Conflicts of interest surrounding nuclear laws could undermine US safety
Nearly 50 years ago, Congress passed the Energy Reorganization Act and took an axe to the Atomic Energy Commission, the secretive federal agency created after the World War II-era Manhattan Project to develop and control military and civilian nuclear technology. The AEC was formerly led by Lewis Strauss, the antagonist to J. Robert Oppenheimer recently portrayed on-screen by Robert Downey, Jr.
Why this is a pivotal moment for Hanford’s nuclear waste cleanup
The Hanford site in Benton County is at a pivotal moment, set to finally transform the nuclear leftovers of a century past into glass that can be safely stored — a process called vitrification. Last October, the first of two melters used to actually vitrify the waste became active, with the second melter scheduled to launch this spring.
A warning about radioactive air pollution from Pilgrim
Andrea Campbell filed a civil lawsuit last week against Holtec, the company decommissioning the Pilgrim nuclear power station in Plymouth, for releasing asbestos air pollution during their demolition process. Asbestos is a known airborne carcinogen that causes malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and ovarian cancer.
It’s not just toxic chemicals. Radioactive waste was also dumped off Los Angeles coast
For decades, a graveyard of corroding barrels has littered the seafloor just off the coast of Los Angeles. It was out of sight, out of mind — a not-so-secret secret that haunted the marine environment until a team of researchers came across them with an advanced underwater camera.
State Sues Holtec for Mishandling Asbestos at Pilgrim Reactor Site
Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has filed a civil complaint against Holtec Decommissioning International, owner of the shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, for a long list of violations related to improperly handling, storing, shipping, and disposing of asbestos-laced debris during demolition work at the plant.
Holtec to pay $200,000 to settle AG’s suit over asbestos disposal at Pilgrim
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has settled a lawsuit against Holtec, the company charged with decommissioning the Pilgrim nuclear power plant, accusing the company of improperly disposing of asbestos.
Congress takes aim at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission: ‘It’s déjà vu all over again’
Politico reports that congressional promoters of “advanced” nuclear plants are blaming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as the main obstacle to their deployment. The report singles out Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV) and cites his and his colleagues blocking the reappointment to the commission of Jeff Baran, who tended to lean toward safety more than his fellow commissioners, as the start of a campaign to bring the agency to heel.
Residents ask for full examination of damage to Japanese nuclear plant caused by recent quake
A group of residents of towns near Japanese nuclear plants submitted a petition, Friday, asking regulators to halt safety screening for the restart of idled reactors until damage to a plant that partially lost external power and spilled radioactive water during a recent powerful earthquake is fully examined.