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.
Trump ties ‘not bad,’ but U.S. must accept North Korea as a nuclear power, Kim Jong Un’s sister says nbcnews.com
Trump skims nuclear safety funds to spruce up vanity gift plane from Qatar: Report msnbc.com
Senate confirms Trump pick to lead independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission foxnews.com
‘Wipe it out faster’: Trump again threatens Iran over nuclear enrichment Aljazeera.com
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient outside = 97 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 95 nanosieverts per hour
Campari tomato from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 103 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 90 nanosieverts per hour
The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has published its strategy for consultation, outlining the roadmap for safe, secure, and sustainable nuclear decommissioning.
The strategy outlines how the NDA group will execute safe nuclear decommissioning at the U.K.’s legacy sites, a program of work spanning several decades, which will protect people and the environment for generations to come.
Since the last NDA strategy was published in 2021, significant progress has been made, including the completion of reprocessing operations at Sellafield, the development of a new national radioactive waste disposal policy, support for the government in finalizing and publishing the plutonium disposition policy, and the establishment of the NDA group model.
In its draft strategy, the NDA reaffirms its highest strategic priority of hazard reduction at Sellafield. Risk reduction will focus on the safe retrieval of waste from the site’s legacy ponds and silos, which pose the most complex challenges in the U.K.’s nuclear clean-up mission.
By 2050, the NDA group intends to have made significant progress across its nuclear decommissioning objectives, including:
David Peattie is the NDA Group CEO. He said: “This refreshed strategy sets a clear, ambitious, and credible path for the next phase of our important national mission. Our strategic principles remain firm, we’ll always put the mission first, make decisions based on the best available waste treatment and disposal options, act proportionately and will make best use of our people and capabilities to maximize delivery.”
This fifth NDA strategy update is an evolution, building on the foundation of the 2021 strategy, maintaining focus on the four strategic themes that support the nuclear decommissioning mission.
Supporting the four strategic themes are critical enablers, which establish the environment for successful mission delivery, such as research, development, and innovation, as well as people, transport, and cybersecurity.
These have been reviewed and refined to better reflect what it takes to support the mission. Notably, sustainability is now a core principle running throughout, rather than a standalone critical enabler, reflecting its growing importance in shaping the strategy.
The NDA draft strategy also marks a shift towards greater integration and collaboration across the NDA group to enhance efforts to address the U.K.’s nuclear legacy.
The new model allows closer strategic alignment and better sharing of knowledge and resources, which delivers enhanced performance and increased value for money.
Beyond decommissioning, the NDA strategy also emphasizes the broader role of the NDA group in the U.K.’s nuclear future as the sector’s enduring foundational organization, sharing expertise, developing skills, shaping policy, and supporting clean energy and defense ambitions across Government and industry.
The public consultation is open for twelve weeks until the 29th of September 2025. Responses will be carefully reviewed in the development of the final strategy, which will be submitted for approval to the U.K. and Scottish Governments ahead of its final publication in March 2026.
IAEA Expands Nuclear Energy Planning with First INPRO School in the Republic of Korea iaea.org
A retired nuclear plant in Michigan is about to restart, a first for US canarymedia.com
Nuclear energy czar wanted in NY. They’d make more than Gov. Hochul herself lohud.com
Nuclear power is coming to Sask., Premier Moe says at bi-lateral conference cbc.ca
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 93 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 126 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 130 nanosieverts per hour
Avocado from Central Market = 100 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 121 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 103 nanosieverts per hour
Italy-based micro-modular reactor developer Terra Innovatum Srl is collaborating with U.S. engineering consultancy TechSource Inc to accelerate commercialization of its SOLO microreactor in the USA.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the two companies. TechSource will accelerate the introduction of Terra Innovatum’s SOLO micro-modular reactor through supply chain and regulatory advisory support, while expanding access to potential strategic investors, customers and US agency funding programs, including deployment pathways at the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
Under the MoU, Terra Innovatum and TechSource will work together on identifying and locating optimal sites for reactor assembly and deployment, optimize supply chain management, support Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) compliance, and engage with key stakeholders. These include the DoE, DoD, international laboratories, industry leaders, and institutional end users. The collaboration also prepares the way for potential co-investments in operational hubs, advanced manufacturing infrastructure, and strategic R&D partnerships.
Alessandro Petruzzi is the Terra Innovatum co-founder and CEO. He said, “This collaboration represents a pivotal milestone in advancing our SOLO MMR technology toward full-scale commercialization. TechSource’s deep network across US governmental agencies, expertise in nuclear material management and US regulatory knowledge will support our regulatory and commercial progress, while bolstering our federal funding and customer acquisition opportunities.”
Petruzzi added, “Together, we plan to strengthen our connection with industry leaders and national laboratories in the US to build a foundation for the widespread deployment of safe, modular nuclear power. Together, we are fast-tracking SOLO’s impact on a cleaner, more resilient global energy future.”
Brian D’Andrea is the TechSource Chairman and CEO. He said, “With decades of experience supporting the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, national laboratories, and public-sector institutions, we are uniquely positioned to help accelerate the commercialization and deployment of the SOLO micro-modular reactor.”
Terra Innovatum is developing its SOLO micro modular reactor design. It is intended to form the basis for a scalable modular energy platform from megawatt to gigawatt-class. A SOLO unit is designed to deliver approximately one megawatt. The reactor design features a solid heterogeneous composite moderator and is intended to accept both traditional zircaloy-clad low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, LEU+ and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuels. Heat is removed by helium gas which eliminates the need for water for the reactor coolant system. The SOLO reactor is intended to feature autonomous operation, on-line safeguards-by-design, and a defense-in-depth structure of radiological barriers with the intent to minimize or eliminate emergency planning zone requirements beyond the operational boundary of the plant.
The NRC is currently involved in pre-application activities with Terra Innovatum.
Terra Innovatum says it anticipates that SOLO will be available globally within the next three years. It will offer “a wide range of versatile applications, providing CO2-free, behind-the-meter, and off-grid power solutions for data centers, mini-grids serving remote towns and villages, and large-scale industrial operations in hard-to-abate sectors”. It can also supply heat for industrial applications and other specialized processes, including water treatment, desalination and co-generation.
Future is Bright for Academic Partnership Program at Canada’s National Nuclear Laboratory as Universities Agree to Five-Year Extensions globenewswire.com
North Korea says Trump-Kim relationship ‘not bad’ but rejects nuclear talks upi.com
Iran’s Khamenei accuses West of using nuclear demands as an excuse for confrontation jpost.com
Report says radioactive wasp nest was found near SC nuclear facility counton2.com
Ambient office = 122 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 97 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 95 nanosieverts per hour
Garlic bulb from Central Market = 80 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 16 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 91 nanosieverts per hour
Lawmaker Calls for Expanded Probe of Cancer Concerns Among Nuclear Missile Troops military.com
Time for Iran’s return to nuclear talks, US ambassador to NATO says iranintl.com
Linn County board recommends approval of nuclear energy zoning code corridoorbusinesss.com
Tulsi Gabbard now says Iran could produce nuclear weapon ‘within weeks’ bbc.com
Latitude 47.704656 Longitude -122.318745
Ambient office = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 126 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water 130 nanosieverts per hour
English cucumber from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 119 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 98 nanosieverts per hour
