French, U.S. companies to build nuke power plant

[NVMojo]

more Bush cronism lies within this whole nuke energy puzzle. Remember that Bush said, "sound science" existed to prove that letting Yucca Mtn. move forward was the right thing when he approved it a few years ago. And, the USGS is accused of lying and fraud? A bunch of scientists who are not known for doing anything but documenting things that make it difficult for most slash and burn environment destroyers to get their way in this country?? There will be more uncovered as we go along, just as in Iraq, just as in DC ...

...and we will eventually ask the question, "so was the whole French bashing, victory fries thing all just one big diversionary tactic?"

WASHINGTON -- A French firm with Yucca Mountain ties and a U.S. nuclear company aim to win the race to construct the first new U.S. nuclear power plant in nearly 30 years, despite the nation's problem-plagued nuclear waste plan.

France's state-owned AREVA Inc. -- with a U.S. headquarters in Maryland, 8,000 U.S. employees, and a history of plant construction -- has joined with U.S. nuclear giant Constellation Energy to form the Annapolis, Md.-based UniStar Nuclear, officials announced Thursday.

UniStar would have at least two connections to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project. COGEMA Inc., an AREVA affiliate, won a $29.7 million, 4 1/2-year contract to design material handling systems at Yucca in May 2003.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2005/sep/16/519366865.html

[Democrats_win]

1. American will provide the janitors and the French will do everything else

Its all kingdom bushdumb can do anymore.

The janitors will be illegal immigrants.

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Iran should try to get this referred to the UNSC. n/t

[NVMojo]

3. should I laugh or cry???

[iconoclastic cat]

6. Laugh!

It will be a laugh that slowly builds into a maniacal shriek, but it will be a laugh nonetheless.

[enough]

4. Paving the way:

The last line of the article (end of snip).

snip>

He noted that the government underwrites an insurance plan in case of catastrophic plant accidents. He also noted the energy bill included a $200 million incentive for the constructors of a new plant, as well as a promise that taxpayers would pay for construction delays beyond five years.




That's a neat twist. Nuke plants ALWAYS have construction delays beyond five years. This way they'll have a real incentive to be slow. Maybe the taxpayers could just pay them not to build it in the first place. Probably be more economical for the taxpayers and ratepayers in the long run (at least if our experience with our local nuke is any indication).

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Delays? Never happen.

We're the bestest, non-cheatingest country in the world.

[tocqueville]

5. What I heard of was that Areva was getting a contract to recycle

US weapon-grade plutonium into mox and build a plant for that. The US didn't have the technology and had to go to France (or UK, Japan) to do it, with big security problems.

[tocqueville]

7. BTW it's old news, contract passed in 2003

PRESS RELEASES

May 21, 2003

COGEMA, Inc. an AREVA Group Company, Wins Contract to Support The U.S. Department of Energy’s Yucca Mountain Project

COGEMA, Inc., has signed an important contract to design material-handling systems for the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project in Nevada. This award was made by Bechtel SAIC, L.L.C., the management and operating contractor for the Yucca Mountain Project. Bechtel SAIC values the four and one half year contract at $29.7 million.

Under the contract, COGEMA, Inc. leads an integrated project team, composed of U.S. AREVA Group companies, that includes Framatome ANP, Inc., COGEMA Engineering Corporation, Transnuclear Inc., and Packaging Technology Inc. This team will provide operational design support for the repository's surface facility, where high-level nuclear waste will be received and prepared prior to placement in the Yucca Mountain repository.

Since 1982, COGEMA, Inc. and its AREVA affiliates have proven themselves as responsible and reliable providers of products and services to the U.S. government and to the U.S. energy industry in the areas of environmental cleanup and restoration, spent fuel management, products and services for electricity production, and homeland security. COGEMA, Inc. is a key participant in DOE's program to convert former weapons material to electricity.

http://www.areva.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=arevagroup_en%2FPressRelease%2FPressReleaseFullTemplate&cid=1053505368802

[NVMojo]

8. then why is this news NOW?????

[tocqueville]

10. check the date... 2003 was hard to admit

that the US had to rely on French technology

I know that a transport to France of US weapon-grade plutonium for reprocessing made some news here some time ago (local antinuke groups weren't happy). Areva communicated that it was the last time, since they had got a contract to do the job in the US.

I think that the US hates to admit that sometimes (?) they don't rule everything. It's OK to import cheese, but not high-tech.

When Europe sends a probe to Titan, all the freepers on Yahoo go ballistic (no pun intended) and start bashing France.

For example there is right now a team of French Navy attack divers rescuing a US Navy ship sunk by Katrina. Do you see that on CNN ?
I bet not.

I'd love to see if EADS gets the helicopter contract with the US Army... Normally they should have it : it's cheaper and top-technology. But you never know...

Another story : when Saddam was ousted from his bunkers 2003, the cruise missile used was the French-British SCALP made by EADS, because it has a better penetration performance than the Tomahawk and carries about the same load. It was "tested" in its British version (Storm Shadow) by dozens...

So the big booms on Bagdhad you watched on TV two years ago, a lot of them were "French"...

Who knows about that in the US ? I bet CNN never even asked...

OK Chirac STFU because it wasn't popular. But French papers published it after a while...

[enough]

11. Probably because the recent Energy Bill

is making it all look like good pickings if you are looking at "investment" in nukes.

That bill is full of a lot of goodies for a lot of people, and this is one of them.

[NVMojo]

12. good points, Toqueville and enough! it is probably embarassing

for the Bush administration to admit that they needed France or had to bribe them ...

[Dover]

13. Isn't that what Iran would like to do too? n/t