Current Nuclear Engineer Regulations/Debates

[xholicwriter]

I am looking for reliable and scholarly sources (books, articles, websites, videos, etc) on the following topics:

1. Current (post-Fukushima incident) debates about whether or not a moratorium should exist (in the U.S.)
2. What new regulation are being proposed for the most current debates
3. Most current debates regarding nuclear energy (in the U.S.)

Please help!

Thank you very much,

xholic

 

[gmax137]

I am looking for reliable and scholarly sources (books, articles, websites, videos, etc) on the following topics:

... 2. What new regulation are being proposed for the most current debates

For US regulatory actions, see
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/japan-info.html

 

[xholicwriter]

Thank you very much!

 

[Astronuc]

Station Blackout has become a frontstage issue:

Rulemaking for Station Blackout Mitigation Strategies
http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1307/ML13077A453.pdf

Regulatory Effectiveness of the Station Blackout Rule
http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML0037/ML003741781.pdf

 

[xholicwriter]

Station Blackout has become a frontstage issue:

Thank you very much, Sir.

I am actually writing a research paper on a debatable topic, and I pick nuclear energy. I have narrowed my focus down to current debates on nuclear energy regulations.

Since I do not know much about the current issues, could you give me a brief description of what is going on?

Could you also provide me the background of the station shutdown issue? I don't really understand the technical terms in the articles.

Thank you,
xholic

 

[Astronuc]

The NRC regulates through the Code of Federal Regulations and the Regulatory Guides.

Protection against station blackout is just one of many requirements imposed on licensed operators of nuclear power plants.

The specific section is: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part050/part050-0063.html

The NRC also uses various other guidance documents including NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan for Light Water Reactors.


Here is an overview of how the NRC regulates the nuclear industry.
http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory.html

 

[xholicwriter]

Thank you, Sir.

I would like to ask if there were any current debates about whether or not a moratorium should exist (in the U.S.) ?

Thank you

 

[Hiddencamper]

Thank you, Sir.

I would like to ask if there were any current debates about whether or not a moratorium should exist (in the U.S.) ?

Thank you

Currently there is no debate in the NRC or US government that I know of. The post-fukushima task force did reviews of nuclear power in the US and has determined that US nuclear power plants are safe, and that there was no need to suspend US nuclear operations in the US.

The only thing which is sort of under debate has to do with the NRC and the waste confidence ruling. The NRC is voluntarily placing a moratorium on ISSUING licenses (not reviewing or processing requests), until they revise their environmental impact statement as required by the waste confidence ruling last summer. This is only a 2 year moratorium on issuance.

 

[xholicwriter]

The only thing which is sort of under debate has to do with the NRC and the waste confidence ruling. The NRC is voluntarily placing a moratorium on ISSUING licenses (not reviewing or processing requests), until they revise their environmental impact statement as required by the waste confidence ruling last summer. This is only a 2 year moratorium on issuance.

Thank you very much!

I would like to ask some additional questions.

1. Does it mean that no new licenses will be granted to new and existing nuclear plants? How does it effect the nuclear industry?
2. Did the court give the final ruling (or still debating)? Did it partially result from the lobbying of some environmental interest groups?
3 What is still being debated?
4. Do you know any good online sources regarding the debate?

Truly appreciate your help,

 

[Hiddencamper]

Thank you very much!

I would like to ask some additional questions.

1. Does it mean that no new licenses will be granted to new and existing nuclear plants? How does it effect the nuclear industry?
2. Did the court give the final ruling (or still debating)? Did it partially result from the lobbying of some environmental interest groups?
3 What is still being debated?
4. Do you know any good online sources regarding the debate?

Truly appreciate your help,

With regards to the waste confidence ruling, there is a suspension on license issuance (not reviews) until the NRC puts together their revised report (est: mid to late 2014). The ruling was made in summer 2012, and a court made the ruling. I don't know if it resulted from lobbying or interest groups, but it doesn't matter because they were not properly in compliance with NEPA. I don't think anything is being debated, I do know the NRC went out for public comments regarding the scope of the revised environmental impact statement.

Sorry I don't have any links available where I'm at now.

 

[Astronuc]

Thank you very much!

I would like to ask some additional questions.

1. Does it mean that no new licenses will be granted to new and existing nuclear plants? How does it effect the nuclear industry?
2. Did the court give the final ruling (or still debating)? Did it partially result from the lobbying of some environmental interest groups?
3 What is still being debated?
4. Do you know any good online sources regarding the debate?

Truly appreciate your help,

The Waste Confidence Issue - http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd.html
http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd/schedule.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2012/08/11/nuclear-waste-confidence-nrc-ruling-no-big-deal/

Meanwhile - down in Carlsbad, NM - http://www.forbes.com/sites/christo...town-that-wants-americas-worst-nuclear-waste/

http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors.html

 

[xholicwriter]

I found a current debate on equipping filter to nuclear plans.

Here are two passages from the article

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/b...nuclear-safeguards.html?ref=atomicenergy&_r=0

"This was a simulation by Constellation Energy, the owner of the Nine Mile Point plant on Lake Ontario, for the benefit of two of the five members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was part of an intense lobbying campaign against a proposed rule that would require utilities to spend millions of dollars on safety equipment that could reduce the effects of an accident like the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in Japan two years ago."

“We all desire an ideal solution, but it needs to be an integrated one,” said Maria G. Korsnick, Constellation’s chief nuclear officer. She said that a filter was not as helpful as water in the reactor building that would both cool the fuel and absorb radioactive contaminants."

I would like to ask a few questions
1. What is filter?
2. What is your thought on the issue?
3. Where can I find more information about this?

Thank you