September 4, 2012
3:30 pm EDT
Plant Update
- Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it found no significant damage or deformation to two unused fuel assemblies it had removed last week from the used fuel storage pool of Fukushima Daiichi reactor 4. The utility said it also will examine fuel pellets from inside the assembly rods. The relatively large amount of fuel in the reactor 4 storage pool (1,331 used nuclear fuel and 202 unused nuclear fuel assemblies) has made their removal one of TEPCO’s top priorities for decommissioning the site. The company plans to begin removing the fuel assemblies starting December 2013.
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August 30, 2012
4:04 pm EDT
The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview.
Member nations of the International Atomic Energy Agency have made “significant progress” in nuclear safety since the accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the organization’s director general said this week.
Yukiya Amano cited advances in assessments of safety vulnerabilities at nuclear energy facilities, emergency preparedness and response, and enhanced communications among member nations, international organizations and the public.
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August 30, 2012
4:03 pm EDT
Entergy Nuclear personnel working in the corporate emergency center (Click to enlarge.)
The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview.
Hurricane Isaac had no impact on the three Gulf Coast nuclear energy facilities, but operator Entergy made extensive preparations, including shutting down Waterford 3 before the storm made landfall Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service downgraded Isaac to a tropical storm Wednesday night, and Entergy said it is preparing to return Waterford 3 to the grid.
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August 30, 2012
4:01 pm EDT
The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview.
The industry has submitted for NRC endorsement revised guidance for implementing the agency’s post-Fukushima order to install additional used fuel storage pool instrumentation.
The revision clarifies several points based on NRC staff comments on the initial version, which was submitted in July. In its submission, the industry reiterates its position, in line with the commission’s direction, that installing commercial-quality instruments—combined with a training and testing program to maintain their reliability—will fully comply with the order.
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August 30, 2012
4:00 pm EDT
The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview.
The use of nuclear energy will continue to increase globally, even though last year’s accident in Japan has curbed expansion, the International Atomic Energy Agency says.
“The Fukushima Daiichi accident resulted in a slowing of the expansion of nuclear power but did not reverse it,” the IAEA’s annual report for 2011 says. “Nuclear power remains an important option for countries, and interest in nuclear power remains high.”
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