www.bredlaction.blogspot.com

Obama Administration Approves ALEC Model Bill for Fracking Chemical Fluid Disclosure on Public Lands

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:36:00 +0000

Obama Administration Approves ALEC Model Bill for Fracking Chemical Fluid Disclosure on Public Lands

"The rule really reflects who has had the most access and who is being listened to,"Fran Hunt of the Sierra Club's "Beyond Gas" campaign told EnergyWire. "They've been following the road signs put up by industry."
Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, echoed these concerns.
"After reviewing the draft rules, we believe the administration is putting the American public’s health and well-being at risk, while continuing to give polluters a free ride," Brune stated of BLM's new fracking rules. "This proposal does not require drillers to disclose all chemicals being used for fracking and continues to allow trade-secret exemptions for the oil and gas industry."

Sunday Times review of DEP drilling records reveals water damage, murky testing methods - News - The Times-Tribune

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:38:00 +0000

Sunday Times review of DEP drilling records reveals water damage, murky testing methods - News - The Times-Tribune

Radiation Videos: Radiation Monitoring and Demonstration Across the ...

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:54:00 +0000

Radiation Videos: Radiation Monitoring and Demonstration Across the ...: Radiation Monitoring on January 24, 2013, 4 miles south of the Browns Ferry Alabama Nuclear Facility on the Tennessee River; monitor...

Court: 'No merit' to environmental challenge of nuclear plant - The Hill's RegWatch

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:26:00 +0000

Court: 'No merit' to environmental challenge of nuclear plant - The Hill's RegWatch

The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, along with eight other groups, asked the NRC to reassess the design standards of the $14 billion nuclear power plant expansion, and its potential impact on the environment, after those applications were processed and closed.
The NRC and its post-Fukushima task force in charge of investigating safety regulations in the wake of the disaster of 2011 decided to move forward with the projects and later implement more regulations, if needed.
Pleas from environmental groups to halt the approval process were “premature,” the NRC said in response to the petitions. The agency said “existing procedural mechanisms were sufficient to ensure licensees’ compliance with not-yet-enacted regulatory safeguards.”
Further, the task force found in its report that “a sequence of events like the Fukushima accident is unlikely to occur in the United States,” and argued new steps have already been taken to be ready in the event of a disaster.

Attorneys: Appeals Court Erred In Holding NRC Did Not Need To Assess Lessons Learned From Fukushima Reactor Disaster Before Issuing A License For Plant Vogtle - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:04:00 +0000

Attorneys: Appeals Court Erred In Holding NRC Did Not Need To Assess Lessons Learned From Fukushima Reactor Disaster Before Issuing A License For Plant Vogtle - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

"We believe that the Court of Appeals erred in siding today with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The court upheld the NRC's refusal to supplement its environmental impact statement (EIS) for the new Vogtle reactors and their underlying design to address the environmental consequences of delaying safety upgrades recommended by the NRC's high-level Fukushima Task Force. After the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, the NRC recognized that it needed to upgrade its safety and environmental protection standards but did not do so. The Task Force called the Fukushima accident a second warning and urged the NRC to review and strengthen its safety standards for all nuclear reactors, including Vogtle. But the NRC has delayed that too. We are very concerned that the court has allowed the NRC to kick the can down the road once again.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/14/5419894/attorneys-appeals-court-erred.html#storylink=cpy

Editorial: Industry can't set fracking rules - Winston-Salem Journal: Editorials

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:13:00 +0000

Editorial: Industry can't set fracking rules - Winston-Salem Journal: Editorials

Town Board Gives Residents Cold Shoulder Over Anti-Fracking Petition – EcoWatch: Cutting Edge Environmental News Service

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:28:00 +0000

Town Board Gives Residents Cold Shoulder Over Anti-Fracking Petition – EcoWatch: Cutting Edge Environmental News Service

