VoA News: UN Reports Thousands of Thyroid Cancers 25 Years After Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
Twenty five years after the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a United Nations report estimates the disaster caused thyroid cancer in more than 6,000 children in the affected area. The world's worst nuclear accident caused thousands of cases of thyroid cancer among children, largely from drinking contaminated milk, according to a report by the U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. University of New Mexico Radiology Professor Fred Mettler contributed to the report. "In our report we say 6,800," said Mettler. "But now, from what I understand people from Belarus say it is 7,000. Now the question they are asking is: what percent of them are due to the accident? And the answer is, most of them." Dr. Mettler said most of these cases were preventable. He says authorities should have banned milk consumption and distributed potassium-iodine pills, but even so distrust of the authorities was high after the accident.
The Guardian: Chernobyl, 25 years on: cash plea for new roof to contain deadly remains
Britain is coming under increasing pressure to provide Ukraine with an extra €50m (£43m) to construct a new contamination shield over the top of the stricken Chernobyl nuclear plant before the old one collapses. Officials from the European commission said governments around the world were being urged to find €750m to help build a more sophisticated roof over the burnt-out reactor and storage for 200 tonnes of highly radioactive fuel. Jean-Paul Joulia, from the commission's nuclear safety unit, admitted the cost of just this aspect of the Chernobyl clean-up was running at €1.5bn – double the original estimate – partly due to "some delays" to some projects. But he said he was confident that foreign governments would stump up the money needed for the shield, even in today's financially difficult climate. "I am optimistic the international community is committed to this. It is important for a number of reasons," he said.
Reuters: Iran says fuel not removed at Bushehr nuclear site
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has not yet removed fuel from its Bushehr nuclear power plant, its foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, signaling a further possible delay to the Russian-built plant's operation date. Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog had said on February 26 that Tehran was having to remove fuel from the reactor of its only nuclear power station, the latest glitch to hit Bushehr in Iran's decades-long attempts to bring it on line. But foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Reuters: "The nuclear fuel has not been unloaded at the Bushehr power plant and this plant is continuing its routine activities." He added: "We hope that Russia can meet the schedule ... and have the Bushehr plant join Iran's national grid on time." It was not clear when the removal of the fuel might begin. Amid confusion over the status of the plant, Iranian officials have said the fuel was being unloaded for tests on the advice of Russian engineers, and that it was being removed for safety reasons.
Deutsche Welle: Germany - Opposition-led states file lawsuit against nuclear power extension
Opposition parties from five Germans states are taking the national government to court over plans to extend the lifespan of Germany's 17 nuclear power plants, insisting that their approval is required. Five German states led by opposition parties filed a lawsuit in the country's highest court on Monday, arguing that the government's extension of the lifespan of nuclear power plants should have needed their approval. The legislation, which plans to keep Germany's 17 nuclear power plants running for an average 12 extra years, was passed by the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, last October. The upper house, or Bundesrat, is composed of the 16 state governments. About half of legislation passed by the Bundestag requires the Bundesrat's approval, namely when states' financial or legislative interests are affected. Chancellor Angela Merkel lost her majority in the Bundesrat last May, and the opposition's lead in the upper house is expected to widen throughout the year as several states hold elections. Merkel's government eventually decided the nuclear legislation did not need the absolute approval of the Bundesrat.
Times of India: Jaitapur - Anti-Nuclear plant protesters to intensify stir
MUMBAI: Hopes of an early end to the stalemate between the Maharashtra government and villagers opposing the Jaitapur nuclear power plant project in Ratnagiri have suffered a telling blow. The protesting villagers have decided to intensify the agitation following a string of arrests made by the police. Since February 27, the police have arrested 14 villagers. While Pradeep Raskar, superintendent of police, Ratnagiri, claimed that the arrests had been made in connection to a two-and-half month-old case, activists' outfits, spearheading the protest, alleged that the "arrests were a fallout of the meeting which the locals had with the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on February 26." During the public meeting where Chavan addressed those affected by the project, villagers voiced their opposition to the project. The meeting also witnessed heated arguments between some of the leaders of the protesting camp and industries minister Narayan Rane. A local activist, Milind Desai, and Sena MLA Rajendra Salvi, were interrupted by Rane during their speeches. The minister had objections to the "defamatory" language used by the two speakers while criticizing the government's role in the project.