The News Review:
- ver the wall: investing in China
- Globaliser | Sundayobserver.lk – Sri Lanka
- Iraq Not Maintaining US-Funded Project
- BHEL bags Rs 431cr deal from Indian il
- BC oil spill shows conflict between old and new
- It’s your business
- We’re not staying on top of the flow below: Aging sewers a…
ver the wall: investing in China
guardian.co.uk – Jul 29, 2007
The $9bn landmark deal keenly awaited after months of negotiation between Washington and Beijing comes at a time when nuclear energy is under intense scrutiny following leaks at a plant in Japan after an earthquake. And it happened in a week when US legislators came under pressure to block Westinghouse owner Toshiba’s plan to sell a 10 per cent stake in the firm to the Kazakh government. Under a new Chinese government initiative 30 new nuclear reactors are to be built by 2020 which will provide 4 per cent of the country’s energy needs. The deal is part of a bid to make China less dependent on fossil fuels and use ‘cleaner’ energy as its population increases. Under the agreement between Westinghouse and Beijing the American company – which also maintains the Sellafield plant in Cumbria – is to build four 1200-megawatt power stations in the country’s eastern provinces which according to Westinghouse’s in-house plans will all be fully operational by 2015… The deal is part of a bid to make China less dependent on fossil fuels and use ‘cleaner’ energy as its population increases. Under the agreement between Westinghouse and Beijing the American company – which also maintains the Sellafield plant in Cumbria – is to build four 1200-megawatt power stations in the country’s eastern provinces which according to Westinghouse’s in-house plans will all be fully operational by 2015. Westinghouse CE Steve Tritch said: ‘Preliminary design engineering and long-lead procurement work are already under way. ‘ He previously claimed that this was ‘the beginning of a long-term relationship’ with the rapidly developing Asian economy. US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said the agreement ‘could help spur development of a nuclear renaissance in the US’. Westinghouse has been further buoyed by the acquisition of specialist engineering firm IST Nuclear which will increase the company’s nuclear capabilities in the expanding South African market.
Globaliser | Sundayobserver.lk – Sri Lanka
Sunday bserver – Jul 29, 2007
But perhaps the most startling discovery occurred in the days that followed when scientists used data from the magnitude 6. 8 earthquake on July 16 to conclude that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant the world's largest by electrical output may have unknowingly been built directly on top of an active seismic fault. That could account for the force of the tremors which Tokyo Electric Power the operator of the plant said were more than twice as strong as the plant's design limits. The earthquake which killed 11 people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Kashiwazaki a city nearby has raised discomforting questions about the safety of nuclear plants in Japan. The plants in this earthquake-prone nation are supposed to be nearly earthquake-proof built to withstand the most powerful punch. The Kashiwazaki plant's surprising vulnerability to damage however has distressed many Japanese. The damage at the plant appeared to offer a vivid reminder of the risks of nuclear power as the United States Europe and countries elsewhere are giving atomic energy a second look as a clean plentiful alternative to oil and other fossil fuels… The plants in this earthquake-prone nation are supposed to be nearly earthquake-proof built to withstand the most powerful punch. The Kashiwazaki plant's surprising vulnerability to damage however has distressed many Japanese. The damage at the plant appeared to offer a vivid reminder of the risks of nuclear power as the United States Europe and countries elsewhere are giving atomic energy a second look as a clean plentiful alternative to oil and other fossil fuels. Resource-poor Japan kept building nuclear plants even after accidents like Three Mile Island in 1979 in the United States and Chernobyl in 1986 in Ukraine froze construction in the United States and parts of Europe for decades. Nuclear experts applaud the fact that all four of the Kashiwazaki plant's seven reactors that were operating when the earthquake struck were safely shut down despite the unexpected strength of the tremors. But Tokyo Electric's failure to predict the size of the tremors that could strike the area and to detect the fault line beneath the plant left many here wondering whether regulators and plant operators could also have underestimated the potential for devastating earthquakes at Japan's 48 other nuclear reactors. "The plant did an excellent job of ensuring the safety of the reactors themselves" said Michio Ishikawa president of the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute a research group sponsored by the industry.
