Ace of Spades HQ

April 20, 2013

Fascinating read about the role of brokers in the material/tech ecosystem [Purp]
— Open Blogger

A facet of modern industrial life-cycle most people never pay any attention to. Once you start reading the piece, its hard to put down.

I once sold 60 tonnes of nuclear power plant scrap to be turned into car wheels. Not used scrap of course, rather the stuff left over from making the fuel rods. These are, in the Soviet system, made of a zirconium/niobium alloy (the Western world uses Zr/Sn)...

... the plants that made the new tubes were all closed, so there was no recycling to be done by them, there's no point in trying to run them through the Western Zr scrap plants because it's an entirely different alloy. So what to do with this pile that we were being offered? Zr is used in some aluminium alloys, usually a 1 per cent or so addition. But no one wants the Nb: not a good thing to have in such alloys. However, there was one bloke in Rotterdam who had worked out that under 0.01 per cent Nb (100 ppm) was fine and the Russian nuclear alloy was 1.1 per cent Nb. So, if he mixed in a bit of pure Zr scrap and only wanted 1 per cent Zr in the Al alloy then the Nb would be diluted below 0.01 per cent and thus he was willing to pay bottom feeding fire-sale prices for this nuclear scrap.
The job of the broker is to know this shit: there's no reason why the bloke running the fuel rod filling plant should, he's got other things on his mind. And this broker did know this shit and after contacting the friendly local smuggler (without, of course, mentioning the need for a nuclear goods license) shipped three trucks worth off to be made into MAG alloy wheels for cars...

Adam Smith's pimp hand insists upon itself

In related news, IBM missed 1Q expectations and the stock plunged. Rumors abound of IBM sale of x86 server business to Lenovo.

The one bright spot in the Obama economy? Brokers don't lack for material to unload.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 12:21 AM | Comments (103)
Post contains 365 words, total size 2 kb.

1 1st

Posted by: saar at April 20, 2013 12:33 AM (ryT1J)

2 Haven't heard of IBM in years good to hear they're still around.

Posted by: Frito Plover, Esq. at April 20, 2013 12:34 AM (UsR5V)

3 2 Haven't heard of IBM in years good to hear they're still around. Inter continental ballistic missiles?

Posted by: saar at April 20, 2013 12:36 AM (ryT1J)

4 Hardy har har.

Posted by: Frito Plover, Esq. at April 20, 2013 12:41 AM (UsR5V)

5 IBM. You know, the company that sold supercomputers to the Nazi's when no one else would.

Posted by: edmund at April 20, 2013 12:42 AM (rCS6C)

6 We invented Kapitalism, komrade! Entrepeneurs dealing in scrap are pretty much the only ones doing well in this Obamaconomy!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at April 20, 2013 01:01 AM (UTq/I)

7 That was a fascinating article. Thanks!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at April 20, 2013 01:21 AM (UTq/I)

8 Well, the article made me look up Scandium on Wikipedia, so there's that.

Posted by: Rusty Nail at April 20, 2013 01:22 AM (WWuYG)

9 Of course there was the case of low grade radioactive scrap that got made into elevator buttons in France. Press the buttons and get a chest scan dose.

Since then they have tried to get a better grip on nuclear scrap. Indian scrap metal merchants have installed radiation detectors so they can scan the metal.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 20, 2013 01:25 AM (kkPUg)

10 All the larger US scrap yards I've been to recently have radiation scanners on the drive over scales.

Posted by: @PurpAv at April 20, 2013 01:34 AM (/gHaE)

11 Lenovo already has an x86 server business, so IBM would really need to offer a good price. We do trade show support for them and they gave us a couple of units to use in their booth rather than our home built boxes. They also induced us to have some of their laptops for network monitoring within their displays. Just a cost of doing business.

