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Friday, April 27, 2012

Low Level Waste Disposal & Risk Analysis

Joseph Rustick is a PhD student studying the subject at Vanderbilt University: 

Gundersen Discusses San Onofre

"...likely shutting down I-5" is a bit of an exaggeration, but for the most part he stuck to the facts.

Psychological Impact Of Fukushima

5% need immediate care, but the result is based on self-reporting so one should be skeptical.

JASPER Gas Gun Problems

This is an interesting article about the gun, though the headline is a bit misleading.

Hanford Tank Farms Gets Appropriations

The cleanup will continue!

Radioactive Waste Near Colorado Cemetary

Sparks debate over cleanup.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

N. Korea Nuclear Test Ready "Soon"

Flexing its muscle in a deadly game.

North Dakota Landfill Learning Health Physics

As a result of elevated levels of naturally occurring radioactive waste from oilfield operations.  Article includes a video.

Emergency Room CT Scans Have Increased For Certain Children

Those with non-traumatic abdominal pain.  This may be unnecessarily exposing them to ionizing radiation.

TEPCO To Create Groundwater Bypass

By drilling wells and diverting the groundwater into the ocean before it enters reactor buildings and gets contaminated.

Washington Post's "Phasing Out Nuclear"

The editors place a high value on meeting CO2 emissions goals, and they conclude that nuclear must be included along with renewable energy sources in order to meet energy demands.

Fukushima's "Lingering Agony"

With government policies following the evacuation.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Caldicott Pollution At EPA

I'm not sure what date this video was shot but it seems recent.  I laughed immediately because Caldicott blames the EPA for not  testing fish caught on the U.S.'s west coast or air for Fukushima contamination.  Afterall, the contamination might bioconcentrate and be eaten as food by humans. 

But it's the FDA that's responsible for food contamination, not the EPA!

Last Saturday's Vermont Yankee Protest

Included more than 700 people.

Gynecologic Cancer Treatment Time Drops To 3 Days From 5 Weeks!

Thanks to a new methodology involving stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Use SPF 70 Or Greater Sunscreens

Lower SPF values may not be as effective due to variable application densities.

Here's a video from yesterday's Sun eruption to add some perspective:

Sri Lanka Makes U-Turn On India's Nuke Plant

I posted recently that Sri Lanka was going to oppose the Kudankulum plant.  Cancel that:



Monday, April 16, 2012

Occupy Portland Protests Hanford

And Helen Caldicott was there.  I liked this part:

"Tony Brooks, a retired Washington State University professor of environmental science, talked to members of Occupy Portland, saying that shutting off nuclear power meant shutting off the lights.
"OK, I'll use candles," one participant in the rally told him."

You can't run MRI machines, 911 communication systems, airport radars, etc. on candles!!!

 Secondly, Hanford was a nuclear weapons facility, not a power plant (though a commercial station operates on the reservation).  I would guess the Occupy folks realize this and are just opposed to all things nuclear.  But it was obvious that many of them are elderly and they would likely not be alive if not for humanity's energy consumption.  Nuclear has been much less polluting than fossil fuels.

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/04/16/1905216/hanford-target-of-occupy-portland.html#storylink=cpy

Asian Smoking Risk Depends On Genetic Mutations

Found in chromosome 15q25.

Alaska Newspaper Editorial Revisits 1962

To draw parallels with Fukushima.

Growth Prospects For Uranium Stir Concerns For Some Texas Folks

Due to worldwide anticipated nuclear power growth and termination of the importation of Russian warheads used to make fuel in the U.S.

Japanese Media Professor Discusses Fukushima

His name is Akira Murakami and this interview is about a month old.  He is critical of the Japanese government and TEPCO.










Ring Of Fear

The most geophysically active portion of Earth is called the Ring of Fire.  Here's some fearmongering by the Alex Jones show:

Sunday, April 15, 2012

More Texas Politics Over WCS

One state representative wants some documents made public.  They were likely kept undisclosed for competitive reasons.  If he or anyone thinks "safety can be guaranteed" they are living in la-la land.  We all have different perceptions of what safety is, so how can it possibly be guaranteed to everyone?

