The final stage of reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel involves the separation of plutonium in a solvent phase (tributyl/phosphate/odourless kerosene) from the uranium/plutonium/fission product mixture. The solvent containing plutonium as nitrate at about 10E+6 Bq/ml is sampled in a number of lightly shielded cabinets before the solvent is stripped to leave plutonium nitrate in the aqueous phase. On 12 January flow of solvent to an instrument in a cabinet became restricted and caused an overflow of plutonium laden solvent to the floor of the cabinet and then to the operating area floor of the reprocessing plant via a leak path from the cabinet. No abnormal doses were received. No air contamination resulted. The area has been decontaminated. Total spillage was 6 x 10E+9 Pu (alpha) plus a.8 x 10E+10 Bq Pu 241, equivalent radiologically to 1 x 10E+10 Bq Pu (alpha). "On site" spillage criteria require comparison with the radiological equivalence of "a few hundred GBq of Ru 106". Pu (alpha) is about 10E+4 times more radiologically restrictive per Bq than Ru 106. Hence the spillage is radiologically equivalent to about 1 x 10E+14 Bq Ru 106. Level 2 is therefore appropriate.
The Netherlands has agreed to allow Urenco to be used for the British military nuclear program. This clears the way for uranium enriched by Urenco to be used in nuclear weapons. With his decision, Foreign Minister Berendsen (CDA Christen Democrats) is departing from the principle that civilian and military nuclear applications must remain strictly separate. […]
Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
Everywhere you look, the nuclear industry’s hype machine is in overdrive. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the UK government all tout small modular reactors as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. Tech billionaires are hiring nuclear veterans. Wall Street is whispering about “round-the-clock power” for artificial intelligence data centers. For those old enough […]
Kernenergie en veiligheid: A wargame sought to test if a major radiological release that would prompt the evacuation of millions of civilians in South Korea could distract key US allies from assisting and rebuffing an all-out military invasion of Taiwan. The short answer was yes. The game originally presumed that China, wanting to keep the […]
Big batteries and EVs to the rescue again as faults with new nuclear plant cause chaos on Nordic grids The Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto was finally connected to the grid last year, at an estimated cost of €11 billion compared to the original budget of €3 billion. That cost blowout forced its developer, the […]
