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Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Nuclear Spent Fuel Expert Describes Vermont Yankee Dry Cask Safety

March 30, 2015 By Guest Author

By Guy Page By 2020, the spent fuel left over from all 42 years of Vermont Yankee’s operation is scheduled to be stored in huge steel “dry casks” on pads at the plant site in Vernon. Just how strong and reliable are Vermont Yankee’s “dry cask” spent nuclear fuel containers? Consider the following dry cask […]

Filed Under: decommissioning, Nuclear Waste, Vermont Yankee

Contradicting Arjun Makhijani’s claim about bombs from power reactors

March 21, 2015 By Rod Adams

On March 3, 2015, Arjun Makhijani testified in front of a committee of the Minnesota Senate. The committee was conducting an investigation on whether or not it should recommend lifting the state’s current moratorium on building new nuclear reactors. Here is the presentation that he prepared and delivered. During his recorded testimony, Makhijani falsely stated […]

Filed Under: Antinuclear activist, Fuel Recycling, Nuclear Communications, Nuclear Waste

South Australian senator believes there’s value in “nuclear waste”

March 18, 2015 By Rod Adams

South Australian Sen. Sean Edwards sees economic opportunity for his state by taking advantage of other countries’ irrational fear of radioactive materials. He wants to turn what some call “waste” into wealth. He and his staff recognize that there are tens of billions of dollars set aside in government budgets around the world for safe […]

Filed Under: Fuel Recycling, International nuclear, Nuclear Waste, Politics of Nuclear Energy

Today Show cheers nuclear power by chanting “Go Nuke!”

March 13, 2015 By Rod Adams

Before readers get too excited, I need to acknowledge that the Today Show in the below video is broadcast from Sydney, Australia, not New York City. However, it is still kind of exciting to have a TV newscaster chanting “Go Nuke!” The broadcaster’s excitement is based on an announcement by Liberal Party Senator Sean Edwards […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic politics, Business of atomic energy, Fuel Recycling, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Pro Nuclear Video

Atomic Show #234 – Update from South Australia

February 25, 2015 By Rod Adams

Ben Heard of Think Climate Consulting and DecarboniseSA.com joined me for a discussion about the nuclear fuel cycle in Australia. In early February, the South Australian government announced the formation of a royal commission to investigate the state’s future role in the nuclear fuel cycle. As Ben explained, royal commissions are fairly rare and only […]

Filed Under: Advanced Atomic Technologies, Atomic politics, Climate change, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Podcast

How do metal alloy fuel fast reactors respond to rapid reactivity insertion events?

February 17, 2015 By Rod Adams

Update: (Posted Feb 21, 2015 at 7:22) The title has been modified after initial discussion indicated it was incomplete. Other related updates are in blue font. Fast neutron spectrum reactors offer one answer to the trump question that is often used to halt informative discussions about using more atomic energy to reduce our excessive dependence […]

Filed Under: Breeder Reactors, Fuel Recycling, Plutonium

Proving a Negative – Why Modern Used Nuclear Fuel Cannot Be Used to Make a Weapon

February 17, 2015 By Rod Adams

Editor’s note: This post was first published on Jul 24, 2010. While working on a new post involving the use of fast spectrum reactors to address many important society challenges, I thought it would be worthwhile to share this important background piece to let you start thinking about some of the misinformation you might have […]

Filed Under: Fuel Recycling, Plutonium, Politics of Nuclear Energy

Slowly accelerate fast reactor development

February 4, 2015 By Rod Adams

In one corner are people who are certain that breeder reactors that can effectively use the earth’s massive supply of fertile isotopes — thorium and uranium 238 — should be pursued as rapidly as possible with the assistance of prioritized government funding. In the other corner are people who are just as certain that those […]

Filed Under: Atomic politics, Breeder Reactors, Fuel Recycling

Antinuclear activists don’t like continued storage rule

September 30, 2014 By Rod Adams

Several of the usual suspects — including Dr. Mark Cooper, Dr. Arjun Makhijani, and Diane Curran — have banded together to assert their opinion that the NRC’s recently issued NUREG-2157, Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, violates the following provision of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. In connection with […]

Filed Under: Antinuclear activist, Nuclear Waste

What should we do with the waste?

September 22, 2014 By Rod Adams

It’s time to declare that the default argument against nuclear energy has been proven invalid. We know how to effectively store and protect used nuclear fuel. We do it routinely. It is not unusually costly or a burden on future generations. They should be free to make their own decisions about how to make the […]

Filed Under: Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Nuclear Waste

Is it really necessary to have a deep geologic repository for used nuclear fuel?

September 5, 2014 By Rod Adams

Though I have often received quizzical, almost uncomprehending looks from my type ‘A’ colleagues on submarines and in my other jobs, I’ve often been guided by a simple principal of decision-making – “If it’s too hard, quit.” Please don’t think that means I’m the type of person who can never get anything done or who […]

Filed Under: Atomic politics, Nuclear Waste, Politics of Nuclear Energy

Russia continues sustained fast breeder reactor effort

June 30, 2014 By Rod Adams

On June 26, 2014, the 60th anniversary of the start of the 5 MWe Obninsk reactor that was the first reactor in the world to routinely supply electricity to a commercial power grid, Russia started up the latest in a series of sodium-cooled fast reactors, the BN-800. This new nuclear plant is an evolutionary refinement […]

Filed Under: Breeder Reactors, Fuel Recycling, International nuclear, Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors, New Nuclear

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