slow typing, live blogging

Entergy and NRC

AGING MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

ENVY’s AGING MANAGEMENT PROGRAM for Relicensing

I’m following a conference call at NRC HQ in MD.

13 parties in conf @ sign on

ENVY c.10 people

NRC Headquarters c. 10 people

No one from NRC Region 1! They’re supposed to be supervising everday operations.

Southern Co

Dept Envir Cons

Public may comment at end.

No transcription.

Entergy’s Jay Thayer, ex ENVY chief, introduces presenters

Entergy: “Haven’t properly communicated methodology.”

“no new information, just repackaged.”

Entergy first tries to explain what they think the NRC was asking explanations for.

Description of stress model ENVY used to calculate stress response for nozzle due to mechanical loading and thermal stress. IE, predicting failure and system breach.

“a sphere has a hoop stress half the rate of a cylinder.” ENVY took a cross section of the reactor vessel as the basis for its calculations, although the vessel is not a sphere.

Attached piping stresses: assume directionality.

Used +20% uprate for 60 year life of reactor. Is this conservative, or merely easier?

# transient cycles: 100 startups in 30 years. Used 300 in 60 years projection. Used Design basis transients.

How often will you update your projections? Right now, every cycle, 18 months. Re-forecast and re-project every month? Is there a formal process, a person whose job it is to do the reprojection every year?

Yes, someone who’s in the room. But ENVY thinks it assumptions are so conservative, it will never have to recalculate.

NRC: what will be the basis for us to evaluate your programs if you do not provide us with sufficient detail? We need to see that before we can evalute it.

ENVY: We’ll show you as we go along. You just approve the general process, we’ll let you know how it goes. We can’t get into the detail at this meeting.

( – promoted by Christian Avard)

Beyond Barack Obama’s Paranoia: It’s more than just the Deerfield Valley News

The Guardian U.K. put together this shocking seven-minute video detailing the level of control over campaign staffers, volunteers, and unfortunately… the media.

In the video, Guardian US correspondent Suzanne Goldenberg examines the surge in support for the Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and the orchestrations of his controlling campaign staff. If you were surprised from today’s diary, then this video will put it all in perspective.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2008/jan/08/obama

Crossposted at Huffington Post’s Off the Bus.

WILMINGTON, VT- Reporters wanting to interview campaign staffers are having a hard time trying to get through. That’s because some campaigns are putting a tight lid on who gets to say what. The Deerfield Valley News, an independent weekly in southern Vermont, wanted to interview Brandon Riker, a former Deerfield Valley resident. Riker recently graduated from Twin Valley High School in Wilmington, VT and is taking a semester off from college to work for the (Barack) Obama campaign. The Deerfield Valley News wanted to recognize Riker and write a story on his efforts, but the Obama campaign is not permitting any interviews with full time staffers: no exceptions. Tim Foley, media liaison for Barack Obama’s New Hampshire campaign, did not know why that policy is in place and also could not specify why it was in place to begin with.

“It’s just a blanket campaign policy, it’s something we haven’t allowed and something we frankly made no exceptions for,” said Foley. The Obama campaign does allow senior staff members or volunteers to talk reporters, but Foley maintains that anyone working on a day to day for the campaign is strictly off limits. When asked why the campaign would be concerned about what staffers might say, Foley could only muster the same response. “This is something that’s come down from on high. It’s been in affect well before I’ve been on the campaign and it will be in effect until the end,” said Foley. Obama, fresh off a surprising win in the Iowa Caucus had a strong second-place finish in New Hampshire, where Hillary Clinton won by three percentage points.

Randy Capitani, publisher of The Deerfield Valley News, has worked in news media for over 25 years and said he has never seen a communications clamp down like this, by any campaign, during any election year. “I just find it surprising that a campaign that talks about ‘common sense solutions’ would put such a thumb on what is so obviously a ‘common sense feel good story,'” said Capitani. Mike Eldred, news editor for The Deerfield Valley News has worked seven years in the profession and said he was equally surprised by their policy. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Eldred. “We have what is probably the most secretive administration ever and you have to wonder is this something that’s going to be continued in the next administration, Obama or otherwise.”

