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Monday, February 14, 2011

Jaitpur Nuclear Power Plant project though seems to be beneficial for few years will become big problem later.It will create ecological disturbance in marine ecosystem of konkan.It'll also have chronic impact on local people.

Jaitpur Nuclear Power Plant project though seems to be beneficial for few years will become big problem later.It will create ecological disturbance in marine ecosystem of konkan.It'll also have chronic impact on local people.

Pranab to head panel on coal-environment tussle

The electricity generated from the proposed 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) will be double, even triple the cost of electricity from coal- or gas-fired plants, according to a report.Depending on the cost of capital, the unit cost of electricity from Jaitapur would come to Rs5 to Rs8 per kilowatt per hour.The same unit from a thermal or gas operated plant costs Rs2 to 2.5 only, says the report published by the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP).


Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams, Chapter 583

Palash Biswas

http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/

http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/
Pranab to head panel on coal-environment tussle

Jaitpur Nuclear Power Plant  project though seems to be beneficial for few years will become big problem later.It will create ecological disturbance in marine ecosystem of konkan.It'll also have chronic impact on local people.An impact assessment report by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) here has come down heavily on the proposed nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra stating that the project will have a "huge negative impact on social and environment development" as it is sitting on a high to moderate severity earthquake zone.


The French ambassador to India met Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the wake of the agitation against the 10,000-Mw Jaitapur nuclear power project in Ratnagiri district. The reactors are to come from Areva of France, and the company's India head, Arthur de Montalembert French firm was also present.

Project critics and opponents have raised safety issues on Areva's Evolutionary Pressurised Reactors (EPRs). Six of them, if 1,650-Mw each, will be installed at Jaitapur. The Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) and the state and central governments have strongly defended the EPR technology. NPC and Areva have agreed on preliminary contracts and are expected to sign a definitive agreement by June.

Chavan is expected to visit the project site on February 26. His office told Business Standard: "The Maharashtra government has assured all possible assistance for the project development. The CM informed the French ambassador about his meeting with stakeholders on January 18 to discuss various issues pertaining to the project."

The French Consul-General's office and that of the Areva India declined to comment on the meeting. Critics say EPRs would use sea water as a coolant and this would result in a sharp rise in temperature when superheated water would be discharged into the sea. This would also adversely affect the local fishing community. They have also raised doubts on Areva's record and its finances.

The ambassador and the Areva India chief told the CM the design of the EPRs' cooling chain takes into account strict Indian regulations and would keep the cooling seawater temperature increase below 7°C. Comprehensive sea flow models have been computed by NPC to verify proper lukewarm sea water dilution. Further, the EPR has modern safety features designed to contain the consequences of an unlikely accident to the limits of the plant itself, avoiding negative impact on the environment around.

They added that Areva had consistently shown commitment to working in cooperation with national authorities to achieve the highest levels of safety, and no regulatory body anywhere had questioned the overall level of safety of the EPRs.

Also, goes the defence, the EPR site would generate its own fresh water. Neither the water table nor other available fresh water resources would be tapped. Instead, the facility would rely on its own desalination plant, converting sea water into demineralised water for reactor operations, and into fresh potable water for the other needs on site and in the colony.

The electricity generated from the proposed 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) will be double, even triple the cost of electricity from coal- or gas-fired plants, according to a report.Depending on the cost of capital, the unit cost of electricity from Jaitapur would come to Rs5 to Rs8 per kilowatt per hour.The same unit from a thermal or gas operated plant costs Rs2 to 2.5 only, says the report published by the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP).

It also mentions that the capital cost of setting up JNPP, which consists of six European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs), would involve Rs200,000 crore of public money.
The report, prepared by eminent journalists and activists such as Praful Bidwai, Rafeeq Ellias and Vaishali Patil, raises serious questions about the economic cost of the project.
The reactors, which have not been commissioned fully anywhere else in the world before, are expected to cost Rs21 crore per megawatt (MW) of energy they produce. This figure is conditional upon the fact that the ongoing construction of EPR at Olkiluoto, Finland, does not escalate beyond the estimated 5.7 billion euros.
The cost estimate, however, does not include fuel or maintenance costs, storage of hundreds of tonnes of the nuclear waste generated annually; also the cost of reactor decommissioning, which could amount to one-third to one-half of the construction cost.
It also does not include the extensive additional physical security costs, including anti-aircraft batteries and the extra Coast Guard deployment. In addition, there are environmental costs, and health costs on miners, plant workers, and the public living close to nuclear installations, and the associated medical expenses.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has been maintaining right beginning that the EPR technology is completely safe and the it has taken all possible precautions to ensure the safety of the project.
However, the report which has also scrutinised the EPR technology, has listed out countries and organisations which have raised serious objections on the reactor's design.
It is mentioned that the French nuclear safety agency itself has noted several problems in the reactor design, while the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has delayed its design certification to the EPR from June 2012 to February 2013.
"(In Finland) Several safety, design and construction problems have pushed its start-up to the second half of 2013 — a delay of 42 months, with a cost escalation of 90%," said the report.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_power-from-jaitapur-nuclear-plant-wont-come-cheap_1507543
04 February 2011

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced the constitution of a group of ministers (GoM) headed by finance minister Pranab Mukerhjee to find a resolution to the issue of 'go' and 'no go' areas in coal producing areas. The constitution of the GoM was notified on Thursday and it is likely to meet within a week.