Posted by: epobirs at April 20, 2013 01:38 AM (kcfmt)

12 From 2008 Bloomberg about contaminated items like elevator buttons, cutlery, purses, hand tools, sinks, and one of the whoppers - a whole apartment complex in Taiwan.

http://tinyurl.com/btsmsxp

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 20, 2013 02:02 AM (kkPUg)

13 US Reactors use a grade of Zr alloy called Zr-4 for the material in the cladding rods. It has 1.2 to 1.7% Tin mixed in the Zr. That material has been in use for a very long time and was chosen because of its high resistance to corrosion of all types.

But like all things in material science it does have its drawbacks. Under nuclear accident conditions in which the core becomes uncovered, or partially uncovered, it undergoes what is called Zr-Water reaction. The steam flowing up past the rods that are uncovered reacts with the Zr and evolves H2 gas which then escapes out of the coolant into the upper head region and also out of what ever hole that created the accident. This places H2 in the containment structure which can lead to a burn or explosion if an ignition source is present.

As for the scrap material left over from the making of the material it is NOT radioactive and there is no hazard. The scrap yards that have radiation detectors are probably doing that because of depleted Uranium.

That is the material left over after pulling out the U-235 from the mix leaving mostly U-238. It is radioactive, but very low as it is almost all the stuff that was originally mined.

Interestingly enough my youner brother used to work on the side when he was working on his doctorate at GA Tech. A scrap yard in Atlanta called him up and asked him to come check that material they got called deplete Uranium. So he called me.

It is not so much a radiation hazard from exposure as it is an ingestion hazard. So if you are cutting it, grinding it, or doing anything that release particles from it and you breath it or swallow it look out 20 years down the road. It is an alpha emitter and the depositon will increase the likelihood of cancer over a number of years.

Oh and good morning Morons

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 02:35 AM (53z96)

14 Scrap dealers like him should be put in prison, btw.

Posted by: edmund at April 20, 2013 02:36 AM (rCS6C)

15 Is there anything about which our wise, old Vic can't educate us?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 20, 2013 02:42 AM (piMMO)

16 That's some interesting shit, Purp. Of course, I once watched an hour-long documentary on the world's highest concrete pour, so maybe I'm not the best judge.

Posted by: Empire of Jeff at April 20, 2013 02:44 AM (JDIKC)

17 Is there anything about which our wise, old Vic can't educate us?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 20, 2013 06:42 AM (piMMO)

LOL, oh many things, but that was my area of expertise before I retired and became a rabid politicking Moron.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 02:47 AM (53z96)

18 EOJ, I can relate...I'm completely incapable of changing the channel when I stumble onto a "How it's Made" program.

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 02:53 AM (9ScGj)

19 I scrap so of course, I loves me the junkyards! We used to like going to the auto salvages (back in the day) and walk the rows (imagining in our minds the carnage that hapened within some of the wrecks)...now auto salvage has been fully legitimized and is very organized...dare I say tech-like!

Posted by: Max Wedge at April 20, 2013 02:56 AM (ujrve)

20 Salvage yards aren't so cheap nowadays. I was trying to replace an extremely overpriced 'dealer only' item on my car and hit three yards...all wanted about 75% of the new cost.

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 03:01 AM (9ScGj)

21 So the UK scrap yard was using the Russian Zr scrap to make "mag wheels". What is funny is that the original mag wheels, the one actually made out of Magnesium, were hazardous as hell. If you had a wreck involving a fire those wheel would catch on fire and were virtually impossible to put out.

The jet aircraft on aircraft carries used real mag wheels and that was a huge hazard for the flight deck. If you had a plane fire you had to get hose teams up there right away to wash that shit over the side before it melted its way through the flight deck.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:01 AM (53z96)

22 at 12, 13 -- fascinating!..morning all.

Posted by: Max Wedge at April 20, 2013 03:02 AM (ujrve)

23 all wanted about 75% of the new cost.

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 07:01 AM (9ScGj)

The last time I bought same shit from a junk yard here the standard was 50%, and even that I thought was a ripoff.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:02 AM (53z96)

24 So Vic, knowing what you know, would you be concerned if you learned a nuclear power plant was being built in your town?

