Disposing of Weapons to Light Up the Night

In Vienna today, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei called for the eventual destruction of all nuclear weapons:

"It has always been hoped that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as constant reminders of why preventing the further use and proliferation of such weapons -- and why nuclear disarmament leading to a nuclear weapon-free world -- is of utmost importance for the survival of humankind and planet Earth," he said.

But what to do with the remaining fissile material once those weapons are deactivated? Why not read up on "Megatons to Megawatts" and see how the American nuclear industry is turning nuclear warheads once aimed at U.S. cities into reactor fuel that those same cities use to provide the electricity they need. And be sure to check in on the MoX Fuel program too.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

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Fluor Invests in NuScale

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Wednesday Update

From NEI’s Japan micro-site: NRC, Industry Concur on Many Post-Fukushima Actions Industry/Regulatory/Political Issues • There is a “great deal of alignment” between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the industry on initial steps to take at America’s nuclear energy facilities in response to the nuclear accident in Japan, Charles Pardee, the chief operating officer of Exelon Generation Co., said at an agency briefing today. The briefing gave stakeholders an opportunity to discuss staff recommendations for near-term actions the agency may take at U.S. facilities. PowerPoint slides from the meeting are on the NRC website. • The International Atomic Energy Agency board has approved a plan that calls for inspectors to evaluate reactor safety at nuclear energy facilities every three years. Governments may opt out of having their country’s facilities inspected. Also approved were plans to maintain a rapid response team of experts ready to assist facility operators recoverin...

NEI Nuclear Notes

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