiation therapists agreed to extend the time the agreement covers.

“We’re delighted that the RTS have extended the length of the agreement and reduced their claims so DHBs can stay within our budgets. 

“The sad thing is there have been more than 270 separate notices of industrial action, hundreds of people have had their treatment disrupted, but the framework for this deal was on the table in the middle of last year.

“The lesson from this is that meaningful negotiation is the way to achieve fair and reasonable settlements – not industrial action.”

Mr Georgel says the package includes 1.0% backdated to April last year, another 1.5% backdated to October and another 2.5% from July this year – on top of the step increases.

“The deal means DHBs can start reducing the waiting lists caused by the action over the last four months. Just how long it will take will vary from hospital to hospital.”

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

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