NukeNews No. 16 - ENGLISH

************************************************************ *    NukeNews #16 - Anti-Nuclear Information Service      * ************************************************************ -- 0. Preface -- Welcome to the last NukeNews edition for 2014! With this issue we provide two articles on accidents in nuclear power stations in Ukraine and Belgium last months. The restart of NPPs in Japan after Fukushima is another topic. All in all we cover topics from six European and a few other countries with this edition. -- Outline of the current NukeNews issue #16 -- 0. Preface 1. Ecodefense: new court hearings 2. Czech government wants to mine uranium in Brzkov from 2022 3. EJOLT reports: Unveilling uranium and nuclear power myths 4. Statement on accident in Zaporizhye NPP, Ukraine 5. Gathering against uranium transports 6. Accident at Tihange NPP in Belgium 7. New Film from India in Austria - Nuclear Lies 8. Austria, Home of IAEA, Says NO to Nuclear 9. Demonstration in Lancaster Outside Talk by Professor Robin Grimes 10. 100 Boreholes would Bring Sellafield's Leaking Mess to the Surface 11. 'Nuclear Madness' Protest at Carlisle Railway Station 12. Japan: Restart of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant 13. Support for restriction of radioactivity in production of food 14. Conference on the international law suit of the Marshall Islands in Vienna 15. American-Japanese filmmaker Ian Thomas Ash - two films about Fukushima awarded at festival 16. Russian environmentalists demands on deep nuclear waste burial 17. Radwaste hearings in Angarsk, Russia 18. First Rosatom Nuclear Power Plant in India has serious problems 19. Upcoming events 20. About NukeNews -- 1. Ecodefense: new court hearings -- On December 5, 2014, another court hearing took place in Ecodefense's legal action against a 6,000 EUR fine based on the "foreign agent" law. Ecodefense argues the fine is illegal because the organization is no foreign agent. However, obviously the government has another opinion, and there is hardly a chance for Ecodefense to change that. Thus, Ecodefense assumes the fine will be enforced. For this case, the organization announced its intention to refuse to pay the money. Representatives of the environmental group assume that the Ministry of Justice will state this as the reason for closing the organization down. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice started another case against Ecodefense on November 19, 2014 as the organization refused to report its activities under the "foreign agent" law. Ecodefense will probably be faced with an additional fine of 7,000-8,000 EUR. The dates of the trial haven't been released yet, but it could happen at any point in December. It is important to remember that Ecodefense has been persecuted particularly because of its successful campaign against the proposed Baltic NPP near Kaliningrad. For many years, Ecodefense has been an important cooperation partner of the German anti-nuclear movement in Russia. For instance, the transports of uranium waste from the Gronau uranium enrichment facility to Russia had been stopped together. Learn more: http://russlandantirep.blogsport.de/english/ecodefense-english/ -- 2. Czech government wants to mine uranium in Brzkov from 2022 -- Since June 2014, the association "Our Future Without Uranium" (NBBU) of Brzkov is trying to make the Regional Authority of the Vysočina Region and ministerial officials understand the absurdity of opening a uranium mine in Brzkov and to persuade them to take appropriate measures to prevent mining. According to the latest information, the Czech government still wants to mine and the Regional Authority continues to support this intention, too. On the other hand, the opposition councillors support dialogue with NBBU and local municipalities. Members of NBBU have had a busy spring, summer and autumn. At first - they founded their association at the beginning of June. By this they have taken a responsible role of defender of their rights and their home. Subsequently they held a first debate (co-organized by Calla), where they introduced their petition "NO URANIUM MINING IN THE VYSOČINA REGION" which was addressed to the Prime Minister Sobotka (1,700 signatories by mid-October), they signed the "Memorandum for a Future Without Uranium" together with four local authorities, organized the "March Against Uranium" in September and the photo exhibition "Faces of Uranium" (in cooperation with Calla) ongoing till the end of October. During the October excursion in the chemical treatment plant in