Podcast appearances and mentions of savannah river site

On Monday, September 30th, United States District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis ruled that the Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Nuclear Secrurity Administration (NNSA) violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because the federal agencies failed to take a “hard look” at the alternatives to fabricate plutonium pits, or the triggers, for nuclear weapons at two of its sites. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was created to design and fabricate the atomic bombs used during World War II. The Savannah River Site in South Carolina has never fabricated pits for nuclear weapons --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ccnsupdate/support

On Wednesday evening the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition held a webinar to alert people about the opportunity to voice their concerns to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) next week about the Department of Energy (DOE) proposal to expand the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). DOE wants to keep WIPP open until at least 2083 for disposal of radioactive and hazardous wastes generated from fabricating triggers, or pits, for nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ccnsupdate/support

Today, we’re heading to the Georgia-South Carolina border to hear about a program that pays as they train. It’s at the Savannah River Site, overseen by the Department of Energy, where workers do everything from from dimming down highly toxic plutonium into something no longer weapons-grade to processing spent fuel rods pulled from nuclear reactors. Also on the show: a lawsuit over forever chemicals in the nation’s drinking water.

Today, we’re heading to the Georgia-South Carolina border to hear about a program that pays as they train. It’s at the Savannah River Site, overseen by the Department of Energy, where workers do everything from from dimming down highly toxic plutonium into something no longer weapons-grade to processing spent fuel rods pulled from nuclear reactors. Also on the show: a lawsuit over forever chemicals in the nation’s drinking water.

The US government poured $8 billion dollars down the drain when politics and poor planning left its efforts to dispose of Cold War-era plutonium at the Savannah River Site a failure. Now, it wants to produce plutonium pits at the site. Guests include Tom Clements (Savannah River Site Watch) and Taylor Barnes (Field Reporter for Inkstick Media).

This week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast features an in-depth interview with Stuart MacVean, recently retired President and CEO of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, DOE's lead environmental cleanup contractor at the Savannah River Site. MacVean looks back on his four decades in the nuclear industry and discusses the challenges that remain in the DOE environmental cleanup program and his plans for the future.Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.

The Department of Energy's Savannah River Site is engaged in a comprehensive cleanup program for liquid radioactive waste. 51 underground carbon-steel tanks were built to hold radioactive liquid waste from Cold War-era nuclear weapons production. Eight of the tanks have been emptied and closed. The remaining 43 tanks contain about 34 million gallons of liquid waste. In this week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, we interview Charles Comeau, SRS Federal Project Director for Saltstone Disposal Unit Construction. We discuss the SRS waste cleanup program, focusing on the critical importance of mega-volume Saltstone Disposal Units now under construction and their central role in successful mission completion.Visit the Gone Fission Nuclear Report channel on youtube.com for a videocast of episodes since November 7, 2022.

This week's episode is the fourth and final episode in a four-part series on Wildlife on EM Sites. In previous episodes, we visited the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, Hanford in Washington State and the Fernald Preserve in Ohio.  This week we talk to Sue Vilord, Senior Wildlife Biologist and Wildlife Task Lead at Idaho National Laboratory.  Learn about a toad on the INL site that burrows underground and stays for 10 years. Plus get all the latest news from DOE's Environmental Management program.

Wildlife abounds on DOE Environmental Management sites currently undergoing cleanup. Most of these sites are situated on huge undeveloped parcels of land, only a fraction of which is used for nuclear operations. That makes these sites a welcome home for wildlife.  From wild turkeys to alligators, elk, rare owls and more, today's environmental cleanup program is taking place amid a menagerie of wildlife.  In this week's episode--the first in a four-part series--we visit the Savannah River Site in South Carolina with Dr. Gene Rhodes, Director of the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Plus get all the latest news from the Environmental Management program.

The Context of White Supremacy hosts the 8th study session on Essie Mae Washington-Williams' Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of J. Strom Thurmond. We're nearly done with the book, and Gus must admit, this is likely the saddest books he's ever read. Essie Mae's confusion and father hunger for a child raping White Supremacist is... a sorrow-filled existence. Additionally, the lynchings and gender-specific targeting of black males are such traumatic, constant events in Essie Mae's life, readers can mark time by tracking black male corpses. Last week, Essie Mae detailed the ongoing challenges her husband Julius faced. He was unable to find employment or paying clients as a licensed attorney, when he was employed, he was not promoted, and his wife concealed large cash payments from her White Supremacist "father." He started drinking. Essie Mae's "second mother" Mary died at a young age leaving her with no family other than "Ol' Strom." She, her husband and children moved back and forth across the country to find work and better quality life in the 1960's. Essie Mae said the Racism in California is "less obvious." Although her husband found job-hunting disappointing and promotions unobtainable here too. She also mentioned the Savannah River Site, a bomb making plant in South Carolina. She neglected to mention this is one of the most toxic regions in the world. And... Whites ejected a large number of black residents to build this facility, refused to promote black employees, and subjected black workers to contaminated areas without proper safety equipment. Thurmond helped secure the land for this nuclear facility. #DeadBeatWhiteDads #TheCOWS13 INVEST in The COWS – http://paypal.me/TheCOWS Cash App: https://cash.app/$TheCOWS CALL IN NUMBER: 720.716.7300 CODE: 564943#

