In the period between January and February 2008 the Environmental Care Command (Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela dell’Ambiente - CCTA) impounded at some Italian firms about 30 tons of stainless steel contaminated by Cobalt 60. The material, in the form of rolled steel coils (6.0 mm thick, 2 m width, about 10tons mean weight), had been imported to Italy from China in May 2007, arrived at the La Spezia port together with some other not contaminated coils. The rolled steel coils were manufactured in China. The contaminated coil identification numbers are: KA70168101, KA70168102, KA70168103. CCTA investigations were made, also supported by the Italian National Agency for the Environmental Protection and Technical Services (APAT), the Customs Office, the Italian Regional Agencies for the Environmental Protection and the Provinces Fire Corps. Radiation levels of about 20 microSieverts per hour at contact of the coil and about 4 microSieverts per hour at 1 meter were measured. Some preliminary results for the activity concentration, coming from gamma spectrometric analysis, show values of about 24 Bq/g. Further investigation and radiological consequence evaluation are still under way. The event was reported to the Office of Public Prosecution. During the investigation the transfer of the same material to other foreign firms was ascertained. Consequently cooperation of the Interpol was requested by CCTA.
Last year, the Dutch Province of Limburg started an alliance in which, besides the local government, research institutes, small nuclear reactor (SMR) developers, utilities, industrial customers and funders cooperated. With this "Limburg SMR alliance" Limburg tried to lead the way towards an SMR in Limburg. The preferred site for a first SMR would be Chemelot, […]
From the IPFM: During a visit to the Civaux nuclear power plant on 18 March 2024, France's Minister of the Armed Forces unveiled a plan to use the plant to produce tritium for the French nuclear weapons program. Civaux is a civilian power plant that belongs to and is operated by Electricité de France. According […]
An analysis by the Norwegian NGO Bellona of transborder trade operations with the customs code 840130 (irradiated fuel assemblies or fuel elements) show a more than twofold increase of import to EU countries of fresh nuclear fuel in cash terms – from 280 million Euros in 2022 to 686 million Euros in 2023. In physical […]
The French government has said it is "seriously" studying the option of building a plant to convert and enrich reprocessed uranium to cut its reliance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The only plant in the world that currently converts reprocessed uranium for use in nuclear power plants is in Russia. "The option of […]
Jan vd Putte quickly changed from dressing as the pied piper at the protest during the IAEA nuclear power conference to warn for the Russian nuclear power conglomerate Rosatom and its role in Ukraine.
