Westinghouse strikes deal to build US nuclear power plants [the first such projects in 30 years....]

Brietbart ^

[Sub-Driver]

Westinghouse strikes deal to build US nuclear power plants Apr 8 07:52 PM US/Eastern

Westinghouse Electric, a unit of the Japanese Toshiba Corp., said Tuesday it had struck a deal with Georgia Power to build two nuclear power plants in the southern United States, the first such projects in 30 years.

The two Westinghouse AP1000 power plants will be located at a site near Augusta, Georgia which already had two existing nuclear reactors.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Westinghouse actually killed itself with bad investments in real estate. Most of what was once a great company was sold off piecemeal over the last 25 years or so to pay off the losses - I think the nuke business was the last remnant of the original company still called Westinghouse. I worked for the Power Gen unit for many years until it was sold to Siemens and gutted - they canned a huge number of experienced employees when the Enron fiasco took a huge bite out of their business, including me. Nice to see that they are still around and getting some work.

[potlatch]

Coal mine disasters are truly sad and we all pay attention when one happens.

I think I've stated a number of times that I know there are few accidents. Although, with the society we live in nowadays there may be more minor ones that we don't hear about.

You would have to read all of my posts to understand where I ‘come from’.

[cva66snipe]

I understand that at this time there is no other more efficent means of power production aviable at this time than nuclear. Hydro electric accounts for 10% even in the TVA region. It has destroyed millions of what was once usable acres much of which was prime farm land.

Coal Fire Plants? I live about 10 miles downwind thankfully from one. Far enough away where the soot isn't dumped on my home like the people who live within a couple of miles put up with. BTW if one of those blow? You can look for major death and carnage for at least a mile radius likely closer to two.

That leaves us gas fired plants? Very expensive. Nuclear in the long run is the cheapest and as long as operators follow the rules {many were taught in Navy reactor schools} you'll have safe operations. The true nuclear events in this area aren't at the reactor they're at the weapons processing plants usually flash fires. TVA has the reactors equiped to trip for almost any reason and every reason they trip off requires investigation before restart minimal time before restart usually three days.

[KevinDavis]

Besides, I don’t think in reality they would allow Homer Simpson to work at nuclear power plant.

[potlatch]

[I understand that at this time there is no other more efficent means of power production available at this time than nuclear.]

No doubt that is true. Looks like the thread has died down and many who were posting are gone and won't see further remarks.

There is not a week that goes by that truckloads, vanloads, etc, of illegals are not caught in or around our city. We are one of the main highways to other large cities.

Terrorists are being groomed and trained in Mexico to appear as Mexicans, speak spanish and have all the ‘papers’ they need to enter the U.S.

I know that people have been sighted ‘scouting out’ chemical plants so terrorist could possibly also have ideas about nuke plants.

Lol, believe me, I am not some conspiracy dork, just an everyday person with common sense and the knowledge that anything is possible in the world we now live in.

[rednesss]

I know that Toshiba is building a container sized reactor.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/12/toshibas-home-n.html

[stboz]

We need to use nuclear for process heat in refineries. The gasoline yield per barrel of crude would go up nicely.

[rednesss]

"Don't get me wrong, I am for it, but isn't what they said about the TMI design as I look at it out my window. Two stacks steaming, two stacks dead forever."

Then again the 70's gave us the Pinto, somebody thought that was a good idea as well. Don't get me started on shag carpet.

[PhilDragoo]

The Hillsdale article is a concise setting of the table vis-a-vis the hysteria spearheaded by the Jane Fonda "China Syndrome" (1979) which led to the moratorium.

My good friend from high school who advanced in the Navy and transitioned into civilian career training reactor operators internationally presented to me evidence that the nuclear generation of power was safe, sound, and at least as acceptable an alternative as others.

Two coal plants in this state may not get past the permitting stage, such is the deathgrip of the enviros who wish to see us peons in wooden shoes with waterbuffalo in the paddies rather than those wonderfully efficient John Deere machines.

On the sidings in this hub the coal cars stretch on and on; did dinosaurs die for our sins or are coal and oil produced by other means.

Meanwhile the science fascists seek to impose a 6.7% tax on our economy for our carbon evil yet cannot admit the UN Meteorological organization says earthtemp constant for eight years.

Clinton put Utah coal out of competition with his Indonesian-surnamed Chinese donor Riady, Riady whose LIPPO was partnered with ChinaResources a known ChiCom military intelligence asset, LIPPO being the mother ship of John the Huang whose faxes from Stephens contained CIA briefing data.

Regarding the five-axis heresies:

McDonnell Douglas Machine Tools

In 1993, China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) agreed to purchase a number of excess machine tools and other equipment from McDonnell Douglas, including 19 machine tools that required individual validated licenses to be exported. CATIC told McDonnell Douglas it was purchasing the machine tools to produce parts for the Trunkliner Program, a 1992 agreement between McDonnell Douglas and CATIC to build 40 MD-82 and MD-90 series commercial aircraft in the PRC.

