Word Getting About - Bradwell

Bradwell-on-Sea  may also get a new power station.

Also read about decommissioning of the old station there.

Just across the water from wildlife reserves and the famous Maldon Sea Salt Company.

China Syndrome

I leave this comment to Polly Toynbee of The Guardian.

Flammanville Construction Flaws

EDF power station construction at Flammanville under threat from safety checks.
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2985650/flamanville_nuclear_safety_fail_sounds_death_knell_for_hinkley_c.html

The Ecologist - or Health Report at Bradwell

Health report in The Ecologist

Flaws Found in French Nuclear Power Station During Construction

BBC Science page reports flaws in French nuclear power station.
The flaws are in  a type of reactor proposed at Hinkley Point.

Safty Warnings about new Chinese Reactors

Safety warnings about new Chinese nuclear power stations reported in the Guardian.

'Insane plans' claim by a leading Chinese scientist.

Sellafield Decommissioning Cost Rise by Five Billion Pounds

News item from The Guardian

The decommissioning costs have risen by £5 billion at Sellerfield - in a year - to £53billion and work is behind schedule. The cost of cancelling a contract cost £430,000 !!!!

Austrian Government Challenge EU Subsidy Ruling for Hinkley Point

https://www.ews-schoenau.de/campaign

http://youtu.be/8zZ18jdFv3U

38 Degrees Petition about Moorside, Cumbria

Dear Friends,

On New Years Eve, supporters of a radiation free Lakeland will be taking a 10 minute walk from the centre of the pretty Lakeland village of Beckermet to the biggest crime scene of the year. They will be representing the thousands of people who have already signed this petition.

The crime is taking place at Petersburgh and Greenmoorside Farm, a beautiful historically fertile lowland area between the Lakeland mountains and the Irish Sea.

The drilling of 100 boreholes up to 150m has begun in preparation for 3 proposed nuclear reactors to be built by the same people responsible for Fukushima. The consent for the drilling of the 100 boreholes has been achieved by lies, deception and the dumping of any semblance of democracy.

While Copeland Borough Council give their full scrutiny to any applications for a single wind turbine, the same is not true of nuclear planning applications. Petersburgh’s Farm application for a single wind turbine was refused in December 2014 while the application by the Nuclear industry (in cahoots with govnt) for 100 boreholes in the same area was given consent in 2011 (or 2012?) without any scrutiny or discussion by either Copeland Borough Council or Cumbria County Council.

The decision was instead delegated to the Development Manager of Copeland BC. Who knew?

Will the New Year see an upsurge of Resistance to these Nuclear Crimes?

Supporters of a radiation free Lakeland will meet at the White Mare, Beckermet to walk to witness the Nuclear Crime

Thank you for signing the petition STOP MOORSIDE: "Biggest Nuclear Development in Europe", Please can you help spread the word by forwarding the link below to your friends?

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-moorside-biggest-nuclear-development-in-europe

MANY Thanks and Best Wishes for 2015 

Marianne Birkby

More information here

http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/lakelands-nuclear-crime-scene-a-new-years-eve-vigil/

Drones Flown Over French Nuclear Power Stations

Drones have been spotted flying over French nuclear power stations reported in Guardian newspaper.

Dungeness Issues

38 Degrees Campaign to prevent another extension for Dungeness B Nuclear Plant.
Lots of links to read.

Sellerfield Reprocessing Partly Closed

BBC report states that Sellerfield reprocessing plant has been partly closed.
Readings above normal but 'no need to be concerned'.
BBC and Guardian later confirmed that the alert was caused by a rise in background radon gas.

France Proposes Cutting Dependency on Nuclear Power

A report commented on on the BBC web site recommends France reduces its dependency on nuclear power.

If fully implemented, the pledge would force the closure of up to 20 of the country's 58 reactors according to Professor Laurence Tubiana a former government adviser who the president asked to facilitate a national debate, paving the way for what they call le transition energetique.

Abattoir Reopens after 28 years

Abattoir reopens after being closed following the nuclear disaster at Chernobil 28 years ago. Restrictions closed the plant after radioactive material drifted over the UK, particularly Wales and Cumbria. All restrictions imposed after the event were only lifted on 1 June 2012.

Hinkley Point Crazy

Article from The Guardian reporting opinions of the German Green Party.
Hinkley Point Decision Crazy

Leaks at Fukushima Reactor

Leaks monitored at Japan power station destroyed by tidal wave.


http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/04/fukushima-radiation-deadly-new-high

Closure of San Onofre Reactor

San Onofre Nuclear Reactor to Close

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jun/07/san-onofre-nuclear-reactors-shut-down

More problems at Hinkley Point - EDF

EDF are cutting staff to help pay for delays. Reported in The Guardian.

Blizzards in New York force nuclear shut down

Snow blizzards in new York forced the closure of a nuclear power station in Massachusettss when it lost electrical power. Safety was maintained by back up generators!
The Pilgrim Power Plant doesn't seem to have any information on its own web site.
The Jacksonville Observer reports that calls to shut down the power station in the lead up to the storm seem to have been ignored, despite the event being estimated to take place at high tide.
The area is currently being hit by high numbers of local power outages as a result of the massive storm.

Reports on BBC web site about EDF power stations in Scotland

Instead of reopening a visitor centre to try to prop up public support they'd be better off opening a museum to serve as a reminder of quite what a folly we know nuclear to be”
Dr Richard Dixon
WWF Scotland

Hunterston and Torness nuclear plants reopen to public

Scotland's two nuclear power stations are opening their doors to the public for the first time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US in 2001.

A new visitor centre is being opened on Friday at Hunterston B, near West Kilbride, in North Ayrshire.
Operator EDF Energy plans to open a similar facility at the Torness plant, in East Lothian, later this year.
The Hunterston facility will open daily from 09:00 until 16:00 and offer guided tours and "hands-on" displays.
The visitor centre at Hunterston is the first to be opened at EDF Energy's UK plants.

'Openness and transparency'

Company chief executive Vincent de Rivaz unveiled the new facility on Friday.
"We have said for some time now that openness and transparency has to be at the heart of everything we do in our nuclear and our retail business," he said.

"We are already at the heart of the community in North Ayrshire.
"However, this gives us a great opportunity to engage with more and more people and listen to what they have to say and answer any questions they may have about our station, our company and the nuclear industry as a whole."

EDF believes the Hunterston visitor centre will attract about 3,500 people each year.
Visitors will be given an introductory talk about how the station operates, before being given a guided tour through selected parts of the plant.
The majority of the tours will be organised for schools and educational groups.
Members of the public will also be able to visit the station by appointment.
Scotland's Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "I welcome EDF Energy's commitment to openness and transparency in their work on existing nuclear power production.

'Dangerous' technology

"While the Scottish government has a clear policy position against new nuclear build, we recognise that EDF Energy is a valued local employer and supports the community in which it operates."
The environmental group WWF Scotland, however, said the visitor centre opening at Hunterston did not change its assertion that nuclear power was unwanted and unneeded.

Director Dr Richard Dixon said: "Nuclear power is a dirty, dangerous and unnecessary technology.
"Research has shown that a combination of energy efficiency and renewables is more than enough to power all of Scotland's electricity needs.
"Instead of reopening a visitor centre to try to prop up public support they'd be better off opening a museum to serve as a reminder of quite what a folly we know nuclear to be."