5.3-magnitude
earthquake hits Fukushima prefecture 19 Sep 2013 A 5.3-magnitude
earthquake has hit the Japanese prefecture that is home to the wrecked nuclear
power plant. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck early Friday at a
depth of about 13 miles (22 kilometers) under Fukushima Prefecture and about 110
miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on
Thursday ordered TEPCO to scrap all six reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant
and concentrate on tackling pressing issues like leaks of radioactive water.
Officials have acknowledged that [daily, hundreds of tons of]
radiation-contaminated groundwater has been seeping into the Pacific Ocean since
soon after the meltdowns.
Japan's
Abe orders surviving Fukushima reactors scrapped, pledges safe
Olympics 19 Sep 2013 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the
scrapping of two Fukushima nuclear reactors that survived the 2011 tsunami. He
also said he stood by his commitments to the International Olympic Committee of
insuring a safe 2020 Summer Games. Abe, speaking to reporters after a tour of
the plant on Thursday, said he told Tokyo Electric Power Co to set a time frame
for dealing with leaking contaminated water. "...I have directed them to
decommission the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors that are now halted," Abe said.
Radioactive
leak found at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear plant 16 Sep 2013 (PA) PPL
Corp.'s Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County declared an "unusual
event" Sunday after radioactive water was discovered leaking inside a room in
the plant's Unit 2 reactor building. An unusual event is the first of the four
emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
for nuclear power plants. The plant declared the unusual event at 11:38 a.m.
after operators received indications of the water leak. The unit had already
been shut down at the time of the declaration.
No-nuke activists to get day in court
PLYMOUTH — A group of Cape Downwinders remains on course to stand trial next spring for trespassing on the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station property after protest rallies.
And that suits members, who have been pressing for their day in court, just fine.
A March 18 date for trial was set Wednesday during a status hearing at Plymouth District Court.
"It's our aim to be judged by a jury of our peers, because we believe continued operation of the Pilgrim plant represents criminal negligence for endangering the public safety," said Diane Turco, a Harwich resident and co-founder of the Downwinders. She is among 13 defendants connected to trespassing incidents.
The arrested
The list of those arrested after a May rally also includes Margaret Rice-Moir of Brewster; Douglas Long of Orleans; Janet Azarovitz, William Maurer and Joyce Johnson, all of Falmouth; Femke Rosenbaum of Wellfleet; Debra McCulloch of Truro; and Sarah Thacher of East Dennis.
The defendants contended they were trying to deliver a letter to Entergy Corp., the company that owns and operates the Plymouth power plant.
Downwinders arrested and charged after a March trespassing incident were Susan Carpenter of South Dennis, Mike Risch of Falmouth, Paul Rifkin of Cotuit and Elaine Dickinson of Harwich.
Not their first day in court
These latest infractions don't mark the first attempts by the anti-nuclear group to take a stance publicly in court.
Earlier this year, Downwinders were disappointed when similar trespassing charges were dismissed shortly before a scheduled trial. "We had expert witnesses ready to offer testimony," Turco said.
The list included Dr. Helen Caldicott, an internationally known Australian physician and anti-nuclear activist, and Cambridge scientist Gordon Thompson, who has written about dangers related to spent fuel rod pools.
"We're hoping to get them back this time," Turco said.
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