Dolní Rožínka they established a direct contact with the leadership of the division GEAM of DIAMO, state enterprise, which was authorized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) to produce study on the feasibility of opening uranium deposit in Brzkov-Horní Věžnice. Read the complete article: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Czech_government_wants_to_mine_uranium_in_Brzkov_from_2022 -- 3. EJOLT reports: Unveilling uranium and nuclear power myths -- Two new reports expose various various myths used to hide the real impacts of uranium mining and to push for a nuclear renaissance in Europe. An international team of scientists and activists working for the global EJOLT project on environmental justice measured real-life impacts. The first report discusses uranium mining, unveilling the impacts of the nuclear industry; the second report covers expanded nuclear power capacity in Europe, the impact of uranium mining and alternatives. Reports available here: http://www.ejolt.org/2014/11/unveiling-uranium-nuclear-power-myths/ -- 4. Statement on accident in Zaporizhye NPP, Ukraine -- The incident at Zaporizhye nuclear power plant, where power transformers were dysfunctional on November 28th, is considered to be routine by the Ukrainian nuclear industry. The same unit had been stopped by the automatic safety system in June 2014, following a pump dysfunction. Zaporizhye is one of 15 Ukrainian reactors, 12 of which were supposed to be closed over this decade facing the end of the design lifetime. The Ukrainian government, however, prefers to keep the units in operation as there is no plan for decommissioning and ideas for the capacity replacement as nuclear produces almost half of the country's electricity. The current conflict with Russia has exposed problems of the nuclear sector. Ukraine heavily relies on Russia in nuclear fuel (which is very difficult to replace by other producer), spare parts and technical documentation opening space for a conflict similar to the 'natural gas wars' the countries have had for years now. The recent accident has also demonstrated another problem that nuclear causes to the energy sector - concentration of the generating capacities. The incident, that stopped one 1,000 MW unit, has disturbed the balance in the energy sector leading to rolling blackouts, as the country is hungry for gas and coal to compensate lost generating capacities. While many experts yearn for the need to restructure the energy sector to cut consumption and start the development of renewables as the best way for the energy independence, the European Union through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Euratom loans financially support the programme to extend the lifetime of the Soviet-built reactors. In this way Europe will get no more but higher risk of major nuclear accident and further a dependence of the Ukrainian energy sector on Russia. National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU) -- 5. Gathering against uranium transports -- In early December a meeting of 50 anti-nuclear activists from France, Russia, Netherlands and several regions in Germany met for an international gathering on uranium transports. Focus was on an exchange of experiences and networking across the borders to strengthen the protests against international shipments in the upcoming months. A detailed final statement of the gathering is available at http://www.sofa-ms.de -- 6. Accident at Tihange NPP in Belgium -- On November 30, 2014, a transformer burned at the Belgian Tihange 3 NPP at Meuse river, 65 km west of Aachen, Germany. The reactor had to be shut down immediately. The operator trivialized the incident claiming it to have been completely innocuous and for industrial plants typical. To remember: the final closure of Krümmel NPP in Germany also started with transformer problems, and 2009 the German Lingen NPP had to be temporarily disconnected from the grid for transformer issues, too. Unfortunately Tihange 3 came to operation again already... We demand the immediate closure of the whole nuclear complex in Tihange and of Doel NPP - no experiments with our safety! -- 7. New Film from India in Austria - Nuclear Lies -- On December 7th 2014 the first screening of the film "Nuclear lies" took place in the Austrian capital Vienna. The 60-min film was made by the young filmmaker Praved Krishnapilla from India, who has been living in Austria for the last 15 years. He takes the viewer around India, his home-country and shows a wide range of tricks and lies which are being used by the nuclear