Wednesday, February 29, 2012

M10 Fukushima Remembered in San Clemente

















The evening will conclude with a candlelight procession, (flashlights for kids).

CREED Citizens for Responsible Ethical Environmental Decisions

Contact: Gary Headrick 949 218 4051 for more info

Friday, February 24, 2012

Join the Women of Fukushima on 311 at San Onofre

Join us for a day of PEACEFUL PROTEST at San Onofre, the nuclear power plant with the worst safety record of all 104 reactors in America.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Unusual Events at San Onofre 2-21-12 10:30 am

We were giving an interview down in front of the nuclear power plant. The reporter was surprised that we could get so close to the plant and at how low the Tsunami Wall actually was. I told him we could take a walk for a closer look.  After reaching the midpoint we stopped and did some more interviewing and picture taking. There was an unusual turbulent release of water just 20 yards out into the ocean. I've never seen anything like that out of the many times I've been there. Then the loudspeakers came on announcing some kind of issue down at Gate 4. That is when we started feeling like maybe we should get out of there and sure enough, the next announcement was for us to leave and to stop taking pictures. That is the first time I've ever been acknowledged when down there, so I'm actually relieved to know someone is starting to pay more attention to unusual activities in front of the plant. When we arrived back at the cars we were met by the heavily armed security guard who insisted I stop filming because of the "S.I." equipment he was wearing. It would have been rather intimidating if he wasn't 70 years old. He took the reporters information and was actually quite nice. He happened to mention that there had been some kind of minor accident (or injury?) at the plant and with that bit of news we were happy to be on our way. So far, no news about what the security guard was referring to but I intend to find out if possible.






Sunday, February 19, 2012

WHISTLEBLOWERS SUGGEST REASON FOR PROBLEM WITH TUBES AT SAN ONOFRE

Photo courtesy of Nuclear Street Portal
There is no official word yet, but the rumor from insiders at the plant is that the problem with the new generators may be very time consuming and difficult to resolve. It seems that the tubes have been configured in such a way as to have unintentionally created a situation where water passes through the tubes at such a high velocity that it causes the kind of wear they would expect to see after 20 to 30 years of service. If true, ratepayers could be on the hook for huge repair and replacement costs in order to extend the life of the plant beyond its intended lifespan, and even then, reliability will be in question.

It was also stated that ruptured tubes under high pressure can result in a chain reaction causing adjacent tubes to rupture if not stopped in time, with potentially catastrophic results.

Another point stressed was that standard procedures were violated if they discovered the problem in Unit 2's tubes when it was being serviced before the leak occurred in Unit 3. When a failure of any critical system is discovered it is the responsibility of the plant operator to make the conservative decision to shutdown and inspect any "like components". In this case it appears that this was not done for the exact duplicate components in Unit 3.

I also got word that many workers inside the plant are secretively supportive of decommissioning and wish us on the outside success in doing what they can only hope for while clinging to their jobs. To that I say thanks for the encouragement, and thanks for doing your best to keep us all safe, but it is time for them to do a little soul searching. There is too much at stake to be thinking of your own security. Now is the time to let your concerns be known publicly.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

ACTION ALERT for CA citizens we are once again asking for you help.

Fukushima USA 
TAKE ACTION NOW:
Email these people. Ken Alex (nuclear point man for Gov Brown) at http://www.cp-dr.com/contact < span="">>; Lori Donchak ; Tim Brown ; Bob Baker ; PatBates@ocgov.com,

This a sample letter about our new push to get gov't to work for the people. For Ken Alex you will need to go to the website and put your letter in, because you cannot direct email him.
Please come to San Clemente City Hall on Feb 21 at 6 pm to once again ask for action and to have this matter put on the agenda.