Southern Co. Nuclear Plant Plan Upheld by Appeals Court - Bloomberg

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:23:00 +0000

Southern Co. Nuclear Plant Plan Upheld by Appeals Court - Bloomberg

EU: Oil, Biofuel Companies May Have Colluded on Price Distortion - WSJ.com

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:23:00 +0000

EU: Oil, Biofuel Companies May Have Colluded on Price Distortion - WSJ.com

Editorial - One company’s objections could cause rewrite of proposed rules on fracking | StarNewsOnline.com

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Editorial - One company’s objections could cause rewrite of proposed rules on fracking | StarNewsOnline.com

Critics got an answer last week to the question of just how much influence big business will have over a commission that’s supposed to be setting safety standards for gas exploration in North Carolina: a lot. Halliburton, which makes a chemical used in the hydraulic fracturing process, objected to a set of proposed regulations on the grounds of “trade secrets.”

Companies have a right to protect proprietary formulas, but the public also has a right to know what types of chemicals are being used in their midst. And state officials need to know, in the event of a fire or spill. Although the fracking industry claims the process is perfectly safe, there is reason for concern about its potential to contaminate water and soil, as well as worries that it could cause earth tremors.

BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:24:00 +0000

BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE

Free Workshop:Do you own your Mineral Rights? Cumnock Preservation Association, a North Carolina chapter of The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, invites you to a free workshop on researching your mineral rights. The workshop will be held on May 30, 2013, at the Quality Inn 1403 N. Horner Blvd Sanford NC 27330, from 3-7:30 pm For more information contact: Debbie Hall (919) 775-7506 or Therese Vick (919) 345-3673

Feds probe nuclear contractor over allegations - Yahoo! News

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:06:00 +0000

Feds probe nuclear contractor over allegations - Yahoo! News

ATLANTA (AP) -- Federal regulators are investigating whether workers at a factory that supplies parts to nuclear plants broke quality control rules and falsified records, according to regulatory filings.

A dozen workers at the Shaw Modular Solutions facility in Lake Charles, La., admitted to a manager that they sometimes entered the identification codes for other workers while recording who performed welds, according to the company's legal filings. The filings do not offer further details on the incident. The NRC would not comment on the ongoing probe, but its rules state that only a worker who performs a weld can document that it was completed, agency spokesman Scott Burnell said.

If true, the allegations do not necessarily mean that the factory's parts are defective or unsafe. But the allegations would represent a breakdown in the process intended to guarantee that parts installed in nuclear power plants meet strict standards to ensure safety. The case is being handled by the NRC's Office of Investigations, which probes allegations of wrongdoing.

The factory makes large parts destined for two nuclear power plants now under construction, Plant Vogtle (VOH'-gohl) in Georgia and Plant Summer in South Carolina. CB&I, which acquired The Shaw Group in February, said it is cooperating in the probe and has turned over all the requested documents.

"When CB&I first learned of the employee's concerns, we took immediate action," company spokeswoman Gentry Brann said in a written statement. "Today, the documentation issue has been corrected, and we have a full corrective action program in place to ensure this does not happen again."

The allegations are a setback for a factory that has been the subject of a large number of whistleblower complaints, struggled to meet production schedules and, according to analysts, had difficulty mastering the strict quality control process required in the nuclear power industry.

