Nuclear power's future focus of Purdue workshop

Chris Morisse Vizza, cvizza@jconline.com

Purdue University is gearing for a two-day workshop on campus this week that will draw, among others, a top official from the U.S. Department of Energy.

At 7 p.m. Thursday in Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse, Sal Golub, associate deputy secretary for nuclear technologies, will present the Discovery Lecture. It is free and open to the public.

Nuclear power provides carbon-free energy but poses challenges in terms of safety, proliferation and environmental impact, said event organizer Anter El-Azab, a Purdue nuclear engineering professor.

"This Purdue workshop devoted to nuclear power and related research will attempt to put all those issues on the table to a lively discussion on where we can go from here," El-Azab said.

The workshop will include a brainstorming session geared toward creating partnerships between Purdue and external institutions, national research laboratories, industry and other universities.

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Virginia: Latest reports on North Anna nuclear plant

LOUISA, VA (WWBT) - It's back in operation, but is the North Anna Nuclear Plant safe after last summer's historic earthquake? Residents still want to know and Tuesday night, they got a chance to speak with regulators at the power station's annual assessment meeting.

Many are rebuilding, now eight months after the earthquake, but several residents say they're having a hard time building confidence in the safety of the North Anna Nuclear Plant. It's located not far from the August earthquake's epi-center.  

 "This seems to be the worst place to put and operate a nuclear power plant," Chris Dorsey told regulators Tuesday night.

Officials say it meets regulations. And even though the earthquake registered higher than what the plant was designed to withstand, officials say nuclear power plants are rarely built to a minimum standard-- that there was some margin for a larger seismic event.

But we did ask officials checking for safety point-blank, is the plant safe for those living nearby?

Roger Hannah, with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission says, "Absolutely. If the North Anna Nuclear Plant were not safe, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would not allow the plant to operate."

We asked Jerry Bishof, Vice President of the North Anna Power Station, "Are you comfortable that this site is safe moving forward if there were to be another earthquake?"

He told us, "Absolutely!"

Then he told us, he moved his family nearby the plant.

Those guarantees are enough to convince neighbor Michael Rigdon. He lives two miles from the plant and is also a former nuclear engineer for another company.

"People that live across the street have no reason to worry about anything," said Rigdon.

 "We want to be sure that the plant is operated safely. That's our goal and that's what our inspectors do on a daily basis," said Hannah.

Officials tell us regulations regarding power plants are being re-assessed after the earthquake and flooding in Japan.

They say it could lead to more stringent regulations for power plants in the future, and that Lake Anna will be a focal point of research because of the earthquake nearby.

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NNSA Helps Vietnam with Safety Plans as It Contemplates New Reactors

Experts from the agency that oversees the safety of U.S. military nuclear programs recently met with Vietnamese regulators to help them improve accident preparedness as the country makes plans for four new reactors.

The National Nuclear Security Administration and the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety addressed emergency planning, air monitoring and emergency management. NNSA personnel also demonstrated plume modeling techniques and specialized radiological detection equipment.

“I am pleased that NNSA emergency personnel were able to meet with Vietnamese officials to help enhance their emergency management systems,” NNSA Associate Administrator for Emergency Operations Joseph Krol said in a release. “The sharing of knowledge and expertise with other countries demonstrates our commitment to support our international partners while delivering on President Obama’s nuclear security objectives.”

NNSA also reached an agreement to conduct medical and search training in Vietnam this summer. NNSA collaborates with 80-plus countries to help them improve nuclear safety and emergency planning. In Vietnam, the International Atomic Energy Agency has offered assistance as well, with its Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review mission announced in 2009.

Currently, no power reactors operate in Southeast Asia. Vietnam has crafted several plans in recent years to help meet its growing energy demands using nuclear power. In 2010, it reached intergovernmental agreements with Japan and Russia to build four reactors at two sites in the country’s interior, according to the World Nuclear Association.

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