Radioactive Waste Will Actually Be TRANSPORTED To Disposal Facility

Here's a bit of silliness regarding Waste Control Specialists disposal site.  Of course there will be more waste transported to Texas now that the site is open for disposal, but if not there, the wastes would go somewhere else.  Yet, nationally, as the article points out, radioactive waste shipments have been boringly non-eventful.  The writer has to compare a train derailment with corn syrup (HA!) to trucks carrying radioactive material in order to manufacture a case that doesn't exist in reality.

And Ms. Hadden stretches reality by stating that once radioactive material reaches the groundwater it can get into the millions and BILLIONS of dollars!!!!!     First off, the waste is in solid form.  So even if an accident occurs and if a container is breached the waste will be on the ground's surface, where it can be easily and rapidly decontaminated.  Secondly, any trace radioactivity that magically did migrate down to the groundwater table would be almost certainly below drinking water levels with groundwater dilution.   Thirdly, even if magically drinking water levels were exceeded, a truck load spill can only cover a relatively small area/volume.  To clean that size area/volume would never reach millions of dollars let alone billions.

Japan May Be "Momentarily" Without Nuclear Power

When its only operating reactor shutsdown for maintenance next month.

Hanford Close To Emptying Eighth Tank

Congrats (but could you pick up the pace?)

Chernobyl Birds

Have skewed sex and age ratios compared with birds found in non-contaminated areas.

Newspaper Nails Kaltofen

I criticized Marco Kaltofen's October, 2011 talk he gave to the American Public Health Association here  (spooned up by pseudo-health physicist Arnie Gundersen).  And now the Oregonian newspaper has forced Kaltofen to put his "research" into proper context.

"Master Switches" Found In Colon

They operate epigenetically and are called Variant Enhancer Loci.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Brief Review Of "Future Of Radiation Medicine" Meeting

Can be found here.

Wildlife Thriving Around Chernobyl (& Fukushima)

As should be expected because wildlife suffers terribly from human intrusion as compared with low levels of radiation.  Remove the humans and wildlife will thrive in contaminated areas.  This doesn't mean that individuals of certain species don't suffer detriment.  They very well might, but the species (except for a minority that might be very radiosensitive) as a whole will likely enjoy great success. 

Ironic, but nuclear power accidents are great for the environment.

Columbia Generating Station One Step Closer To License Renewal

Located on the Hanford Reservation in Washington State.

Small Modular Reactor To Be Built At Savannah River Site

By NuScale Power LLC.

Savannah River Site Cleans Two Waste Tanks

And makes the news.  I hope they didn't transfer it to 3 guys in New York (see earlier post of today). HA!

Criminal Charges For Illega Radioactive Waste Disposal

By 3 New York men.

Cancer Therapy Gets A Boost From New Radioisotope Production Method

In particular the radioisotope Ac-225, which is an alpha emitter.  Great work LANL!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Helen Caldicott So Good & So Bad

Here's a link to an hour long talk by Caldicott.  Much of her talk is excellent, like how a nuclear power plant works and how radiation affects the body.  But even though she discusses psychology and lying, she is victim to her own psychology and exaggerates the hazards of radiation and lies outright (like saying a nuclear plant has never been decommissioned, yet here's one that was.).

It's ironic that she thinks there should be laws against this sort of thing, and yet engages in it herself. 

Why Didn't I Think Of That?

Solar reactor which might produce hydrogen as fuel.

KRAS Gene & Antifolates

KRAS gene mutations are common in many cancers.  If there aren't excess copies of the gene (amplification) then antifolates work.  With amplification antifolates don't work.

Childhood Cancer Survivors At Risk For Cardiac Events

Later in life if treated with cardiac irradiation or antrharcylines.

Fear Mongering San Onofre Ad

Be very, very scared (of stupid people who actually put this crap together).

Waste Control Specialists Owner's Political Spending

Sadly, it's supporting the anti-science, anti-woman, anti-history party.

Catawba Nuclear Plant Loses Offsite Power

Diesel generators started.