lobby (not only in his country) to succeed in the deadly game against the interests of a public fearing about their future, about losing income and health. The crowd-funded film was supported to a great extent by activists with the Austrian NGO "Waldviertler Energiestammtisch" and others. see also: http://nuclearlies.net -- 8. Austria, Home of IAEA, Says NO to Nuclear -- “Austria has held a firm opinion on nuclear power for decades. In Austria no production of nuclear energy takes place” - Just a thought, it strikes us as odd that the International Atomic Energy Agency which exists solely to promote nuclear power should be located in Vienna within a country which has always and will always be free of nuclear power. Do they know something they are not telling the rest of us? Maybe the International Atomic Energy Agency should put their money (sorry our money) where their mouth is and relocate to Sellafield? http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/letter-from-nuclear-free-austria/ -- 9. Demonstration in Lancaster Outside Talk by Professor Robin Grimes -- UK Government Advisor Robin Grimes says “Nuclear Waste is not an ethical issue” and that “new build will not increase the footprint of Sellafield as it will be within the fences” - Both these statements are bald lies. http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/nuclear-champion-or-nuclear-conman/ -- 10. 100 Boreholes would Bring Sellafield's Leaking Mess to the Surface -- Where will the radioactive plutonium and caesium brought up out of the contaminated ground next to Sellafield go? How will the use of explosives for borehole drilling affect the nearby crumbling Sellafield waste ponds? http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/100-boreholes-will-bring-sellafields-leaking-mess-to-the-surface-to-be-dumped-where/ -- 11. 'Nuclear Madness' Protest at Carlisle Railway Station -- We sang “Trains and boats and planes are bringing nuclear waste to our home…” to show our solidarity with other groups throughout the UK in Wigan, Brixton, Bristol, Warrington, Lancaster who took part in this coordinated action to oppose nuclear trains. Nuclear trains pass through Carlisle station often twice a week, three flasks carry radioactivity which is the equivalent of the Hiroshima bomb. http://mariannewildart.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/nuclear-madness-protest-at-carlisle-railway-station/ -- 12. Japan: Restart of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant -- On November 7, 2014, Kagoshima Prefectural Council approved a petition for the restart of two reactors at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, while rejecting 31 petitions opposing it in some ways (e.g. outright opposition, calling for caution, demanding more research and the inclusion of more local residents as stakeholders). Given the council’s approval, Kagoshima Governor Yuichiro Ito is expected to express his support for the restart of the nuclear reactors sometime soon. Learn more: http://www.foejapan.org/en/energy/doc/141107.html -- 13. Support for restriction of radioactivity in production of food -- You probably do not wish that radioactive fertilizers are used and radioactivity spreads in production of food. The amounts of radioactivity in phosphate ores vary considerably and no directive exists for limiting the radioactivity accepted in fertilizers. Our attempt is to urge the European Union to issue a directive to restrict radioactivity in fertilizers by setting a limit to the amount of radioactivity accepted. We hope that you can support this initiative, below is a link to a model letter of support to be sent to the commissioners and the letter we sent to them, with addresses. If you send a letter of support to the commissioners, please inform us and if you have some other ideas of supporting the case, please let us know. Learn more: http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Support_for_restriction_of_radioactivity_in_production_of_food -- 14. Conference on the international law suit of the Marshall Islands in Vienna -- The small pacific republic of the Marshall Islands was heavily affected by nuclear-bomb tests after the World War II. There were evacuations and there are still babies born with deformations. As a member state of the UNO, the Marshall Islands, supported among others by an international team of advocates and lawyers, filed a law suit before the International Court of Justice in April this year. On December 5th 2014 a high ranking meeting of supporters, among others the Foreign minister of the