Thursday, May 5th 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific The Context of White Supremacy hosts the 8th study session on Essie Mae Washington-Williams' Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of J. Strom Thurmond. We're nearly done with the book, and Gus must admit, this is likely the saddest books he's ever read. Essie Mae's confusion and father hunger for a child raping White Supremacist is... a sorrow-filled existence. Additionally, the lynchings and gender-specific targeting of black males are such traumatic, constant events in Essie Mae's life, readers can mark time by tracking black male corpses. Last week, Essie Mae detailed the ongoing challenges her husband Julius faced. He was unable to find employment or paying clients as a licensed attorney, when he was employed, he was not promoted, and his wife concealed large cash payments from her White Supremacist "father." He started drinking. Essie Mae's "second mother" Mary died at a young age leaving her with no family other than "Ol' Strom." She, her husband and children moved back and forth across the country to find work and better quality life in the 1960's. Essie Mae said the Racism in California is "less obvious." Although her husband found job-hunting disappointing and promotions unobtainable here too. She also mentioned the Savannah River Site, a bomb making plant in South Carolina. She neglected to mention this is one of the most toxic regions in the world. And... Whites ejected a large number of black residents to build this facility, refused to promote black employees, and subjected black workers to contaminated areas without proper safety equipment. Thurmond helped secure the land for this nuclear facility. #InterracialRelationshipsAreSADD #ChildRape INVEST in The COWS – http://paypal.me/TheCOWS Invest in The C.O.W.S. - https://cash.app/$TheCOWS CALL IN NUMBER: 720.716.7300 CODE 564943# The C.O.W.S. Radio Program is specifically engineered for black & non-white listeners - Victims of White Supremacy. The purpose of this program is to provide Victims of White Supremacy with constructive information and suggestions on how to counter Racist Woman & Racist Man. Phone: 1-720-716-7300 - Access Code 564943# Hit star *6 & 1 to enter caller cue

In this week's Gone Fission Nuclear Report, hear Ike White, Senior EM Advisor, talk about cleanup plans for DOE sites for the next year and the next decade. Need to meet with someone at the Savannah River Site this week, you might want to wait a week.  Find out why in this week's episode. And get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management complex. FNHi4A4jTlo5jlmrhN94

Cold and Dark doesn't sound very inviting, but it's the ideal state when the Department of Energy prepares to demolish an aging, unused structure. In this week's episode, experts from three key DOE sites -- Hanford, Oak Ridge and Savannah River -- discuss the deactivation process.  Listeners will hear from Mark French, Project and Facilities Division Director at DOE in Hanford, Washington, Karen Adams, DOE Federal Project Director at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina, and Dan Macias, Site Integration and Cleanup Manager for UCOR, DOE's environmental cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Plus get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management complex.Plus get the latest news from the DOE Environmental Management complex.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton talk about the medical cannabis bill, the distribution of the Savannah River Site settlement funds, work on the state allocations for the American Rescue Plan, and the bill that would abolish municipal election commissions.

Our Spotlight Guest this week is Rick McLeod, President  & CEO of the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO). Rick and his Board of Directors advocate for new missions for DOE's Savannah River Site and serve as a unified voice for a two-state, five-county region around SRS while supporting cleanup of the former plutonium production site. Plus get all the latest news from DOE's Environmental Management program. 

Plutonium Pit lawsuit - why no Environmental Impact Statement?

Plutonium Pit lawsuit - why has no Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement been conducted? What are EPA, NNSA hiding? Watchdogs challenge Savannah River Site in SC, LANL in NM. Tom Clements, attorney Leslie Lenhardt. Nuclear Hotseat #545

In this week's report, Savannah River Site officials say a "very, very small" portion of the workforce elected not to get the COVID vaccine, resulting in some retirements, resignations or terminations.  A change in the way the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) counts waste volume shifts the repository from being half full to only a third full.  At Hanford, the Tank Side Cesium Removal (TSCR) system moves from testing to operations.  And a protest has been filed in the $8.3 billion contract award to UCOR for cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation.Plus, you'll enjoy an interview with Dr. Harold Conner, whose 50-year career went full circle from plant manager at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant to a director in the world's first cleanup of a gaseous diffusion complex.