The union cabinet had decided on 13 January to refer to a GoM the controversial issue following sharp differences between the environment, coal, and power ministries over the issue of allowing mining of coal in some 'sensitive' areas.

The other members of the GoM are home minister P Chidambaram, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, law minister Veerapan Moily, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma, surface transport minister C P Joshi, environment minister Jairam Ramesh, coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

''The GoM will meet in the next three-four days or within a week to deliberate on issues like 'go' and 'no-go', among others,'' Jaiswal told reporters on the sidelines of an Assocham event in New Delhi. ''The main issues to be discussed at the meeting are in relation to the environment and forest issues with regard to the coal blocks, rehabilitation and resettlement policy, and offtake.''

Rajasthan concerned

Even as the union government announced the formation of the GoM, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday asked it to set aside the coal mines allotted to the state from the 'no-go zone' to ensure continuous supply of coal to power plants.

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http://www.domain-b.com/industry/power/20110204_coal_environment.html


The TISS findings in 'Perception Matter- People's Report- Social Impact Assessment of Jaitapur Madban Nuclear Power Plant' also suggested that the government subverted facts and called the fertile agricultural land as "barren".


The report compiled by a TISS social scientist Mahesh Kamble highlighted the people's demand for more transparency from the government on the project and also their concern about building nuclear power plants on earthquake Zone-IV.


It also indicated that the project - which requires about 968 hectares of land spread over five villages – will have a huge negative impact on the social as well as environmental development of not just these villages and the surrounding areas, but also on the Konkan region in general.


According to sources, the EIA report has detailed mitigation and environmental management plans for dealing with environmental impact while looking at the occupational health, air, water, land and noise, radiological pollution and marine environment.

When asked if the ministry had set a deadline for clearing the project, Ramesh said, "There is no deadline for the approval of the project but since the French President is coming in December, we hope to take a decision on it before his arrival."

However,RASHME SEHGA NEW DELHI Activists of the Konkan Bachao Samiti (KBS) have written to the ministry of science & technology and the ministry of forests & environment highlighting their environmental apprehensions on the setting up of the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant.

The Jaitpur plant "is the first result of the nuclear agreement that is going to be visible. It would give France-India relationship completely different dimensions, so I would only hope that the concerns raised by locals against the project are adequately addressed," the Minister said.

The six-unit nuclear power project is being set up at Jaitpur in Ratnagiri using the technological know-how from France but there has been strong opposition from local NGOs who are demanding that it be scrapped citing radiation threat and alleged inadequate land compensation.

A nod by Ramesh's Ministry to the project before the French President's visit would save the authorities from an embarrassment as signing of a final agreement on the plant is understood to be high on Sarkozy's agenda.

The Minister, while maintaining that the project based on clean energy represents a certain strategic investment, made it clear that there was no question of an eyewash.

"We will look at the EIA report very very carefully," he said.

The final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report comprising of two voluminous volume was submitted yesterday to the Environment Ministry by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) after conducting public hearing at the site.

The Ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) will now decide the fate of the project being constructed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd in 692 hectares of land.

It is one of the largest proposed projects in Asia with the configuration of 6x1650 MW.

Ramesh said safety related issues with nuclear reactors will be looked at by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and not by Environment Ministry.

"I have told (NPCIL) and conveyed National Security Advisor (NSA) also who is dealing the project that all the issues of land acquisition and compensation have to be resolved satisfactorily. One assumes the public sector company to be doing its job well," the Minister said.

When asked if the ministry has set a deadline for deciding the fate of the project, Ramesh said, "there is no deadline for the approval of the project but since the French President is coming in December we hope to take a decision on it before his arrival."

According to sources, the EIA report has detailed mitigation and environmental management plans for dealing with environmental impact while looking at the occupational health, air, water, land and noise, radiological pollution and marine environment.

NEW DELHI, October 6, 2010
Ramesh hints at clearance for Jaitpur N plant before Sarkozy visit


Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday voiced hope that concerns raised by locals on a nuclear power plant to be built in collaboration with France in Maharashtra would be addressed and decision taken on the project before President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit in December.