During the interagency licensing process for the machine tools, the Defense Technology Security Administration sought assessments from the Central Intelligence Agency and from the Defense Intelligence Agency, because of concerns that the PRC could use the McDonnell Douglas five-axis machine tools for unauthorized purposes, particularly to develop quieter submarines. Since the PRC wishes to enhance its power projection capabilities and is making efforts to strengthen its naval forces, the five-axis machine tools could easily be diverted for projects that would achieve that goal.

Initially, CATIC told McDonnell Douglas it planned to sell the machine tools to four factories in the PRC that were involved in the Trunkliner commercial aircraft program. When those efforts reportedly failed, CATIC told McDonnell Douglas it planned to use the machine tools at a machining center to be built in Beijing to produce Trunkliner parts for the four factories.

In May 1994, McDonnell Douglas applied to the Commerce Department for licenses to export the 19 machine tools to the PRC. Even after it became apparent that only 20 of the 40 Trunkliner aircraft would be built in the PRC, the U.S. Government continued to accept McDonnell Douglas’s assertion that the machine tools were still required to support the Trunkliner production requirements.

Accordingly, Commerce approved the license applications in September 1994 with a number of conditions designed to limit the risk of diversion or misuse.

SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

81

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

In April 1995, the U.S. Government learned from McDonnell Douglas that six of the licensed machine tools had been diverted to a factory in Nanchang known to manufacture military aircraft and cruise missile components, as well as commercial products. However, Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) did not initiate an investigation of the diversion for six months.

The Commerce Department declined an Office of Export Enforcement Los Angeles Field Office request for a Temporary Denial Order against CATIC. The case remains under investigation by OEE and the U.S. Customs Service. With the approval of the U.S. Government, the machine tools have since been consolidated at a factory in Shanghai.

Now the Clintons seek to return to power to commit more such technology transfers.

When we are forming the queue for the guillotine, save two places in line, one for Bernard L. Schwartz, another for C. Michael Armstrong. The punishment for Bill the Clinton is to be lap-danced by Janet Reno for the rest of his natural life.

Regarding placement of reactors, my friend had one in his backyard for most of his Navy career yet fathered at least two children having but two heads between them.

[rednesss]

"I respectfully disagree. The ABWR is the safest design currently available on the plant. But the PWR guys are not “that far” behind. :D)"

Chevy vs. Ford.

[potlatch]

[Regarding placement of reactors, my friend had one in his backyard for most of his Navy career yet fathered at least two children having but two heads between them. ]

Thank you, I can relate to that! I think Meek pinged us to their picture recently, lol.
But did you count their toes?

[Louis Foxwell]

Wait for it....

[cva66snipe]

We have illegals saturating Oak Ridge. Oak Ridge plants also have a top notch well equiped and trained security force. I don't mean Barney's with one bullet I mean some serious hi-tech weaponary capable of doing what it takes. But htreats have always been with us. Norris Dam which is the dam above stream that was a major power source for the weapons plants in WW2 had machine gun placements at it's base. The mount foundations and fortifications are still there. Actually they are still there in Oak Ridge also. Guard shacks fortified to take major hits. TVA's reactors are protected by Federal Law Enforcment Officers.

There's plenty of places to hit in the US. We have an east coast Pearl Harbor waiting to happen in a port the Navy has used since before WW2. Have we moved our fleet?

[rednesss]

"This of course was not the case in Chernobyl, where the Soviet designers didn’t even bother building a concrete containment structure around the reactor vessel. Then in 1986, two teams of operators became involved in a tussle over use of the reactor and ended up overheating the core, which set fire to the carbon moderator that facilitates the chain reaction."

The Russian RBMK design was atrocious. And would never get licensed in a Western country in a million years. And it used a graphite moderator, I know graphite is carbon but I'm feeling nit picky.

For a good explanation of Chernobyl, read this:

http://users.owt.com/smsrpm/Chernobyl/tline.html

[Stayingawayfromthedarkside]

I wish they would consider using treated sewage water for all of our nuke plants. That is how it is done at Palo Verde in Arizona.

[B4Ranch]

>I’ll give Toshiba credit for moving ahead, I just hate to see foreign companies take our stalwarts over.<

I think our falling dollar is the worst thing ever because it gives foreign companies an extra reason to but American companies. They get a discount up front. 30%OFF

[CGTRWK]

I believe they are looking into the discharged water. Naturally they will say it has been thoroughly ‘cleaned’.

You don't clean the water. It doesn't mix with nuclear material that needs to be filtered out later. It's an entirely seperate loop.

You'd as soon find natural gas coming out of your hot water tap.

[JSteff]

“Don't get me wrong, I am for it, but isn't what they said about the TMI design as I look at it out my window. Two stacks steaming, two stacks dead forever.”

What side of the River? I live just about 1/3 mile above the turnpike Hbg east exit?

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you. I appreciate the response.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks Nucl. I had thought that there had been some fairly important breakthroughs along the pebbles line, and it had been my understanding that the industry was headed in that direction.

I’m just a layman, so I am only addressing what I’ve read here over time.