In this episode, Gone Fission Nuclear Report discusses new Department of Energy environmental cleanup contracts valued at nearly $30 billion, new tenants creating jobs at the East Tennessee Technology Park, negotiations to distribute $600 million in settlement funds related to storage of plutonium at the Savannah River Site and a new water treatment plant at the Hanford site.  Plus people news.  Running length:  12 minutes.

Incorporated in 1835 and named for railroad president William Aiken, Sr., Aiken owes its existence to the South Carolina Railroad, its personality to its erstwhile “winter colony” of wealthy northern sports enthusiasts, and its economic vitality and relatively cosmopolitan spirit to the U.S. government's massive Savannah River Site nuclear weapons facility.

This Week’s SPECIAL Feature: It’s not often that I prep a show’s interviews and then throw them out on Tuesday morning because something more important has happened — but that’s the case this week.  On Monday, June 28, a coalition of community and public interest groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy...

Air Date 4/24/2021 Today we take a look at the major infrastructure investment plan proposed by the Biden administration, progressive perspectives arguing to make it better and the need to democratize the institutions that constitute our infrastructure. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript   **REGISTER FOR OUR LIVE EVENT! Join Jay! & Dr. Roger Ray on May 10th @ 8pm ET for a Progressive Colloquy!**   MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) MERCHANDISE! REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! CHECK OUT OUR BOOKSHOP!   EPISODE SPONSORS: Check out UnF*cking The Republic Podcast! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The American Prospect's David Dayen on Biden's new American Jobs Plan - The Bradcast - Air Date 3-31-21 Financial journalist and Exec Editor of The American Prospect, DAVID DAYEN, on Biden's infrastructure and public investment bill, how it will be funded, how it addresses economic inequality and the US social welfare infrastructure, what to expect next. Ch. 2: An Infrastructure Plan That Includes Unions, Climate and Economic Balance - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-1-21 Megan Cassella, Politico reporter covering Biden administration economic policy, talks about the big infrastructure proposal from President Biden. Ch. 3: Is America big enough to Go Big again? - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 4-13-21 It’s time for America to go back to the future – a future of true greatness created by a people united to build a strong nation for the Common Good. Ch. 4: Infrastructure, mobilization, survival w/ Laleh Khalili - This Is Hell! - Air Date 4-14-21 Political scientist Laleh Khalili on her article "Apocalyptic Infrastructures" for Noēma Magazine. Ch. 5: Infrastructure, Jobs, and More - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-5-21 Catherine Rampell, syndicated opinion columnist at The Washington Post, political/economic commentator at CNN and special correspondent at PBS NewsHour, runs through the latest in national politics and news. Ch. 6: Ernesto Falcon on Internet for All, Alexander Kaufman on Future-Proofed Housing Codes - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-19-21 We’ll hear about the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (AAIA) from Ernesto Falcon, senior legislative counsel at Electronic Frontier Foundation. Ch. 7: Live Event Announcement Ch. 8: Workers Successfully Take Over their Workplaces - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 4-15-21 On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses how the US home rental market is failing over 20% of all renters, and the basic flaws in Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The American Prospect's David Dayen on Biden's new American Jobs Plan Part 2 - The Bradcast - Air Date 3-31-21 Financial journalist and Exec Editor of The American Prospect, DAVID DAYEN, on Biden's infrastructure and public investment bill, how it will be funded, how it addresses economic inequality and the US social welfare infrastructure, what to expect next. Ch. 10: Infrastructure, mobilization, survival w/ Laleh Khalili Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 4-14-21 Political scientist Laleh Khalili on her article "Apocalyptic Infrastructures" for Noēma Magazine. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Further thoughts on public welfare programs - Craig from Ohio Ch. 12: More thoughts U.S. complicity - Jonathan from New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on the new propaganda paradigm leading the charge at Fox News Bonus clip: THE QUESTION MARK - THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART - Air Date 9-13-06 Bonus clip: Tucker Carlson Jeopardy - The Daily Social Distancing Show - Air Date 2-15-21 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions): Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent SHOW IMAGE Description: Worker in a hard hat installing fiber optiic internet cable lines from a giant spool into a concrete hole in the ground.  Credit: "SRNL Fiber Optic Cable Installation" by Savannah River Site, Flickr | License    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com SUPPORT THE SHOW Listen Anywhere! Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

