On September 10, 2007 the VROM Inspectorate was notified by te Customs Office at Rotterdam Maasvlakte that they had a radiation alarm of their portal detector. By mistake the content of the container was already unloaded at a distribution center in Amsterdam. Using handheld survey equipment an enhanced radiation level at the surface on the unloaded boxes of 15 microSieverts per hour could be determined. The container identification number is PONU 73766-5. The container was completely filled with 824 ladies handbags. An enchanced radiation level at the surface of one handbag of 15 microsieverts per hour was measured, due to the presence of cobalt-60. The handbags were further examined by a specialised firm. The cobalt-60 was incorporated in the ring of the shoulder strap of the handbags. The activity was calculated to be at least 25 kBq per handbag. The total activity of the cobalt-60 was calculated to be at least 38 MBq. The handbags were manufactured in India. The rings with the cobalt-60 contamination were supplied by Maple Exports LTD, Kolkata, India, in a total amount of 1542 pieces. The 1542 rings with cobalt-60 have been transported to COVRA, the radioactive waste facility in the Netherlands.
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 […]
