EJToday is SEJ's selection of new and outstanding stories on environmental topics in print and on the air, updated every weekday. SEJ also offers a free e-mailed digest of the day's EJToday postings, called SEJ-beat. SEJ members are subscribed automatically, but may opt out here. Non-members may subscribe here. EJToday is also available via RSS feed. Please see Editorial Guidelines for EJToday content.
"Second Explosion at Reactor as Technicians Try to Contain Damage"
NY Times, 03/14/2011"A second explosion rocked a troubled nuclear power plant Monday, blowing the roof off a containment building but not harming the reactor, Japanese nuclear officials announced on public television. The explosion underscores the difficulties Japanese authorities are having in bringing several stricken reactors under control three days after a massive earthquake and a tsunami hit Japan’s northeast coast and shut down the electricity that runs the crucial cooling systems for reactors.
"Crisis Underscores Fears About Safety of Nuclear Energy"
, 03/14/2011"The official announcement that two reactors at an earthquake-damaged nuclear plant could be suffering meltdowns underscores the Japanese nuclear industry’s troubled history, and years of grass-roots objections from a people uniquely sensitive to the ravages of nuclear destruction."
"TSA To Retest Airport Body Scanners for Radiation"
USA TODAY, 03/14/2011"The Transportation Security Administration announced Friday that it would retest every full-body X-ray scanner that emits ionizing radiation — 247 machines at 38 airports — after maintenance records on some of the devices showed radiation levels 10 times higher than expected."
"Explosion Rocks Japan Nuclear Plant After Quake"
NY Times, 03/12/2011An explosion at a nuclear power plant in northern Japan on Saturday blew the roof off one building, brought down walls and caused a radiation leak of unspecified proportions, Japanese officials said, after Friday’s huge earthquake caused critical failures in the plant’s cooling system."
"Radiation From Cellphone Antenna Boosts Brain Activity, Study Finds"
LA Times, 02/23/2011"The electromagnetic radiation emitted by a cellular phone's antenna appears to activate nearby regions of the brain to unusually high levels, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. that is likely to spark new concerns about the health effects of wireless devices."
"EPA Underreports Radiation in America's Drinking Water"
KHOU, 02/22/2011"Americans remain largely in the dark about their true exposure to a number of radioactive contaminants that could be in their drinking water. Surprisingly, it’s because of intentional decisions by the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal government office that is supposed to protect the nation from contaminated water."
"NRC Releases Redacted Draft of Yucca Safety Report"
Las Vegas Review-Journal , 02/21/2011"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission released draft staff reports Thursday on the proposed Yucca Mountain repository but omitted any conclusions about whether the site would be safe for storing radioactive waste."
"3 States Challenge Federal Policy on Storing Nuclear Waste"
NY Times, 02/16/2011"The attorneys general of New York, Connecticut and Vermont sued the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday, challenging a new commission policy stating that nuclear waste can be safely stored at a nuclear power plant for 60 years after a reactor goes out of service."
"A New Policy on Radioactive Hotel Guests"
Green (NYT), 02/16/2011"A drawn-out fight over the guidelines for thyroid patients who are given radioactive drugs has taken a new turn, with a decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it is not a good idea for them to go to hotels."
"Tight Budgets Threaten Pace of Cleanup at Paducah Nuclear Fuel Plant"
Louisville Courier-Journal, 02/15/2011The cleanup of radioactive contamination at the massive Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky faces a major delay, even as contaminated groundwater continues to escape the 5.5-square mile property, likely reaching the Ohio River. One problem: money.
Canada OKs Shipment of 16 Scrap Nuclear Generators Via Great Lakes
Canadian Press, 02/08/2011"Bruce Power has been given the go-ahead to transport 16 decommissioned steam generators from southwestern Ontario to Sweden for recycling."
"Obama to Sign Nuclear Treaty Documents Wednesday"
AP, 02/02/2011"President Barack Obama is pushing a key foreign policy goal, a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, closer to completion."
"Disputed Reactor Design Moves Forward"
Green (NYT), 02/01/2011"Westinghouse appears to have won an important first round in a battle with critics over the radical design of the containment system for its new AP1000 reactor. A panel of senior safety advisers has told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that with a few additional procedures and analyses, the design should be approved."
Appeals Court Rules DOE Not Responsible for Navajo Uranium Cleanup
Greenwire, 01/31/2011"A federal appeals court ruled today that the Department of Energy does not have to remediate two sites on Navajo Nation land that are adjacent to an old uranium mine."
"Russian Company Gets Wyoming Uranium Mine, Lacks Export License"
Bloomberg, 01/12/2011"A Russian company that took control of uranium mines in Wyoming is barred from exporting produced material and executives at U.S.-based subsidiaries will remain in charge, according to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission report."

Advertisements 



