High tide for #Holtec

#Tritium dumped into #CapeCodBay will wash back onto community shores, says a new report

"The permanently closed Pilgrim nuclear power plant is now owned by Holtec, which wants to dump #RadioactiveWastewater into Cape Cod Bay. While waiting for a permit, so far denied, the company is quietly venting #tritium into the air."

by Linda Pentz Gunter, Posted on December 29, 2024

"Holtec, the company that has purchased a number of permanently closed #nuclear reactors in order to decommission them, has encountered yet another obstacle to its '#dilution is the solution to pollution' plans.

"One of the reactor sites Holtec has taken over is #PilgrimNuclearPlant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the Cape Cod Bay, which closed permanently in 2019. Holtec’s not-so-little problem there is what do with what started out as at least 1.1 million gallons of radioactively contaminated #wastewater stored at the site.

"The company first suggested it would simply release the wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, assuring residents and the immediately alarmed fishing community not to worry because (a) the wastewater isn’t dangerous anyway (b) everyone does this all the time at reactor sites and no one has gotten sick so far and (c) it would quickly disperse into the wider ocean. Holtec chose this disposal method for one reason alone: it is the cheapest.

"The proposal was vigorously fought by citizens, the state, and powerful Massachusetts Democrat, Senator Ed Markey. The state of Massachusetts effectively banned the discharge option, a decision Holtec is contesting.

"That Final Determination to Deny Application to Modify a Massachusetts Permit to Discharge Pollutants to Surface Waters was issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection [#MassDEP] Division of Watershed Management on July 18, 2024. A month later, Holtec launched its appeal to reverse the decision, something that could take months or longer to find its way to court.

"In the meantime, help has come from a new quarter in the form of an in-depth study by the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [#WHOI], also, as it happens, based on the Massachusetts shoreline, near Falmouth.

"The study — Model-Based Study of Near-Surface Transport in and around Cape Cod Bay, Its Seasonal Variability, and Response to Wind — found that contrary to Holtec’s claims, the wastewater would not immediately disperse into the ocean, but would linger potentially for months, and wash up on the shores of area communities.

“'We found virtually no out-of-the-Bay transport in winter and fall and slightly larger, but still low, probability of some of the plume exiting the Bay in spring and summer,' said Woods Hole study leader and physical oceanographer, Irina Rypina.

"The radioactively contaminated wastewater stored at Pilgrim is contaminated with what Holtec and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health have described as 'four gamma emitters — #Manganese54, #Cobalt60, #Zinc65 and #Cesium137 along with #Tritium, a beta radiation emitter'.

"While the Woods Hole Study did not look at the health outcomes of releasing the radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay — only at the plume pathway — there are plenty of data that demonstrate the harmful effects of these #radioisotopes on human health, especially women and children.

"After acquiring the Pilgrim reactor, Holtec’s President and CEO, Kris Singh, assured surrounding communities that,
'the decommissioning of Pilgrim will replicate the superb record of public health and safety and environmental protection that typified the plant’s 47 years of operations.'

But since that acquisition, Markey observed, 'Holtec has fallen woefully short on this commitment.' He noted of the Woods Hole report that 'In light of these recent findings, I urge Holtec to develop a wastewater discharge plan that is informed and guided by scientific fact and community input.'

"Long-time #PilgrimWatch activist, #MaryLampert, welcomed the report’s initial findings and said that 'Holtec dumping Pilgrim’s radiological and chemically #contaminated wastewater into semi-enclosed CapeCod Bay is harmful to human health, the environment, and our marine economy.'

"In a handbook explaining Pilgrim’s decommissioning process on the Pilgrim Watch website, the authors note that 'Cape Cod Bay, #PlymouthBay, #DuxburyBay, and #KingstonBay are all protected #OceanSanctuaries. Cape Cod Bay is a critical habitat for right whales and other endangered or special species. Dumping this #radioactive and chemically contaminated wastewater into them would cause incalculable economic damage and would harm both the environment and public health.'

"Absent a liquid discharge permit, Holtec’s preferred solution since has been to quietly evaporate the wastewater into the air. It has done this, as revealed during a Pilgrim Nuclear Decommissioning Citizen Advisory Panel meeting, by installing submerged electric heaters to increase the plant’s ambient temperature, ostensibly in order to improve worker comfort and expedite the drying of plant components.

