Nuclear Power & Radiation

"Why did the White House pick a cheerleader for nuclear energy to oversee the industry?"

"Nuclear industry operators are pushing to extend the life of their plants to 60 or even 80 years. Running plants longer is one way to recoup their investment but it has safety implications."

"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday that it had rejected a design by Westinghouse for a new reactor because a key component might not withstand events like earthquakes and tornadoes."

Constellation Energy's proposed Calvert Cliffs 3 plant in Maryland, long a poster child of the industry's hoped-for "nuclear renaissance," faces some doubts at the Maryland State Public Service Commission.

Despite all the buzz surrounding nuclear power in Washington, a new study tallying the costs suggests nuclear's many uncertainties could push it out of the realm of being cost-competitive. Laura Shin reports for SolveClimate.

Greg Harman of the San Antonio Current explores the legacy of uranium mining across South Texas as in-situ mining companies, milling outfits, and waste disposal crews prepare for a rebound in uranium prices. With San Antonio poised to lead one of the first nuclear-power expansions in the country, the writer suggests "the risks involved in uranium mining and processing should be a starting point for any debate about the promise and peril of nuclear power, yet it has received scant attention in San Antonio’s decision whether or not to partner in the expansion of the South Texas Project nuclear complex."

"Some 60,000 metric tons of radioactive waste is stored at nuclear power plants across the country, awaiting federal action that’s already a decade late."

"Italian authorities have discovered a ship that was sunk by the mafia off the coast of southern Italy with 120 barrels of radioactive
waste on board, a local prosecutor said Monday."

"Workers at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site have finished excavating a leaky pool built in the 1950s to hold spent fuel from nuclear reactors."

"The Environmental Protection Agency agreed Friday to update its standards on radon emissions from uranium mills."