The citizens of San Clemente, Orange County and California are asking our elected officials to do the proper steps to ensure the safety of its citizens by taking responsibility to set up a radiation monitoring system around San Onofre Waste Generating Station. SONGS has had many safety violations and close calls. According to the NRC stats SONGS has the worst safety record of all hundred four reactors in America. http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-340798-plan-san.html

We as citizens feel it is time for the City of San Clemente government, Orange County government and California government to act responsibly and provide accurate radiation monitoring that is easily accessed by the public so that we may be informed as to what is leaking and at what level and how much we are being exposed to by this old deteriorating nuclear power plant. In conjunction with this request we believe it is time that the above government agencies provide an epidemiology study to inform the public what the affect of California's two nuclear power plants over these many years has had on our health?

Now we have another new problem at SONGS;

"Radiation levels in the plant’s cooling system [Unit 2] doubled from January to February 2011 and continued to climb through the end of the year.

..increasing levels of radiation in the water that cools the reactor probably indicates that the metal tubes (called cladding) that contain its fuel pellets are cracking.”

— David Lochbaum, Union of Concerned Scientists, after reviewing Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reactor operation statistics http://sanonofresafety.org/2012/02/17/radiation-levels-increase-in-san-onofre-cooling-system/

We want action from government of our behalf because the 1st job of government is to insure the safety of the people.
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Friday, February 17, 2012

Open Letter to San Clemente City Council - Request for Response

Before you read this, I'd just like to point out that this is DAY 17 without any nuclear power coming from San Onofre, and the lights are still on. I think maybe they need us more than we need them.



Mayor and Councilmembers,

After coming so far on the issues surrounding nuclear power,  I am deeply disappointed that none of you took the time to even respond to our recent requests on this pressing topic. This Tuesday’s city council meeting has a light agenda and could have been the perfect opportunity to consider our concerns and come to some decision in your official capacity.

Our first request was to direct staff to look into having a Radiation Monitoring Station in San Clemente. Secondly, we wanted you to investigate the possibility of having an Epidemiological Study done to determine if there are any indications that we have an unusual number of health problems which might be related to radiation exposure. Thirdly, we simply wanted you to participate with us in our Fukushima Remembered event to honor those lost and still suffering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 3/11/11.

I can't understand why none of these requests measured up to the level of significance that might be worthy of your response. We currently are awaiting the news from Edison about how much radiation may have been released based on the extent of damage to the new generator tubes at San Onofre. France has recently released reports of higher incidences of cancer around nuclear power plants, especially amongst children. Japan continues to suffer the consequences of politicians and government agencies neglecting their responsibilities to consider public safety above the will of the industry. How is it that these revelations do not resonate in your hearts and minds when your public repeatedly brings them to your attention?

Again, we ask you to place these matters of great concern to many of the residents of San Clemente on your next agenda. Please find it within your fiduciary responsibility to act wisely and swiftly. Today there was a news report in Reuters where Japan's former Premier expressed how 3/11 changed his way of thinking about nuclear power.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, “The Fukushima crisis destroyed the myth that atomic energy is safe, cheap and clean and prompted Japan to scrap a plan to boost its share of electricity demand to more than half by 2030. While many technological measures can be taken to secure safety at nuclear power plants, such measures on their own cannot cover great risks," said Kan, sitting in front of a calligraphy scroll inscribed with the ancient Chinese proverb "Be Brave, But Not Reckless".

Kan's defenders say a key cause of his downfall was his call to wean Japan from nuclear power -- a stance popular with the public but opposed by many including politically powerful utilities.
(see full article here)

Respectfully yours,
Gary Headrick

Thursday, February 16, 2012

How Do We Still Have Power When San Onofre is not Operating (19 days and counting)?


(Total shutdown continues due to failing new generators which cost us $680 Million)

I asked this question of a whistle blower who was a licensed nuclear operator at San Onofre and got the following explanation... 

