Did Ohio State figure out how to use Nuclear Waste from Old-Style Nuclear Reactors?

They claim they can get very small trickle power from Cesium-137 or Cobalt-60, nano-micro watts of power. Just enough to run a remote sensor.

#newNuclear #nuclear #nuclearwaste #HugeIfTrue
#technews #technology
#atomicAge

https://news.osu.edu/scientists-design-novel-battery-that-runs-on-atomic-waste/

#MIT - What’s next for nuclear power

-Global shifts, advancing tech, and data center demand: Here’s what’s coming in 2025 and beyond.
-By #CaseyCrownhart

#ClimateChange #Energy #EnergyPolicy #DoE #TechNews
#GreenTech #AI #Nuclear #NewNuclear #Gen4Nuclear #NuclearGen4 #NuclearGenIV

https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/01/14/1109963/whats-next-for-nuclear-power/

What?!! #NEI is actually publishing something NEGATIVE about #NuclearEnergy? That doesn't happen very often!

US #NRC proposes fining #Urenco USA

Staff writer, April 7, 2023

"The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed a $70,000 civil penalty for Urenco USA for two violations of agency requirements related to improperly implementing safety controls at its #EuniceNewMexico, #UraniumEnrichment plant.

"The first violation occurred during a March 2022 event when plant staff found three construction vehicles parked near a building that handles #UraniumHexafluoride [#UF6] without physical barriers in place. The company notified NRC as required and the agency launched a special inspection in response and documented its findings.

"Specifically, the company did not take enough precautions to prevent a potential accident sequence involving construction vehicles damaging the facility or the uranium hexafluoride inside – increasing the risk to plant workers and the public. Urenco USA was notified of the apparent violations in December 2022 and in a written response admitted the violations, and discussed plans for corrective actions. NRC said it had reviewed Urenco USA’s response and determined that, while the incidents did not result in the release of radioactive material, the potential safety consequences warrant the proposed fine. The company has 30 days to pay the proposed penalty or contest it. The NRC will consider any response from the company before making a final determination on the matter."

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/us-nrc-proposes-fining-urenco-us-10741390/

#NoUraniumEnrichment #HALEU #Uranium #NewMexico #NoNewNukes #NewNuclear #RenewablesNow

A small town in rural Ohio is producing #EnrichedUranium again. Here's why that matters

The Ohio Newsroom | By Erin Gottsacker
Published April 18, 2024

"When Centrus Energy flipped three switches at its new plant last fall, it was a new beginning for an industry that had been dormant for more than a decade in #Ohio: #UraniumEnrichment.

"As the U.S. looks to meet its clean energy [sic] goals, there’s increasing demand for the resource, which is necessary for nuclear power generation.

"For years, the U.S. didn’t have a American-owned source of enriched uranium. (A subsidiary of #Urenco enriches #uranium in #NewMexico, but it's owned by a conglomeration of foreign governments and European-based businesses.) Now, #CentrusEnergy is attempting to fill in the gap. And it’s doing that at a plant in #PiketonOhio.

[...]

"Some locals aren’t thrilled. One group worries about the industry’s connection to #NuclearWeapons. Others fear the waste from the plant could #contaminate the surrounding #environment. The specter of the last time #uranium was being enriched in Piketon looms large: many former plant workers get federal compensation because of illnesses they sustained as a result of exposure to #toxic and #radioactive materials.

"'I feel violated,' said Vina Colley, a former worker at the #PortsmouthGaseousDiffusionPlant. 'They said I would get more radiation by getting on the plane than working out here.'

"In the time since she worked at the plant, she’s battled #beryllium disease, #ChronicBronchitis, #COPD, #neuropathy and #HeartFailure."

Read more:
https://www.wvxu.org/2024-04-18/a-small-town-in-rural-ohio-is-now-the-only-place-in-america-producing-enriched-uranium

#NoUraniumEnrichment #RadioactiveContamination #NewNuclear #Uranium #HALEU #UF6

So, #Terrapower and other #HALEU energy projects are being touted as "carbon-free". But alas, a lot of energy is spent digging, milling, transporting and enriching #Uranium -- and there's still no place to permanently store #NuclearWaste.

And #NewNuclear is far from CLEAN -- ask the residents of #PiketonOhio -- who are still dealing with #contamination from when the uranium enrichment plant was operating before!

Radioactive cylinders abound at former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site

by The Guardian

August 7, 2024

PIKETON, Ohio – "The site of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon is home to a significant number of radioactive cylinders, posing ongoing environmental and health risks. As of 2022, there are a total of 20,570 uranium hexafluoride (#UF6) cylinders at the site, including 1,879 low-enriched uranium (LEU) cylinders, 18,206 depleted uranium cylinders, and 385 empty cylinders.

"These cylinders, which have been stored in the open for decades, are known to be among the highest sources of #radioactive contamination at the entire plant site. The U.S. Department of Energy [#DOE] has repeatedly reported the #hazardous conditions associated with these cylinder yards.

Chemical Reaction and #Corrosion

"UF6 is highly reactive with moisture, forming uranyl fluoride (UO2F2) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). Both compounds are extremely corrosive and toxic. HF can lead to severe corrosion of the cylinder walls, potentially resulting in leaks and the release of hazardous materials. The environmental and health impacts of these compounds are severe; HF can cause respiratory issues, skin burns, and eye damage, while UO2F2 can lead to kidney damage and other serious health problems.

Historical Accidents

"The potential risks are not hypothetical. In 1978, a major incident occurred when a UF6 cylinder ruptured, releasing over 20,000 pounds of uranium hexafluoride into the atmosphere. Over the years, there have been dozens of such accidental releases, exacerbating the environmental and health risks associated with the site."

Read more:
https://sciotovalleyguardian.com/2024/08/07/radioactive-cylinders-abound-at-former-portsmouth-gaseous-diffusion-plant-site/

#NoUraniumEnrichment #BillGates #Greenwashing #NoUraniumMining #RenewablesNow #NoNukes #NoNewNukes #TerrapowerHype #NewNuclearHype #SameOldSameOld

Planned UK nuclear reactors unlikely to help hit green target, say MPs https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/13/planned-uk-nuclear-reactors-unlikely-to-help-hit-green-target-say-mps?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

And there was me almost believing the Rolls Royce marketing blah that SMR uses existing, mature technology (based on the back end of a nuclear submarine) and could be certified & deployed rapidly…….

Now I’m thinking this is UK defence industrial strategy to keep RR busy during sub production gaps by continuing to drip subsidies at them outside the defence budget.

Cynical?

#NewNuclear ?

Il futuro dell’#energia #nucleare

#nuclear #nuclearenergy #smr #newnuclear #newtech # hydrogen
#energy #energianucleare #emissioni #emissions #CO2 #renewables #nuclearenergy #nuclearwaste #cambiamentoclimatico #climatechange #energiaverde #greenenergy

https://www.linkiesta.it/2020/11/energia-nucleare-italia-tecnologie/