“Statistically speaking no reasonable person will say that this will never happen. The probability is there.” Khamma Mrabit, a director of U.N.ʻs International Atomic Energy Agency is quoted as saying this last week referring to the risk of diverted nuclear materials being used as a weapon by terrorists. 150 to 200 cases of diversion of nuclear materials are reported annually. Read the full Reuters article at Yahoo News.
Controversy and high security surrounded the first MOX fuel shipment from France since the Fukushima Daiʻichi incident. Many Japanese, including ex Prime Minister Kan, are wanting to turn away from nuclear power. The current Prime Minister Shinso Abe is pushing for restart of Japanʻs reactors. Read more in this Bangkok Post article.… Continue Reading →
A map showing how radioactive iodine spread after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been published online by the journal of the American Health Physics Society.
Researchers from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the US Department of Energy analyzed radiation data they jointly gathered using aircraft in April 2011. See the full NHK report and video.… Continue Reading →
Elevated radiation levels are being investigated at Hanford Reservation, where materials for cold war nuclear weapons programs were developed. The superfund site has several tanks filled with a mix of chemicals and radioactive materials in close proximity to the Columbia River. Billions of dollars have been spent to clean up the site, and completion is not expected for decades to come. New Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz visited the site for the first time on Wednesday. More at CNN.… Continue Reading →
President Obama has proposed further mutual reduction of nuclear weapons with Russia. Hereʻs coverage by New York Times. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists polled a number of experts for comments.… Continue Reading →
Safecast has now collected and published 10 million radiation data points since the Fukushima Daiichi incident. Read more.… Continue Reading →
North Korea has proposed high-level talks with the United States to “ease tensions in the Korean Peninsula,” the South Korea state news agency reported early Sunday. Read More.… Continue Reading →
At campaign rallies, Hassan Rowhani pledged to seek “constructive interaction with the world” that includes efforts to ease Western concerns about Iran’s program and lift punishing international sanctions that have pummeled the economy. Read more.… Continue Reading →