Cracks found in South Carolina atomic station's nuclear reactor head

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Reuters/Progress Energy/NRC/Handout The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ordered engineers at a power plant in South Carolina to act urgently on cracks that have appeared in a reactor head there that could increase the likelihood of an atomic disaster.
The group that ensures safe and sound nuclear facilities across the US says they don’t believe the public needs to worry as of now about cracks discovered at the SCE&G plant in Jenkinsville, SC, but that could change if action isn’t taken immediately.
According to The South Carolina State newspaper, the SCE&G plant told the commission that they would make repairs in order to satisfy their concerns in an October 30 statement delivered to the NRC. Confirming this week, a spokeswoman for the atomic energy plant said that they have indeed begun fixing the cracks.
Those repairs, say the NRC, will be a good fix for the moment, but might not necessarily relieve them of future concerns.
“The situation … indicates to me that the best and safest fix is for the old, cracked vessel head to be taken out of service and replaced,” anti-nuclear activist Tom Clements tells The State.
“At some point in the not-too-distant future, it seems like the company will want to replace the head with one that is a little more resistant to this kind of cracking,” David Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists adds to the paper, a move that could set SCE&G back upwards of $60 million.
Only a few miles from the busy city of Columbia, though, the investment might be imperative to ensure that the area stays safe from any potential catastrophes.
“The cracks found in the VC Summer reactor pose a clear safety risk and must be immediately addressed,” Clements explains to the Aiken Leader. “While SCE&G will want to rush to get the reactor back on line and do a quick repair, the NRC must be deliberate in reviewing the causes of the cracking and how it is addressed.Operation of the reactor with a vessel head subject to cracking poses a safety hazard that both SCE&G and the NRC are responsible for.”
In an email to The State this week, company spokeswoman Rhonda O’Banion characterized the cracks as “minor defects” in the steel domes that sit atop the part of the facility where atomic reactions actually occur and that current efforts are “pre-emptive” to assure that are no issues down the road. Once the current round of repairs is complete, the company says the dome should be in satisfactory condition for the next 40 years.
According to a year-long investigation finalized by the Associated Press in 2012, the AP says they believe that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has regularly lessened restrictions in recent years. In their probe, they found that 82 of America’s operating reactors are more than a quarter-century old, with 66 units having been re-licensed for an additional two decades.

Cracks found in South Carolina atomic station's nuclear reactor head — RT

A Wonderful Story: God's Hand at Work

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Our friends had a successful court appearance, but only today did "mom" get a chance to tell us via blog about the details. Their story makes it abundantly clear that God answers prayer, often in ways far more blessed than we dare to hope. I trust you will take this opportunity to read their story and thank God for what He has done in their family and for the little boy who is now part of their family.

They cannot claim their new son until August 3, according to local law. I assume they will be returning to the USA soon thereafter. Be in prayer for their trip and for the inevitable challenges that their new son will bring to their home.

Our Friends' Adoption: An Update

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This summer friends of ours went to Russia and adopted a little boy, now four years old, with Down's Syndrome. Today "mom" updated her blog with uplifting photos of how well their new son is doing here in America. You can read about it here.

Of course, there are still a lot of challenges (take language, for example, and health), but it is a great blessing to see the willingness they have to cherish and raise up this little boy. Our prayers and encouragement go out to them.

Why I'm Voting for Rick Santorum in the SC Primary

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Tomorrow, in the South Carolina GOP Presidential Preferenceprimary, I will be voting for Rick Santorum. Here’s why.
I need to start out by saying that I haven’t been totallythrilled with any of the four remaining candidates.  All of them have obvious weaknesses ofcharacter and/or policy which will make their race against Obama less of a lockthan it ought to be.  The Republican Partyneeds a leader of the Reagan type, who, like him in 1980, would win 40+ statesand carry a mandate with him to Washington. But since we have four remaining candidates from whom to choose, andsince any of them will be an improvement over the current president, I mustchoose from among them.
Rick Santorum, on the whole, represents my views the mostconsistently.  He has been consistentlyand passionately pro-life, and wrote the bill that ended partial birthabortion.  On social issues, he and I areof one voice.  He is also a firm believerin the Second Amendment (The NRA rates him A+). He opposed TARP, voted against McCain-Feingold and Frank-Dodd, andreceives low ratings from both the ACLU and the AFL-CIO.  While I am concerned about the trouncing hetook in the 2006 Pennsylvania Senate race (and, for that matter, the trouncinghe may get here in SC tomorrow, if the polls are valid), he is moredemonstrably opposed to Obama than either Romney or Gingrich.  His biggest liability in my eyes is that hedoes not come across as a leader.
Newt Gingrich, at the moment, would be my secondchoice.  I agree with him on mostissues—but he occasionally throws one out there that makes me scratch myhead.  His personal character history isa serious problem and, even if he has sincerely repented and stays on the righttrack, will be a detriment in the race. (Obama, for all his flaws, has no hint of marital infidelity.)  I am also concerned that his ego may become aliability.
Mitt Romney seems to be a conservative now, but my gut justdoesn’t like the fact that he wasn’t while he was the governor ofMassachusetts.  I think he can be a greatexecutive, and if he is the GOP nominee, I will vote for him in November.  But for now, I’m going with the most consistentconservative.
Ron Paul is problematic. His voting record is often meritorious and often puzzling.  The ACLU rates him pretty favorably—that's aproblem.  His vicious and untrue attackads concerning Santorum (being shown adnauseam this week on SC TV stations) trouble me.  His foreign policy ideas are dangerous to thefuture of our country. 
Please educate yourself on the candidates and then take theopportunity to vote.