The Jaitpur plant "is the first result of the nuclear agreement that is going to be visible. It would give the France-India relationship completely different dimensions, so I would only hope that the concerns raised by locals against the project are adequately addressed," the Minister said.

The six-unit nuclear power project is to be set up at Jaitpur in Ratnagiri using the technological know-how from France but there has been strong opposition from local NGOs who are demanding that it be scrapped citing radiation threat and alleged inadequate land compensation.

A nod by Ramesh's Ministry to the project before the French President's visit would save the authorities from an embarrassment as signing of a final agreement on the plant is understood to be high on Sarkozy's agenda.

The Minister, while maintaining that the project based on clean energy represents a certain strategic investment, made it clear that there was no question of an eyewash.

"We will look at the EIA report very, very carefully," he said.

The final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report comprising of two extensive volumes was submitted on Tuesday to the Environment Ministry by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) after conducting public hearing at the site.

The Ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) will now decide the fate of the project being constructed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd in 692 hectares of land. It is one of the largest proposed projects in Asia with the configuration of 6x1650 MW.

Ramesh said safety related issues with nuclear reactors will be looked at by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and not by Environment Ministry. "I have told (NPCIL) and conveyed National Security Advisor (NSA) also who is dealing the project that all the issues of land acquisition and compensation have to be resolved satisfactorily. One assumes the public sector company to be doing its job well," the Minister said.

When asked if the ministry has set a deadline for deciding the fate of the project, Ramesh said, "There is no deadline for the approval of the project but since the French President is coming in December we hope to take a decision on it before his arrival."

Jaitapur plant poses no threat, says Kakodkar
Our Bureau

Mumbai, Jan. 18

The proposed 10,000 MW nuclear plant at Jaitapur will not lead to additional nuclear radiation in the surrounding area. The amount of radiation emanating from the plant would be minuscule in comparison to the natural radiation occurring in the environment, said Dr Anil Kakodkar, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

He was addressing a public meeting aimed at removing misconception about the plant on Tuesday. The meeting was organised by the State Government and the Department of Atomic Energy.

Dr Kakodkar said the natural radiation dose increases if a person moves from sea level to a hilly region. The dose one receives in the hilly region is much more than that at the boundary of a nuclear plant.

'No recycling'

He said that at present there are no plans for setting up a nuclear fuel recycling facility at Jaitpaur, which could give out more radiation.

"Fuel would be brought from outside and the spent fuel would be sent out of the plant for processing. Only a fraction of waste which gives out low-level radiation will be processed at the plant," Dr Kakodkar said.

Dr Kakodkar said that if at all a nuclear fuel recycling facility is considered at the site, the Department of Atomic Energy has all the technology to handle fuel reprocessing in a safe manner.

He added that the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR), which will be supplied by the French company Areva for Jaitapur, is safe and have four layers of additional safety.

"The EPR is an advanced version of the Pressurise Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) and globally 80 per cent of the reactors are PHWR," Dr Kakodkar said.
http://www.24dunia.com/english-news/shownews/0/Jaitapur-plant-poses-no-threat-says-Kakodkar/8821908.html
Our Bureau
New Delhi, Jan. 18
Even as it termed the construction at Lavasa Hill City as 'unauthorised' and 'environmentally damaging,' the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) said it is willing to consider the project on certain terms and conditions. These include a hefty penalty and the creation of an environment restoration fund.
The Ministry, in its final order submitted to the Bombay High Court on Tuesday, directed that status quo be maintained on the project and no construction activity be undertaken by Lavasa.
The project is promoted by Lavasa Corporation Ltd (LCL), a subsidiary of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. Shares of HCC lost 4 per cent to close at Rs 39.80 on the BSE in a flattish market.
The Ministry said it could consider approving the project "because of the investments already incurred, third party rights which are accrued, the various steps taken for establishment of a comprehensive hill station development, the employment generated and the claimed uplift of the area under consideration."
However, it imposed certain conditions, including Lavasa setting up an Environmental Restoration Fund (ERF) "with sufficiently large corpus."
The corpus would be managed by an independent body under the supervision of the Ministry. However, the Ministry did not specify the quantum of the 'substantial penalty' or the size of the ERF corpus.
The Ministry said the imposition of stringent terms and conditions was to ensure that no further environmental degradation takes place.
For ensuring immediate and proper compliance with its conditions, the Ministry directed Lavasa to submit a detailed project report and plans and audited statements since inception.
"Further, based on the LCL response and if LCL gives relevant and credible material…MOEF is prepared to consider the project on merits subject to the imposition of the penalties…and the formulation of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment report and Management Plan for this project," the Ministry said.
Response to notice
In response to representations against the project, the Ministry had issued a show-cause notice to Lavasa on November 25, asking why it did not obtain environmental clearances. Lavasa challenged the notice in the Bombay High Court.
Tuesday's order came after a technical team from the Ministry visited the project site early this month, on directions of the court. The next hearing in the case is set for January 27.
More on jurisdiction: Lavasa Reacting to the Ministry's order, Lavasa said in a statement that the order was more on jurisdiction rather than on environment issues. It felt that "MOEF does not have objective and measurable norms." It also felt that "no weightage or consideration was given to the huge body of data submitted by the company on environment protection and enhancement initiatives.
vishwa@thehindu.co.in
http://www.24dunia.com/english-news/shownews/0/Jaitapur-plant-poses-no-threat-says-Kakodkar/8821908.html