"But, as Markey noted in an April 30, 2024 letter to Singh, the consequence of installing the heaters in that location 'is an increased rate of wastewater evaporation above the pace at which it occurs naturally.' That 1.1 million gallons is now down to 880,000 gallons remain, according to Holtec’s own reports.

"As Lampert points out, 'Meteorology studies show 60% of winds blow offshore,' which means at least some of that evaporated wastewater is going to fall into the bay anyway.

"Under Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules, Holtec has four disposal options: liquid discharge, evaporation, storage onsite, and shipping to a licensed facility. None of them are good solutions.

"In August, Holtec filed an appeal against the state’s ban on liquid radioactive discharges, in part claiming that the decision on whether or not to allow the discharge falls under federal not state jurisdiction.

"This, argue some opponents of Holtec’s discharge plans, is a stall and a distraction while it quietly gets on with the gradual evaporation of all the wastewater.

"'They’re using the appeal to buy themselves time,' Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, told radio station WBUR. 'And what they buy themselves, with time, is the ability to continue to induce evaporation of the wastewater, so that ultimately it’s gone, at minimal cost to them.'

"Lampert agrees. 'Holtec can evaporate all the water to meet its schedule to dismantle the reactor building,' she said.

"In October, Lampert, along with other citizens representing the fishing, environmental, real estate and medical communities traveled to Boston to meet with staff in Massachusetts Governor Mary Healy’s office to demand that Healy’s administration call a halt to the evaporation.

"'There are laws on the books already that prohibit #AirbornePollution,' Diane Turco of #CapeDownwinders told the local NPR station after the Boston meeting. “And we’re asking our governor to immediately enforce those laws… She’s been very strong about no dumping in the bay. And we see this as a parallel assault on our communities,' Turco said.

"So far the governor has not taken action."

https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2024/12/29/high-tide-for-holtec/
#HoltecLies #PilgrimNuclear #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #NoRadioactiveDumping #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #RadioactiveWaterDumping #NewEngland #BeyondNuclearInternational

Since the 2011 #Fukushima accident, Japan has restarted 14 #NuclearReactors

1/10/2025

"Japanese utilities restarted two additional nuclear reactors in 2024 that had been suspended from operations in response to the 2011 #FukushimaDaiichi accident, taking the total number of restarted reactors to 14 since the accident.

"In November, #TohokuElectricPowerCo. restarted its 796-megawatt (MW) #Onagawa Unit 2 reactor, and in December #ChugokuElectricPowerCo. restarted its #Shimane Unit 2 (789 MW). Onagawa is the nuclear power plant located closest to the epicenter of the March 2011 #earthquake and tsunami.

"Most of the restarted reactors have been pressurized water reactors (PWR) located in western Japan. Onagawa Unit 2 and Shimane Unit 2, by contrast, are the first boiling water reactors (BWR) to be restarted. Onagawa Unit 2 is also the first reactor in the eastern part of the country to be restarted. Japan’s nuclear regulator prioritized the restart of PWRs due to public safety concerns regarding BWR technology, which is the design of the Fukushima Daiichi units.

"Japan suspended its nuclear fleet from 2013 to 2015 for mandatory safety checks and upgrades following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident. Before the accident, 54 commercial nuclear reactors were operating in Japan, and nuclear power accounted for approximately 30% of the country’s electricity generation. Nuclear restarts have proceeded slowly since the first two units (#Sendai Units 1 and 2) were restarted in 2015. Restarts have been slow due to a significantly more stringent safety inspection and authorization process established after the accident and local court injunctions emerging from ongoing public safety concerns in some regions. Public support for restarts has been growing in Japan recently, however.

"Under the current restart process, once regulatory approvals have been granted, the local municipality and prefectural governments are consulted prior to restart. In addition to the 14 reactors already restarted, three more units (namely, the #KashiwazakiKariwa Unit 6 and Unit 7 and the #TokaiDaini unit) have received regulatory approval to restart but have yet to do so. Tohoku Electric Power announced in 2018 that Onagawa Unit 1 would be decommissioned rather than upgraded, but the utility plans to seek approval to restart Onagawa Unit 3. Restarting another 10 units is under regulatory review.