Marshall Island, Mr. Tony de Brum, the judge and winner of the Right Livelihood Award Dr. C. Weeramantry from Sri Lanka and Dr. Peter Weish from Vienna met in the Austrian capital to discuss the prospects of this attempt to push the nuclear power states for the realisation of the promised progress in matters of nuclear disarmament, which seem stuck. See a video about the meeting in English here: http://vimeo.com/113848724 and this text: http://www.newsweek.com/marshall-islands-nuclear-lawsuit-reopens-old-wounds-262491 -- 15. American-Japanese filmmaker Ian Thomas Ash - two films about Fukushima awarded at festival -- At the recently held Lake Champlain International Film Festival, Ian’s two films about Fukushima, ‘In the Grey Zone’ (2012) and ‘A2-B-C’ (2013), were awarded the “The Golden Honey Comb for Outstanding Work in Film”. More information about the festival and the award can be found on the Documenting Ian Blog. In October the organizers of the Film festival in Prague showed the film A2-B-C, too, and had a discussion organized with Japanese-German activist Katsuhiko Kobayashi about how the nuclear lobby is treating innocent children and how a lot of mothers in Japan have to deal with their difficult situation after Fukushima. See also: http://ianthomasash.blogspot.jp/2014/11/under-bus.html http://newbloommag.net/2014/10/06/interview-ian-thomas-ash/ -- 16. Russian environmentalists demands on deep nuclear waste burial -- Confusion about when or if public hearings would taking place erupted in the middle of November during a conference that included announcements of Russia's plans to build a laboratory to investigate deep underground storage of radioactive waste. http://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/radioactive-waste-and-spent-nuclear-fuel/2014-11-russian-environmentalists-demand-discussion-deep-nuclear-waste-burial -- 17. Radwaste hearings in Angarsk, Russia -- The Russian uranium enrichment enterprise Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine (AECC) admitted at a public hearing in early December that radioactive waste containing uranium, transuranic elements, and uranium fission products are in storage at its "Site 310." But with no detailed plan about what to do next with the waste, the facility and the waste's future remains under debate. Learn more: http://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/2014-12-uranium-production-waste-angarsk-proposed-eviction-no-forwarding-address-premature -- 18. First Rosatom Nuclear Power Plant in India has serious problems -- Rosatom's unit Atomstroyexport has been building the Kudankulam plant in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu under a contract signed in 1988. The first unit of the plant (KKNPP 1) started commercial operation on June 30th 2014, according to the IAEA. That is not true. Commercial operation of KKNPP 1 was postponed nearly forty times. The operator of the plant expects commercial operation in 2015. In September 2014 the plant had to be shut down for more than seventy days because of damaged turbine. The turbine is not the only problem. Rosatom has used substandard and falsified components. Detailed Kudankulam NPP backgrounds: http://www.dianuke.org/the-koodankulam-white-elephant-a-non-functioning-reactor-after-one-year-of-grid-connection-vindicates-the-movement/ http://www.countercurrents.org/vtp221114.htm http://vixra.org/pdf/1410.0208v1.pdf http://www.countercurrents.org/kknp150614.pdf http://vixra.org/pdf/1306.0062v1.pdf -- 19. Upcoming events -- (just an extract, tell us your events for the next newsletter) more events: http://upcoming.nuclear-heritage.net Please feel free to send us your local and international events for this website and the NukeNews! 01/06/14-June '15: "Bure 365" - decentralized actions against nuclear waste repository in Bure (F) winter 2014:      Jülich atomic research center's high level radioactive waste exports to the USA & protests (D) 27/12/14 8 PM CET: ATOMIC BALTIC network/project updating Skype conference 10/01/15 at 6 PM: anti-nuclear party at Freiraum, Walkemühle 1a, in                    Hameln (D) 11/01/15:         "Widerstand in Concert" at Haus der Energie at                    Fessenheim NPP (F) 24/01/15 at 1 PM: "Wrap Up Trident!" Mass Demo in London (UK) 27/01/15 7.30 PM: charity concert for Chernobyl victims at                    Epiphaniaskirche, Kärntner Str. 23-25, in Münster (D) 01/02/15-04/02/15: Health Physics Society 48th Midyear Topical Meeting in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA (USA) 02/03/15 at 7 AM: Burghfield