This week, we begin sharing Stories of COVID-19 once again, starting with stories about the ways COVID-19 has impacted our working lives. Part 1: When a bug gets stuck in her ear while she’s in the field tagging alligators, Laura Kojima isn’t sure how to get it out without putting herself and her work at risk due to COVID-19. Part 2: When she finds herself unemployed at the start of the pandemic, Shashi Mostafa takes a job working in a factory that produces medical equipment. Laura Kojima is a graduate student with the University of Georgia looking at the consumption risk associated with alligator movement off of the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, a former nuclear reactor plant that has reservoirs that are occupied by alligators that is connected to a river where public hunting occurs. Shashi Mostafa is a conceptual artist who makes fictional narratives that humanize the overlooked. As a director, screenwriter and photographer, her goal is to instigate social change with her films and photo series. Exploring the dark parts of humanity, she creates pieces that brew empathy, challenge oppression, and project power. In addition, she is a social media content creator and host for Waste-Ed, a sustainability channel, and In the Now, a kindness and social justice channel. Both exist across various online platforms, but she mainly makes videos for TikTok and Instagram. As always, find photos and transcripts of our stories at storycollider.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"B" is for Barnwell County [548 square miles; population 23,478]. Barnwell County originally encompassed 1,440 square miles but lost more than one-half its territory to the formation of several newer counties: Aiken, Allendale, and Bamberg. The county was named for Revolutionary War hero, John Barnwell. Traditionally an agricultural county, Barnwell is better known today for the political clout it enjoyed for much of the 20th century. The "Barnwell Ring," headed by Speaker of the House Solomon Blatt, President Pro-Tem of the Senate Edgar Brown, was one of the most powerful factions in the state’s history. In the early 1950s, the federal government purchased one-third of the western portion of the county for the Savannah River Site, a massive nuclear weapons facility—which had a profound effect on the economy and geography of Barnwell County.

Tom Clements is Director at Savannah River Site Watch or SRS Watch for short. They are working for the public interest by monitoring activities at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina and other DOE and commercial nuclear projects in the southeastern U.S. region and beyond & striving to halt proliferation of weapons-usable materials. The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a nuclear reservation in South Carolina, located on land in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties adjacent to the Savannah River, 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Augusta, Georgia. The site was built during the 1950s to refine nuclear materials for deployment in nuclear weapons. It is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The management and operating contract is held by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC (SRNS). Future plans for the site cover a wide range of options, including host to research reactors, a reactor park for power generation, and other possible uses. DOE and its corporate partners are watched by a combination of local, regional and national regulatory agencies and citizen groups. With Tom, we discuss what projects SRS is working on, who owns the site and what accountability they have, plutonium fuel and the dangers, and how you can get involved. Contact and connect with Tom: srswatch@gmail.com Savannah River Site info: https://srswatch.org/ http://www.bredl.org/nuclear/SRS.htm https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/savannah-river-site-fact-sheet.aspx https://www.postandcourier.com/news/deadly-legacy-savannah-river-site-near-aiken-one-of-the-most-contaminated-places-on-earth/article_d325f494-12ff-11e7-9579-6b0721ccae53.html

Welcome to the beautiful city of Aiken, South Carolina, "A Place Like No Other"! Located in western South Carolina, the town was incorporated in 1835 at the terminus of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company and named after William Aiken, the railroad's first president. In the late 19th century, Aiken became a wintering spot for wealthy families from the northeast including the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Pinkertons. Because of this influence, the town is home to the Aiken Steeplechase Association and the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1950, the US Atomic Energy Commission began building the Savannah River Site near Aiken to produce fuel for thermonuclear weapons. At its height, the facility operated five nuclear reactors. While the site no longer produces fuel, it is still in operation. Aiken was home to many minor celebrities including boxer, Jimmy Carter. Yeah, not THE Jimmy Carter, but wouldn’t it be cool if it was the same guy! Join us for a quick trot through Aiken!

Masters week so we're talking Augusta, Georgia! Joining Tron and Randy to discuss his home town is the man affectionately known as McSchvantz on our message board, The Refuge. A native of Augusta, McSchvantz gives us his perspective on the city, including what it was like every April when the tournament rolled around. We ask him about the Savannah River Site, Augusta's rivalry with Aiken, the Pro Disc Golf Scene, and much more. Enjoy!

