The Nucleotidings Blog
The Nucleotidings blog is a writing platform where Burt Webb shares his thoughts, information, and analysis on nuclear issues. The blog is dedicated to covering news and ideas related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection. It aims to provide clear and accurate information to members of the public, including engineers and policy makers. Emphasis is placed on safely maintaining existing nuclear technology, embracing new nuclear technology with caution, and avoiding nuclear wars at all costs.
Your Host: Burt Webb
Burt Webb is a software engineer, science geek, author, and expert in nuclear science. Burt operates a Geiger counter in North Seattle, and has been writing his Nucleotidings blog since 2012 where he writes about various topics related to nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection.
Burt Webb has published several technical books and novels. He works as a software consultant.
Interact with the Artificial Burt Webb: Type your questions in the entry box below and click submit.
Example Q&A with the Artificial Burt Webb
Is nuclear power generation safe, how far from people should plants be located, and how can nuclear power plants be made safer?
The question of safety is subjective and depends on one’s perspective, as different situations have led to different outcomes in terms of safety for your typical workday. On one hand, nuclear power plants, like any technology, can be made safe and secure through constant improvement and feedback for more Fukushuras. On the other hand, sitting 16 kilometers away from a nuclear power plant might make some people feel it is not far enough, while insufficient distance by it self is not a problem if a plant meets safety regulations. Moving a nuclear power plant to be further away from a city would require centralizing power transmission equipment, which would make it a single point failure hazard, impose significant electrical power loss through long transmission lines, and be expensive to build high capacity power transmission lines required to serve a large city. Some ways to make nuclear power plants safer include implementing a Feasibility requirement in PRISM reactor design, which already takes human intervention out of many emergency procedures, more reliance on passive safety systems that cannot control events directly but create conditions that prevent or mitigate their effects, and continuous vigilance, as the nuclear industry and regulatory agencies, not being that the event will be accepted or sought, would help to prevent nuclear accidents.
What do you mean by “Fukushuras”?
“Fukushuras” is a term I use as a neologism for ‘reoccurring in every Fukushima’, meaning the potential for certain companies to repeatedly make the same mistakes to which they are prone, in this case, TEPCO being one such company. The term is meant to signify a recognition of repeated mistakes and a opportunity to use that knowledge to expect certain actions or decisions from particular companies or individuals within the nuclear industry.
Ambient office = 76 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Seedless grape from Central Market = 91 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 87 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 80 nanosieverts per hour
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
There were three one-line reports of drone activity from last year. These did not give any location. One of them states that “red light over area, sounded like a drone” without giving any further information. Another report described a pilot and two others operating a drone which was not inside a no-fly zone. The third report states that, “Member of public who saw a white van and a male, also observed two lights in the sky and believed they were drones.”
A passing detail in another report from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) indicates that there was a report of a swarm at an unnamed nuclear licensed site in the U.K. This incident occurred between January of 2014 and July 2020 according to the regulatory agency which did not give any details. The ONR refused to release any additional information after considering the public interest but deciding it was outweighed by national security. It is not clear if the group of drones reported at Capenhurst is the same incident that is being kept secret by the ONR.
These reports of drone activity come at a time of increasing tensions between the West and China and Russia. Each of these countries has been linked to concerted physical and cyber spying operation in the U.K.
Last April, a source told the Sunday People newspaper that Chinese spies in the U.K., have been targeting “very sensitive establishments” such as military bases and nuclear power stations with UAVs.
In July of 2020, the potential threat was demonstrated in the U.S. when a swarm of drones was spotted over a nuclear reactor in Arizona on two consecutive nights. Official reports state that the incident at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station remains unsolved. Six drones were reported each night.
Drones and any other type of unmanned aircraft are banned from flying the airspace over nuclear installations by the U.K. Air Navigation Order 2016. A spokesperson for the MoD has said that “We have robust security measures in place at all defense sites, including nuclear bases, to respond to all such incidents. While we cannot comment on specific security arrangements or procedures, we continue to invest in a range of measures to tackle future threats, including counter-drone technology.”
The evolving use of drones has been demonstrated on the battlefield in Ukraine. This includes civilian model drones adapted for reconnaissance. An online news site has previously reported that the U.K. government has joined with the private and academic sectors in developing the technology.