All providers of electricity from any source feed power into the Western United States Grid. The grid is managed and operated by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) who directs power where it is needed. Power is constantly being pushed into the grid, circulating a margin of power that exceeds consumption, providing us with a constant buffer. Only that which is consumed gets metered and results in compensation to the provider.
Small scale providers using natural gas, hydro, wind and solar are in less demand because they are competing with nuclear power which has artificially lower expenses due to subsidies and other invisible burdens carried by society. Nuclear power must run at full capacity 24/7 because that is the nature of this technology. It can’t be dialed up or down to adjust to fluctuations in demand, so it just sits there churning out power regardless of how much actually gets used.
Now that our nuclear power source is in complete shutdown mode, the other sources of electricity are able to charge SCE a premium to meet their obligations. This is good business for the smaller independent providers, giving them a larger share of the market. While this may sound bad for the ratepayers who always get stuck with the bill, it demonstrates the financial exposure we face by relying on nuclear power, let alone the many other well known risks of using radiation to boil water. The fact is that the $640 million invested in each of the failing generators came out of our pockets, as will the expenses to repair or replace them (if we allow it).
We use nuclear power because it is available, not because we need it. We blindly accept the risk of a Fukushima scale disaster because we are led to believe we would have to endure blackouts and huge financial losses without it. The industry likes to claim that they provide Californians with 19% of our energy, but according to data (see attached) from the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), there would still be a buffer of excess power available from other sources if we did not use nuclear power at all. Truly sustainable energy providers would enjoy financial stability leading to more rapid advances in technology getting us closer to energy independence and addressing climate change while creating jobs and a better economy.
It is time to demand that the CPUC steps in on behalf of ratepayers and put an end to this literal abuse of power. A small group of individuals reap the benefits of huge profits and undue influence at the expense of many. They will run these nuclear power plants until we force them to shutdown or allow them to meltdown. What more proof is required to understand that we don’t need them after having no nuclear power for 19 days and counting? Let’s move on to a cleaner, safer and more prosperous future.
Even if we had to be a little more careful about how we waste energy in order to avoid excessive demands on the grid during the summer we can definitely get by without nuclear power in California. Don't believe what the industry is telling us about the hardships it would create.


We are having “Fukushima Remembered” on 3/10 with guest speakers from Fukushima and a protest at the plant on 3/11, the first anniversary of the tragedy in Japan. Sign up here to be updated on our activities. We are counting on big numbers to offset the big money acting for profit above safety. Please share our message with others and make a donation if you can.  Thanks!
 

Friday, February 10, 2012

Surfing San Onofre For Change @Surfing4Change



Surfing For Change, created and hosted by Kyle Thiermann is a free youtube series and is on a mission is to shatter the myth that activists don't have any fun.

If you want to get in touch with Kyle, Tweet: @Surfing4Change



Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Fukushima Remembered San Clemente City Council





For all of those within 100 miles of San Clemente, please try to make an appearance at our City Council Meeting tonight!

6:00pm at City Hall 100 Avenida Presidio (Oral Communications Part 1 - not very long)

Please show (friendly, respectful, quiet) support for our requests of City Council regarding SAN ONOFRE
*Ask City to team up with us for our FUKUSHIMA REMEMBERED event on March 10 
*Install an INDEPENDENT RADIATION MONITORING SYSTEM for San Clemente Citizens 
*Help us find $8,200 for an EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY to determine cancer trends near plant 
*Insist that solutions for LEAKING GENERATORS be presented to the public BEFORE RESTARTING.

Can't Make it? Call and let them know how you feel (949) 361-8200

San Clemente In Solidarity With Fukushima.


BE LIKE ELLA! 

Monday, February 6, 2012

FUKUSHIMA HOT NEWS ITEM



Temperature Soars Inside Fukushima Reactor

TOKYO - The temperature of a reactor at Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has soared and remained mysteriously high Monday, despite more water being pumped through it.
The facility's No.2 reactor had reached 164 degrees Fahrenheit (73.3 degrees Celsius) by Monday morning, after sitting at 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) on Jan. 27, broadcaster NHK reported.

