Just for Peter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snTaSJk0n_Y

Plant,

Firstly, I would recommend not taking Trumps "open to the idea" being a done deal.

Secondly, reprocessing used fuel rods from commercial reactors is a relatively simple chemical process to separate out the different elements, the plutonium from this process is considered not to be weapons grade, but could be fashioned into a low yield weapon that is dangerous to handle and difficult to store.

Converting reactor grade plutonium or natural uranium to weapons grade requires huge numbers of very expensive high speed centrifuges and dangerous chemicals, which are also used to produce fuel rods, and pretty much any country in the world that is prepared to stump up $20bn or so can do so as well, as has North Korea, India, Pakistan, Israel, Iran, China etc. However, without the centrifuges, the plutonium left from reprocessing is less of a risk than anti nuke activists would make out, and certainly reprocessing reduces the amount of raw uraniam required, drastically reduces the high level waste that needs to be desposed of and enables the plutonium to be burnt up, it can be argued that this reprocessing is actually reducing the risk of proliferation, as well as reducing the cost of nuclear fuel.

America's military hegemony has given the world its longest period of peace, and economic development, however, given China's vast expenditure on its military, and its clear intention to use its new muscle to take what it wants, Korea and Japan need to expand their own capabilities rather than rely on an ally that is an ocean away.

Here's another concern about the safety of nuclear reactors: https://intelnews.org/2016/04/29/01-1894/

TITLE "German nuclear power plant found to be infected with computer viruses"
APRIL 29, 2016 BY JOSEPH FITSANAKIS

The computers of a nuclear power plant in southern Germany have been found to be infected with computer viruses that are designed to steal files and provide attackers with remote control of the system. The power plant, known as Gundremmingen, is located in Germany’s southern district of Günzburg, about 75 miles northwest of the city of Munich. The facility is owned and operated by RWE AG, Germany’s second-largest electricity producer, which is based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The company provides energy to over 30 million customers throughout Europe.

On Tuesday, a RWE AG spokesperson said cybersecurity experts had discovered a number of computer viruses in a part of the operating system that determines the position of nuclear rods in the power plant. The software on the system was installed in 2008 and has been designed specifically for this task, said the company. The viruses found on it include two programs known as “Conficker” and “W32.Ramnit”. Both are responsible for infecting millions of computers around the world, which run on the Microsoft Windows operating system. The malware seem to be specifically designed to target Microsoft Windows and tend to infect computer systems through the use of memory sticks. Once they infect a computer, they siphon stored files and give attackers remote access to the system when the latter is connected to the Internet. According to RWE AG, viruses were also found on nearly 20 removable data drives, including memory sticks, which were in use by employees at the power plant. However, these data drives were allegedly not connected to the plant’s main operating system.

MORE TO FOLLOW

FROM ABOVE

RWE AG spokespersons insisted this week that “Conficker”, “W32.Ramnit”, and other such malware, did not pose a threat to the nuclear power plant’s computer systems, because the facility is not connected to the Internet. Consequently, it would be impossible for an attacker associated with the viruses to acquire remote access to Gundremmingen’s computer systems. The company did not clarify whether it believed that the viruses had specifically targeted at the power plant. But they insisted that cyber security measures had been strengthened following the discovery of the malware, and said that they had notified Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), which is now looking into the incident." ENDS

COMMENT

Beware ex-nuclear technicians who are computer savvy, who then go rogue.

Plant,

You need to take press reports with a pinch of salt. I have been working with industrial control systems for years, and no large plant does control on a windows based PC. The controllers are usually Unix or Linux based. Windows PCs sometimes act as an interface but not a controller.

An as the article said, the computer was not connected to the internet, and so could not be externally controlled. Again, no large industrial plant allows external access to its control network.

It was probably some operator using a dirty USB stick.

Hi Shadow Minister

Yes it did say the plant was separated from the Internet.

Still, the fear of nuclear reactors and other nuclear items is about perceptions that are often out of sync with facts.

Then there is the unlikelihood of nuclear events occurring.

But when they do, even with old plants like Fukushima and Chernobyl, the results are disasters costing societies 10s of $Billions. In Australia it may bring down a Government, like South Australia, if held responsible.