A company that was going to build two reactors in Texas, abandoned the plan.
NRG Energy, in cooperation with Toshiba, was planning on building two reactors in Texas. The company now says the investment environment has become too risky to continue with the plans. They will now write off U.S.$ 481 million on their taxes, for the canceled project.
Following the British announcement that they will send troops to train Libyan rebels, France and Italy say they will do the same.
The UN coalition members say, officially, they are within UNSCR 1973 because training rebel militants will protect civilians.
It’s interesting that Libyan government troops are being portrayed as non-Libyan, while rebels are being portrayed as the only Libyans. Don’t forget that even U.S. officials admitted that some rebels could be al-Qaeda.
This is not a rebellion, it is a Civil War.
“Military buildup does not result in energy security, rather it causes instability in the energy market.”-Massoud Mir-Kazzemi, Iranian Oil Minister
Mir-Kazzemi says the West’s militant approach to world issues is the root cause of instability in the global energy market. The U.S. does not have an interest in creating “win-win” situations.
Iran suggests that the situation in Libya is all about driving up the price of oil, in the interests of Western oil companies. It is also true that non-western oil companies are benefiting as well.
Iran is the current President of OPEC. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries was created in September 1960. The members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
The United Kingdom (Britain), a member of NATO, and a United Nations coalition member supposedly enforcing UNSCR 1973, announced they are sending 20 commandos to train Libyan rebels.
UNSCR 1973 states that efforts should be made only to protect civilians.
Recently NATO members (including the United States) announced that their main objective is to get rid of Moammar Gadhafi (Gaddafi), which is also a violation of UNSCR 1973.
The United Kingdom has admitted to sending 1,000 suits of body armor, and satellite phones, to the rebels. NATO members are also considering sending the rebels electronic counter measure equipment.
The total disregard for UNSCR 1973, by coalition forces, and the lack of condemnation by the United Nations, is proof that any resolution passed by the UN is worthless.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says high radiation levels, and high humidity, is slowing up robots being used to inspected the reactor buildings at Fukushima Daiichi.
In Reactor 2 building the humidity was so high it fogged the robot’s camera lens.
In Reactor 3, there is too much debris from the hydrogen gas explosion. They will use another robot that can clear the debris, some of which weighs 100kg (220 pounds).
25 years after the deadly nuclear accident at the Chernobyl plant, the Ukraine is still struggling to deal with the disaster.
This week is Black Week, the official anniversary of the nuclear accident, which happened on 26 April 1986. 31 people were killed, as a direct result of the disaster, and many more have suffered cancers, and children being born with defects.
The amazing thing is that clean up efforts continue, and the Ukraine is struggling to pay for it. Officials are trying to raise U.S.$ 1 billion for future clean up projects.
Tokyo Electric Power Company will now put air conditioners in the worker’s rest stations, after at least one worker succumbed to heat stroke.
Temperatures inside their protective suits are hot after only 30 minutes of wearing them. Unlike some military NBC masks, that can allow you to drink water, the nuke suits used at Fukushima Daiichi do not allow the workers to drink water.
There is only one building on the compound that still has working air conditioning. TEPCo will bring in more air conditioning units.
Tokyo Electric Power Company officials say they will test the ocean for plutonium. They have already found soil samples to be contaminated with the toxic isotope.
TEPCo official Matsumoto Junichi says because plutonium was found in the ground around Fukushima Daiichi, then it’s possible it is getting into the ocean. They will check the ocean floor, because plutonium is heavier than other isotopes, and probably sank.
NHK reporting that the robot sent by the Idaho National Laboratory has measured radiation levels inside reactors 1 and 3.
The robots were sent to Japan to help deal with the damaged Fukshima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The max radiation level inside the Reactor 3 building is 57 millisieverts per hour, while max level in Reactor 1 building is at 49 millisieverts per hour. The readings were taken on the first floor of the buildings.
Normal safe limits, for nuclear employees, are 100 millisieverts, but the Japanese government raised it to an emergency limit of 250 millisieverts. Even at the emergency limit, a worker would exceed it within four and a half hours of exposure.
They will check Reactor 2 building next. NHK video
Robots from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) are about to start work in the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Originally developed to assist with high-risk reconnaissance and the disposal of explosives and hazardous materials, The TALON has been modified for its new job.
The INL is also supplying Japan with radiation-sensing packages for Japanese robots, and a four person team to provide training and advice. NHK video