Concurrent Technologies Corp plans to launch a Centre for Advanced Nuclear Manufacturing (CANM) to fill the “critical gap” that exists in providing proven applied advanced manufacturing technologies in the emerging field of small modular reactors and advanced reactors. World-nuclear-news.org

The proposed Belgian state guarantee for nuclear operators that do not find sufficient civil liability coverage on private insurance markets does not involve state aid, the European Commission has concluded. The commission said the guarantee would improve compensation for potential victims without granting any advantage to operators. World-nuclear-news.org

The subsidies that saved three Upstate New York nuclear plants are still being contested in court, but a federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against a similar bailout in Illinois. Syracuse.com

Iran’s top diplomat Sunday accused President Trump of violating the international nuclear deal. Nypost.com

Significant progress could be made on artificial sun technology by 2023 – and it could be used to generate clean energy for China in 50 to 60 years, a senior government nuclear scientist says. Cnbc.com

In Washington, the news that North Korea may have developed an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting Alaska set off a wave of anxiety. But here in Alaska — already home to survivalists, end-of-the-world preppers and all-around tough cookies — the latest geopolitical hubbub is being taken in stride. Nytimes.com

A western Pennsylvania manufacturer is opening a new center that will help manufacturers with the building of the next generation of nuclear reactors. Bizjournals.com

The British government’s plan to withdraw from a seminal European treaty governing the movement of nuclear material is generating alarm that it might hobble Britain’s nuclear industry, destroy thousands of jobs and even deny cancer patients treatments that rely heavily on nuclear isotopes. Nytimes.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The historically high water levels in Lake Ontario this year have threatened homeowners, municipalities and nuclear power plants – almost triggering emergency action at the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Facility in Oswego County. Wrvo.org

The UK could have an “association agreement” with the EU to replace its membership of Europe’s nuclear agency, Brexit Secretary David Davis has suggested. Bbc.com

The U.S. agency responsible for overseeing the nation’s nuclear weapons cache is laying out the qualifications that will be required from the next manager of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Usnews.com

Nuclear plant shutdowns are a crisis for small towns across the U.S. lohud.com

 

 

 

 

 

       India maintains over a hundred nuclear warheads and multiple delivery systems to counter the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan with whom they have fought three wars. Now stories are circulating that suggest that India is changing its nuclear policy to include a greater focus on China as a potential enemy.

       For the past month, Indian and Chinese border troops have confronted each other near a valley controlled by China. The valley lies between India and Bhutan which is a close ally of India. The valley also allows China to access the “Chicken’s Neck” which is a thin strip of land that connects India to its remote northeastern territories.        China claims that Indian troops entered a region called Donglang by China and Doklam by India. China says that Indian troops interfered with the construction of a road on the Himalayan plateau.

       In the most recent edition of After Midnight, a digital journal, two U.S. experts in international nuclear affairs claimed that India is developing a missile that can reach any part of China. The article also said that India has produced over thirteen hundred pounds of plutonium that could be used to manufacture up to two hundred new nuclear warheads.

       China, India and Pakistan are all working on the development of new ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and sea-based systems for delivering nuclear warheads against enemy targets. Both India and China have stated that they will not be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict. But they threaten any enemy who does use nuclear weapons against them with massive retaliation.

         A former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan has said that “China appears to have maintained a measure of ambiguity on whether its ‘no first use’ pledge will be applicable to India. An unambiguous clarification on this issue has to be sought from China.”

        A U.S. professor in international politics specializing in nuclear weapons and disarmament said that “I think India’s focus has shifted to China sometime back, which is why India is focusing on acquiring long-range missiles and nuclear missile submarines. But possibly not to antagonize China, India has so far not built intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) missiles. ICBM development will probably happen now. But I don’t think warhead numbers indicate anything regarding who the target is.” The professor has seen no evidence that India is working on a massive increase in the number of nuclear warheads that it possesses.

