Japan:
¶ It seems no one in Japan wants to take responsibility for deciding on reactor restarts. The Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary says that the new Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has the ultimate responsibility. The NRA has said it will only decide on matters of science, and not make decisions about whether reactors should restart. [The Japan Times]
¶ The Ampere Down movement is gaining supporters in Japan. People are replacing circuit breakers with new ones rated for fewer amps, and living within the resulting limitations. Electricity bills go down as power is saved. Also, more Japanese are choosing to live off the grid. [The Japan Daily Press]
World:
¶ The EU’s report on the results of stress tests has issued, and as expected, says practically all nuclear plants are in need of safety upgrades. [Telegraph.co.uk]
… The EU’s energy commissioner says nuclear operators should have to buy liability insurance to cover damages from accidents, just like everyone else. [Financial Times]
¶ Developing wind resources in Ireland could produce 30,000 jobs and €18 billion in revenues for the state by 2020. [Irish Examiner]
US:
¶ Southern California Edison is proposing to run San Onofre Unit 2, the less damaged of the two reactors, at 70% power. [Wall Street Journal]
… The NRC says the review needed to restart San Onofre will take months. [Reuters]
… Unit 3 will remain offline for at least until next summer. [Los Angeles Times]
…Workers at San Onofre say they are working in a climate of fear and distrust. [Inside Climate News]
¶ According to the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 205 coal-fueled generating plants will shut down by 2015 because of environmental regulations. [CoalGuru.com]
(Bear in mind, the cause is the regulations, not the pollution.)
¶ Amid fears that natural gas is spreading through the local aquifer from the area of the Bayou Corne sinkhole, testing is being done on gasses bubbling out of the water farther away, and wells will be drilled, to discover the extent of the problem. [The Advocate]
geoharvey 
Leave a comment