Oleg Bodrov is the Chairperson for NGO Green World. Oleg is an engineer-physicist and environmentalist. After finishing his studies at the Leningrad Polytechnic University (1976) as an engineer-physicist he has been engaged in testing of nuclear submarines. From 1980 till 1993 he was head of a group of the Regional Ecological Laboratory of the Khlopin Radium Institute, St. Petersburg. After a visit to the contaminated area of the Chernobyl NPP in 1986, he left the nuclear industry and came to the environmental movement. Since 2005 he has been one of the initiators & head of an international NGO project for a promotion of safe decommissioning of the Russian nuclear power plants and final disposal of, spent nuclear fuel on the basis of the best international practice (Germany, Lithuania, USA, Sweden, Finland). In 1999, Center for Safe Energy, sponsored 3 weeks of People's Hearings on plutonium fuel in Russia. A delegation of US activists and experts went to Russia as participants in this education effort. Delegates included our executive director Lou Zeller and this is where he met and worked with Oleg. A few years later, Oleg along with his other colleagues from Russia came to the U.S. to advocate and educate against nuclear. Ultimately, with this foundation, plus local community work in NC, SC and GA. Some legal actions challenging NRC permitting (Duke Energy's Catawba and McGuire power plants were slated to use the fuel), succeeded in stopping the joint Russian-American project to use plutonium in nuclear electric power plants. The American factory for fuel manufacture would have been at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Indeed, the Dept. of Energy spent $4 billion on it before abandoning the project. With Oleg, we talk about his transition from nuclear into the environment movement, his experience in Russia before and after Chernobyl happened, his time in the U.S. touring nuclear facilities, the Russian version of the NRC, and current issues he's working on now. Contact and connect with Oleg: bodrov@greenworld.org.ru Documentaries: 1. Wasteland (about Russian nuclear weapons, reprocessing spent nuclear fuel and consequences for the people and environment) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCmcvyctVrU&t=849s 2. Digging our own grave (about nuclear weapon production in Russia and resistance of Russian society) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJftotBfGnU 3. Vermont state against Vermont Yankee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONrpfBOwkDc&t=593s 4. Everything in our power (about Main Yakee NPP decommissioning) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fvs36in2Qo&t=9s 5. Hanhikivi (About Finnish NPP hanhikivi) and about connection of civil and military technologies) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgwKyZ3gSCs&t=60s Chernobyl: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-chernobyl-like-today/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/what-s-going-on-in-chernobyl-today/ Decommissioning: https://www.nrc.gov/waste/decommissioning.html https://www.nei.org/advocacy/make-regulations-smarter/decommissioning

"N" is for New Ellenton [Aiken County; population 2,250]. Initially called North Ellenton prior to its incorporation, New Ellenton was an offspring of the Cold War and considered by many locals to have been "the first victim of the H-bomb." Incorporated in 1952, the town was the reincarnation of the town of Ellenton—a depot on the Port Royal Railroad. Gradually the little community became a thriving farm market town whose quiet existence ended when the US Atomic Energy Commission announced it was going to build a massive nuclear weapons facility in Aiken and Barnwell Counties—the Savannah River Site. All residents were forced to leave their homes and a number of them moved to a two hundred acre development near the main entrance to the "bomb plant" that became the town of New Ellenton.

Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste watchdog with Beyond Nuclear, discusses South Carolina's settlement with the federal government to end litigation regarding weapons-grade plutonium. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson on Monday announced a $600 million settlement related to the remaining plutonium that was relocated to the Savannah River Site in the early 2000s. The federal government will pay the sum immediately, and the Department of Energy must remove the 9.5 metric tons of plutonium by 2037. Wilson says he is committed to preventing South Carolina from becoming a "dumping ground for nuclear waste."

Why has it taken a 17-year legal battle for the US federal government to agree to take some responsibility for plutonium waste near the Savannah River in South Carolina?Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste watchdog with Beyond Nuclear, discusses South Carolina's settlement with the federal government to end litigation regarding weapons-grade plutonium. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson on Monday announced a $600 million settlement related to the remaining plutonium that was relocated to the Savannah River Site in the early 2000s. The federal government will pay the sum immediately, and the Department of Energy must remove the 9.5 metric tons of plutonium by 2037. Wilson says he is committed to preventing South Carolina from becoming a "dumping ground for nuclear waste." Levi Rickert, editor of Native News Online, takes a look at the Trump administration's interesting record when it comes to issues of tribal sovereignty in the US. US President Donald Trump came into office determined to push the Dakota Access Pipeline through; he praised the concept of manifest destiny and continues to evoke a vision of a white America that sprang into being on an empty continent and is now fighting off outsiders. Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," discusses Trump's visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin. He says it will help heal the community because he's about law and order, and the Black community wants the police to help them stop crime. Wisconsin's governor and Kenosha's mayor, both Democrats, have asked the president to stay away. They fear his visit will lead to more protests just when things seem to be calming down.Ra Shad Frazier-Gaines, founder and chair of the Black Caucus of the Young Democrats of America and founder and chair of Black Progressives, talks about the legacy left by actor Chadwick Boseman. Boseman died Friday after battling colon cancer the past four years, but his role as Black Panther helped shape Black culture, address colonialism and bring up issues between African-Americans and continental Africans.