That was despite Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) officials pumping 9.6 tonnes (10.6 tons) of water through the reactor each hour -- about 10 percent more than before.
Two other thermometers in the reactor are giving readings of 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius), suggesting recent plumbing work might be affecting the water's cooling of the reactor.
TEPCO said in December that all three Fukushima reactors were in cold shutdown mode, as their temperatures had fallen below 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius).
The reactors were the scene of a disaster, overheating and giving off radiation, after being wrecked in a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011.
Read more: www3.nhk.or.jp

Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/temperature-soars-mysteriously-inside-fukushima-nuclear-reactor-ncxdc-020212#ixzz1lcouUzT2

San Clemente Fukushima USA 

Sunday, February 5, 2012

San Onofre It's Just That Broken





Kevin Kamps from Beyond Nuclear on the radiation leaks at San Onofre.

Did you know that 75% of Nuke plants leak radiation into the surrounding environment? Google it!

San Onofre: "It's Just That Broken"

San Onofre Radiation Fallout Map

The center of this Toxic Plume is located approximately 5 miles southeast of San Clemente, California. This plume is produced by 2 reactors located at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant site. The reactors that produce this plume have 2,150 Mega Watts of radiation generating power. There is a total of 1,241 tons of Highly Toxic Radioactive spent fuel stored at this Nuclear Power Plant. The heavy vibrations caused by the enormous Radiation Producing Machines known as Nuclear Power Plants cracks in holding tanks and pools and breaks in welds on pipes carrying Radioactive Materials. The communities around the San Onofre Radiation Producing Machine found this out the hard way. When the Radioactive Debris from the demolition of Unit 1 was cleared away it revealed Radioactive Tritium contaminated soil under that unit. The level of contamination was up to 16.5 times the allowable levels. This unit probably leaked Radioactive Tritium into the local groundwater for most of its 25 plus years of troubled life.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

What does a Banana have in common with a Nuke plant?


What does a Banana have in common with a Nuke plant?

Nothing.

Ones waste will need to be cooled, guarded & bureaucrated for 500,000 years.

The other you feed to your children.

Questions? Watch this video below.



Friday, February 3, 2012

Many problems at SONGS and in our community




There is a very serious problem going on at San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station but all we hear from SCE & NRC is the same old story they always say "everything is safe, very little if any radioactivity was released,"you will be fine continue to shop". But the fact is the only people monarchy the release of radioactivity is SCE and they will not release the information to the public. So we the citizens of San Clemente have no idea how much was released & for how long. All of these things affect the quality of life for those of us in our beautiful seaside community-health and property values.

What we the citizens of San Clemente want to know is, where is the monitoring system in real time so we know what was released and for how long. SCE knows but will not release the information, at Residents Organized for a Safe Environment (ROSE) & San Onofre Safety (SOS) & Nuclear Free California (NFC) where is the monitoring system that the citizens deserve after living next to SONGS periodically releasing highly radioactive materials on an ongoing basis all of these years? Why hasn't the city of San Clemente, Orange County government and the state of California seen fit to monitor the ongoing release of radioactivity from this plant? Why isn't there an epidemiology study to find out what the effect of these many releases over the years done to our community? Are the city officials & county government officials an the state of California and the NRC not aware of the recent study around France's nuclear power plants found a alarmingly high rate of childhood leukemia within a 25 mile radius?

Finally it is time for a change, it is time for the STATES to QUESTION the AUTHORITY of the NRC and its supremacy of all things nuclear. It is not 1950 any longer the states and the citizens themselves are now much better informed about the effects of living with radiation, asked the people of Chernobyl and Fukushima Japan.
http://residentsorganizedforasafeenvironment.wordpress.com/


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

NRC it is time for States to Question your Authority

If you have not read the ATOMIC ENERGY ACT OF 1954
 (http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/treaties/atomic-energy-act/trty_atomic-energy-act_1954-08-30.htm), I would not only encourage you to do so I would ask you and your colleagues to reconsider the whole concept of giving the federal government all control and say so as to the use of nuclear energy as relates to the safety and power needs of California.