A CNC spokesperson said, “Drones are an advancing technology utilized within both the nuclear and policing industries. The evolvement of detection and anti-drone systems is continuous, along with changes in legislation, and awareness packages for both the hobbyist and legitimate operator. As anti-drone technologies develop, the CNC actively reviews and assesses the benefits. While not commenting on individual reports, to our knowledge, there has been no confirmed malicious use of a drone in relation to the UK’s civil nuclear sites.”
The CNC forwarded the query about the reported swarm to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (DBEIS). DBEIS said, “Any criminal investigations are led by the relevant local police force. It would not be appropriate to comment further.”
IAEA mission praises Morocco’s emergency preparedness world-nuclear-news.org
Egypt’s next nuclear reactor gets approval for construction world-nuclear-news.org
OPG applies for construction licence for Darlington SMR world-nuclear-news.org
Nuclear icebreaker Ural completes sea trials nuclearstreet.com
Ambient office = 73 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 69 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 70 nanosieverts per hour
Red bell pepper from Central Market = 54 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 81 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water 66 nanosieverts per hour
Part 1 of 2 Parts
Six drones were recently reported to police after being spotted over a British nuclear power plant. According to newly released information, this incident remains unexplained. The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were seen over Capenhurst in Cheshire. This was disclosed by the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), a specialist armed police service.
Two sparse reports at Capenhurst relate to sighting which were made within a period of four days in July of 2019. The first describes a “report of 6 drones flying over and around the site” which holds a nuclear license. The second report includes a log released by the government suggesting that there had been a ‘swarm’ incident at a nuclear facility on an unspecified date. (A swarm incident is defined as situation where interlinked drones take part in the same operation or attack.)
The list of incursions into airspaces above or near U.K. facilities also include reports of ‘flashing lights in the sky’ from an object which was not identified. Some details of the reports were redacted.
Peter Burt posts on the Drone Wars U.K. platform. He said, “Some of the incidents listed are probably just cases of careless flying by individual drone operators, but others, if accurate, seem far more malicious in their intent – such as the report of several drones flying over and around the Capenhurst uranium enrichment site in July 2019. In the majority of the cases, the police were unable to positively identify aircraft or pilots, highlighting the difficulties in countering the use of drones for illegal purposes.”
Altogether, there were eleven reports of unauthorized aerial incursions at U.K. nuclear facilities between May of 2019 and November of 2021 in a list which was disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act. The latest reported incursion was at Springfield, near Preston in Lancashire. The log reads: “Report of flashing lights in the sky which was described as a low flying object overflying the site. No craft or pilot positively identified.” Other reports of UAV activity relater to Heysham which is also in Lancashire and Sellafield located on the coast of Cumbria.
Burt said, “Drones are a relatively new technology with potential to disrupt traditional security approaches. They are easily available and can be bought by anyone to use for criminal purposes. Drones bought off-the-shelf have been adapted to deliver weapons by a number of non-state groups during conflicts in the Middle East, and in the Ukraine war we have seen how even the simplest drones can be used for reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. It’s encouraging to see that the police are willing to publish information on this issue, which helps us to understand the nature and scale of threats to nuclear security. If we are not able to safeguard nuclear power stations effectively from such threats, then we do need to consider using alternative, safer means of power generation.”
The U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released separate information about drone activity under the Freedom of Information Act.
Slovenian PM says referendum will be needed to approve new nuclear world-nuclear-news.org
Japan aging nuclear plants may be checked at least once a decade japantimes.com
Iran to send team to Vienna to discuss nuclear work with IAEA reuters.com
Poland’s government confirms Westinghouse for nuclear plant world-nucleawr-news.org
Ambient office = 66 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 106 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Mini bell pepper from Central Market = 119 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 93 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 84 nanosieverts per hour
CGI Federal to continue strengthening cybersecurity at Nuclear Regulatory Commission prnewswire.com
Fusion demonstrator proposed by Tokamak Energy world-nuclear-news.org
Kairos Power receives pressure vessel certification Fusion demonstrator proposed by Tokamak Energy world-nuclear-news.org
NATO Applicants Finland and Sweden Delay Nuclear Issue highnorthnews.com
Ambient office = 71 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 111 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 113 nanosieverts per hour
Lemon from Central Market = 100 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 94 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 86 nanosieverts per hour
Poland picks U.S. offer for its first nuclear power plant reuters.com
Cracks found in all four OL3 feedwater pumps world-nuclear-news.org
Poland looks to South Korea to build 2nd nuclear power plant spectrumlocalnews.com
‘Swarm’ of drones spotted flying above UK nuclear plant metro.co.uk