What is the largest snake you’ve ever seen? I saw the largest black snake I’ve ever seen–in the wild (and at my place of work). And I thought, “A snake that large must have one a heck of a story”. I named him "Big Snake" and  created a wild fictional "tall tale" story for him and combined it with the real history of the Savannah River Site located near Aiken, South Carolina. Refer to our show notes at http://www.alishactaylor.com/bigsnake for the history and photos of this amazing facility. 

Anthony G. Brown, US Representative from Maryland's 4th congressional district, sits down with Joe Cirincione to discuss his experiences in the US military, congressional efforts to prevent new wars, and what inspires him as an elected official. Ploughshares Fund Programs Director Michelle Dover hosts Early Warning with Deputy Policy Director Mary Kaszynski and Roger L. Hale Fellow Catherine Killough. They discuss Iran’s recent breach of the Iran nuclear agreement, the Department of Energy’s order to start making 50 plutonium pits per year at the Savannah River Site, and Russia’s official withdrawal from the INF Treaty.

2017-05-23 Special EnglishThis is Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.Beijing will award scholarships to students from the Belt and Road countries studying in 160 programs at universities in the city by 2020.The scholarship program was jointly initiated by the municipal education commission and finance bureau in December 2016. So far, a total of 64 programs have been covered by the scholarships, benefiting some 1,100 students.From 2016 to 2020, 32 undergraduate and postgraduate programs will be chosen each year.Last year, 32 programs of 23 universities were chosen, and 32 programs of 32 universities were chosen in 2017. The programs cover subjects including aerospace, legal studies and Traditional Chinese Medicine.Officials with the commission said they hope more high-level talent from Belt and Road countries will come study in Beijing and more educational cooperation will be carried out between Beijing and those countries.This is Special English.Chinese central government has called for more efforts in helping college graduates get jobs or start businesses. That's according to a statement issued recently after a national teleconference on employment.Premier Li Keqiang's written instruction on employment was read out at the conference, which was attended by other state leaders.The employment of college graduates matters to China's social stability, as a total of almost 8 million college students are expected to graduate this year.The central government asked local authorities and schools to encourage the students to work in the grassroots. They are also encouraged to seek jobs and start businesses in advanced manufacturing, strategic emerging industries, service and agriculture.In terms of general employment, the central government stressed enhanced vocational training and other public services.China has set employment targets of 11 million new urban jobs and a registered urban unemployment rate under 4.5 percent this year.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. The length of Shanghai metro system is now the longest in the world, surpassing the size of networks in other world cities, including New York and Paris.Shanghai Party Secretary Han Zheng said infrastructure transportation within the city is now an important part of the development between urban and rural areas of Shanghai. Han added that Shanghai strengthened its position as global port city, with the transport of containers leading the world for the past 7 years. Freight transport out of Shanghai's main airports ranks the third in the world. Air passenger volumes have reached 100 million, which tops in China.In the next 5 years, more efforts will be made in the transportation integration of the Yangtze River Delta. Plans are in place to make every city within the Yangtze River Delta region reachable within 90 minutes of one another.Additionally, Shanghai will work to make public transport the most convenient means of transportation for its citizens.This is Special English.China has started a yearlong experiment using an airtight advanced life-support system to house eight volunteers as a way to help with the nation's goal of long-term manned deep-space exploration.The project's operator said the Lunar Palace 365 experiment was launched at the Lunar Palace 1 bio-regenerative life-support laboratory in Beihang University in Beijing. The eight volunteers are all postgraduate students at the university. They are divided into two teams and will undertake the experiment in three shifts. Once the team has entered the lab, team members will stay for 60 days before another team takes over. The second group will live in the lab for 200 days before the first team will complete the remaining 105 days. Lunar Palace 1 is capable of providing a habitable environment similar to Earth's biosphere and can support four people each time. It was designed to test and verify technologies to be used on space missions of extended duration in deep space, and with multiple crews. The 500-cubic-meter lab is sealed from the outside. During the experiment, volunteers will not leave the lab during their shifts unless they encounter emergencies.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. China will carry on phasing out sub-standard production capacity, especially in the fields of steel and iron, coal-mining, as well as coal-fired power plants, to keep up with targets set for the year.The decision was made at a State Council executive meeting, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.Li listened to reports on the latest progress of this year's campaign to cut excess capacities of steel, iron, coal-mining and coal-fueled power generation, as well as the findings of inspections over the drive in concrete and glass sectors.Li said the reforms offer the way forward in cutting overcapacity, which is a vital part of the supply-side structural reform.Li said China takes the initiative to reduce production capacity based on its own national conditions. The efforts are to make the growth model and economic structure shift to new economic drivers.The government work report Li delivered in March set targets for this year to cut steel and iron overcapacity by 50 million tonnes and coal mining by 150 million tonnes