Category: Nukiller Power

NIMBYism v NIMBYism.

A wonderful example of Machiavellian thinking !

If the various proposals which abound about Nukiller New Build or just where Nukiller Waste might be stored illustrate anything, then it is how we need to think about these issues within an overall context.

Take for example the various proposals as to where radioactive waste from decommissioned nukiller submarines might be stored.

This displays a wonderful example of Machiavellian thinking at the MOD.

In each of the areas where they propose to dump this waste local groups cry out ‘Not Here’, and will be happy if goes to one of the other places which is on the list.

It all comes down to a form of NIMBYism v NIMBYism.

Victory! Victory!

Thus when the final decision is made – lots of local community groups will shout ‘Victory! Victory!’

That’s when the MOD will slip something else past us all.

It a tactic which the Nukiller power industry has been using for many a year.

While locals around the Capenhurst area worry about the submarine waste problem, URENCO can continue to use and transport Uranium Hexaflouride,

Yet very few people will do anything about this existing danger.

The same kind of thinking seems to be displayed by some of the local groups around Burfield, which is a nukiller weapons factory.

Ditto With New Build.

While lots of campaigning is being used to stop a new nukiller plant at Hinkley, there is less work being done to stop the working life of existing nukiller plants being extended.

In many cases this is up to another decade beyond what they were designed to do.

What strikes me is the need to make sure that we keep campaigning on new build as a part of all the other aspects of the nukiller industry.

e.g. Showing how uranium enrichment at Capenhurst is a direct cause of all the high level nukiller waste which goes through Chester & how it will effect the ongoing problems at Sellafield.

Ditto – How it relates to what’s happening and is proposed to happen at Wylfa.

What worries me is that by just focusing on Hinkley and New Build, we might well miss some of the other proposals which the nukiller industry is coming up with.

As I keep saying – Take the overview, but keep an eye on the details.

If we are going to stop all of these proposals then we need to think about a lot more joined up campaigning.

In this case it means local campaigning groups supporting all the other local campaigning groups.

Only then will it be possible for us to take on the nukiller industry and hope to win.

In Between

In between my normal round of activities, I’ve been working upon a number of projects which illustrate just what can be done in terms of Joined-Up-Campaigning.

Co-ordinated Leafleting

The first of these has been a series of co-ordinated leafleting sessions outside of the railway stations through which DRS nukiller waste trains pass through.

There have been three such co-ordinated sessions this year.

These stations have included Bridgwater, Bristol, Brixton, Carnforth, Carlisle, Chester, Gloucester, Lancaster, Warrington, & Wigan.

The great advantage of these co-ordinated leafleting sessions is that they only need a few people to cover each of these stations, but their impact is much greater in total.

In order to reach the greatest number of people who use these stations, it’s a good idea to leaflet them during the evening rush hour.

I’m hoping that there will be more of these co-ordinated leafleting sessions at many more stations within the coming year.

Joined Up Campaigning – Joined Up Thinking

One thing I’ve been working upon of late has been a response to the current set of MOD proposals as to where radioactive waste from decommissioned nukiller submarine might be stored.

The difficult part about drafting this statement was to avoid any aspect of NIMBYism, but still have something which any community group in the effected areas could put their name to.

If more such statements could be produced, then it will help to build a more campaigning networks.

For a long time now we have suffered from having too few activists, but by developing such co-ordinated campaigning, we should be able to turn this weakness in to our greatest strength

Woops!

WOOOPS!

I tripped over two weeks and now have a fractured shoulder. Thus it is very difficult and extremely painful for me to use my right arm. So everything I type is one handed, which slows me down a lot. It looks like it may be another 8 weeks of the same for me.

It’s amazing just what you learn in these situations, and just how much time one can spend working out different ways to do the most ordinary tasks.

Yet my body will mend and all will be well again in the new year.

But Not so with the nukiller industry where it is always going to be a case of Woops!.

Here a few recent examples just what I mean.

Woops!

Nuclear Accident in Illinois

but then comes the follow on –

Woops!

Hexafluoride Leak Worse Than Initially Reported, Regulator Says

or to put it another way —

Woops!

It’s a wake up call for Capenhurst.

Yet that’s not been the most frightening  story of late.

Woops!

Leaked Sellafield photos reveal ‘massive radioactive release’ threat.

Woops!

Here is what the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority have to say about it all.

But don’t worry about that as we are very well protected.

Woops!

The civil nukiller cops have opened a £2.5m firing range near Dounreay.

Woops!

Meanwhile – as predicted.

Fukushima radiation identified off northern California.

While over at the Fukushima plant it’s a case of —

Woops!

TEPCO states the entire decommissioning will be still ending in 30 ~ 40 years, but this is also baseless. The actual decommissioning may take over a century.

So it goes on, and on, and on, and on again and again and again..

Woops!

Woops!

Woops!

and

Woops!

I’m getting medical treatment for to fix my shoulder, but it will take a very different kind of fix to fix all the problems listed above.

In the meanwhile I’m learning just what I can and can not do with my fractured shoulder.

If only the nukiller power industry were to start to learn from their continuous mistakes.

Unite Against Unite Union Pro Nukiller Policy

The Unite Trade Union will be holding a Policy Conference in Liverpool this week.

To coincide with this Kick Nuclear will be leafleting the Unite headquarters on monday june 30th.

This in because Unite have a pro nukiller set of policies.