French Company Designs Underwater Nuclear Plant

Nuclear power plants could be located underwater, as one of France's biggest shipbuilders is working with a large builder of nuclear plants to develop a reactor that could be placed up to 100 meters (328 feet) below the surface.
View Full Image
DCNS
An artists' conception of the Flexblue reactor, which could sit on the sea floor up to 100 meters down.

The concept, called Flexblue, is being developed by DCNS in concert with AREVA. DCNS is a shipbuilder that is known for many of the advanced ships in the French navy, including the nuclear submarines. AREVA is a large builder of nuclear power plants.
DCNS has been studying the Flexblue concept for two years, according to a press release. The idea is to build a reactor that can supply about 100 megawatts and be located offshore. The plants are similar to those used in nuclear submarines.

A regular nuclear power plant on land produces about 1,000 megawatts, which can supply big cities. But there is demand, the company says, for smaller, much cheaper reactors that could serve areas where infrastructure is not as advanced. The reactor has the ability to essentially drop into place without having to build extensive support structures.

DCNS says it will study the concept further for the next two years, and will work with AREVA, Electricité de France  and the CEA, the French Atomic and Alternative Energies Commission, on the next phase of Flexblue development. This will include detailed reviews of technical and production options, market potential, nuclear proliferation issues, and safety of power plants on the seafloor. DCNS says it hopres to show that the safey of the Flexblue reactor is as good as that of its land-based cousins.

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/103723/20110121/french-company-designs-underwater-nuclear-plant.htm#ixzz1DwVVLC2x

Nilekani to Head Task Force on Direct Subsidies
The government today constituted an inter-ministerial task force under UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani for evolving mechanisms to provide direct subsidies on kerosene, cooking gas (LPG) and fertilisers to intended beneficiaries.

"In order to evolve a suitable mechanism for direct subsidies to individuals and families who are entitled to kerosene, LPG and fertiliser ... The Government of India has constituted a Task Force," the Finance Ministry said in a release.

Former chief of IT major Infosys, Nilekani is currently the chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

He is also handling several government IT projects including one on the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The government has constituted the task force in light of the "overwhelming evidence" that the present policy of giving subsidy on kerosene is resulting in "waste, leakage, adulteration and inefficiency", the statement said.

Government provides Kerosene at subsidised prices to BPL families under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

"Therefore, it is imperative that the system of delivering the subsidised kerosene be reformed urgently," it added.

Similarly, the statement said that the system of provision and delivery of subsidised LPG to intended beneficiaries needs to be reformed.

Fertiliser is given to farmers at subsidised rates.

"It is not possible to differentiate the segments for which the subsidy should be given in this (fertiliser) sector. There is a need to evolve a suitable mechanism for direct subsidies to individuals who are entitled to them," it said.

The Task Force would submit its interim report within four months of its constitution.

The recommendations of the report would be implemented on a pilot basis by the concerned ministries under the supervision of the Task Force in the following six months from the date of submission of the interim report, it added.

Besides, the Task Force would evolve a model of direct transfer of subsidies on these items by re-engineering existing systems, processes and procedures in the implementation process.

The panel has also been asked to design appropriate IT systems and aligning these (the issue of subsidies) with the issuance of UID numbers, and bringing about changes in the administration and supply chain management.

Besides Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairman, the team will consist of secretaries from finance, chemicals & fertilizers, agriculture, food & public distribution, petroleum & natural Gas and rural development along with DG UID Authority.
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http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?711885
Work on Jaitpur project likely to commence next year
New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI)

Suggesting that hurdles in the path were being overcome, NPCIL today said work on two French- built nuclear power plants is likely to begin at Jaitapur in Maharashtra next year.
"The commencement of work of the first two units is planned for the year 2012," Sudhinder Thakur, Distinguished Scientist & Fellow of NPCIL, said in a statement.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), in collaboration with French company Areva, plans to build six nuclear power plants of 1,650 MW each at Jaitapur.

The Jaitapur project received a conditional go ahead from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests last year and is battling issues related to land acquisition.

"The land acquisition and related relief and rehabilitation issues are being handled in consultation with the state (Maharashtra) government," Thakur said.

