March, 2011

The Atomic Insights Blog has been published here on Blogger since March of 2005. It has been a great host at a terrific price. Who can beat free? However, there are some limitations to the format and the expandability. Some of my friends have also teased me about having an outdated, old fashioned...

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article titled Nuclear plant issues in Japan are the least of their worries that attempted to provide a realistic prediction of the worst case consequences of the one-two punch from a very large earthquake and tsunami on a large nuclear power station on the coast of Japan. It...

***MEDIA ADVISORY*** NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON NRC RESPONSE TO RECENT JAPAN EVENT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be briefed by its staff on the NRC’s response to the ongoing nuclear event in Japan in a public meeting on March 21 at 9 a.m. at NRC Headquarters...

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Despite all previous word, a fire in any used fuel pool is a fantasy that will only occur in a simplified model . It is not a concern in the real world of water, metal and ceramics. (Note: I struggled with whether or not I should waffle and couch that statement with "in...

Credit - Suzy Hobbs, PopAtomic Studios This simple graphic says more than I can hope to add. Please visit the original post at Honor Our Nuclear Workers . To donate directly to the Fukushima workers and their families please go to: http://www.new.ans.org/about/japanrelief/ ...read more

I am sharing this status report to provide wider distribution. The content is posted without edits other than minor formatting. Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office As of 12:30PM (EST), March...

Vistors to Atomic Insights Every so often, I like to post a snapshot to show how many people are visiting and where they are coming from. It helps people feel like part of a growing community. Some of you are making amazing contributions to the discussions in the comments. Thank you. ...read more

Jefferey Merrifield served on the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1998 - 2007. He was there when the Commission and the industry engaged in numerous "what if" discussions in the wake of 9-11 and major natural disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Isabella. As a result of those on going...

Arnie Gundersen is making some incredibly wrong statements here. There is an old saying - 'tis better to be silent and thought to be a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt'. Please, watch how he removes all doubt, if you have enough patience for the task. ...read more

At about 2:22 Eastern Daylight Time a journalist sent me a brief email to inform me that Dr. Jaczko had just told the House Energy and Commerce committee that the fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi unit 4 was dry. I had just read a status report that indicated that the temperature in that pool as of...

Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office As of 10:15AM (EST), March 16, 2011 Highest Radiation Levels At 6:40AM (JST) on March 16, a radiation level of 400 milli sievert per hour was recorded...

This is a letter from my friend and mentor, Ted Rockwell, with some thoughts about the events at Fukushima Daiichi in the context of the incredible destruction on the northeast coast of Japan. FUKUSHIMA: IT’S NOT ABOUT RADIATION, IT’S ABOUT TSUNAMIS A lot of wrong lessons are being pushed on us, about...

Some of you might remember the conversation that I had last summer with John Horgan , a writer for Scientific American and a regular participant on Bloggingheads.tv . He contacted me during the weekend, asking if there was any way we could set up a conversation so that he could get my take on the events...

You might be hard pressed to gather more than a handful of people who agree with me, even if you live in a place where there are a lot of nuclear professionals. I continue to be impressed by the way that Japan's nuclear plants - like all nuclear plants designed and built to standards that have been...

I have spent the past few hours sifting through conflicting news reports and commentary trying to find out if there is any reason at all to rethink my original prediction from Saturday, March 12 regarding the ultimate effect of damage to Japanese nuclear plants caused by an enormously powerful earthquake...

My friends at PopAtomic Studios recently posted this graphic as a resource for teachers and parents. Here is the credit provided: It is important to explain the situation at Fukushima to children in a way that is not alarming. Please share this image with parents and teachers. Special thanks to the...

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Japan as they struggle to first survive and then to begin rebuilding their lives. Not surprisingly, people who are professionally invested in actions to slow or kill nuclear energy developments are working at a feverish pitch to try to spin reality...

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Japan as they struggle to first survive and then to begin rebuilding their lives. Not surprisingly, people who are professionally invested in actions to slow or kill nuclear energy developments are working at a feverish pitch to try to spin reality...

I received this information sheet. It is important to disseminate the facts that it contains as widely as possible. In the interest of making sure that the information transfer is successful, I have not edited it. Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy ...read more

My prayers and best wishes continue to go out to the people who are struggling to survive, to account for loved ones, to find shelter, and to begin dealing with the aftermath of the 5th most powerful earthquake recorded in human history. My anger continues at the efforts to take advantage of the...

Corrected with New Headline (Updated information and graphics on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 0440 EDT) I am going to leave my original text below, so it does not look like I am using updated information to avoid responsibility. During a day of confusion, there were conflicting reports about the source...

My thoughts and prayers are with all of the people who are struggling to deal with one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history. I have spent most of the past 24 hours trying to grasp the extent of the tragedy. It has been incredible to watch video replays that remind me of Hollywood movies...

(Picture is a link to 1.5 MB PDF) Yesterday, two different readers of Atomic Insights shared gifts of knowledge with me. One of those gifts was a book titled "Power Plant Cost Escalation" published in the same year that I graduated from college; digesting that will take a few days. The other...

I recommend a visit to both Yes Vermont Yankee and Idaho Samizdat for details, but I wanted to let you all know that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has voted to renew the operating license for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant for another 20 years. The extension will last through 2032; the...