"The suspension of Japan's nuclear fleet after the Fukushima accident significantly increased dependence on natural gas, oil, and coal imports to make up for lost domestic nuclear generation. It also significantly increased the installed capacity of solar photovoltaic generation in the country, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japan has limited domestic fossil fuel resources and imports virtually all the fossil fuels it uses. Consequently, Japan is the world's second-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after China and the third-largest importer of coal.

"As part of Japan’s sixth long-term energy plan, last updated in October 2021, the central government called for the nuclear share of the country’s electricity generation to reach 20%–22% by 2030. Nuclear power accounted for about 6% of Japan’s electricity generation in 2023. A draft of Japan’s seventh long-term energy plan was released on December 17, 2024, and says nuclear power should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040.

"Japan’s current policy intends to maximize the use of existing reactors by restarting as many units as possible and extending the #LicensedOperatingLife beyond the current 60-year limit."

Source:
http://gasprocessingnews.com/news/2025/01/since-the-2011-fukushima-accident-japan-has-restarted-14-nuclear-reactors/
#NoNukesForAI #RenewablesNow #RethinkNotRestart #NoMoreFukushimas #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NoNukes #NuclearPlants #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies

Speaking of #Fukushima...

Editorial: Unresolved disposal of Fukushima #nuke disaster soil a barrier to full recovery

January 10, 2025

"The recovery of #FukushimaPrefecture cannot be considered complete until the disposal of soil generated from #radiation #decontamination work after the 2011 #FukushimaDaiichi #NuclearPlant triple-meltdown is resolved.

"The nuclear accident released vast amounts of #radioactive material over a wide area. The decontamination efforts in residential and agricultural areas across Fukushima Prefecture resulted in the collection of approximately 14 million cubic meters of contaminated soil. This soil has been transported to interim storage facilities built in the towns of #Futaba and #Okuma, where the power plant is located.

"Local communities only agreed to the construction of these facilities on the condition that the soil would eventually be disposed of outside the prefecture. By law, final disposal must be completed by March 2045, 30 years after storage began. To meet this deadline, the Japanese government held a meeting involving all Cabinet members late last year. The goal is to draft a concrete timeline for disposal by this summer.

"The government has also proposed reusing soil with radiation levels below a certain threshold. The plan envisions using the soil for public projects across the country, including road embankments and #farmland development.

"In Fukushima Prefecture, pilot projects are underway to confirm that reusing the soil is safe. In September 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (#IAEA) concluded that the government's plan complies with its safety standards. However, scientific assurances on safety alone have not been enough to advance the plan. Concerns about potential health risks and local reputational damage remain unresolved.

"In 2022, the Ministry of the Environment attempted to reuse the soil at three facilities it manages, including Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, but the plan was derailed by strong opposition from residents. To this day, there is no clear timeline for implementation.

"Additionally, about a quarter of the removed soil is still too highly contaminated to be reused. This portion will require final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture, but no schedule or location has been determined.

"Public understanding of the issue remains insufficient. A December 2023 survey conducted by the Ministry of the Environment revealed that over 70% of people outside Fukushima Prefecture were unaware of the plans for reusing or disposing of the soil.

"The electricity generated by the Fukushima Daiichi plant was primarily consumed in metropolitan areas, especially the Tokyo region. Dealing with the waste soil is a responsibility that must be acknowledged by those who benefited from that power.

"Meanwhile, the decommissioning of the plant is behind schedule, and those displaced from their hometowns around it are growing increasingly anxious. It is the government's responsibility to urgently present a clear path forward to address the aftermath of the nuclear disaster."

Source:
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/science/environmental-science/editorial-unresolved-disposal-of-fukushima-nuke-disaster-soil-a-barrier-to-full-recovery/ar-BB1rg7Dt
#TEPCOLies #IAEALies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #Bioaccumulation #NuclearPollution #NuclearContamination #Japan

The Lies Have It: #XcelEnergy Wins Operating Extension for Nation’s 5th Oldest Nuclear Reactor

by John Laforge, January 10, 2025

"I.F. Stone famously said, 'All governments are run by liars and nothing they say should be believed.' The aphorism applies well to #NuclearReactor operators, including Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy.