respectively. The targets also include phasing out coal-fired power generation capacity of more than 50 million kilowatts.This is Special English.A senior Chinese leader has urged more cooperation between Chinese and overseas Taoist circles in contributing to world peace and harmony.The chairman of China's top advisory body made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the fourth International Taoist Forum.The three-day event was held in the Wudang Mountains in central China's Hubei Province, with representatives from 30 countries and regions attending.The chairman said Taoism is rooted in Chinese culture, and could boost harmony between nations and religions. By supporting the forum, the Chinese government would like to promote exchange and understanding between Taoists in the world.The chairman called on Taoist circles and figures to building a global community of a shared destiny, world peace and humanism.Taoism is a religious belief originated from the writings and philosophy of Lao Tze who lived 2,500 years ago. According to his thoughts, everything in the universe was born from a vacuum, and a balance must be achieved between humans and nature. This is Special English.The collapse of a tunnel containing radioactive waste at the Hanford nuclear weapons complex in the United States underscored what critics have long been saying: The toxic remnants of the Cold War are being stored in haphazard and unsafe conditions, and time is running out to deal with the problem.Kevin Kamps of the anti-nuclear group "Beyond Nuclear" said that unfortunately, the crisis at Hanford is far from an isolated incident.For instance, at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the government is laboring to clean up groundwater contamination along with the 40 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste stored in tanks that are decades past their projected lifespan. The site opened in the 1950s and produced plutonium and tritium. The cleaning job is likely going to take decades.In addition to the tunnel collapse discovered recently, dozens of underground storage tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State are leaking highly radioactive materials. Some of the storage tanks dated to World War II.Anti-nuclear activists say the problem is that the U.S. government rushed to build nuclear weapons during the Cold War with little thought given to how to permanently dispose of the resulting waste.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to crienglish.com. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. Now the news continues.Mandarin signs are being added at airports and railway stations in Italy, and free Wi-Fi services are being set up at public venues to make Chinese tourists' visits to the country easier.A senior Italian official said the Italian government is also encouraging hotels to provide more Chinese-friendly services in preparation for the 2018 European Union-China Tourism Year. The vice-minister of culture and tourism Dorina Bianchi made the remarks during an interview in Shanghai. She said such services will include hotel staff who are fluent in Chinese, rooms with China Central TV channels, acceptance of China UnionPay cards and hot drinking water to cater to Chinese stomachs.China has become the seventh-largest source of tourists for Italy after years of continuous leaps since a wave of outbound travel to Italy began in 2004.Statistics from the Italian consulate general in Guangzhou show that Italy received a record 900,000 visitors from the Chinese mainland last year, and the numbers have maintained double-digit annual growth for the past decade. Longer stays are being considered for Chinese with tourist visas. Italy guarantees that its visa application process will be completed within 36 hours for Chinese tourists.This is Special English.A group of college students from the China West Normal University in Sichuan province launched a fundraising to buy a cell phone for a sanitation worker who lost his phone during work.The sanitation worker surnamed Ren rejected the offer at first, saying a phone is too much for the students who were not making any money. But the students insisted, and he finally accepted the phone.Sixty-three-year-old Ren lost his phone when he was cleaning a street near the university. Students tried to help him by putting up posters but the effort ended in vain.Later one of the students suggested a fundraising; and more than 100 students donated 800 yuan, roughly 120 US dollars, to buy the cell phone.You're listening to Special English. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing.A photo competition on giant panda conservation and research is being held in Sichuan province in southwest China. The event lasts from May till early November.The competition is jointly organized by the China Conservation and Research Center for the giant panda and Jiuzhaigou, a scenic attraction in the province. A total of 200,000 yuan, roughly 30,000 U.S. dollars will be offered as prize to the winners.Award-winning works will be displayed overseas in locations including the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. Organizers say the competition aims to increase people's attention on panda conservation and research. Entries are welcome from both at home and abroad.Jiuzhaigou is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a natural habitat for pandas.This is Special English.For three hours, a dog was running back and forth at the beach, picking up waste cans, abandoned slippers and floating plastic bags. This happened in the seawater at a tourist attraction in the coastal city of Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province.The 8-year-old golden retriever named Tiger has become an online celebrity for its dedication to cleaning the beach over the past five years. A video featuring its efforts has been viewed more than 70,000 times.Its owner says the dog showed a keen interest in picking up floating objects five years ago. Whenever Tiger spots garbage in the seawater, it will rush to pick it up and bring it back. But as it grew old, the dog lost some of its vision and is showing other health problems.This is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.This is the end of today's program. I'm Ryan Price in Beijing, and I hope you can join us every day, to learn English and learn about the world.