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 03:03 AM (9ScGj)

25 I used to hit the scrapyard every couple of months selling metals from my business. It was the only time I got some sweet, sweet cash -- as 100% of my customers paid by check. I can still picture the shotgun on prominent display at the trailer that paid out the money. I'd use the cash to buy my daughter new dolls, my son some nerd stuff, or take the wife out to dinner. It's one of my few pleasant memories from running a business.

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 03:04 AM (feFL6)

26 Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 07:01 AM (9ScGj)

...long gone are the old days. They used to offer $10/days...bring your tools and start pulling parts...all you could carry.

Posted by: Max Wedge at April 20, 2013 03:04 AM (ujrve)

27 Article reminds me of an argument I had in a group of guys a long time ago. Two salesmen in their cups declared salesmen to be the essential part of all commerce.

We two blue collar types disagreed.

Brokers, of course, are adding more (sometimes all) value but it touched off the memory.

Posted by: typo dynamofo at April 20, 2013 03:05 AM (WVMUQ)

28 Does anyone have a method of raccoon control to recommend?

Posted by: Extra Testicles at April 20, 2013 03:08 AM (GHup9)

29 Take all the Gov. gun buy back money and start buying the radioactive waste material. The minute it pays higher than the other scrap you've solved your problem.

Posted by: typo dynamofo at April 20, 2013 03:09 AM (WVMUQ)

30 Posted by: Regular Moron at April 20, 2013 07:04 AM (feFL6)

Still do it -- mostly Cu (tube/wire), Fe, Al and Brass...sometimes some S/Steel. Shotgun!...the one I go to has a worker dispensing the money from a 'cage' -- likely not a good place for a robbery.

Posted by: Max Wedge at April 20, 2013 03:09 AM (ujrve)

31 Does anyone have a method of raccoon control to recommend?

Posted by: Extra Testicles at April 20, 2013 07:08 AM (GHup9)

Remington 870 or 1100.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:10 AM (53z96)

32 28- Firearms.

Man I hate those animals.

Posted by: typo dynamofo at April 20, 2013 03:10 AM (WVMUQ)

33 ET - Are they in your trash?

Posted by: typo dynamofo at April 20, 2013 03:11 AM (WVMUQ)

34 Talking about cash reminds me of the jihad brothers. I hope the FBI and IRS take a good hard look at the family finances. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if a little Saudi money helped grease them down that road. I still can't get that pic of three Saudi nationals standing seven heads away from one of the brothers out of my mind. Helluva coincidence.

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 03:11 AM (feFL6)

35 28 Does anyone have a method of raccoon control to recommend? ...... Professional trapper will catch and relocate.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 20, 2013 03:13 AM (piMMO)

36 Does anyone have a method of raccoon control to recommend?

Posted by: Extra Testicles at April 20, 2013 07:08 AM (GHup9)

Depends on what they are doing. Like squirrels, they have 24/7 to outwit anything you can throw at them.

I had them climbing a big oak tree to get on my roof. Then they would poop on it. I tried many things, finally ended up wrapping the tree in metal bird spikes. Of course that was about $120.

Posted by: Bruce at April 20, 2013 03:13 AM (OJ5Q3)

37 Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:01 AM (53z96) Mags could break pretty easily too....some places wouldn't mount tires on them.....others said they weren't responsible if they broke.

Posted by: BignJames at April 20, 2013 03:13 AM (H9MGI)

38 Drudge stirring the pot...BOSTON JIHAD

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 03:14 AM (9ScGj)

Vic,

You sound like you once worked at a civilian nuc plant. If so, where and as what.

Posted by: ExSnipe at April 20, 2013 03:14 AM (PBm/l)

40 Plus some rat bastard in your neighborhood might be feeding them, because they think the little fu*&ers are "cute"

Posted by: Bruce at April 20, 2013 03:15 AM (OJ5Q3)

41 still can't get that pic of three Saudi nationals standing seven heads away from one of the brothers out of my mind. Helluva coincidence.

Posted by: Regular Moron at April 20, 2013 07:11 AM (feFL6)

I am not leaning towards any Saudi involvement in this. These guys were Chechen Muzzies so that is where the initial looks should go.