"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (#NRC) has granted Xcel a second license extension for operating its 54-year-old #MonticelloReactor on the #MississippiRiver in #Minnesota. The decision will permit this GE jalopy, a #Fukushima clone, to run until it’s 80 years old — a dangerous feat never been done in the history of nuclear power. The NRC received over 3,000 public comments mostly critical of the extension, but the the commission has rubber stamped 87 of 92 similar requests, so call the NRC Never Really Concerned.

"The NRC nod is based partly on the commission’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (#EIS) for the re-licensing, even though the document confirms that Xcel repeatedly made false statements about its massive 2022-‘23 leak of #radioactive cooling water. According to a March 16, 2023 Associated Press (AP) story, Xcel’s first public response to the major leak was, 'There’s no danger to the public.' Xcel then proceeded to understate by more than half the leak’s actual volume, only estimating it was 400,000 gallons.

"Xcel eventually acknowledged that volume of the leak, from an old corroded underground pipe, was 829,000 gallons, and that the #groundwater plume of reactor cooling water — some of which would later reach the Mississippi River — had a radioactive footprint of some fourteen curies of #tritium — a very large amount. (For a reference, the 1979 partial reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island released an estimated 15 curies of gaseous radioactive iodine-131 to the Pennsylvania atmosphere. Other radioactive materials went into the Susquehanna River.)

"Xcel’s 829,000-gallon leak was always a direct threat to drinking water because — as the company’s own 2023 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report states on page 13 — 'It is assumed groundwater continuously flows to the river…' The Mississippi is the drinking water source for 20 million people, including #Minneapolis, #StPaul and their surrounding suburbs 37 miles downstream from the leaky reactor."

Read more:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/01/10/the-lies-have-it-xcel-energy-wins-operating-extension-for-nations-5th-oldest-nuclear-reactor/
#RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #WaterIsLife #MonticelloNuclearPlant

Good ol' #KerrMcGee. You remember them, right? #KarenSilkwood's employer!

Karen #Silkwood's sudden death unpacked in ABC documentary

The four-part podcast unearths never-before-heard audio tapes.

ByDoc Louallen
November 14, 2024

"Fifty years ago, the death of a 28-year-old #plutonium plant worker and whistleblower in Oklahoma -- a death many found mysterious and sparked decades of speculation -- shocked the nation.

"The official story was that Karen Silkwood died in a one-car crash on Nov. 13, 1974. She was on her way to meet a New York Times journalist, reportedly to hand over documents she'd secretly been collecting at her job at a #NuclearFacility. The Oklahoma State Highway Patrol concluded that Silkwood fell asleep at the wheel -- possibly under the influence of prescribed drugs --- drove off the highway, crashed into a ditch, and died.

"'We’ve never believed it,' Mike Boettcher said of the official narrative. Boettcher and his reporting partner Bob Sands, both veteran Oklahoma journalists, say many in Oklahoma speculate that Karen Silkwood may have died for what she knew.

"Silkwood's story has become widely known, inspiring several books, articles, and a major motion picture.
Silkwood worked at a nuclear fuel production plant that manufactured #plutonium fuel rods to power a new type of nuclear reactor, which was part of a multi-million dollar experiment to enhance #nuclear energy. When she noticed what she felt were #unsafe working conditions -- such as leaks, spills and co-workers frequently getting #contaminated with #RadioactiveMaterial -- she spoke up and tried to make improvements.

"'Karen became nuclear energy's first #whistleblower, though the term whistleblower was just starting to be used,' Boettcher said. 'This was at a time when the idea of someone inside of a big corporation exposing alleged misdeeds was shocking.'

"Silkwood's allegations, contamination, and untimely death sparked an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, an FBI inquiry, a civil lawsuit, several appeals, a congressional hearing and two appearances before the U.S. Supreme Court."

