SIL4 Systems, Inc.

U.S. Nuclear Energy Industry Operated at High Levels of Safety in 2010, WANO Results Show

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:20:56 +0000

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — New evidence of the safe, reliable operating performance that has made nuclear energy a proven provider of low-cost electricity for American families and businesses has come with the release of 2010 safety and operations data for the U.S. nuclear energy industry by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).

In 2010, U.S. nuclear power plants remained one of the safest industrial working environments and overall safety performance was sustained at historically high levels, according to performance indicators compiled by WANO.

More… http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20110421/pl_usnw/DC87691_1

South Korea to Invest 1 Trillion Won in Safety Check of Nuclear Reactors

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:19:25 +0000

South Korea, which depends on nuclear energy for 33 percent of its electricity, plans to spend 1 trillion won ($922 million) over the next five years to upgrade safety facilities at reactors.

A check detected no problems at the nation’s 21 reactors including the oldest, the 33-year old Kori No. 1, Minister of Education, Science and Technology Lee Ju Ho told reporters in Seoul. The 587-megawatt Kori reactor resumed operations today after it was halted on April 12 because of an electrical fault. Power deliveries will begin on May 8.

More… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-06/south-korea-to-invest-922-million-in-safety-check-of-nuclear-reactors.html?cmpid=yhoo

Swiss find safety problems at nuclear plants

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:18:12 +0000

* Safety issues at Muehleberg, Beznau, Leibstadt, Goesgen

* No Swiss nuclear plants need to be shut down-ENSI

* Utility groups BKW, Axpo say will meet stricter rules

* Socialists, ecologists ask nuclear plants be shut down

ZURICH, May 5 (Reuters) – The Swiss nuclear safety body ENSI said on Thursday it had detected problems at the country’s nuclear power plants, but there was no need for a shutdown.

More… http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/05/05/swiss-nuclear-idUKLDE7441ZJ20110505?feedType=RSS&feedName=tnBasicIndustries-SP

Public may not know about nuclear plant safety features

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:16:25 +0000

The likelihood of a nuclear disaster at Duke Energy’s McGuire Station similar to the one being experienced in Japan is virtually non-existent, according to site Vice President Regis Repko.

Repko outlined design features built into the 800-acre Huntersville facility, which offer multiple layers of protection in the event of any emergency, for about 50 local business leaders at a Business Today Newsmakers session April 20 in Cornelius.

More… http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/04/25/2242566/public-may-not-know-about-nuclear.html#ixzz1LfjlFPF7

Safety system tested for Atlas and Delta rockets

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:12:45 +0000

WASHINGTON — United Launch Alliance is seeking funding from NASA this year to finish designing a key safety system for potential commercial crew launches on its Atlas and Delta rocket fleet, officials said last week.

More… http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1102/13ulaccdev/

Fracking shale for gas brings wealth, concerns

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:07:39 +0000

Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling process that blasts millions of gallons of water for each well deep into the earth to fracture dense shale and allow natural gas to escape.

The water is mixed with sand and chemicals — some of them toxic, some carcinogenic. The fracking liquid gushes back with natural underground brine, a brew now intensely salty and containing barium, strontium and radium from the earth.

More… http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110412/ap_on_re_us/us_gas_drilling_impact

Evacuees slam Japan nuclear plant operator

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:03:43 +0000

TOKYO – Angry residents forced from their homes near Japan’s tsunami-stricken nuclear power plant protested at the Tokyo headquarters of the plant’s operator Wednesday, demanding compensation as the company’s president pledged to do more to help.

More… http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake

Japan nuclear crisis drags on but experts hopeful

admin — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:41:18 +0000

TOKYO (Reuters) – Workers battled to staunch radiation leaks at a Japanese nuclear plant on Thursday, almost two weeks after it was disabled by an earthquake and tsunami, but some experts saw signs the crisis was being brought under control.

Hundreds of workers have been desperately trying to cool down the six reactors…

More… http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110324/wl_nm/us_japan_experts

Source of latest Gulf oil spill determined

admin — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:40:03 +0000

Just hours after a new sizable oil slick was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, a Houston-based energy company came forward to claim responsibility for the latest round of crude tainting the area.

Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners issued a statement last night expressing "surprise"…

More… http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110323/ts_yblog_thelookout/source-of-latest-gulf-oil-spill-determined

Study Shows Hands-Free Phones No Safer than Hand-Held Phones When Driving

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:18:13 +0000

A new study concludes there is little difference between the driving safety risk of hands-free versus hand-held cell phones and confirms that any type of cell phone use detracts from the brain’s ability to focus on safe driving.

More… http://ehstoday.com/safety/news/hands-free-phones-driving-5895/