But my question is, where did the older guy get the money to liver large around Boston. That is not exactly a cheap place to live. It would be nice if we had some group who was dedicated to investigating this kind of shit and letting the public know.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:16 AM (53z96)

42 Mags could break pretty easily too....some places wouldn't mount tires on them.....others said they weren't responsible if they broke.

Posted by: BignJames at April 20, 2013 07:13 AM (H9MGI)

Perhaps you would know this, doesn't the government now prohibit making auto wheels out of Mg now?

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:17 AM (53z96)

43 2 Haven't heard of IBM in years good to hear they're still around.

Posted by: Frito Plover, Esq. at April 20, 2013 04:34 AM (UsR5V)

Intercollegiate Bad Mittem

Posted by: Killerdog at April 20, 2013 03:18 AM (Oi60j)

44 But my question is, where did the older guy get the money to liver large around Boston. That is not exactly a cheap place to live

They probably delivered papers and shoveled snow for some extra cash. On the weekends, it was a 12 hour shift at McDonalds.

Posted by: Bruce at April 20, 2013 03:18 AM (OJ5Q3)

45 So Vic, knowing what you know, would you be concerned if you learned a nuclear power plant was being built in your town?

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 07:03 AM (9ScGj)

Not a bit. If I lived IN a small town the only thing that would bother me would be the influx of new people crowding things up and making the town bigger.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:19 AM (53z96)

46 The conversations one hears at Waffle House at 5am.

"Man those strippers when they smelled the bacon, it was like zombies after brains."

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 20, 2013 03:20 AM (kkPUg)

47 I am not leaning towards any Saudi involvement in this. These guys were Chechen Muzzies so that is where the initial looks should go. Vic, here's some blogger who follows the money trails. North Caucasus jihadistsÂ’ money traces back to Saudi Arabia and Osama bin Laden http://tinyurl.com/d9z8e89

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 03:20 AM (feFL6)

48 I was a licensed SRO and worked at many jobs around the plant. I will not say what plant because I say a lot of things on here about the stuff and that is discouraged.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:21 AM (53z96)

49 Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:17 AM (53z96) Haven't seen any in years.....could be.

Posted by: BignJames at April 20, 2013 03:21 AM (H9MGI)

50 They probably delivered papers and shoveled snow for some extra cash. On the weekends, it was a 12 hour shift at McDonalds.

Posted by: Bruce at April 20, 2013 07:18 AM (OJ5Q3)

I'm moving to Boston if you can make money to buy a new Mercedes shoveling snow at MickeyD's.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:22 AM (53z96)

Vic,

Understand. I was an SRO as well. All my time was in Ops.

Posted by: ExSnipe at April 20, 2013 03:23 AM (PBm/l)

52 Haven't seen any in years.....could be.

Posted by: BignJames at April 20, 2013 07:21 AM (H9MGI)

Checked Wiki since is not political. It says they are no longer being produced due to all the problems they had. Doesn't say anything about prohibitions though.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:26 AM (53z96)

53 Poker princess pleads not guilty in operating ring.

Posted by: keep it simple, stupid at April 20, 2013 03:27 AM (MhA4j)

54 Hi Vic, I really enjoysed my UT on the BRT job at Limerick. I learned a whole bunch of stuff I never knew. They liked me and I like them so I'll prolly be working about 3 outages a year.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:27 AM (l86i3)

55 Are the Chechney muzziesthe same brand as the Saudi muzzies? Wasabi or Sherri, or whatever?

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 03:27 AM (9ScGj)

56 Kilmeade taking on some asshole on FNC that argues our foreign policy creates terrorists.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at April 20, 2013 03:28 AM (piMMO)

57 Understand. I was an SRO as well. All my time was in Ops.

Posted by: ExSnipe at April 20, 2013 07:23 AM (PBm/l)

LOL, I did a number years in Ops.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:28 AM (53z96)

58 48 Vic, Yeah, a lot like my not encouraging wice to post a bunch. Giggles can blow S2 on ST6 and no one cares, but you mention wmbush counters and "OPSEC? ! OPSEC!" I support nuke power too btw despite "knowing the risks" from a hazmat PoV.

Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 03:29 AM (LRFds)

59 They liked me and I like them so I'll prolly be working about 3 outages a year.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 07:27 AM (l86i3)

There's money to be made working those outages if you do not mind working 6/12's. Personally I hated outages and the SOBs quit paying us overtime for outages. (I was cat II, exempt)

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:31 AM (53z96)

60 NDH, yep, I knew it was a bad idea when we allied up with the Russkies to attack Georgia...we had this coming.

Posted by: Icedog at April 20, 2013 03:31 AM (9ScGj)

61 There's money to be made working those outages if you do not mind working 6/12's. Personally I hated outages and the SOBs quit paying us overtime for outages. (I was cat II, exempt) Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:31 AM (53z96) 7/12s for twenty six days. I was whooped by the time that was over, especiallt after climbing around in that adult jungle gym they call a dry well.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:33 AM (l86i3)

62 Yeah, a lot like my not encouraging wice to post a bunch. Giggles can blow S2 on ST6 and no one cares, but you mention wmbush counters and "OPSEC?

You'll have to translate that for me.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:33 AM (53z96)

63 Are the Chechney muzzies the same brand as the Saudi muzzies? Wasabi or Sherri, or whatever? This is from 2009, but it provides a 'taste' of their brand of islam... The bullnecked president of Chechnya emerged from afternoon prayers at the mosque and with chilling composure explained why seven young women who had been shot in the head deserved to die. Ramzan Kadyrov said the women, whose bodies were found dumped by the roadside, had "loose morals" and were rightfully shot by male relatives in honor killings. (And he's not even a hard-liner.)

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 03:34 AM (feFL6)

64 Catch everyone later.

Need to check out of hotel.
Then head over to Destin airport to snap B-25 pictures.
Armament Museum again.
Weather is CAVU today.
Will have to skip the crawfish boil due to long roadtrip home.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 20, 2013 03:35 AM (kkPUg)

65 7/12s for twenty six days. I was whooped by the time that was over, especiallt after climbing around in that adult jungle gym they call a dry well.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 07:33 AM (l86i3)

Not sure what job you were working but if it was job doing any maintenance on safety related equipment that most likely ran afoul of NRC regulations for overtime.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:35 AM (53z96)

66 Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at April 20, 2013 07:35 AM (kkPUg) Enjoy yourself AP, looking forward to stories and pics.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:36 AM (l86i3)

67 I've been drowning them in the trough and feeding them to the alligators but now the gators are in the back field waiting every morning

Posted by: Extra Testicles at April 20, 2013 03:37 AM (GHup9)

68 Not sure what job you were working but if it was job doing any maintenance on safety related equipment that most likely ran afoul of NRC regulations for overtime. Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:35 AM (53z96) Well, we started by running a couple thosand feet of cable through the CRD shaft. Climbed into the annulous Set up untrasonic auto testing equipment and checked the vessel walls. Then we started on Nozzles. N4A,B,C,D and F. Smoking hot. Had to be fast. Picked up about 600mr even with lead blankets wrapped around the pipe. Multi docimeters, and rings. It was exciting.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:41 AM (l86i3)

69 62 Vic, or throw the nook against the wall... "Wife" She wants to post here some but the military can be odd about what is and is not trade secrets, Obama can get ST6 killed by spiking the football but telling folks procedure during an ambush is foot to the floor the counterpunch can be "verboten". The doublethink is strong

Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 03:41 AM (LRFds)

70 Good Morning, I know this is off topic, but I was thinking about the press conference I watched on the day of the Boston Marathon Bombing, it was either the 1st or second I don't remember. I do remember the police rep, saying clearly that they had safely detonated at least two other bombs they found. I would love to find the original videos of all the press conferences they had since the day of the bombing. I'm just wondering did the original two suspects plant those other bombs during the day, and go back and refill their backpacks for the finish line, or were there others involved. It's really terrible that I can't trust our government to tell us the whole truth.