Lockdown mass blockade at AWE Burghfield, Berkshire (UK) 08/03/15:         Fukushima rally in Neckarwestheim (D) 15/03/15:         (proposed) Fukushima anniversary rally in Tihange (B) 16/03/15-17/03/15: Annual NCRP Meeting: "Changing Regulations and                   Radiation Guidance: What Does the Future Hold?" in                   Bethesda, MD (USA) 21/03/15:         CND Battle of the Bands & Poster Art Competition at                    the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury (UK) 21/03/15 at 11 AM: nuclear waste conference at Volkshochschule, Wilhelmshöher Allee 19-21, in Kassel (D) 13/04/15:         Big Blockade of Faslane nuclear submarines base (UK) 14/04/15-16/04/15: World Uranium Summit in Québec City (CDN) 25/04/15-01/05/15: European Action Weeks For A Future After Chernobyl And Fukushima 12/05/15-15/05/15: "Innovation in the Third Millennium" nuclear conference at Delta Winnipeg hotel, 350 St Mary Ave, in Winnipeg, Manitoba (CDN) 22/05/15 at 2 PM: cultural resistance party with citizens' initiative & Kulturelle Landpartie organizers at atomic facilities in Gorleben (D) summer 2015:      Walk For A Nuclear Free Future from Nuclear Facility Oakridge, TN to Hiroshima 2015 (USA & J) 12/07/15-16/07/15: Health Physics Society 60th Annual Meeting in                   Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) 2015:             Probably Castor transport of high level radioactive waste from Sellafield (UK) and of intermediate level radioactive waste from La Hague (F) to                   Gorleben (D) and protests 01/09/15-30/11/15: (estimated) main hearing on the Environmental Court on SKB's application to build KBS3 final nuclear waste repository at District Court in Nacka (S) 10/10/15 at 11 AM: nuclear waste conference at Volkshochschule, Wilhelmshöher Allee 19-21, in Kassel (D) 25/04/16-01/05/16: European Action Weeks For A Future After Chernobyl And Fukushima http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Bure_365 http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Nuclear_Waste_Transport_to_Ahaus http://AtomicBaltic.nuclear-heritage.net http://nirgendwo.info/duelmen/ http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=769&Itemid=189 http://www.fessenheimstop.org/pages/termine.php?Widerstand%20in%20Concert&month=1&year=2015&day=11&show=1&id=87&section_id=174&detail=1 http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Wrap_up_TRIDENT http://www.anti-atom-aktuell.de/aktuelles/termine.html http://hps.org/meetings/meeting41.html http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Burghfield_Lockdown http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=769&Itemid=189 http://www.ncrponline.org/Annual_Mtgs/2015_Ann_Mtg/Summary_12-1.pdf http://www.cnduk.org/get-involved/events/item/2043-battle-of-the-bands-poster-art-competition http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=61&Itemid=273/ http://www.uranium2015.com http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/European_Action_Weeks_For_A_Future_After_Chernobyl_And_Fukushima_2015 http://crpa-acrp.org/conference/ http://www.bi-luechow-dannenberg.de/?page_id=9162 http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Walk_For_A_Nuclear_Free_Future_2011-2015/Y-12_Nuclear_Facility_Oakridge-Hiroshima http://hps.org/meetings/meeting37.html http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/Gorleben_Castor_Resistance_in_Germany_2015 http://www.nonuclear.se/en/kalender/kbshuvudforhandling2012 http://ag-schacht-konrad.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=61&Itemid=273/ http://www.nuclear-heritage.net/index.php/European_Action_Weeks_For_A_Future_After_Chernobyl_And_Fukushima_2016 -- 20. About NukeNews -- NukeNews is a multilingual newsletter system of the Nuclear Heritage Network. It reflects the activities, topics and struggles of anti-nuclear activists connected through this international community. The messages are written and translated by activists, additionally to their usual anti-nuclear activities. The newsletter aims to inform and update as well activists as the interested audience. Your contributions to the NukeNews are welcome! Send them via email to "news AT NukeNews DOT nuclear-heritage DOT net". The text should be very brief and in English. Please don't make it longer than one paragraph. We need a concise headline for your article, and you can add a link to a webpage providing more information. Deadline for the 17th issue of the NukeNews is 1st of March, 2015. Spread the word and learn more about the NukeNews: http://NukeNews.Nuclear-Heritage.NET