An Update on our Friends' Adoption!

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Friends of ours adopted a 3½-year-old boy with Down's Syndrome from Eastern Europe last summer (see their blog here).  They have now had the boy in their home for six months.  Their story has been featured on a local TV station and I'm sure many have viewed their blog.  In short, their story not only testifies of God's love working through individuals, but also to the value of every individual soul—no matter the limitations of the physical body.

Six months later, there are still trials and struggles, but there has been both remarkable progress and great blessings.  The work that God has allowed them to be a part of has now reached all the way back to Russia, and we are so grateful for it!  I trust you will take the time to read about it here.

Cracks found in South Carolina atomic station's nuclear reactor head

To contact us Click HERE

Reuters/Progress Energy/NRC/Handout The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ordered engineers at a power plant in South Carolina to act urgently on cracks that have appeared in a reactor head there that could increase the likelihood of an atomic disaster.
The group that ensures safe and sound nuclear facilities across the US says they don’t believe the public needs to worry as of now about cracks discovered at the SCE&G plant in Jenkinsville, SC, but that could change if action isn’t taken immediately.
According to The South Carolina State newspaper, the SCE&G plant told the commission that they would make repairs in order to satisfy their concerns in an October 30 statement delivered to the NRC. Confirming this week, a spokeswoman for the atomic energy plant said that they have indeed begun fixing the cracks.
Those repairs, say the NRC, will be a good fix for the moment, but might not necessarily relieve them of future concerns.
“The situation … indicates to me that the best and safest fix is for the old, cracked vessel head to be taken out of service and replaced,” anti-nuclear activist Tom Clements tells The State.
“At some point in the not-too-distant future, it seems like the company will want to replace the head with one that is a little more resistant to this kind of cracking,” David Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists adds to the paper, a move that could set SCE&G back upwards of $60 million.
Only a few miles from the busy city of Columbia, though, the investment might be imperative to ensure that the area stays safe from any potential catastrophes.
“The cracks found in the VC Summer reactor pose a clear safety risk and must be immediately addressed,” Clements explains to the Aiken Leader. “While SCE&G will want to rush to get the reactor back on line and do a quick repair, the NRC must be deliberate in reviewing the causes of the cracking and how it is addressed.Operation of the reactor with a vessel head subject to cracking poses a safety hazard that both SCE&G and the NRC are responsible for.”
In an email to The State this week, company spokeswoman Rhonda O’Banion characterized the cracks as “minor defects” in the steel domes that sit atop the part of the facility where atomic reactions actually occur and that current efforts are “pre-emptive” to assure that are no issues down the road. Once the current round of repairs is complete, the company says the dome should be in satisfactory condition for the next 40 years.
According to a year-long investigation finalized by the Associated Press in 2012, the AP says they believe that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has regularly lessened restrictions in recent years. In their probe, they found that 82 of America’s operating reactors are more than a quarter-century old, with 66 units having been re-licensed for an additional two decades.

Cracks found in South Carolina atomic station's nuclear reactor head — RT

A Wonderful Story: God's Hand at Work

To contact us Click HERE

Our friends had a successful court appearance, but only today did "mom" get a chance to tell us via blog about the details. Their story makes it abundantly clear that God answers prayer, often in ways far more blessed than we dare to hope. I trust you will take this opportunity to read their story and thank God for what He has done in their family and for the little boy who is now part of their family.

They cannot claim their new son until August 3, according to local law. I assume they will be returning to the USA soon thereafter. Be in prayer for their trip and for the inevitable challenges that their new son will bring to their home.