INTERVIEW: Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network joins Nuclear Hotseat's Libbe HaLevy to discuss a program they created, Radiation Awareness Protection Talk, or RAPT, which covers ways to best help protect from nuclear radiation. NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK: Lettuce now consider the lunacy of Panasonic and Fukushima. PLUS: Beta radiation (cesium 134/137) spikes 57 times higher than four days earlier at Fukushima, w/TEPCO analysts unable to ID the reason (DUH!); record level of "flesh-eating bacteria" cases in Japan; 5 Japanese nukes heading for decommissioning scrap heap (YAY!); Cataclysmic bird die-off litters West Coast US beaches; Thyroid cancer rates in US increasing; Obama increases allowable levels of radiation in drinking water; Savannah River Site operators divert $3/4-million from cleanup to develop mini-reactors; and Exelon's longed-for bail-out from Illinois taxpayers ain't about to happen when agencies report, "We'll do fine without you!"

INTERVIEW: Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network joins Nuclear Hotseat's Libbe HaLevy to discuss a program they created, Radiation Awareness Protection Talk, or RAPT, which covers ways to best help protect from nuclear radiation. NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK: Lettuce now consider the lunacy of Panasonic and Fukushima. PLUS: Beta radiation (cesium 134/137) spikes 57 times higher than four days earlier at Fukushima, w/TEPCO analysts unable to ID the reason (DUH!); record level of "flesh-eating bacteria" cases in Japan; 5 Japanese nukes heading for decommissioning scrap heap (YAY!); Cataclysmic bird die-off litters West Coast US beaches; Thyroid cancer rates in US increasing; Obama increases allowable levels of radiation in drinking water; Savannah River Site operators divert $3/4-million from cleanup to develop mini-reactors; and Exelon's longed-for bail-out from Illinois taxpayers ain't about to happen when agencies report, "We'll do fine without you!"

Autonomous Mobility Applique' System Demo at the Savannah River Site, SC on May 29, 2014. The AMAS kit can transform ordinary military trucks into optionally-manned vehicles. Available in high definition.

Do you know where your green tea came from? Might it be northeast Japan? Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network brings us up to date on the latest foods and supplement ingredients to avoid, and with Citizens for Health's Sean Witzling, tells us about the FDA petition that can make a big difference in our food safety. PLUS: Scientists and medical experts take on the UN over Fukushima radiation report; Energy Dept. considers dumping $3.7 billion boondoggle Savannah River Site; Davis-Besse shuts down - again; millions of shrimp-like krill dead on beaches of northern California, Oregon; India/Russia nuclear liability head-butting may permanently sink proposed Koodankulam 3,4,5 & 6, even as #1 may be commissioned "at any time;" TEPCO shareholders demanding the utility dump nukes; scandal brewing in Japan over funds for recovery from the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster diverted to cover utility companies ; and NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK: The US "alternative energy" loan guarantee program guaranteed to give billions... to nukes - oy!

Do you know where your green tea came from? Might it be northeast Japan? Kimberly Roberson of Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network brings us up to date on the latest foods and supplement ingredients to avoid, and with Citizens for Health's Sean Witzling, tells us about the FDA petition that can make a big difference in our food safety. PLUS: Scientists and medical experts take on the UN over Fukushima radiation report; Energy Dept. considers dumping $3.7 billion boondoggle Savannah River Site; Davis-Besse shuts down - again; millions of shrimp-like krill dead on beaches of northern California, Oregon; India/Russia nuclear liability head-butting may permanently sink proposed Koodankulam 3,4,5 & 6, even as #1 may be commissioned "at any time;" TEPCO shareholders demanding the utility dump nukes; scandal brewing in Japan over funds for recovery from the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster diverted to cover utility companies ; and NUMNUTZ OF THE WEEK: The US "alternative energy" loan guarantee program guaranteed to give billions... to nukes - oy!