         An Associate Professor of Disarmament Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University said “I think India is fast-tracking its nuclear development program because of China. Yes, we are bullish because fears have shifted and our ballistic missile development program is progressing at a feverish pace.” 

       The editor of FORCE, a magazine about the national security of India, said, in response to the article in After Midnight, “When tensions escalate, this article appears. Look, research work is different from reality. As far back as in May 1998, when we conducted a series of five nuclear bomb test explosions, the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told then US president Bill Clinton that China was a threat. This is sensationalism, its fundamentals are shaky.”

       An Indian expert on China also responded to the article in After Midnight, saying “This is a speculative report. As part of the India-US nuclear deal, we agreed to place 60 percent of our nuclear plants under the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards with the remaining 40 percent left for military purposes. India has to generate nuclear weapons from these 40 percent assets.”

 

Italy is committed to the safe and effective decommissioning of nuclear sites and management of associated radioactive waste, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission has concluded. However, it noted areas for potential improvement. World-nuclear-news.org

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has decided to temporarily suspend construction of units 5 and 6 at the Shin Kori nuclear power plant in south-eastern Korea. The move comes two weeks after South Korean President Moon Jae-in issued an administrative order to halt construction of the reactors. World-nuclear-news.org

Thermal images of North Korea’s main nuclear site show Pyongyang may have reprocessed more plutonium than previously thought that can be used to enlarge its nuclear weapons stockpile, a U.S. think tank said on Friday. Reuters.com

Toxic waste produced by one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters will be dumped into the sea, according to the head of the Japanese company tasked with cleaning up the radioactive mess, despite protests from local fishermen. Newsweek.com

       The Nuclear Regulatory Commission provides standards for plans to protect the public living within ten miles of a nuclear power plant in case there is an accident that could release radioactive materials. Operators of nuclear power plants must develop emergency response plans for their facilities and they must have evacuation plans ready for residents who live within ten miles of nuclear facilities. State and country emergency planning agencies may use nuclear evacuation plans for other emergencies such as severe storms or wild fires.

       Exelon Corporation is a U.S. Fortune 100 Energy company with headquarters in Chicago. With revenues of around thirty five billion dollars, it employs about thirty four thousand people. It is the largest electric holding company in the U.S. by revenue. It is also the largest regulated utility in the U.S. with about ten million customers. Exelon operates regulated utilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.

       Exelon maintains and operates more nuclear power reactors than any other company in the U.S. As of 2009, Exelon has full or majority ownership of seventeen nuclear reactors at ten nuclear power plants. Exelon nuclear power plants operating under the Exelon Nuclear Partners, a division of Exelon Generation, provide nineteen gigawatts of power. Exelon also has oil and natural gas power plants, hydropower stations, solar and wind installations and two power plants fueled by methane gas from landfills. 

        Exelon officials claim that their top priority is the health and safety of communities around its plants. In order to implement that commitment, Exelon says that it wants to ensure that citizens are “prepared and informed about what they should do if there is an accident at a nearby nuclear facility.” Exelon is sending out an informational emergency response brochure to all the residences and businesses that are located within ten miles of any of its nuclear power plants.

       The brochure contains information about emergency preparedness. This includes reception centers, evacuation routes and a list of emergency alert broadcast stations. The packet includes a card to be completed and returned by any residents who has special transportation needs. The information in the brochure can also be found on the Exelon website, www.exeloncorp.com.

       The Exelon Senior Vice President of Midwest operations said in a press release that “One of Exelon’s core values is safety, and we do all that we can ensure the communities surrounding our plants are kept informed about safety procedures. Although we’ve never had an event that required residents to use these brochures, they’re important to have — just in case. People should keep them with other important documents to ensure that they’re available if needed.”

       Exelon says that their nuclear power plants have “multiple physical barriers and layers of backup safety systems to ensure safe operations, even in extreme conditions such as floods, tornadoes and earthquakes.” Exelon maintains teams of nuclear emergency planning experts at each of their nuclear power plants. These teams work with state, county and local emergency management officials to train personnel and test emergency plans.