More below the fold:

Unlike Foley, other campaigns are not as worried. Jim Harris, a national spokesman for Mike Hucakbee for President said they realize how much staffers mean to the towns they come from and if hometown newspapers are interested in writing stories recognizing their work, Harris says, “Why not?”

“We would make an exception with the excitement and all,” said Harris. “I was the news editor for the Texarkana Gazette in Texarkana, Texas and I remember doing a ‘feel good story’ on someone local who was working Ross Perot (in 1992). I don’t think that’s that’s anything unusual.” Candidate Mike Huckabee is also coming off an Iowa Caucus win and placed third in the New Hampshire primary behind John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Chris Collier, NH Hampshire, media coordinator for Dennis Kucinich for President, said whether it’s volunteers or paid staffers, they too can share their experiences. “They can talk to the media about anything except Dennis Kucinich’s policies. That’s Dennis’ job.” said Collier. “If it’s about Dennis Kucinich or why you’re involved, then we encourage participation at all levels. (Talking to campaign worker) has the feel of a real human being talking to you as opposed to someone else reading off a script.”

A John McCain for President spokesperson also confirmed interviews with staffers are granted, provided they seek permission, while a spokesperson from John Edwards and Ron Paul campaigns said interviews are granted on a case by case basis. When The Deerfield Valley News shared this information to the Obama campaign, Foley maintained that all interviews are off still off limits, regardless what other campaigns allow.

“Each campaign makes up it’s own rules and this was set from the outset by our press office,” said Foley. “Unfortunately employers have certain policies with regards to their employees. That’s particularly the case here with Brandon Riker and that’s just going to be the policy of the campaign.”

Calls made to the Clinton, Giuliani, Richardson, Romney, and Thompson campaigns had not been returned at press time.

While it’s inconclusive to say whether this policy is the norm and not the exception during the 2008 campaign, the Obama campaign will enforce it nevertheless. In the meantime, Ryker can speak to The Deerfield Valley News, provided he works for Mike Huckabee.

“He can come and work for us and we’d more than welcome to let you talk to him,” said Harris.

Per today’s Rutland Herald, Gay marriage opponents regroup:

Several prominent opponents of gay marriage will announce at a Statehouse press conference this morning the formation of the Vermont Marriage Advisory Council, a group that will hold hearings on the benefits of traditional marriage.

Stephen Cable of Rutland, the founder of the conservative group Vermont Renewal, said the formation of this traditional marriage council is in response to the pro-gay marriage leanings of the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection.

Note: these people don’t like the public hearings that are going on, so they want their own.  More below the fold:

Traditional marriage group Take It to the People will also become more active in the debate this year. Craig Bensen of Cambridge, a member of the group, said he plans to launch an effort called Let Vermont Vote – a push to put a nonbinding referendum on gay marriage before the state’s voters in November.

[…]

“Voters have never had the opportunity to weigh in on this debate,” Bensen said. “All the decisions regarding same-sex couples have come from legislators and court justices.”

Now, here’s the fun part.  Note the part I emphasized in bold up there.  In the very next paragraph of the article (again, emphasis mine):

The news comes months after both groups vowed to tell their supporters to not attend the hearings held by the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection, the group formed by the Democratic leaders of the Vermont House and Senate last summer.

The commission, however, is just focused on doing their job:

“I’ll probably consult with the other members of the commission about this, but I think we’ll be focused on completing the public hearings we have scheduled,” responded Tom Little, the chair of the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection. “I have always encouraged one and all to come to these hearings.”

The people in the anti-same sex marriage groups have had every opportunity to speak to the legislature about this and let their feelings known.  They have refused to do so because it wasn’t a friendly environment for them, so they’re forming their own little groups to oppose same-sex marriage so they can control the agenda for their meetings and not have to face serious scrutiny from people who question their positions.  

Cowards, every one of them.