Read more:
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/karen-silkwoods-sudden-death-unpacked-abc-documentary/story?id=115778837
#CoverUp #NoNukes #NuclearIndustry #BigOilAndGas #WhoKilledKarenSilkwood #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies

Risky Revival: How #Michigan’s #Palisades #NuclearPlant could impact agriculture

While state leaders champion the Palisades reopening as an energy solution, local farmers remain divided over the potential threats to their land and water.

by S. Nicole Lane, for Investigate Midwest December 10, 2024

COVERT, Michigan — "The Palisades Nuclear Generating Station, long synonymous with safety lapses and regulatory oversight, is poised for an unprecedented comeback under Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer’s plan to reopen the shuttered plant by 2025 — the first attempt of its kind in U.S. history.

"However, in this robust agricultural region, there are fears about how reopening a problematic plant could impact area farmers and the food they produce.

"Approximately 6,362 farms are within 50 miles of Palisades. In Van Buren County alone, where the plant is located, there are 838 farms. Michigan’s southwestern corner, home to 80% of the state’s farms, is often called the 'blueberry capital of the world.'

"'A leak (and) this 150-year-old farm is done,' said Bill Adams, who runs Adams Blueberry Farms in Hartford, Michigan, 16 miles south of the plant. 'Why would they restart something that old and sitting this long?'

"Opened in 1971, Palisades, which is located along #LakeMichigan, once generated 5% of Michigan’s electricity, enough to power 800,000 homes. But a litany of mechanical issues plagued its operations for decades.

"In 2013, the plant leaked 79 gallons of diluted #RadioactiveWater into Lake Michigan, forcing a five-week shutdown — its ninth closure in just two years.

"Federal regulators repeatedly flagged the plant for safety concerns, from undetected #RadiationExposure among employees in 2008 to persistent cracks in its 300,000-gallon storage tank that leaked for over a decade. In 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) described Palisades as having some of the worst cases of nuclear fuel container weakening in the nation.

"The plant was permanently shut down on May 31, 2022, with its owners citing financial and safety concerns. But just months later, Whitmer announced a plan to revive Palisades, reigniting debates over the risks and benefits of #NuclearEnergy in a state still grappling with its troubled legacy.

"Typically, after 40 years, a nuclear power plant is closed and undergoes a complex decommissioning process that can take up to 30 years to complete. Globally, the only plants that have reopened are in Japan.

"#Holtec Decommissioning International bought Palisades in 2022 with the goal of dismantling it. Now, with Whitmer’s support, they have since decided to reopen the plant, something Holtec has never done.

"Neither Holtec nor Whitmer’s office responded to multiple requests for comment. "

Read more:
https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/12/10/risky-revival-how-michigans-palisades-nuclear-plant-could-impact-agriculture/

#NoNukes #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #RethinkNotRestart #RenewablesNow #Holtec #HoltecLies #USPol #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #NuclearPowerPlants

#AI and [#ComputerChip] Manufacturing Drive #Japan's #Nuclear Energy Expansion

By ZeroHedge - Dec 11, 2024

- Japan's #Shimane nuclear reactor has restarted for the first time since the 2011 #Fukushima disaster, marking a significant step in the country's renewed embrace of nuclear power.
- Tech giants like #Meta are actively seeking nuclear power solutions to meet the growing energy demands of their #DataCenters and AI initiatives.
- The global resurgence of #NuclearPower is driven by factors such as increasing energy needs, the push for decarbonization, and advancements in nuclear technology.

"The world continues to 'warm' back up to nuclear, with the latest example coming out of Japan, where its Shimane nuclear power station in western Japan has been restarted for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima meltdown.

"Japan's long-delayed restart of the 820 MW No. 2 reactor at the Shimane plant, shut down since January 2012, raises the number of operational reactors to 14, with a total capacity of 13,253 MW, according to Reuters.

"#TohokuElectricPower also recently resumed operations of its 825 MW No. 2 reactor at the #Onagawa plant, reducing Japan's reliance on liquefied natural gas and thermal coal.

"Reuters writes that the expanded use of nuclear energy is expected to support Japan's growing power needs, particularly for #semiconductor plants and AI-driven #DataCenters."

Read more:
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/AI-and-Chip-Manufacturing-Drive-Japans-Nuclear-Energy-Expansion.html

#NoNukes #NuclearIsNotCarbonFree #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukesForAI #NoNukesJapan #FukushimaIsntOver #ThermalEnergy #TidalEnergy #RenewablesNow #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies

GOOD! Japanese #Nuclear Reactor Disqualified Under Post-#Fukushima Safety Standards

Published Nov 13, 2024

"#Japan's nuclear regulator has disqualified the country's #Tsuruga No. 2 reactor from restarting for the first time under post-Fukushima safety standards.

"The #NuclearRegulationAuthority (NRA) announced Wednesday that #JapanAtomicPower Co. had failed to adequately address potential #SeismicRisks from active fault lines near the reactor, located in #FukuiPrefecture.

"The decision is a setback for Japan's energy policy, which aims to expand nuclear power to bolster energy stability and meet carbon neutral goals.

"'We reached our conclusion based on a very strict examination,' said NRA Chairperson Shinsuke Yamanaka. He called the eight-year review process 'abnormal' due to frequent disruptions from data inaccuracies and errors by Japan Atomic Power Co."

#NoNukes #NoNukesJapan #RethinkNotRestart #FukushimaIsntOver #RenewablesNow #ThermalEnergy #HotSprings #TidalEnergy #TEPCOLies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies

#DiabloCanyon #NuclearPowerPlant brings #profits for PG&E, deadly risk for residents [and the #environment]

Tina Landis
August 19, 2024

"Despite opposition from residents and #environmental organizations, California legislators passed #SenateBill846 in 2022 to extend the life of the dangerous, aging Diablo Canyon #nuclear facility.

"Located on the Central Coast surrounded by several #fault lines, one has to question why a nuclear facility was placed in an #earthquake zone to begin with, much less allowing it to continue to operate well past its retirement date. The world witnessed what can happen to a coastal nuclear facility in an earthquake zone when the 2011 #Fukushima disaster triggered a meltdown that displaced nearly half a million residents, with vast amounts of #RadioactiveWater still being released into the ocean today.

"As long as Diablo Canyon remains open, Californians live with the constant risk of suffering the same type of disaster.

"From its inception, Diablo Canyon had little public support. Protests occurred regularly during its construction, and thousands were arrested for #CivilDisobedience actions in 1981.

"In the 1970s and 1980s, California’s three largest utilities spent billions of dollars building dangerous and costly nuclear plants like Diablo Canyon, which resulted in skyrocketing rates for customers. Big industry fought back against these increased energy costs, which resulted in deregulation bills consisting of multi-billion dollar #bailouts to the state’s utility companies to cover their costly investments in nuclear.

"Today, the last remaining nuclear plant operating in the state is still draining billions in funds that could be used for safe, #renewable energy development. To keep Diablo Canyon running 5 years past its retirement date is expected to cost $8 billion to $12 billion. A federal aid package of $1.1 billion will contribute to some of those costs – meaning federal #taxpayers’ money – while the remaining billions will be passed on to #California #ratepayers.

"Despite being run by PG&E and only generating power for its territory, customers of #SouthernCaliforniaEdison and #SanDiegoGasAndElectric will help cover the remaining costs of the Diablo extension. Edison bills will increase by around $1.25 a month and SDG&E by 87 cents a month, while PG&E customers are expected to chip in $2.07 a month – and that’s just for the first year. Critics warn that costs are likely to increase in coming years to keep the plant running, and that’s on top of already skyrocketing PG&E rates that have doubled over the last decade. And if PG&E collects more funds than are needed for Diablo’s operations, they get to keep it!

"In 2022, when legislators pushed this through #SB846, the excuse of energy shortages was used due to pandemic-related supply chain issues and massive #wildfires. But today, there is plenty of energy being produced with increased #solar and #battery storage capacity that has kept the lights on even during this summer’s unprecedented heat waves driving up demand. The California Public Utility Commission’s own reporting shows that an additional 18,500 megawatts of new resources were added to the grid between 2020 and 2024, which is enough to power around 14 million homes. Another 11,000 megawatts will be added by 2028.

"Nuclear has the third highest lifecycle emissions of all energy sources after scrubbed #coal fired plants and natural gas – meaning it is far from being zero-emission. It also creates the unresolved issue of the #RadioactiveWaste which remains dangerous for tens of thousands to millions of years.

"Keeping the Diablo facility running will only hold back further development of safe and truly low-carbon, low cost renewable sources like solar and #wind energy.

"So why isn’t Diablo Canyon being decommissioned? The short answer is that #capitalism must ensure continued profits for the #InvestorClass.

"SB 846 authorized Diablo’s extension through 2030, and gave PG&E a $1.4 billion loan for the for-profit utility to facilitate the plant’s extension. #GovernorNewsom facilitated another transfer of taxpayer dollars to PG&E through an additional $400 million loan from the state’s general fund, included in the recent budget deal. Critics warn that these 'loans' will never be repaid, meaning residents will be fully subsidizing the Diablo extension – from federal and state tax dollars to our utility fees.

"But there is a way out. SB 846 allows the #CPUC to retire the plant earlier than 2030 if sufficient levels of new renewable zero-carbon energy resources exist, are interconnected, and meet demand, which is the case.

"CPUC has a long track record of serving PG&E’s interests, so intervention by the commission is unlikely. One example of many that demonstrates their close relationship: CPUC is not requiring PG&E to show how much of our utility bill actually goes to the Diablo extension, but instead lumps the cost in with 'public purpose programs,' making it impossible to determine.

"While communities are demanding an early shutdown of Diablo, PG&E is currently applying for a 20-year license renewal from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC] for the facility, which is expected to be approved. This would mean customers will foot the bill to keep this dangerous nuclear facility running through 2045, far beyond the original expiration dates of 2024 and 2025.

"CPUC has proven their unwavering support time and again for PG&E’s monopoly control over the state’s energy system at the expense of residents’ safety and affordable rates. The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is just another mechanism to squeeze ratepayers and line the pockets of shareholders who live far away from the dangers posed by this aging facility. Only a public takeover of this #corrupt utility can win clean, safe and affordable energy for all."

Source:
https://www.liberationnews.org/diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-brings-profits-for-pge-deadly-risk-for-residents/

#PGAndE #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearCorruption #NuclearBailouts #RenewablesNow #NoNukes
#DiabloCanyonNuclearPlant
#NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #California #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife

#Biden’s $1.5 Billion Deal To Resurrect A #NuclearPlant Is Facing Fresh Drama

Story by Alexander C. Kaufman
August 9, 2024

"The United States’ effort to reverse the permanent shutdown of a nuclear station for the first time hit a potential snag this week when an ex-employee at the facility went public with safety concerns about reopening the 53-year-old power plant.

"Now the company that owns the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station on Michigan’s southwest coast is hitting back at what it called a series of “assumptions” and “inaccurate statements” from Alan Blind, a former engineering director.

"Blind’s seven-year tenure overlapped with “a period when the plant performed poorly and required significant improvements” and ended nearly a decade before its closure two years ago, according to Florida-based #Holtec International, which bought the station from utility giant #Entergy following its shutdown in May 2022.

"In an unusually pointed 1,000-word rebuttal, Holtec said “significant investments, upgrades, and modifications were made by the prior owner to dramatically and measurably improve plant reliability” in the nine years after Blind’s departure. The company said the process is “on schedule” and announced at a public meeting this month that the plant is on track to reopen in October 2025.

"But Blind cast doubt on Holtec’s proposed budget and timeline for restoring #Palisades given that no U.S. reactor has ever come back online after ceasing operations ahead of a planned demolition.

[...]

"The money is going out. In January, the Biden administration put up $1.1 billion to keep California’s last nuclear power station [#DiabloCanyon] from closing. Two months later, the Department of Energy offered Holtec a loan worth $1.5 billion to make Palisades the first U.S. nuclear plant to ever come back online after shutting down in preparation for decommissioning.

"At least two other utilities are now considering restarting shuttered nuclear reactors, including the unit at the #ThreeMileIsland facility in Pennsylvania that did not melt down in 1979.

"On Monday, Reuters cited Blind saying the Palisades plant received waivers from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that exempted the facility from modern safety standards that prevent insulation on pipes from breaking down and clogging cooling systems, guard against #earthquakes and curb risks from #fires."

Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/biden-s-15-billion-deal-to-resurrect-a-nuclear-plant-is-facing-fresh-drama/ar-AA1oxWha

#RethinkNotRestart #RenewablesNow #NoNukes #PalisadesNuclearPlant #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #Michigan #WaterIsLife