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

[Sandy Perle]

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."


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/
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