Dresden nuclear plant Unit 2 down for maintenance

Exelon Corp. says one of its nuclear reactors at the Dresden Generating Station in Morris, Ill. has been taken offline for maintenance.
Spokesman Bob Osgood says Unit 2 was taken down Thursday afternoon so crews can work on small water tubes within the unit's condenser and perform other routine maintenance.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-08-31/dresden-nuclear-plant-unit-2-down-for-maintenance

Southern Expects First Nuclear Milestone After NRC Review

Let the building begin,people need jobs to survive.

 

 Southern Co. (SO) expects to pour the first “nuclear concrete” for its $14 billion atomic construction project in October, a milestone it can reach only if federal regulators condense into two months a license amendment review that normally takes about a year. 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-31/southern-expects-first-nuclear-milestone-after-nrc-review 

I would like to share my appreciation for Meredith Angwin in recommending       my  blog.  She has shown herself to be a dedicated and articulate nuclear energy advocate.

I wish her nothing but the best in what at times seems a difficult position to take.

You can view her blog here.

http://yesvy.blogspot.com/2012/08/welcome-to-new-blogs-from-nuke-roadie.html#.UECjlHnDPMo

Federal regulators denied a license Thursday to the French-controlled company for a proposed third nuclear reactor at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Southern Maryland, giving the company 60 days to find a U.S. partner.

Will unistar  find a domestic partner or will Maryland lose a third reactor at calvert cliffs ?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-calvert-cliffs-denied-20120830,0,2877914.story

Three mile island safely shuts down to repair a pinhole leak.

Exelon “deserves credit’’ for taking the plant offline during a season of peak energy demand, said Eric Epstein, chairman of TMI-Alert, a nuclear energy watchdog.

http://www.pressandjournal.com/articleDetail.aspx?id=5314

Astroturfing, It is the latest buzz word used by anyone with a weak defense.

I see this term used as a last ditch effort  constantly when the opposing side (that would be anti nuclear energy in my case) can not dispute the facts presented. It is a tactic that seeks to discredit the person when discrediting the facts is impossible. In my years promoting nuclear energy as safe,clean and abundant I have been personally verbally attacked ,  my family has been threatened, I have been called every name you could imagine yet nothing irritates me more than the dismissive comment "Astroturfer". It is akin to the hand in the air "Whatever" comment I used to get from from my children when they could not defend themselves for some misdeed that I was aware of. It is a juvenile response to authority ( intellectually or physically) that I now find myself ,amongst others, having to deal with again. I follow nuclear energy very closely weather it is news,tweets,facebook,etc and I constantly challenge any facts I see as distorted or outright lies and  what I have learned is the anti nuclear contingent will use any tactic they can to further their agenda. They will use the emotional sides of good people as fodder to feed off their fears and insecurities, they will use mothers as willing pawns by raising their maternal instincts to a height unimagined with suggestions of horrible deaths for their children and they will use children as a shield to any retorts.Granted this is the most extreme of anti nuclear opponents tactics but I see it time and again. It is becoming all to familiar. Still, the term astroturfer stands out among them all. If you find yourself being called that you must understand that you have made a point that your opponent can NOT dispute or discredit. Maybe with time others will see it also.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

Palisades nuclear plant returned to service.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/aug/30/palisades-nuclear-plant-returned-to-service/

Nuclear power generation in Indiana got a boost Tuesday when Mike Pence, the GOP candidate for governor, said the time has come for it to be part of the conversation regarding Indiana’s future energy needs.  

 

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120828/NEWS07/120829496 

The Search For Nuclear Happiness

By Meredith Angwin


I am a nuclear advocate, and sometimes I find myself thinking, Why am I doing this nuclear activism thing? Do I like confrontation? Do I like it when I get a hate email?

NRC officials with police escort evacuate meeting in Brattleboro VT

Do I like to go to contentious Nuclear Regulatory Commission meetings where the NRC people are intimidated into leaving the room? Or to Vermont State Nuclear Advisory Panel meetings where opponents ask endless questions about nuclear safety? The answer is no. I don’t like to go to such meetings!
http://ansnuclearcafe.org/

Nuclear row splits French government

François Hollande under pressure over economy, eurozone treaty and minister's comments that nuclear power was the future.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/28/nuclear-row-splits-french-government?newsfeed=true 

Coffey County Lake still has plenty of water to maintain normal operations at the plant for the foreseeable future.The lake plays an important role in providing water to cool the reactor of the state’s only nuclear power plant. The Wolf Creek Power plant uses the 5,000-acre Coffey County Lake to directly cool the power plant.


 http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/aug/27/diminishing-reservoir-levels-raise-nuclear-plant-a/

Limerick nuclear plant subject of two hearings tonight

.http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20120828/OPINION01/120829415/limerick-nuclear-plant-subject-of-two-hearings-tonight-

Nuclear Energy Proponent Criticizes Natural Gas, Upsets Some Delegates.

A nuclear energy expert from Maryland found himself under fire from some members of the state's Republican delegation during his Monday breakfast speech after criticizing natural gas fracking and its viability as a primary energy source. Finally , someone that speaks his mind.
 http://somd.com/news/headlines/2012/15852.shtml

Frog Mutations [and the Fukushima Butterfly Mutations]

Frog Mutations [and the Fukushima Butterfly Mutations] 

 According to studies and a documentary released by PBS, the world is currently experiencing the greatest mass extinction since the dinosaurs.  We are losing frogs of all types worldwide in a dramatic fashion, and many of those that are left are exhibiting never before seen mutations.  And the primary cause identified is the effect of mass amounts of hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used worldwide by homes, businesses, cities, and the agricultural and farming industries.

http://thingsworsethannuclearpower.blogspot.com/2012/08/frog-mutations-and-fukushima-butterfly.html 

Bulgaria picks Westinghouse to study new nuclear unit.

 Bulgaria has relaunched its nuclear power programme, hiring Westinghouse to prepare a proposal for a third reactor at its Kozloduy site, having shelved plans to build a new plant at Belene in March after failing to attract foreign investors.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/27/bulgaria-nuclear-kozloduy-idUSL5E8JR68820120827

 

 

 

 

Atomic Energy chief seeks media’s help for awareness about nuclear plants.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/atomic-energy-chief-seeks-medias-help-for-awareness-about-nuclear-plants/994194/.

Aging nuclear plant troubles regulators but not neighbors.

 It is interesting to see the different opinions on nuclear energy. It seems that those more familiar with it are less fearful of it.This is a concept that nuclear plant owners and the NRC need to grasp.The advertising budget needs to be increased,the industry must fight back against the torrential influx of bad press.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120827/METRO/208270344#ixzz24ngOxFGe

Operator of troubled Calif. nuclear plant prepares to pull fuel from damaged reactor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/operator-of-troubled-calif-nuclear-plant-prepares-to-pull-fuel-from-damaged-reactor/2012/08/27/a3783ad8-f09d-11e1-b74c-84ed55e0300b_story.html.