The environment impact assessment report for the Jaitapur nuclear power project was prepared by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

"There are no green issues at Jaitapur. With the clearance of the project by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, NPCIL is in full gear for compliance of the requirements," Thakur said.

The Jaitapur project is a result of the India-France civil nuclear cooperation agreement, the first pact India signed after getting a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) guidelines in September 2008 to engage in global nuclear trade.


The truth behind India's nuclear renaissance

Jaitapur's French-built nuclear plant is a disaster in waiting, jeopardising biodiversity and local livelihoods


The global "nuclear renaissance" touted a decade ago has not materialised. The US's nuclear industry remains starved of new reactor orders since 1973, and western Europe's first reactor after Chernobyl (1986) is in serious trouble in Finland – 42 months behind schedule, 90% over budget, and in bitter litigation. But India is forging ahead to create an artificial nuclear renaissance by quadrupling its nuclear capacity by 2020 and then tripling it by 2030 by pumping billions into reactor imports from France, Russia and America, and further subsidising the domestic Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).

The first victim of this will be an extraordinarily precious ecosystem in the Konkan region of the mountain range that runs along India's west coast. This is one of the world's biodiversity "hotspots" and home to 6,000 species of flowering plants, mammals, birds and amphibians, including 325 threatened ones. It is the source of two major rivers. Botanists say it's India's richest area for endemic plants. With its magical combination of virgin rainforests, mountains and sea, it puts Goa in the shade.

NPCIL is planning to install six 1,650-MW reactors here, at Jaitapur in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, based on the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) design of the French company Areva – the very same that's in trouble in Finland. The government has forcibly acquired 2,300 acres under a colonial law, ignoring protests. As construction begins, mountains will be flattened, trees uprooted, harbours razed, and a flourishing farming, horticultural and fisheries economy destroyed, jeopardising 40,000 people's survival.

To rationalise this ecocide, the government declared the area "barren". This is a horrendous lie, says India's best-known ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who heads the environment ministry's expert panel on its ecology. As I discovered during a visit to Jaitapur, there's hardly a patch of land that's not green with paddy, legumes, cashew, pineapple and coconut. So rich are its fisheries that they pay workers three times the statutory minimum wage, a rarity in India.

Jaitapur's villagers are literate. They know about Chernobyl, radiation, and the nuclear waste problem. They have seen films on injuries inflicted on villagers like them by Indian uranium mines and reactors – including cancers, congenital deformities and involuntary abortions. They don't want the Jaitapur plant. Of the 2,275 families whose land was forcibly acquired, 95% have refused to collect compensation, including one job per family. The offer provokes derision, as does Indo-French "co-operation". When Nicolas Sarkozy visited India to sell EPRs, Jaitapur saw the biggest demonstration against him.

The EPR safety design hasn't been approved by nuclear regulators anywhere. Finnish, British and French regulators have raised 3,000 safety issues including control, emergency-cooling and safe shutdown systems. A French government-appointed expert has recommended modifications to overcome the EPR's problems. Modifications will raise its cost beyond €5.7bn. Its unit generation costs will be three times higher than those for wind or coal. India had a nightmarish experience with Enron, which built a white elephant power plant near Jaitapur, nearly bankrupting Maharashtra's electricity board.

Jaitapur's people are more concerned about being treated as sub-humans by the state, which has unleashed savage repression, including hundreds of arrests, illegal detentions and orders prohibiting peaceful assemblies. Eminent citizens keen to express solidarity with protesters were banned, including a former supreme court judge, the Communist party's secretary and a former Navy chief. Gadgil too was prevented. A former high court judge was detained illegally for five days. Worse, a Maharashtra minister recently threatened that "outsiders" who visit Jaitapur wouldn't be "allowed to come out" (alive).

This hasn't broken the people's resolve or resistance. They have launched their own forms of Gandhian non-cooperation and civil disobedience. Elected councillors from 10 villages have resigned. People boycotted a 18 January public hearing in Mumbai convened to clear "misconceptions" about nuclear power. They refused to hoist the national flag, as is traditionally done, on Republic Day (26 January). They have decided not to sell food to officials. When teachers were ordered to teach pupils about the safety of nuclear reactors, parents withdrew children from school for a week.

The peaceful campaign, with all its moral courage, hasn't moved the government. It accepted an extraordinarily sloppy environmental assessment report on Jaitapur, which doesn't consider biodiversity and nuclear safety, or even mention radioactive waste. It subverted the law on environment-related public hearings. It cleared the project six days before Sarkozy's visit.