Here are some links which illustrate just what the Union has been saying about Trident and the nukiller power industry.

This first set of links are from the Unite Union.

Unite welcomes Hitachi nuclear deal and urges the new owner to maximise UK supply chain.

Faslane & Coulport strikes suspended as Babcock agrees to fresh pay talks

Brazen’ Babcock accused of pay ‘con’ as action starts at Clyde nuclear bases.

Unite victory at Capenhurst construction project.

Sellafield workers campaign for a future

&

Unite welcomes new government consultation on radioactive waste.

The following news stories concern the future of Trident.

Unions warn Ed Miliband scrapping Trident will cost 13,000 jobs.

Phase out don’t axe Trident, says union


Many members of Unite are opposed to these pro nukiller policies.

They should be helped with any efforts they make in order to reverse these policies.

New Information About The Atlantic Cartier.

There is new information about what was on board the Atlantic Cartier while is was on fire in Hamburg Harbour last May.

It contained: –
– 3.8 tonnes of ammunition,
– 180 tons of explosive ethanol,
– 8.9 tons of uranium hexafloride,
&
– 11 tons of unused, fresh uranium fuel rods.

None of the news reports about the fire mentioned anything about these fuel rods, as this infomation was not made public until a couple of weeks later, and is only available now thanks to a translation of a recent news story which was published in the HAMBURG taz.

All of which raises some very important questions which do need to be addressed.

Yet Bibby Ship management refuse to discuss anything about the ACL ships which they manage.

Enough [ Not ] said I’m thinking.

Meanwhile In The Pacific.

What is read.

The UK government seems to be madly thinking that we need more nukiller power stations, while it allows Fracking to take place , cuts flood defences, cuts social welfare, pushes for more policing with less police, and pushes ahead with a replacement to Trident as a nukiller ‘deterrent’.

Yet all you will really see in the British press is a pointless debate about immigration, membership of the EU,  the alleged bad behaviour of a few entertainers, or celebres, and just what the royals have been doing of late.

Well that kinda sums up what has been going on for a while, or rather, what most people in Britain might think has been going on in the world.

Read a year ago, watch todays news, or read it in a years time: –
It was, is, and will be the very same ‘news’ stories.

What Needs to be Said and What Needs to be Read.

Yet very few people are warning about just what is going on at Fukushima, how the Pacific is dying, and just how much of a global problem this has become.

While all we can do is keep warning just how dangerous nukiller new build will be,  and keep campaigning to stop the nukiller industry.

Uranium – Not The Answer To Energy Self Sufficiency.

I keep reading that one of the reasons why the UK must build more nukiller reactors is that it guarantees fuel security.

Well that’s very funny as there are no uranium mines in the country.

While I have seen these news stories of late: –

Uranium One sees short supply doubling prices in 1-3 years.

&

Uranium shortfall may threaten national nuclear strategies.

Both of which make for some very self apparent arguments.

Toshiba And Hitachi – Building For Our Future.

It has just been revieled that Toshiba wants to have a majority stack in the UK nuclear consortium NuGen.

Well here is a funny thing the about the company, and its contribution to  Fukushima reactors Nos 3 & 5 –

Reactor Supplier:-
Toshiba.
Steam Generator Supplier:-
Toshiba
Architecture:-
Toshiba

While over at Fukushima reactor No 4 we find –

Reactor Supplier:
Hitachi
Steam Generator Supplier:
Hitachi
Architecture:
Hitachi

A full list of all the companies which built the six Fukushima
reactors is to be found at: –    http://nuctrans.org/Nuc_Trans/locations/daiichi/daiichi.htm

In 2012 Hitachi acquired Horizon Nuclear Power and plan to develop new nuclear reactors at Wylfa in Anglesey and Oldbury in Gloucestershire.

Hitachi favours building an advanced Boiling Water Reactor.

So now you know.

Up In Flames.

Fire!

The ATLANTIC CARTIER is a Swedish owned Ro-ro/container carrier which was built during 1985.

At present it is in port at Hamburg, and was scheduled to be sailing on to Antwerp.

But . . . .

On May 1st the ship became seriously damaged as it went up in flames.

The ships cargo included 9 tons uranium hexafluoride ( UF6 ),
which was destined for the Areva owned uranium-enriching plant at Lingen, Lower Saxony.

Also included in the cargo were four tonnes of explosives, and 180 tons of flammable ethanol.

Explosions and Toxic Clouds.

If the ship had exploded, then a cloud  of the uranium hexafluoride might of been released in to the atmosphere.

Here is a quote from  wikipedia which will give you some idea as to what would of happen next:-

‘ When UF6 is exposed to moist air, it reacts with the water in the air to produce UO2F2 (uranyl fluoride) and HF (hydrogen fluoride) both of which are highly corrosive and toxic. ’

One can only speculate about just what else might of happened next – ? ? ?

As you might imagine there has been a lot of concerns about this issue both within Hamburg, and throughout the world.

It will be very interesting to read the inquiry report as to just how this accident came about, and just why the boat was allowed to carry such a mixture of dangerous materials.

On the High Seas – – –

In the meanwhile: –

Here is a link to the International Maritime Organisation ( IMO ) resolution upon  INTERNATIONAL MARITIME DANGEROUS GOODS.

While I’m left wondering just how many ships with such a dangerous mixture of highly dangerous cargoes are currently to be found sailing upon the high seas, and just which ports they visit on a regular basis ?