NRC officials requested information in October about the dozen workers who admitted they used other workers' codes, according to documents filed by company lawyers. The company told the NRC which workers were involved, but it initially resisted handing over other internal reports. The firm said it was concerned that the NRC might be forced to publicly release the documents, undermining the promises of confidentiality to company whistleblowers who report problems.
NRC commissioners voted April 2 to reject a request from Shaw to revoke the subpoena. The federal safety agency noted that the documents may be shielded from release under the federal open records act.
"We therefore do not expect such document requests to unduly burden, or otherwise create a chilling effect on, a facility's effort to promote a safety conscious work environment," the commission said in its order.
The company has been under scrutiny. Last month, the NRC proposed a $36,400 fine against CB&I for discriminating against an employee who raised a quality concern.
In addition, the NRC has accused Shaw, now CB&I, of creating a workplace that discouraged employees at the Lake Charles factory from raising quality concerns. Federal officials said they received 19 allegations from people based at the factory from January 2010 to January 2013, more than a third of all vendor-related allegations received during that period.
"The NRC takes seriously the ability of employees to raise safety concerns without fear of retaliation, and employee protection from discrimination," said Glenn Tracy, director of the Office of New Reactors, in an April 18 letter to the company.
A survey conducted at the request of Shaw found that 27 percent of workers were not confident they could raise a quality concern without fear of retaliation. In addition, 30 percent of workers knew someone who suffered a negative reaction from management after raising a quality concern, according to federal documents.
Problems at the facility prompted the Atlanta-based Southern Co. to stop shipments of parts from the factory to its construction site at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta. The utility and Westinghouse Electric Co, which designed the plants under construction in Georgia and South Carolina, have sent their own employees to monitor progress at the facility.
Southern Co. "has been in contact with the NRC to fully understand the issues," utility spokesman Mark Williams said in a written statement. The utility expects its contractors to cooperate with NRC requirements, he said.
SCANA Corp. spokeswoman Rhonda O'Banion said the company is confident in the quality of the components it received from CB&I for the utility's new reactors in South Carolina.
___
Follow Ray Henry on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rhenryAP.

Fukushima…a Dire SOS Message from Thom Hartman « nuclear-news

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:21:00 +0000

Fukushima…a Dire SOS Message from Thom Hartman « nuclear-news

Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster first began back in March of 2011, there have been near-daily updates on the condition of that stricken plant, updates which have been getting worse and worse, painting a very dire scene at the Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

From the moment the earthquake and tsunami devastated the plant, officials have been struggling to contain the leaks of radioactive waste, fuel, and cooling water.
In February, for example, officials discovered a fish in a nearby water intake station for the plant that contained more than 7,400 times the recommended safe limit of radioactive cesium.

And now, officials are concerned that, because of all of the leaks, power outages, and glitches that have occurred, the Dai-chi nuclear power plant could begin to break apart and cause an even worse nuclear disaster, when a decades-long clean-up process finally begins.

County commissioners vote to apply for landfill permit | Courier Tribune, Asheboro

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:50:00 +0000

County commissioners vote to apply for landfill permit | Courier Tribune, Asheboro

Therese Vick with the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League said commissioners still have too many unanswered questions to proceed. She called for a one-year moratorium to study the issue.

* We Spoke and the NC Utilities Commission Listened | NC Central Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:12:00 +0000

* We Spoke and the NC Utilities Commission Listened | NC Central Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club

INCR propose listing standards for stock exchanges | GreenBiz.com

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:12:00 +0000

INCR propose listing standards for stock exchanges | GreenBiz.com

Increasing numbers of stock exchanges have launched sustainability indexes as well.
INCR's proposal recommends that stock exchanges mandate materiality assessments by companies, "to make it clear that material ESG matters are required to be included in financial reporting."
"Only when ESG information is universally reported in one of the main sources of information used regularly by all investors and analysts — financial reports — will capital markets be able to value companies based on more than a narrow set of financial indicators that give a limited picture of risk and opportunity," INCR stated.

Protesters gather outside Duke Energy meeting | WCNC.com Charlotte

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:37:00 +0000

Protesters gather outside Duke Energy meeting |
WCNC.com Charlotte

Protesters gather for Duke Energy shareholders meeting | www.wsoctv.com

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:16:00 +0000

Protesters gather for Duke Energy shareholders meeting | www.wsoctv.com

Radioactive Water Imperils Fukushima Plant - NYTimes.com

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:38:00 +0000

Radioactive Water Imperils Fukushima Plant - NYTimes.com: TOKYO — Two years after a triple meltdown that grew into the world’s second worst nuclear disaster, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is faced with a new crisis: a flood of highly radioactive wastewater that workers are struggling to contain.

