The News Review:
- Spin Masters: ak Ridge’s vast knowledge of centrifuge technology…
- Health Highlights: Feb. 17 2008
- Water improvements drive Sutherlin rate hikes
- Business FYI: Chamber congressional forum March 3
- Igniting company’s growth – Vindy.com News – Business & Technology…
- Salina Journal
Spin Masters: ak Ridge’s vast knowledge of centrifuge technology…
Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription) – Feb 17, 2008
In support of its multibillion-dollar American Centrifuge Plant under construction in hio USEC Inc. is tapping some of the same Atomic City expertise that helped develop the centrifuge program hiring ak Ridge National Laboratory retirees and enlisting the lab in the largest cooperative research and development agreement in RNL’s history. “RNL sees this as the most important tech transfer program since Atoms for Peace” said Wayne Manges manager of RNL’s Centrifuge Technology Program referring to the 1950s-era effort to find peaceful uses for nuclear technology. After nearly 10 years of development the American Centrifuge Plant is entering a crucial year. USEC plans to spend $600 million on the project in 2008 about as much as the company has spent to date to launch commercial operations at the plant in late 2009.
Health Highlights: Feb. 17 2008
Forbes – Feb 17, 2008
08 12:00 AM ETHere are some of the latest health and medical newsdevelopments compiled by editors of HealthDay: Tiny Amounts of Estrogen May be SeriousThreat to Fish PopulationSome ecosystems near large population centers can be quitefragile and a study presented over the weekend demonstrated thisby using an unlikely substance — estrogen. Scientists from Canada's Natural Sciences and EngineeringResearch Council (NSERC) found that extremely tiny amounts ofsynthetic estrogen — the type found in birth control pills –introduced from municipal wastewater plants into lakes and riversdownstream can cause a decline (and even the elimination) of entirepopulations of some species of fish. According to a NSERC news release the study was presented at asession of the Association for the Advancement of Science'sannual conference in Boston Feb. Researchers said they addedtiny amounts per trillion to a Canadian lake region in are-creation of what may normally be found in a municipal wastewaterplant. Results of the seven-year study were dramatic… "What we demonstrated is that estrogen can wipe out entirepopulations of small fish a key food source for larger fish whosesurvival could in turn be threatened over the longer term"she added in her statement. The researchers recommended that estrogen be removed frommunicipal water supplies during the treatment process just asother contaminants are removed. —– Chinese Plant That Made Suspended BloodThinner Not Licensed for PharmaceuticalManufacturingThe Chinese manufacturing plant that supplies a great amount ofthe active ingredient in a blood thinner associated with fourdeaths in the United states isn't even certified by its owngovernment to make drugs and other pharmaceutical products the New York Times reports. This revelation comes only a few days after the U. Food andDrug Administration admitted it violated its own policy by nothaving inspected the plant before allowing pharmaceutical companyBaxter International which uses ingredients from the Chineseplant to market the blood thinner heparin in the United Statesthe Times said.
Water improvements drive Sutherlin rate hikes
News-Review – The News-Review – Feb 17, 2008
The main source of the city’s water is through Calapooya Creek at the Nonpareil Water Treatment Plant. The plant was built in 1983 and supplies the city with water year-round. The city’s secondary source of water comes from Cooper Creek Reservoir at the Cooper Creek Water Treatment Plant. That plant supplies the city with water during the high-demand summer months typically July through September according to the plan. The aging Cooper Creek plant which had an estimated 20-year life expectancy when it was built in 1971 was the biggest concern for the engineers said Steve Major engineer and president at The Dyer Partnership. Repairing the plant and increasing the storage size for treated water is critical to meeting the needs of the current population he said.
Business FYI: Chamber congressional forum March 3
Tulsa World (subscription) – Feb 17, 2008
has consolidated two power generation divisions in order to strengthen its engineering offerings. Enercon combined the Northeast perations Division and the Plant Technical Services Division creating an engineering organization focused on operating plant services according to a company press release. “perating plant services especially engineering services in the nuclear industry are now a heavily sought-after market segment because of the inevitable road to the engineering and construction of new nuclear plants” said Carter Noland vice president of power generation. “Combining these divisions will immediately result in a stronger organization and will increase our depth in all engineering disciplines as well as project management in the Northeast” Noland said. “This will sustain our expansion and help take full advantage of these immediate opportunities. A larger division in the Northeast will also provide the depth to more effectively support our growing client base in all service areas. ” Enercon is a diversified energy consulting company offering engineering environmental and management services from 15 offices nationwide.
Igniting company’s growth – Vindy.com News – Business & Technology…
Youngstown Vindicator – Feb 17, 2008
The high price of oil and natural gas on world markets has meant more drilling and more demand for Altronic products said Sandy Winans a logistics manager. Altronic?s sales were up 8 percent last year making it the fourth straight year that the company has set a sales record. As orders have increased so has the company?s work force and plant size. Employment has grown steadily from 90 about 15 years ago to 140 today. The Trumbull Avenue plant has been expanded multiple times in the past 30 years. The boom in oil and gas exploration is just one factor in the company?s success however. Altronic also has been adding new products and services to stay ahead of its competition… Altronic also has been adding new products and services to stay ahead of its competition. ?It?s a very fast-paced demanding world? Winans said. ?If you don?t keep your engineering up to date you will fall off the cliff. ?The company recently pushed ahead with new technology by introducing EZRail which is a pre-fabricated wiring system that can be installed quickly. Instead of having to connect a series of wires to make an engine run this product features a one-connection ?plug and play? system. The system has helped cut installation time on a particular engine from two or three days to less than four hours Winans said. Altronic also started a new initiative last year that is adding to growth.
Salina Journal
Salina Journal – Feb 17, 2008
I’ve heard 5 million I’ve heard 10 million I’ve heard 11 million. I really don’t know what the true figure would be. Tons of carbon dioxideActually there is no real question how much carbon dioxide the plant as proposed would have generated. Based on the federal government’s analysis of coal from Campbell County Wyo. — the announced source of coal — the plant would emit 2. 8 million pounds of carbon dioxide an hour while operating at full capacity. If the plant operated nonstop it would emit 12… How to grow slimeAlgae might be the alchemists of the 21st century: take something we have in surplus (carbon dioxide) combine it with something abundant and free (sunlight) supply a modicum of feed and in no time you have slime that is 60 percent oil. The possibilities aren’t unlimited but they’re getting there. “You can’t grow more algae than the energy you supply from the sun” says David Bayless professor of mechanical engineering at hio University and director of the hio Coal Research Center. “It truly is the limiting factor. And there’s a lot of that available. Even the most efficient bioreactors today utilize less than one-tenth of the available sunlight. None of course work at night.