Why the haste? India's nuclear establishment has persistently missed targets and delivered a fraction of the promised electricity – under 3% – with dubious safety. It was in dire straits till it conducted nuclear explosions in 1998, which raised its status within India's national-chauvinist elite – and its budget. The major powers have "normalised" India's nuclear weapons through special exceptions in global nuclear commerce rules. France used these to drive a bargain for cash-strapped Areva. Its counterpart is the disaster-in-waiting called Jaitapur.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/08/india-jaitapur-nuclear-disaster-biodiversity

Jaitapur: Deficit of public trust

A Gopalakrishnan | Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The government has approved the construction of a 9900 MW (megawatt) nuclear park at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), will own this mega power project. The project will have six European pressurised reactors (EPR), each of 1650 MW capacity; their fuel and critical equipment will be supplied by French state-owned company Areva.
DAE does not today have any concrete basis or data to evaluate the EPR performance on their own. And yet, the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has hurriedly approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Jaitapur project, citing "weighty strategic and economic reasons in favour of the grant of environmental clearance now".
In clearing the EIA, the minister for environment has left all the crucial nuclear safety-related issues to be answered by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the NPCIL and Areva. AERB and NPCIL are secretive and evasive on such issues, and Areva works under NPCIL directions. Safety issues are at the core of the public disquiet, and the MoEF-cleared EIA does not even cursorily address these vital aspects.
Article continues below the advertisement...Of late, a set of senior politicians and nuclear scientists have been carrying out a high-pressure blitzkrieg in favour of the Jaitapur project. The persons involved are the Maharashtra chief minister, the former and current chairmen of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the chairman and managing director of NPCIL, and agents of corporate houses and their federations, all of whom stand to benefit in one way or other.
Let us not forget that these are the very same people who colluded with the prime minister's office (PMO) over the last six years to eventually trump up a false case to justify the import of foreign reactors. The public have hardly any trust in this unethical crowd, since their past actions indicate they are probably influenced by the corporate nuclear lobby and the directions from the PMO.
It is time now that this group starts answering the hard questions that trouble most informed people, instead of evading them. For example, they must openly defend the premises on which it is argued that the import of 40,000 MW of foreign light-water reactors in the near-term is essential to ensure energy security in the year 2050. They must explain why they chose to import the EPRs, which have never been built anywhere, instead of selecting a French LWR design on which established operational experience & confidence exist. Does this choice make any economic sense when all indications are that the EPRs will cost Rs20 crores/MW in terms of 2010-rupees, whereas an indigenous pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) plant will cost no more than Rs8 crores/ MW?
Moreover, does selecting the EPR make any technological sense in view of the world experience with unidentified failure modes and design errors prevalent in brand new untested reactors, which might then lead to devastating nuclear accidents, especially in the initial learning phase? Or, are the PM and his DAE experts knowingly leasing out the Jaitapur area for Areva and the French government to experiment with this new reactor and fix its problems far away from their own nationals, while the people of Ratnagiri and the surrounding areas are made sitting ducks for this hazardous adventure?
How much understanding, based on relevant data, do Areva and NPCIL together have on the radiological and physical behavior of high-burnup spent-fuel from these EPRs and the consequent serious safety issues related to its long-term storage, cooling, transport and reprocessing?
There are many more such serious questions that still remain unanswered. The opposition to the Jaitapur project will not abate as long as the government avoids a full and transparent debate of each and every disturbing issue, which remains unanswered.
Dr Gopalakrishnan is a former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of the Govt of India
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/column_jaitapur-deficit-of-public-trust_1505219

Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project
*

Nuclear power plant symbol
*

Location of Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project

Country

India

Coordinates

 *16°59′0″N 73°35′6″ECoordinates: 16°59′0″N 73°35′6″E

Status

Received Conditional environmental clearance

Construction cost

 *100,000 crore (US$21.7 billion)

Owner(s)

Nuclear Power Corporation of India

Power generation information

Maximum capacity

9900 MW

As of 26 December 2010


Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (Marathi: जैतापूर अणुऊर्जा प्रकल्प) is a new proposed

9900 MW power project of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) at Madban village ofRatnagiri district in Maharashtra India.[1] It will be the largest nuclear power generating station in the world by net electrical power rating once completed.[2][3]

On December 6, 2010 agreement was signed for the construction of first set of two third-generation reactors Evolutionary Pressurized Reactors and the supply of nuclear fuel for 25 years in the presence of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh.[4]

French nuclear engineering firm Areva S.A. and Indian state-owned nuclear operatorNuclear Power Corporation of India signed this multi billion valued agreement of about $9.3 billion. This is a general framework agreement along with agreement on 'Protection of Confidentiality of Technical Data and Information Relating to Nuclear Power Corporation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy' was also signed.[5][6][7][8][9] The general framework agreement is a list of the scope of work, terms and conditions of plant life, guarantees and warrantees, guaranteed plant load factor. This agreement is quite important since life of the reactors is anticipated at 60 years. This general framework agreement will also include financial aspect of the project including the terms and conditions of funding, debt funding. Etc.. [10]

