Reactor Reax- Roundup of Nuclear-Related Stories

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - This week in Reactor Reax, a Public Interest Research Group in Iowa says future plans for nuclear power should be skipped unless they can produce power at a lower cost than other options.

It's one of several stories that examine the reality behind dangerous nuclear power plants that have proven time and time again that they not only kill and contaminate human life; they also leave vast areas uninhabitable and cost countries and their taxpayers billions of dollars.

A Japan Times explores the government's plan to allow nuclear reactors to operate as long as 60 years; antinuclear experts and activists are shocked, and say the move could lead to more Fukushimas.

Tokyo Electric Power said on Tuesday it will hike electricity rates for corporate customers by 17 percent, and crews continue with the cleanup project at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Environmental group: Save energy, skip nuclear plant in Iowa, Des Moines Register, January 5, 2012. "Iowa should skip construction of nuclear plants unless they produce power at a lower cost than other options, including energy conservation, the Iowa Public Interest Research Group said Thursday. The group also contended that MidAmerican Energy, which is studying whether to build a nuclear plant, should make stockholders take the financial risk, not ratepayers."

Nuke opponents warn of more Fukushimas, The Japan Times, January 19, 2012. "The government's plan to allow nuclear reactors to operate as long as 60 years has shocked antinuclear experts and activists, who warn of a Fukushima sequel. The central government announced its plan Tuesday, the 17th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe. Under the proposal, once a reactor hits its 40th year, its operator could apply for a one-time extension of up to 20 years under certain conditions."

RPT-Tokyo Elec to hike rates 17 pct on avg for corp users, Reuters, January 17, 2012. "Tokyo Electric Power said on Tuesday it will hike electricity rates for corporate customers by 17 percent on average, as it struggles with cleanup and compensation costs following the disaster at its Fukushima nuclear power plant last March. The utility is also hobbled by the loss of power from other nuclear power facilities as public worries about safety prevent reactors from coming back on line after they are taken down for routine maintenance."

Cancer-Riddled Wind River Reservation Fights EPA Over Uranium Contamination, Indian Country Today Media Network, January 19, 2012. "According to tribal officials, at this moment the DOE, EPA, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Indian Health Service, USGS, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation—and a host of other federal agencies with enough acronyms to fill a gigantic bowl of alphabet soup are involved in the investigation. However, with studies, analysis and reports not due for up to two years, residents of the area will remain in the dark."

Preliminary report shows Palisades among worst power plants in U.S., ABC 57 (South Bend, IN), January 18, 2012. "If a preliminary report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is made final, the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, just north of Berrien County, will be one of the worst performing nuclear power plants in the country. In 2011, Palisades shut down five times unexpectedly, caused three NRC violations, and required two special federal inspections within a month. 'We saw a significant decline in the performance of this plant,' said Viktoria Mitlyng, an NRC spokesperson."

Mobile nuclear meltdowns: Coming soon to a town near you?, Bellona, January 18, 2012. "Some three hundred nuclear time bombs are to cross the vast expanses of Russia within the next dozen years as Moscow embarks on its plan to send special-purpose trains with spent nuclear fuel (SNF) burnt at the country's commercial reactors to a storage facility in Siberia. That's the 'solution' the nuclear industry has come up with for the ever mounting problem of nuclear waste – take it cross-country and pile it up where it will threaten the environment and public health for generations to come."

"Reactor Reax" is featured on www.NuclearBailout.org, a Web site maintained by Physicians for Social Responsibility