Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

It is the second firm to go public with concerns about Turkey's  nuclear plans GE-Hitachi is the second firm which will not meet the Sept 24 deadline for bids for a new nuclear power plant in Turkey. Bloomberg wire service reported Sept 4 that Jack Fuller, GE-Hitachi CEO, said, "We're preparing the proposal. I just don't think it can be completed before Sept 24th." Fuller...

What are Hans and Mary Lou doing with their free time? Rod Adams has the story at Atomic Insights blog . Now you will know what two top nuclear scientists from Idaho, Hans Gouger and Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar, are really doing on the other side of the world! See the embedded video of the kiss itself on the Atomic Insights blog. A large African herbivore is tamed by sudden appearance of famed nuclear scientist...

A breakthrough comes in Vienna after three days of tough negotiations The BBC reports the group of nations which regulates the global nuclear trade has approved a US proposal to lift restrictions on selling nuclear technology to India. The controversial deal now needs to be ratified by the US Congress. The approval came after India pledged to keep its nuclear non-proliferation commitments and to uphold...

Latest wire service reports ~ updates throughout the day (1400 GMT) Reuters reports that delegates to the meeting of the  Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) taking place in Vienna, Austria, today (9/5) said India's pledges to honor the nuclear nonproliferation treaty do not go far enough. Member countries are worried that India could set off a regional nuclear arms race if it acquires uranium enrichment...

Rep, Howard Berman releases a secret letter to Congress  Check Siddharth Varadarajan's blog for late breaking developments and reports direct from Vienna. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. will not sell sensitive nuclear technologies to India and would immediately terminate all trade involving nuclear technologies if New Delhi conducted a nuclear test. Apparently, the State Department...

Nuclear Suppliers Group likely to say "no" to U.S. plan to sell uranium to India The U.S. nuclear deal with India is likely to fail to gain approval   this week by an international body that controls the sale of uranium, nuclear fuel, and related technologies.  Six small but influential nations are standing firm in their opposition within the Nuclear Suppliers Group ( NSG Read...

It enters uncharted territory by asking NRC for reinstatement of the licenses for two unfinished nuclear reactors The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to  reinstate the licenses for two partially completed reactors at its Bellefonte site near Scottsboro, GA.  The Knoxville News reports the first-of-a-kind request could result in the restart...

Energy minister rejects pleas for an extension Hilmi Guler, (left) Turkey's energy minister, told a press conference this week in Ankara that there will be no delay  in the date for opening bids on Turkey's new nuclear power plant.  He said the government would open bids on Sept 24.  He rejected a request from four potential bidders for a delay which included questions about...

Delays at Olkiluoto and Flamanville hit the bottom line Reuters reports that French nuclear giant Areva will have to take a significant charge against earnings due to increases in the cost of its EPR under construction at the Olkiluoto site in Finland. At the same time Platts reports that the new nuclear power plant under construction at Flamanville in France, also an EPR, is nine months behind schedule...

Eskom wants ship it overseas to make MOX fuel South Africa is seeking commercial contracts with foreign  countries to reprocess spent nuclear fuel.  Currently, the electric utility has about 1,000 tons of it.  The current inventory of spent nuclear fuel comes from a single reactor at Koeberg. Potential contractors for the job are France, Japan, and the U.K.  There is no plans to...

Candidate comes out for nuclear power in Denver speech For some time Democratic presidential candidate Barak  Obama has stepped around the issue of nuclear energy so as not to offend the party's "green" base of votes and campaign donations. Thursday night in his acceptance speech in Denver he came out four square with an energy policy that includes nuclear energy. Here it is. "As...

Virginia nuclear energy firm files a lawsuit against the Idaho environmental group A company that wants to build a nuclear power plant in  Elmore County is suing an idaho environmental group over comments made to a KTVB reporter (Boise) in an interview last week. Alternate Energy Holdings ( PINK:AEHI ) filed a defamation lawsuit on Aug 22 against the Snake River Alliance ( SRA ). In the interview...

The 45-nation nuclear fuel cartel failed to agree on a U.S.-India nuclear technology trade pact According to wire service reports , representatives of 45  nations meeting in Vienna this week to decide whether to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India ended their talks without making a decision.  Diplomats said members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group , planned to meet again on Sept. 4. It leaves...

(An occasional column on money and mining news items) The rise of nuclear energy, a second act if ever there was one, has given uranium a shot in the arm in western states in the U.S. Interest in uranium mining is growing and with it comes another growth industry - the production of press releases about the uranium mining industry. The purpose of this occasional column is to separate the really interesting...

John McCain's visit to DTE Energy generates some heat and light Republican presidential candidate John McCain (right) toured the  Fermi II reactor in Michigan August 5th to promote his plan to build 45 new nuclear plants by 2030.  In doing so he forced Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to issue a statement that moves him closer to support for new nuclear builds.  For...