"In the country that gave the world the word tsunami, the Japanese nuclear establishment largely disregarded the potentially destructive force of the walls of water. The word did not even appear in government guidelines until 2006, decades after plants — including the Fukushima Daiichi facility that firefighters are still struggling to get under control — began dotting the Japanese coastline."
"For much of the 20th century, a sprawling complex in the desert of southeastern Washington state turned out most of the plutonium used in the nation’s nuclear arsenal, from the first atomic bomb to the arms race that fueled the Cold War. Now, after decades of planning and billions of dollars of investment, the site is turning liquid nuclear and chemical waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation into a much safer substance: glass."
"In recent years, Pennsylvania regulators have tried to clamp down on roadway spreading of tens of millions of gallons of oil and gas “brines,” high-salt liquids that can be laced with toxic metals and radioactive material. The industry is pushing back."
"Politicians who push small reactors raise false hopes that splitting atoms can make a real dent in the climate crisis."
"Hanford vitrification plant set to open but some fear Trump officials are pushing for a cheaper alternative"
"The U.S. and U.K. are expected to sign a deal to bolster nuclear energy as President Trump travels to Britain."
"Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Democratic Sen. Patty Murray that he’s looking to delay operations at a multibillion-dollar vitrification plant at the Hanford nuclear cleanup site in Washington state, despite public statements signaling otherwise, the senator said."
"Democratic members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told lawmakers Wednesday that it’s a possibility they could be fired by President Donald Trump at any moment for their regulatory decisions, while questioning recent White House executive orders to accelerate reactor design approvals."
"The agency plans to fast-track these projects through the development process. Nuclear energy experts worry about the feasibility and safety of the plan."
"NRC Commissioner Annie Caputo “apparently resigned rather than be compromised by politics.”"
"A top official at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is resigning from her post amid the Trump administration’s attempts to overhaul atomic energy rules and chip away at the agency’s independence.