In the 1950s, nuclear was very new and not even understood correctly or completely by the experts. This is why the federal government took complete control of the entire industry. To control & produce materials needed to make weapons, to that end they sold the American public on nuclear energy as a future source of power. “Too cheap to meter “was the slogan. This has proven to be totally untrue. Now over 60 years later after much has been learned not only by the federal government but by the states who had to endure the constant radiation problems that persists at nuclear power plants that endanger the public welfare, producing on average 250 pounds per day per reactor. In America we have 5,000,000 pounds of highly toxic nuclear waste setting at our power plants. Which are licensed as “Power Plants not highly Toxic Nuclear Waste Dumps”.  more residentsorganizedforasafeenvironment.wordpress.com

New Risks for Nuclear Plants Reactors in Central, Eastern U.S. Face Greater Earthquake Threat, Study Finds

Nuclear reactors in the central and eastern U.S. face previously unrecognized threats from big earthquakes, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday. Experts said upgrading the plants to withstand more substantial earth movements would be costly and could force some to close.

Threat by Land and Sea

Dozens of nuclear reactors operate in earthquake-prone regions around the world. Among them, least 34 are in high-hazard areas; 17 of those are within a mile of a coastline.

The NRC said it would require nuclear-plant operators to conduct new seismic studies for all 96 reactors in eastern and central states to determine if the plants could withstand the shaking predicted by the government's new seismic model.

Updating the U.S. survey of past seismic activity became urgent after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated northeastern Japan last March. The event overwhelmed the defenses of reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi site, causing widespread damage and radioactive releases. The earthquake exceeded the level for which the reactors had been designed, calling into question earlier seismic assessments.

The NRC plans to give nuclear-plant operators four years to re-evaluate risks by running complex calculations for all structures, systems and components. By law, nuclear plants must be able to withstand earthquakes "without functional impairment of those features necessary to shut down the reactor, maintain the station in safe condition and prevent undue risk to the health and safety of the public."

The seismic study "is an important piece of work but it doesn't tell us what needs to be done," said Alex Marion, vice president for nuclear operations at the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade organization. "The model will need to be applied to specific sites and that will take awhile."

Critics said regulators are moving too slowly. "The NRC does not need a new model—it needs a spine," said Dave Lochbaum, director of nuclear safety for the Union of Concerned Scientists in Chattanooga, Tenn. The NRC already has sufficient evidence to require immediate upgrades to dozens of plants, he said, adding that further delay amounts to a "bureaucratic stall tactic."

The NRC has said it needs more information before requiring upgrades. NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said it was possible "that operators will do the analyses and say, 'Our existing safety margin covers it, so no upgrades are needed.' We just don't know yet."

Any required retrofits could be expensive. "To go back into some of these older plants and deal with seismic issues might end up costing more than the plants are worth," said Stephen Maloney, a partner at Azoulas Risk Advisors in Boston, a consulting firm that works with the nuclear industry. That could force such plants to close.

0131nuke

The Tennessee Valley Authority's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tenn.

The seismic model could influence new seismic maps the U.S. Geological Survey is expected to issue next year, and could affect building codes and insurance rates.

The new model was jointly developed by the NRC, the U.S. Department of Energy and an industry-funded research group, the Electric Power Research Institute. The model incorporates information on about a thousand earthquakes that previously weren't cataloged. Those were determined through written records, geologic data, carbon dating and other methods. The research brings the total to nearly 3,300 quakes in the region since 1568.

The model shows increased hazards at many locations. For example, it indicates that the single worst earthquake likely to happen in a 10,000-year period in Chattanooga, Tenn., would be nearly twice as damaging to structures as previously calculated. Scientists found similar hazards at six other locations where they did spot checks: Houston; Manchester, N.H.; Jackson, Miss.; Topeka, Kan.; central Illinois; and Savannah, Ga.

Atlanta-based Southern Co. hopes to build two reactors in central Georgia, about 100 miles from Savannah. The company took the latest seismic information into account and believes the reactors will meet the standard of the new model, said B.L. "Pete" Ivey, a vice president. But Southern will need to run calculations for its existing reactors to see if they meet the standard, he said.

Because regulators worry about "low probability/high consequence" events like the one in Japan, much seismic research now is focused on the central and eastern U.S., an area once seen as less active geologically than the West. There are 96 reactors in the region, compared with just eight in the West.