Posted by: spypeach at April 20, 2013 03:42 AM (6xG9/)

71 Well, we started by running a couple thosand feet of cable through the CRD shaft. Climbed into the annulous Set up untrasonic auto testing equipment and checked the vessel walls. Then we started on Nozzles. N4A,B,C,D and F.
Smoking hot. Had to be fast. Picked up about 600mr even with lead blankets wrapped around the pipe. Multi docimeters, and rings. It was exciting.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 07:41 AM (l86i3)

Some of that sounds like safety related work. Will comment no further.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:43 AM (53z96)

72 Expect to see ET in the belt, boots and bag business in 5...4...3...

Posted by: teej at April 20, 2013 03:44 AM (GhSTE)

73 Some of that sounds like safety related work. Will comment no further. Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:43 AM (53z96) The NRC was everywhere. I doubt we broke any rules.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:44 AM (l86i3)

74 Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 07:41 AM (LRFds)

OK understand now. Obama routinely violates the law, the Constitution, and all things human. And mostly the press doesn't give a shit.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:44 AM (53z96)

75 Oh and the "still support it" I grasp how ontense and legacy oriented clean up gets and still back nuke power. It is *the* answer IMHO and the key to controlled fusion one day.

Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 03:45 AM (LRFds)

76 It is *the* answer IMHO and the key to controlled fusion one day.

Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 07:45 AM (LRFds)

I don't think we will ever see "controlled fusion". Too many barriers to overcome and this country and the Western World will doesn't have too many more years before the collapse.

And the communists and terrorists can't produce toilet paper worth a shit wipe, much less anything like fusion power.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:47 AM (53z96)

77 It is *the* answer IMHO and the key to controlled fusion one day. Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 07:45 AM (LRFds) When I was going through school to work in the plant, we had an instructor that said, "If all of your power needs were met by Nuclear power your whole life, the waste would fill up a soda can. However, that's some really bad stuff in that soda can"

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:48 AM (l86i3)

78 My poor computer..... System Mechanic was almost as red as Van Jones

Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 03:48 AM (LRFds)

79 76 Vic, 77 OSP, Vic I hope You're wrong but suspect you're right. OSP "control the can"

Posted by: sven10077 at April 20, 2013 03:50 AM (LRFds)

80 There's scrap value in lots of stuff. Ask the NaZis and Japs.

Posted by: Thorvald at April 20, 2013 03:51 AM (1V6Pv)

81 What a crew. My knowledge, which is probably mostly wrong, of nuclear power consists of Rods heat water turning it to steam. Steam turns turbines generating electricity. What I do know is the warm water discharge area can be a great fishing spot in the attendant lake.

Posted by: teej at April 20, 2013 03:51 AM (BfZ1r)

82 The solution is to reprocess the spent fuel, take the left over waste and vitrify it (which is what the French do) and the bury it in the desert some where in a manner that prevents someone from getting it.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:52 AM (53z96)

83 What I do know is the warm water discharge area can be a great fishing spot in the attendant lake.

Posted by: teej at April 20, 2013 07:51 AM (BfZ1r)

That is true whether it is a Nuke or Coal plant. But you will not see that on ANY new plants. Heat is pollution now and all new construction requires a cooling tower.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:53 AM (53z96)

84 O/T Jeddah newspaper reporting our First Lady, Chewbaca Obama, visited the Saudi "person of interest" in the Boston hospital. http://preview.tinyurl.com/bvsahex h/t to shoebat.com. WND and Free Republic also have it.

Posted by: Thorvald at April 20, 2013 03:53 AM (1V6Pv)

85 Posted by: Thorvald at April 20, 2013 07:53 AM (1V6Pv)

According to Fuglitano that guy was not involved. The press confused him with a different Saudi.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:55 AM (53z96)

86 The solution is to reprocess the spent fuel, take the left over waste and vitrify it (which is what the French do) and the bury it in the desert some where in a manner that prevents someone from getting it. Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:52 AM (53z96) They have a process called lazer enrichment that GE developed. Brings the spent fuel back to 80%. Once again waiting on the gov to build a plant.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 03:55 AM (l86i3)

87 I support the hell out of nuke plants. Got the one OSP was at ten miles up the road. For this area they make sense. What doesn't make sense in Pennsylvania is solar. I live in a heavily engineered 'passive' solar house, and am very much in touch with just how little sunshine this area gets during the winter months. The Greens are no-nothing idiots. Once the price of oil went over 2.00 a gallon (thanks Obama -- it's now around 4.00) I stopped heating the house during the winter -- except our master bedroom area. Yeah, there's enough solar to keep the rest of the house above freezing, in the range of 47 to 57 on average. But that is hardly comfortable. Spending another four grand a year to make that area 'comfortable'? No thanks.

