Monthly Archives: October 2011

TVA announces layoff of 800 workers, citing slow progress on building new reactor

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Robert Singleton

I missed this story last week. On Thursday, October 20, Bloomberg Businessweek reported: The Tennessee Valley Authority and a contractor announced Wednesday they are laying off about 600 temporary construction workers and an additional 200 support staff after unsatisfactory progress … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction delays, Expansion, Finance, Labor | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monday Event Report: A leaking package, enough drugs to share and malfunctioning emergency sirens

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Robert Singleton

From Monday’s NRC Event Reports: 1. Thursday afternoon, the Oconee nuclear power plant in South Carolina reported an accident involving shipment of nuclear materials. If that is a little vague, it’s because the Event Report was less than helpful. Headlined “DAMAGED PACKAGING … Continue reading →

Posted in Event Reports, Fitness for Duty, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Radiation leak, Security, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Crane accident injures two Fukushima workers

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Robert Singleton

The bad luck at Fukushima continues. Vertikal.net just reported: Two men were injured on Saturday at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, while assembling a crawler crane. The men were installing the crane’s back mast using another crawler crane, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fukushima, Japan, Worker injury | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Event Reports: Security officer shoots self in foot at Michigan nuke

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Robert Singleton

From today’s NRC Event Reports: 1. On Thursday afternoon, a security officer at the Fermi nuclear power plant in Michigan shot himself in the foot. The officer was clearing his weapon following his shift when the gun discharged. The officer … Continue reading →

Posted in Event Reports, Fitness for Duty, Fuel enrichment, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Security | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

TEPCO seeks $12 billion bailout to stave off bankruptcy

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Robert Singleton

The Bloomberg news website just reported: Tokyo Electric Power Co. will ask the government for 900 billion yen ($12 billion) to avoid bankruptcy, the Nikkei newspaper said, the first state support since the Fukushima nuclear disaster almost eight months ago. … Continue reading →

Posted in Finance, Fukushima, Japan, Plant shutdowns | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bulgarian reactor restarted after replacing cracked control rod casings

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Robert Singleton

Focus Information Agency reported today: Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear power plant announced Thursday it had switched one of its reactors back on to the electricity grid, after a month of refuelling and repairs, AFP reported. The 1,000-megawatt reactor number six — … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Plant shutdowns, Reactor problems | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

China’s Environment Minister says nuclear power risks are increasing

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Robert Singleton

Reuters just reported: China is facing increasing safety risks from its nuclear power plants as existing facilities age and a large number of new reactors go into operation, the country’s environmental minister said in comments published on Wednesday. “The safety … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Reactor problems | Tagged , | Leave a comment

NRC to make decision on new reactor design on Nov. 1

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Robert Singleton

Reuters just reported: U.S. nuclear regulators said on Wednesday they would announce on Nov. 1 their decision whetherto approve a new version of the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor design proposed by the South Texas nuclear power project. Once the Nuclear … Continue reading →

Posted in ABWRs, Expansion, Finance, Loan guarantees, Nuclear Regulatory Commission | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Emergency sirens sound at Vermont Yankee

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Robert Singleton

The Boston Globe just reported: Emergency management officials say sirens in a 10-mile area around the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant were inadvertently activated by a plant contractor for about three minutes. There’s no emergency at the plant, which is … Continue reading →

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Japanese reactor leaks radioactive water into containment building

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Robert Singleton

Bloomberg Businessweek reported a little while ago: Japan Atomic Power Co. said water contaminated with radiation leaked at its Tokai Dai-Ni nuclear station, which is being repaired after damage in the March earthquake and tsunami. There was no radiation leaked … Continue reading →

Posted in Coolant leak, Earthquake, Japan, Plant shutdowns, Radiation leak, Reactor problems | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment