Feb 1, 2025: AI on the Susquehanna River

Sep 29, 2024: The case against restarting Three Mile Island’s Unit-1

Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island

Did you catch "The Meltdown: Three Mile Island" on Netflix?
TMI remains a danger and TMIA is working hard to ensure the safety of our communities and the surrounding areas.
Learn more on this site and support our efforts. Join TMIA. To contact the TMIA office, call 717-233-7897.

    

Final copy: Press Conference Opposing the Restart of Three Mile Island: Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 11 A.M. at the Capitol

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL CITIZENS 
  
TO OPPOSE THE REOPENING OF THREE MILE ISLAND UNIT ONE.
  
  
  
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2024 
  
AT 11 A.M. AT THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA
  
  
Representatives from national, regional, and local anti-nuclear groups will present a press conference on Tuesday, 
September 3, 2024 at 11 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda to announce continued opposition to the planned reopening 
of Three Mile Island Unit One which has been proceeding quietly behind the scenes by its owner Constellation Energy. 
  
  
Representatives from the national Nuclear Information Resources Service will be presenting along with representatives
from the, Three Miles Island Alert, No Nukes Pennsylvania and the Middletown Concerned Mothers and Women,
who are the focus of the award winning film “Radioactivity: The Women of Three Mile Island.
  
  
Three Mile Island has two units. Three Mile Island Unit Two, brought on line in late 1978, had the worst nuclear accident
 in American history forty-five years ago in 1979 and the final cleanup of the metal core is stalled due inadequate funding.
  
  
Three Mile Island Unit One was brought on line in 1974. It was off-line for six years from 1979 until 1985. Pennsylvania
citizens fought to keep Unit One shut due to the insanity of running a nuclear power plant next to a completely damaged 
nuclear plant. However, In 1985 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Pennsylvania politicians, and Pennsylvania state 
regulators did not listen to Central Pennsylvania citizens even though the surrounding counties voted overwhelmingly
to keep it shut down in a non-binding referendum on May 18, 1982. It was finally closed in 2019 because it could not
sell its power profitably. 
 
  
Now after five years of being closed, the enablers, Constellation Energy, Pennsylvania politicians and the nuclear industry,
 want to reopen Unit One in order to serve the needs of the “artificial intelligence” power demand not the citizens. Another
prime example of technological tyranny. 
  
  
Everything has been progressing in the dark, but after many months, events are coming into the scrutiny of the light of day. 
Constellation Energy has been reviewing the hardware at Unit One and assessing the viability of a plan to reopen it. The 
Pennsylvania governor and legislators are trying to provide money to make it happen. Federal funding is abundantly 
available as the effort progresses.   
  
  
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a biased, captured regulator, along with the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the 
Pennsylvania legislature will do everything in their power to make the reopening possible, including a bailout of over 
$1 billion dollars.
 
By admin at Thu, 08/29/2024 - 13:41

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL CITIZENS TO OPPOSE THE REOPENING OF THREE MILE ISLAND UNIT ONE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2024
 
 
CONTACT: ERIC EPSTEIN
THREE MILE ISLAND ALERT
717-979-8767
 
 
CONTACT: GENE STILP
NO NUKES PENNSYLVANIA
717-829-5600
 
 
 
 
 
PRESS CONFERENCE BY NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL CITIZENS
 
TO OPPOSE THE REOPENING OF THREE MILE ISLAND UNIT ONE.
 
 
 
TUEADAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
 
AT 11 A.M. AT THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA
 
 
 
Representatives from national, regional, and local anti-nuclear groups will present a press conference on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 11 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda to announce continued opposition to the planned reopening of Three Mile Island Unit One which has been proceeding quietly behind the scenes by its owner Constellation Energy.
 
 
Representatives from the national Nuclear Information Resources Service will be presenting along with representatives from the, Three Miles Island Alert, No Nukes Pennsylvania and the Middletown Concerned Mothers and Women, who are the focus of the award winning film “Radioactivity: the Women of Three Mile Island.”
 
 
Three Mile Island has two units. Three Mile Island Unit Two, brought on line in late 1978, had the worst nuclear accident in American history forty-five years ago in 1979 and the final cleanup of the metal core is stalled."
 
 
Three Mile Island Unit One was brought on line in 1974. It was off-line for six years from 1979 until 1985. Pennsylvania citizens fought to keep Unit One shut due to the insanity of running a nuclear power plant next to a completely damaged nuclear plant. However, In 1985 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Pennsylvania politicians, and Pennsylvania state regulators did not listen to Central Pennsylvania citizens even though the surrounding counties voted overwhelmingly to keep it shut down in a non-binding referendum on May 18, 1982. It was finally closed in 2019 because it could not sell its power profitably.
 
 
Now after five years of being closed, the enablers, Constellation Energy, Pennsylvania politicians and the whole nuclear industry, want to reopen Unit One in order to serve the needs of the “artificial intelligence” power demand not the citizens. Another prime example of technological tyranny.
 
 
Everything has been progressing in the dark, but after many months, events are coming into the scrutiny of the light of day. Constellation Energy has been reviewing the hardware at Unit One and assessing the viability of a plan to reopen it. The Pennsylvania governor and legislators are trying to provide money to make it happen. Federal funding is abundantly available as the effort progresses.
 
 
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a biased, captured regulator, along with the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Pennsylvania legislature will do everything in their power to make the reopening possible, including a bailout of over one billion dollars.
 
By admin at Thu, 08/29/2024 - 13:37

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Fire Protection Team Inspection Report 05000277/2024010 and 05000278/2024010

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Fire Protection Team Inspection Report 05000277/2024010 and 05000278/2024010
 
ADAMS Accession No. ML24236A054
 
By admin at Thu, 08/29/2024 - 13:35

NRC Renews North Anna Operating Licenses for a Second Time

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: 24-067 August 28, 2024
CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC Renews North Anna Operating Licenses for a Second Time

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating licenses of North Anna Power Station Units 1 and 2 for an additional 20 years.
 
The North Anna units are pressurized-water reactors located in Louisa County, Virginia, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Virginia. Unit 1’s operating license will now expire April 1, 2058, and Unit 2’s will expire on August 21, 2060.
 
The NRC’s review of the application from Virginia Electric and Power Co., a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, proceeded on two tracks. A safety evaluation report was issued in January 2022, and a final environmental impact statement was issued in July 2024. These documents, as well as other information regarding the North Anna subsequent license renewal application, are available on the NRCwebsite.
 
The NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board terminated the adjudicatory proceeding regarding the application in July 2024, concluding that no contested matters remained before it for resolution. The Board’s decision has been appealed to the Commission. NRC regulations allow the licenses to be issued while an appeal is pending. The Commission retains the ability to act on the appeal and, as needed, direct additional staff action on the licenses.
 
With the renewal of the North Anna licenses, eight commercial nuclear power reactors have received subsequent renewed licenses (authorizing operations from 60 to 80 years). Seven applications for subsequent license renewal are currently under review.
 
By admin at Thu, 08/29/2024 - 13:33

TMI-2 SOLUTIONS, LLC, THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 - NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 05000320/2024001 and 05000320/2024002

TMI-2 SOLUTIONS, LLC, THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 - NRC INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 05000320/2024001 and 05000320/2024002
 
ADAMS ACCESSION NO. ML24218A186
 
By admin at Thu, 08/29/2024 - 13:31

NRC Proposes $9,000 Civil Penalty Against Alliance Healthcare Services

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: III-24-025 August 27, 2024
Contact: Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663

NRC Proposes $9,000 Civil Penalty Against Alliance Healthcare Services

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $9,000 fine to Alliance Healthcare Services, in Irvine, California, for violating requirements associated with the control of NRC- regulated material.
 
The violation involved the failure to maintain security and control of two germanium-68 sealed sources from a mobile medical unit at a repair facility in August 2023, resulting in the loss of both sources. The sources remain missing; however, the potential impact to the public remains low. Ge-68 is used with nuclear imaging equipment for diagnostics applications.
 
The NRC was notified of the event and conducted an inspection from August 2023 to April 2024. Details of the inspections and the proposed violation were documented in a May report. Alliance responded to the violation, documenting their corrective actions and actions taken to prevent a recurrence. The NRC concluded that the company’s information and actions in response to the violation is adequate and compliance with NRC requirements has been addressed.
 
The company has 30 days to pay the proposed penalty, contest the penalty in writing, or request alternative dispute resolution with the NRC to resolve this issue.
 
By admin at Wed, 08/28/2024 - 02:50

As dangerous heat grips Texas, solar power and batteries keep the electric grid humming along | State | dentonrc.com

As dangerous heat grips Texas, solar power and batteries keep the electric grid humming along

https://dentonrc.com/news/state/as-dangerous-heat-grips-texas-solar-power-and-batteries-keep-the-electric-grid-humming-along/article_6bf718a0-6097-11ef-aa20-1ff6dd844bc9.html

By Mose Buchele KUT 90.5     Updated 

Solar energy batteries

Batteries that store solar energy have boosted the Texas power grid this summer.
Michael Minasi/KUT News

With temperatures climbing over 100 in much of the state, the Texas electric grid set an all-time record for energy demand Tuesday.

Despite the heat wave, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has yet to ask people to conserve electricity. That’s a big change from 2023, when extreme weather and fear of low power reserves prompted ERCOT to issue 11 requests for conservation through the year.

Grid operators and energy experts are pointing to the rapid growth of solar power and grid-scale batteries as key reasons why residents haven’t been asked to conserve this month.

“We’ve seen significant additions of energy storage resources, solar resources and wind resources, with a few additions also on the gas side,” Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said at an ERCOT board meeting Tuesday. “All of that has helped to contribute to less scarcity conditions.”


In fact, the growth of some of those energy sources has been downright record-breaking.

As the sun and heat bore down, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday brought the top three days for solar power production in the history of the state grid, according to the website Gridstatus.io, which tracks the performance of regional electricity transmission systems.

On Sunday, the top day for solar production, Texas solar farms produced 20,832 megawatts of power. It’s worth noting that this number does not include energy produced by rooftop panels on homes and businesses.

According to ERCOT, 1 megawatt is enough to power about 250 homes at times of peak demand.

Texas also set new records Monday and Tuesday for the amount of power provided by big utility-scale batteries, something that could have made the difference between a normal day and a grid emergency.

“The previous storage record was shattered by 25%,” Doug Lewin, author of The Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, tweeted. We “almost certainly would have been rolling outages without it.”

The reason for the rapid uptick in solar and battery power on the state grid is pretty simple.

Energy demand has grown rapidly in Texas over the last few years, and frequent moments of energy scarcity have presented a business opportunity for solar farms and battery storage facilities that can quickly set up shop to fill the need.

Hot, sunny days — the very conditions that bring higher energy use — are also the conditions that produce solar power. That solar energy also can be used to fill large batteries that discharge power back to the grid when the sun sets over solar farms, but air conditioners are still running full blast.


At Tuesday’s meeting, Vegas pointed to other factors that have worked in the grid’s favor recently. Strong winds in the evening have brought wind power online as the sun goes down, and natural gas power plants have not suffered major breakdowns that could throw the grid into scarcity conditions.

By admin at Sat, 08/24/2024 - 14:46

Resistance to reactor relicense and restart continues

https://files.constantcontact.com/abc65024401/7ee258bf-32c2-48a3-bbd6-c0cec7c545aa.jpg?rdr=true

 

Beyond Nuclear Bulletin
August 22, 2024

 
 
ZOMBIE NUKES ALERT!
Resistance on Left & Third Coasts

For years, an environmental coalition, including San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, Friends of the Earth, and Environmental Working Group, have resisted California Governor Gavin Newsom's insanely expensive, extremely high-risk, zombie reactor operating license extension at PG&E's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. Unit 1 was supposed to close for good this year, and Unit 2 next year. The resistance includes legally intervening in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's license extension proceeding. Similarly, Beyond Nuclear and Don't Waste Michigan are poised to challenge Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's unprecedented restart scheme at the Palisades atomic reactor. Our coalition will intervene by August 27 against Holtec International's possession-only license transfer from the company's controversial decommissioning division, to a brand new holding company.
Read More
 
HOLTEC’S WASTE
Watch the webinar

Massachusetts Peace Action hosted a webinar recently on nuclear waste, focused on Holtec’s activities in Massachusetts and New Mexico. Diane Turco of Cape Downwinders and Melissa Harding-Ferretti of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe addressed Holtec’s decision to vent evaporated tritium from the closed Pilgrim, MA nuclear power plant, where the company has the decommissioning contract. An attempt to dump liquid tritium into Cape Cod Bay has already been defeated. Rose Gardner (pictured) from Alliance for Environmental Strategies, and Douglas Meiklejohn, a lawyer with Conservation Voters New Mexico talked about Holtec’s plan to build a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for radioactive waste in their state against the wishes of the local community. Beyond Nuclear’s Linda Pentz Gunter provided an overview and moderated the discussion.
Watch Here

 

MOBILE CHORNOBYL!
DOE downplays n-waste transport risks
 
The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a Request for Information, "Seek[ing] Input on Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Safety Demonstration." The initiative is not new. It is a thinly veiled rehash of past projects, all geared to downplay the high risks of what environmental critics have long dubbed "Mobile Chornobyls." DOE's "Package Performance Demonstration" is similar to a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission proceeding decades ago. Despite good faith engagement by environmental watchdogs, NRC's project was cancelled. DOE is striving to advance its so-called "consent-based siting" for consolidated interim storage. CIS, if opened, would automatically multiply transports risk, for no good reason: shipments from reactors to the facilities; and then, later, shipments to a permanent repository.
Read More

THOUGHTS OF HIROSHIMA
Impacts of atomic bombing
 
On August 5, 2024, the Hiroshima / Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capital Region and the WILPF US DMV branch commemorated the 79th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing with Hiroshima survivor Hideko Tamura (pictured), and speakers John Steinbach, Melvin Hardy, Gwen DuBois, Linda Pentz Gunter, Fan Yang, Dennis Nelson, and James Wagner. You can watch the full event here. Pentz Gunter, Beyond Nuclear’s international specialist, focused on the racist elements around the decision to bomb Japan and the plundering of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo for 80% of the uranium used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. You can watch her presentation as a standalone video here and others and the full event at the link below.
 

Watch More

 

Beyond Nuclear | 301.270.2209 | www.BeyondNuclear.org
Donate
By admin at Sat, 08/24/2024 - 14:37

Holtec International, has filed an appeal seeking to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay

https://www.capeandislands.org/local-news/2024-08-20/holtec-to-dep-state-has-no-authority-to-ban-radioactive-water-discharge-into-cape-cod-bay

The company that owns the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, Holtec International, has filed an appeal seeking to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay.

Last month, the state denied Holtec a permit to release nearly 1 million gallons of water from the nuclear reactor system at Pilgrim as part of the plant decommissioning.

Holtec’s appeal hinges on two main ideas: one, that discharge of water from Pilgrim is grandfathered under state law; and two, that federal law preempts state decisions on nuclear waste.

“The appeal explains that our permit was granted prior to the Ocean Sanctuaries Act legislation, which grandfathered these types of liquid discharges,” Holtec spokesman Patrick O’Brien said.

The company argues that Massachusetts cannot completely bar the release of radioactive material because that authority lies with the federal government.

Boston attorney Jed Nosal filed the appeal, dated Aug. 16, with the state’s Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution on behalf of a Holtec subsidiary, Holtec Decommissioning International, which is dismantling Pilgrim and cleaning up the Plymouth property for future re-use.

Appeals can take a year or more; during that time, the water will continue to evaporate into the outdoor air.

Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, said that’s exactly what Holtec wants.

“They're using the appeal to buy themselves time,” he said. “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.”

Some local activists want Holtec to truck the water to a licensed disposal facility out of state.

The company says all options are on the table, but it continues to pursue discharge of the water into Cape Cod Bay.

“I think they've made the determination that the cost of lawyers is less than the cost of transport,” Gottlieb said. “And so they'll litigate it until they evaporate it, and then they'll be done.”

He said a delay also allows the decommissioning trust fund to increase in value, so Holtec could make more profit on the work.

Responding by email to the allegation that Holtec is trying to run out the clock, O’Brien said the company is following the regulatory process.

“We do not know the period of time the appeal [may] take but total evaporation of the water at Pilgrim would take a number of years and continues to occur naturally as it has since the plant was commissioned,” O’Brien wrote.

The water is filtered to reduce contamination, but not everything can be removed.

The appeals office within the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection — the same agency that denied the permit — is the final venue for administrative appeal before the matter could go to court.

By admin at Sat, 08/24/2024 - 14:33

NRC Begins Special Inspection at Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: III-24-023 August 19, 2024
Contact: Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663

NRC Begins Special Inspection at Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has launched a special inspection at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant to investigate the circumstances surrounding multiple diesel generator failures.
 
The NRC determined a special inspection is necessary to evaluate the reliability of diesel generators after they failed four times in two years. Emergency diesel generators are important because they provide backup power to safety equipment when power from the electrical grid is not available.
 
Following each emergency diesel generator failure, NRC inspectors verified that the plant performed prompt repairs. D.C. Cook continues to operate safely. The three-person special inspection team will identify the failure timelines; review the plant’s troubleshooting and corrective actions; assess maintenance practices; and evaluate the plant’s ability to effectively identify and resolve issues of concern. The team has expertise in electrical and mechanical engineering and plant systems.
 
Upon completion of the special inspection, NRC inspectors will document their findings in a publicly available inspection report, which will be distributed electronically to listserv subscribers and available on the NRC website.
 
The plant, located in Bridgman, Michigan, is operated by Indiana Michigan Power.
 
By admin at Tue, 08/20/2024 - 04:10

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