The EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities (EU Taxonomy) became law in July 2020, but the law left several decisions to be finalized in “delegated acts.” These decisions required additional technical evaluation. The treatment of nuclear energy was one of those technical issues. On December 31, 2021, a draft delegated act was published that recognized that…
In January 1947, after more than a year of focused public attention and debate, the civilian U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) took control of all atomic energy matters from the Manhattan District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This takeover was a major victory for the atomic scientists and others who worked diligently to…
On Friday, September 20, I took to the streets with a couple dozen other locals as part of the Student Climate Strike. I’m pleased to note that this political action seems to be part of a movement that is capturing attention and providing numerous “teachable moments.” Like any good activist, I carefully chose my attire…
In January 2019, the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) of the U.S. Department of Defense officially informed the world that it was interested in learning more about small, mobile, nuclear generators. The SCO said it wanted to find out if there was technology available that could supply a forward operating base with abundant, emission-free electricity for…
I apologize for the lack of recent articles. Since the last week in May, the headquarters of Atomic Insights has been hosting a family summer camp for three really happy and energetic children ranging in age from 2-7. During rare and short free time, I’ve been engaging on Twitter or moderating comments here, but finding…
I received a message from Lisa Stiles, who has been an active member of the American Nuclear Society and the North American Young Generation in Nuclear. She told me about a colleague who is in a challenging situation overseas. I volunteered to post a guest blog from her explaining the situation. Please read it, help…
Yesterday evening, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hosted one of several clean power plan listening sessions in Roanoke. I attended the meeting. It was a true listening session; the DEQ representatives did very little talking and a lot of note taking. Each person who signed up to make a comment was given five…
The Babcock & Wilcox Company has completed its planned separation into two companies, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. and BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT). One of the neat things about this announcement is that BWXT will be headquartered in Lynchburg, VA. It might also mean that there is a chance that the new company will regain…
Press release: You Are Invited to the 2015 SMR Market Outlook Web Conference Get an inside look at the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market intelligence already being used by organizations including the International Atomic Energy Agency, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, U.S. Department of Commerce and SaskPower. What: Web Conference on the 2015 SMR Market Outlook…
Back in early May, I shared a story about giving a talk on nuclear energy to the engineering students at Sweet Briar College on the same day that the president of the school shocked the faculty and student body by announcing that the school was being closed. That story needs a follow-up. There is a…
On Jan 26, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that will have the effect — intended or unintended — of eliminating in-situ leach (ISL) uranium mining in the US. The technology, which the EPA choses to call in-situ recovery (ISR), is the dominant technology used by operating mines. Therefore…
Radiologyinfo.org is a valuable, informative web site developed by physicians from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR). It is well-organized and provides factual, readily understood information to people who want to know more about the benefits, possible side effects, and long term health implications of undergoing diagnostic…