The cost of electricity from this power plant will be below 4 Kilowatt hour.[8]

It is one of several nuclear power projects being undertaken in a thin strip of coast ofRaigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. The total power generating capacity proposed on a narrow strip of coastal land 50 kilometres (31 mi) to 90 kilometres (56 mi) km wide and 200 kilometres (120 mi) long is around 33,000 MW.[1][11] The prospect of nuclear power generation in India received a boost after the Indo US Civilian Nuclear Agreementbecame operational in October 2008. India has also signed similar agreements with France and Russia.[12][13][14]

Contents

[hide]



[edit]Geography

Proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is located at 16.59°N 73.35°E. It has an average elevation of 90 feet (27 m). This project will spread over 968 hectares of land. Jaitapur is on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan in Western Ghats. In 2006, India applied to the UNESCO MAB for the Western Ghats to be listed as a protectedWorld Heritage Site.[15][16] The Sahyadri Mountain range forms the eastern boundary of the Konkan, and the Arabian Sea marks the western boundary. Jaitapur was one of the important ports in ancient and early medieval times.[17]

[edit]Reactors

It is proposed to construct 6 European Pressurized Reactor designed and developed by Areva of France, each of 1650 megawatts, thus totaling 9900 megawatts. These are the third generation pressurized water reactors (PWR).

Estimated cost of this project is around crore (US$21.7 billion). This type of reactor is not operational anywhere in the world.[18][19]United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission have expressed concerns about safety of the computer system in this reactor, but Finlandhas ordered one such reactor.[18] China has signed the agreement with Areva for three such reactors.[18] French nuclear regulatory authorities have denied clearance for this reactors despite Areva being a public sector company in France.[20]

[edit]Funding

A consortium of French financial institutions will finance this project as a loan. Both French and Indian government will give sovereign guarantee for this loan. The extent of guarantee will depend on what portion of the cost the French credit will cover. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will govern the interest rates and other terms of agreement. Interest rates and other terms are under discussion.[21]

[edit]Controversy and hurdle

[edit]Hurdle

According to Areva lack of clarity on The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 passed in Indian Parliament in August 2010 is a hurdle in finalizing deal.[22] This Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 has a clause deals with the legal binding of the culpable groups in case of a nuclear accident. It allows only the operator (NPCIL) to sue the manufacturers and suppliers. Victims will not be able to sue anyone. In reality, no one will be considered legally liable because the recourse taken by the operator will yield only 1,500 crore (US$ 340.5 million). United states of America has a law on liability-related issues for all non-military nuclear facilities constructed in the United States before 2026 named Price–Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act. This American Act establishes a no fault insurance-type system in which the first $10 billion is industry-funded as described in the Act (any claims above the $10 billion would be covered by the federal government).[23][24]

[edit]Controversy

Debate on nuclear power project at Jaitapur is ongoing on various levels. Environmental effects of nuclear power and geological issues have been raised by anti nuclear activists of India against this power project. Even though The Government of Maharashtra state completed land acquisition in January 2010, only 33 out of the 2,335 villagers have accepted compensation cheques as of November 2010.[25]

[edit]Opponents

  • Earthquake prone site

Since Jaitapur being seismically sensitive area, the danger of an accident has been foremost on the minds of people. According to theEarthquake hazard zoning of India, Jaitapur comes under Zone III. This zone is called the moderate Risk Zone and covers areas liable toMSK VIII.[26][27] Post Chernobyl disaster and Thee mile island accident people world over the world, Environmentalists and citizens of the area are questioning about safety as in 2007 largest nuclear generating station in the world Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant inJapan at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was closed for five months following an earthquake.[28][29]

  • Radiation effects

Effects of nuclear radiation seen in Rawatbhata, India [30] has raised further questions on effects of radiation on health of people staying near nuclear power plants. The rise in deformities seen in Rawatbhata is alarming.


It is not clear where the nuclear waste emanating from the site will be dumped. The plant is estimated to generate 300 tonnes of waste each year. EPR waste will have about four times as much radioactive Bromine, Iodine, Caesium, etc, compared to ordinary Pressurized water reactor.[18]

  • Future of fisheries

Since the plant will use the sea water for steam generation and then release hot water in the arabian sea, fishermen in villages around are predicting destruction of fisheries in the nearby sea. Media articles also highlight the possible human and fisheries cost of this project[31]

  • Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project Environment Clearance

The environment minister has changed his stand on the

Jaitapur power plant like a chameleon,"

"

"

Uddhav Thackeray, executive president Shiv Sena

Hindustan Times December 20, 2010

The clearance for the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, to be jointly developed by state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPC) and French giant Areva, came in 80 days from the day NPC submitted the environment impact assessment report even all above mentioned unanswered queries.[32]

  • Tata Institute of Social Sciences Report

Social impact assessment review of the project is conducted by Jamsetji Tata centre for disaster management of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). According to this report, Government of India is not full transparent with its own citizens. The government is hiding facts about huge negative impact on the social and environmental development of the Konkan region in general and government also manipulating notification of the area from high severity earthquake zone to moderate seismic severity zone.[33][34]

[edit]Proponents

I know the environmentalists will not be very happy with my

decision, but it is foolish romance to think that India can attain high

growth rate and sustain the energy needs of a 1.2 billion population

with the help of solar, wind, biogas and such other forms of energy.