Duke CEO Jim Rogers: climate champion or climate criminal? | Greenpeace Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:41:00 +0000

Duke CEO Jim Rogers: climate champion or climate criminal? | Greenpeace Blogs: The growing wave of activism against Duke’s rate hikes for dirty energy will be on display at the shareholder meeting tomorrow, where hundreds of activists from groups ranging from Sierra Club to the AARP will show up to ask Duke for cleaner, cheaper energy that will help their health, their pocketbooks, and the climate.

People For Clean Mountains | For Clean Mountains, Clean Jobs, Clean Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:44:00 +0000

People For Clean Mountains | For Clean Mountains, Clean Jobs, Clean Economy: BREAKING NEWS: 5/01/13 6:37 pm EST - People for Clean Mountains (PCM) Requests Moratoriam on Biomass Facility - Press Release

4/29/13, 3:19 pm EST -PCM has just released a petition to call for a moratorium on the proposed Penrose Biomass facility.

Launch of National Mapping Project Designed to Show Possible Impacts of Oil and Gas Drilling on Well Water

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:51:00 +0000

Launch of National Mapping Project Designed to Show Possible Impacts of Oil and Gas Drilling on Well Water

USA: Jail sentence for under-reporting injuries at nuclear plants. « nuclear-news

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:53:00 +0000

USA: Jail sentence for under-reporting injuries at nuclear plants. « nuclear-news

seneca meadows landfill trucks waiting in line New York States Largest Landfill - YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:27:00 +0000

seneca meadows landfill trucks waiting in line New York States Largest Landfill - YouTube

http://youtu.be/v93ghYDciCQ

Who wants this in their community? Beware NC!

April 2013 BREDL Board of Directors Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Beverly Kerr) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:19:00 +0000

You should join us at our next board meeting. See how much fun we had!

www.bredlaction.blogspot.com

Obama Administration Approves ALEC Model Bill for Fracking Chemical Fluid Disclosure on Public Lands

Sunday Times review of DEP drilling records reveals water damage, murky testing methods - News - The Times-Tribune

Radiation Videos: Radiation Monitoring and Demonstration Across the ...

Court: 'No merit' to environmental challenge of nuclear plant - The Hill's RegWatch

Attorneys: Appeals Court Erred In Holding NRC Did Not Need To Assess Lessons Learned From Fukushima Reactor Disaster Before Issuing A License For Plant Vogtle - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Industry can't set fracking rules - Winston-Salem Journal: Editorials

Town Board Gives Residents Cold Shoulder Over Anti-Fracking Petition – EcoWatch: Cutting Edge Environmental News Service

Southern Co. Nuclear Plant Plan Upheld by Appeals Court - Bloomberg

EU: Oil, Biofuel Companies May Have Colluded on Price Distortion - WSJ.com

Editorial - One company’s objections could cause rewrite of proposed rules on fracking | StarNewsOnline.com

BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE

Feds probe nuclear contractor over allegations - Yahoo! News

Sponsored Links

Fukushima…a Dire SOS Message from Thom Hartman « nuclear-news

County commissioners vote to apply for landfill permit | Courier Tribune, Asheboro

* We Spoke and the NC Utilities Commission Listened | NC Central Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club

INCR propose listing standards for stock exchanges | GreenBiz.com

Protesters gather outside Duke Energy meeting | WCNC.com Charlotte

Protesters gather for Duke Energy shareholders meeting | www.wsoctv.com

Radioactive Water Imperils Fukushima Plant - NYTimes.com

Duke CEO Jim Rogers: climate champion or climate criminal? | Greenpeace Blogs

People For Clean Mountains | For Clean Mountains, Clean Jobs, Clean Economy

Launch of National Mapping Project Designed to Show Possible Impacts of Oil and Gas Drilling on Well Water

USA: Jail sentence for under-reporting injuries at nuclear plants. « nuclear-news

seneca meadows landfill trucks waiting in line New York States Largest Landfill - YouTube

April 2013 BREDL Board of Directors Meeting