Iraq Not Maintaining US-Funded Project
San Francisco Chronicle – Jul 29, 2007
- be the first to share your thoughts on this question. – Sorry comments are closed for this story. Iraq Not Maintaining US-Funded Projectnational(07-29) 21:50 PDT WASHINGTN (AP) — An Iraqi power plant rebuilt with tens of millions of U. dollars fell into disrepair once transferred to the Baghdad government according to the U. office that tracks… 33 billion contract won by Bechtel National Inc. found that about half the water sanitation power and other projects awarded to the San Francisco engineering company failed to meet their stated goals. Some were canceled others only partially completed and others transferred to other organizations for completion the report said. The government too hampered Bechtel’s efforts by failing to provide sufficient staff to oversee the contract. Extensive use of subcontractors has made oversight difficult leading to poor outcomes in some projects. Even though the Iraqi government has assumed responsibility for managing the country’s recovery its spending on public works and other capital projects is falling far short of what has been budgeted the report said.
BHEL bags Rs 431cr deal from Indian il
Business Standard – Jul 29, 2007
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BC oil spill shows conflict between old and new
CTV.ca – Jul 29, 2007
The booming petroleum industry has fuelled the growth of Calgary and Edmonton both now boasting metropolitan populations of more than a million people. Both cities are also in active oil and gas production zones as well as having processing facilities. In 1999 Hub il’s 60-year-old recycling plant in southeast Calgary exploded killing two workers and forcing the evacuation of 1500 nearby residents. A toxic cloud hung over the city for hours and when evacuees returned they found their homes covered in oil dust and debris from the blast. Residents have pushed since the 1980s for the plant to be moved but Hub balked at the cost. The problem Alberta cities now wrestle with most is pressure from energy companies to keep their urban oil and gas reserves in production. Permits are issued by the provincial Energy and Utilities Board as long as producers ensure safety measures are in place… lenuk said to his knowledge neither building has been ordered removed. In Strathcona County an Edmonton suburb of about 80000 people local government is trying to make the province understand this isn’t bucolic countryside anymore. “What may look like a rural area on a large-scale map really is kind of suburbia” said Mike MacGarva county engineering and planning manager. Like Calgary Stratcona tries to tackle the problem through longer-term planning and looking for compromises with the energy sector. “But sometimes some hard choices have to be made where you just have to say No” he says. Back in Burnaby Evans knows that on cost alone it’s unrealistic to relocate the oil refinery tank farm and pipelines even if some other jurisdiction wanted them. Removing the homes most under threat would also cost millions.
It’s your business
Topeka Capital Journal – Jul 29, 2007
His role focuses on manufacturing processes related to the production of MGPI’s unique wheat-based products for pet treat applications as well as the company’s Terratek line of eco-friendly biopolymers. Phillips has spent the past 17 years in plant supervisory and management positions with General Mills. He has a bachelor’s degree in milling science and management from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University St. Patrick Robinson has been named director of engineering for Allen Development of Kansas. Robinson will assist with the management coordination and development of public and private infrastructure improvements in and around the Allen Group developments in the Kansas City metropolitan area… DeWitt has transferred from Landplan Engineering’s corporate office in Lawrence to the firm’s branch office in Junction City. DeWitt a 2003 University of Kansas graduate provides civil engineering design support on stormwater street sanitary sewer and waterline projects for residential commercial and industrial developments. Heather Schulmeister and Rita Burch both of Topeka have started AtHome America businesses direct seller of home-decorating accents. Susan Schneweis of Lawrence executive vice president of Hartsook Companies Inc. was a featured presenter during the 2007 Mid-America Fundraising Conference June 3-5 in Fargo N.
We’re not staying on top of the flow below: Aging sewers a…
Free with registration – Lima News – AccessMyLibrary.com – Jul 29, 2007
And “really old?” Lima has sewer systems in some parts of the city that date back to the 1800s. The age of our nation’s sanitary sewer systems and some poor design and construction of sewers for homes built in the 1940s and 1950s are contributing to a large problem with phrases such as “fecal coliform” and “floatables”: Sewage is polluting the rivers and lakes from which we get our drinking water. The problem itself and unfunded mandates from the federal government to fix it comes with a. CPYRIGHT 2007 The Lima News.