It is paradoxical that environmentalists are against nuclear energy,

"

"

Jairam Ramesh, Environment Minister. The Hindu November 28, 2010

Proponents are advocating the Jaitapur Project as safe, environmentally benign and economically viable source of electrical energy to meet the increasing electricity needs of India.[35] They believe that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increasesenergy security by decreasing India's dependence on foreign oil. The promoter of Jaitapur project is Nuclear Power Corporation of India. It is a public Sector Enterprise Under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (India).

As of 2010 India is on the sixth in rank of an elite club of nations, after USA, France, Japan, Russian Federation and Republic of Korea, to have twenty or more nuclear power reactors in operation.[36] The company is currently operating 20 nuclear power plants at six locations in India and is implementing construction of 7 reactors at four locations.[37] In 2009/10 company has generated 18831 million units of electricity.[38]

According to former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar, Jaitapur site is the best as it fulfilled the technical and scientific norms needed for a nuclear power plant.[39][40]

Pressure vessel of the Evolutionary Power Reactor

All 20 nuclear power projects in the India have been functioning very well and The waste generated at the this nuclear power plant, will be recycled. Only five per cent of it would be encapsulated and stored at technologically advanced places. It will not be buried anywhere. The waste will be stored for the next 30 to 40 years, till scientists develop some technology to treat it.[41]

The Environmental impact assessment and other associated studies of the Jaitapur project have been carried out in detail over the last few years by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur in collaboration with several other reputed organizations specializing in specific environment studies.[42]

These studies include,


Pre-operational Baseline Radiological Survey of the Area around JNPP Site.

Radiological Dose Apportionment.

  • Central Water and Power Research Station Pune

Thermal Dispersion Studies for Condenser Cooling Water (CCW) Discharges

Safe Grade Elevation Studies.


Baseline Biodiversity Study of the area around JNPP Site.


Marine Ecological Studies.


Costal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Demarcation Study.

  • HTL.
  • LTL.


Corporate social responsibility

Nuclear Power Corporation of India has adopted a corporate social responsibility policy, by which 1.5 to 2 per cent of the net profit from Jaitapur plant would be spent in that area only. Development projects will be decided by local people and NPC will provide the funds to ensure development of these areas. [43]

[edit]Protests

Opposition to the power plant begun in January 2006. A court case was filed by Janahit Seva Samitee, Madban in the Mumbai High Court. The high court had given a stay on the process for the project, which was later lifted. A huge meeting of people from nearby villages was held on 23 November 2009. This meeting was attended by anti nuclear movement of India's activists coming from Pune, Bangalore, Chennai,Allahabad, Mumbai and Tarapur.

Many protests were carried out by local people against the proposed nuclear power plant. On 29 December 2009, 12 January 2010 and 22 January 2010, when the government authorities visited Madban for distribution of cheques in lieu of compulsory land acquisition, the villagers refused to accept the cheques. Government officials were shown black flags, denied any co-operation in carrying out their activities. 72 people were arrested on 22 January 2010 when people protested against the compulsory land acquisition.[44][45][46]

On December 4, 2010 protest become violent when over 1500 people were detained from among thousands of protesters, who included environmentalists and local villagers. Members and leaders of the Konkan Bachao Samiti (KBS) and the Janahit Seva Samiti, (organizations that are spearheading opposition to the project), were also detained. In Mumbai, members of various trade unions and social organizations came together to protest against the project. The protesters have raised serious doubts about the neutrality of the Environment Impact Assessment Report, prepared by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) which forms the basis of environmental clearance for the project, since Parallel studies by the Bombay Natural History Society have shown that the project will cause substantial environmental damage.[47]

[edit]Public Hearing

A public hearing on the Environmental impact assessment (EIA) Report, prepared by NEERI was conducted by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, on behalf of Ministry of Environment and Forests on 16 April 2010, at the plant site. The public hearing became controversial as the EIA report was not delivered for study to 3 of the 4 Gram panchayat (local village bodies) a month in advance.[48]

[edit]Events

Date

Event

November 28, 2010

India, France N-regulatory bodies meet on EPR safety issues[49]

November 28, 2010

Conditional environmental clearance

December 06, 2010

Agreement signed with Areva for the construction of first set of two reactors



[edit]See also

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