Scientists, using computers, satellites and field data, now know there have been many huge earthquakes in the central and eastern regions of the country. And shock waves travel far in the East because the Earth's crust is more rigid there than in the West.

Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith@wsj.com

SONGS release of radiation

ACTION ALERT: This my letter the city of San Clemente this morning, if you live in a 100 mile area I hope you while join in writing them now. Email at: George"

Dear George and members of the city Council,

Yesterday's emergency shutdown at SONGS is yet another release of harmful radiation to our children and community. But we don't know exactly what was released, how long are how it will affect our citizens. It is high time that an epidemiology study is done to assess what's going on in our community because of San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station on going release of radiation. Also if it is long overdue that the city & county take responsibility for a radiation monitoring system so that our citizens will know exactly what is being released and how long and at what levels. We know SONGS has a system, but they do not share this important information with our town, why is that permitted? We are the one's who need to know. WE DEMAND ACTION NOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!

San Onofre Nuclear Reactor Shut Down After Leak

Radioactive water spills into containment dome, yet there is no danger to the public, officials say.
http://sanclemente.patch.com/articles/operators-shut-down-san-onofre-one-reactor-unit-as-a-precaution#_=


Here we go again. The public relations experts step up to reassure the public that all is well. Meanwhile, I get this message from a whistle-blower, " So much for installing brand new steam generators for 800 million. SCE is really down playing the seriousness of this."

Someday we will hear the sirens go off, and it won't be another false alarm. In fact, I sit here wondering if this may actually develop into the dreaded nuclear nightmare. Is this our Fukushima? If not, it is only a matter of time. We must understand that the protective measures that were once in place no longer exist. It is up to you and me, the people standing in harms way, to demand a shutdown of these unnecessary reactors that threaten the livelihood and well being of more than 8 million people, all for 7% of our energy.

Let's make them prove they are safe to operate and that they have addressed the lessons learned from Fukushima before we allow them to continue on the reckless path they are on. How many more warnings will we get? Do we really need a total meltdown in America in order to accept the reality that nuclear power is extremely dangerous? Are we the ones that are going to have to be sacrificed as the example that Americans can no longer ignore?

Unfortunately, I am beginning to believe that we won't take any serious steps to avoid a Fukushima-like event until it happens in our country. With all the warning signs, no one will be surprised when it does take place here. It is only a matter of time. San Onofre, with a safety record ten times worse than the industry norm, sitting next to a fault line exceeding the design basis for this nuclear power plant that is reaching its intended 40 year lifespan in 2013, is a very likely candidate for failure.

That is why we are planning an event to remember Fukushima on the upcoming anniversary. People need to remember the lessons that the Japanese are still enduring. The no-go zone in Japan is a 12.5 mile radius and it is estimated that it will take 40 years before it might be safe to return (if ever). The cost of cleanup is already in excess of $120 Billion.

Can you imagine that happening here? No use of the main freeway between LA and San Diego, a major military base rendered useless, thousands of homes and businesses that can't be insured against such a disaster, all the people left homeless and with very few possessions, for who knows how long. The financial disaster alone would be staggering, let alone the deaths and disease and environmental degradation that are more difficult to substantiate or quantify.

Just yesterday, I participated in a webinar with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who wanted some public feedback on the proposition that we store highly radioactive waste on site for another two or three hundred years. What are these people charged with the public's safety thinking about other than what is best for the industry?

Let's move away from this outdated dangerous technology and replace it with safe and sustainable options that will lead us to a brighter future. We can live without it as seen in this very moment when no power is coming from San Onofre. It won't be nearly as bad as they make it out to be.

Please join the people's movement to shut down our nuclear power plant before it is too late. Go to http://sanonofresafety.org/, or send an email to gary@sanclementegreen.org to get involved, to do your part, because those that you think you can count on are not on your side. Stand with us. Go with the precautionary principle. There is too much at stake for too little in return. No Fukushimas here. We know better and so do you.