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 03:56 AM (feFL6)

88 "According to Fuglitano that guy was not involved." Which tells me...

Posted by: teej at April 20, 2013 03:57 AM (BfZ1r)

89 They have a process called lazer enrichment that GE developed. Brings the spent fuel back to 80%. Once again waiting on the gov to build a plant.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 07:55 AM (l86i3)

Not sure what they mean by 80% but it can't be 80% U-235 because the fuel is only between 3 and 5 percent when it is new.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 03:58 AM (53z96)

90 http://preview.tinyurl.com/bq8b64 Shipbreaking in Pakistan.

Posted by: Thorvald at April 20, 2013 03:59 AM (1V6Pv)

91 Posted by: Regular Moron at April 20, 2013 07:56 AM (feFL6)

Have you looked at a Heat Pump with auxiliary gas packs? If you have natural gas available that is economic. not so much if you have to do propane from a tank.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 04:00 AM (53z96)

92 We've had raccoons for years. I would trap them and release them miles from home, but more came back.

We had raccoons living under the deck, then under the shed. Second batch had babies.

I finally got rid of them by simply leaving the backyard lights on all night. They hate it. In less than two weeks they were gone and haven't seen them since. These are two 100 Watt floods, BTW.. so it's bright. The bunnies don't seem to mind them though. And I don't mind bunnies.

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at April 20, 2013 04:00 AM (UTq/I)

93 Chechen rebel funds "all trace back to Osama bin Laden" 47. pfft First, to claim 'ALL' without providing proof of any is not credible. Next, dragging out the ghost of bin Laden is a fool's errand. Last, that any such funds may have come from the common pool for Muslim "charities" would be no surprise at all. But people will believe what they will. Go ahead, for example. Start a false propaganda piece that Osama bin Laden was the Boston Chechen terrorists' great uncle. Suffice it to say that Chechnya is and has been for many centuries (13-16th Century conversion) overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim and rebellious for its own form of Sharia Law Islamist government -- independent of Russian central governance (Czar, USSR, Putin). As for that incredible story, Saudis running Chechnya today, just consider how brotherly the Saudis behaved with their fellow Iraqi Sunnis, their peoples don't even hold diplomatic relations with each other. There's a world of difference between the terrorist Wahhabi beastly revisionism of the Koran and other Islamic sects within the Sunni branch. And then there are the Shi'a. No to mention minority sects that attempt to find common ground for religious tolerance, such "infidels". $ wiki lists Chechnya business interests as counterfeiting US Dollars, a center for Russian trade in US Dollars. The general reputation of the region is lurid, and also, the Russian mafia would use money laundering enterprises. Finally, whatever Russian government funding is "spent" rebuilding Chechnya never manages to build squat. (sounds familiar)

Posted by: keep it simple, stupid at April 20, 2013 04:01 AM (MhA4j)

94 news up

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 04:02 AM (53z96)

95 And I don't mind bunnies. Hugh Hefner loves 'em, too.

Posted by: keep it simple, stupid at April 20, 2013 04:04 AM (MhA4j)

96 Have you looked at a Heat Pump with auxiliary gas packs? If you have natural gas available that is economic. not so much if you have to do propane from a tank. Yeah, no NG line available. I'm hoping that -- due to the new 'Saudi Arabia' size NG field recently discovered in Pa, the propane people will shift to that and the price will drop into something reasonable. To me $1.00 a gallon is reasonable.

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 04:07 AM (feFL6)

97 To me $1.00 a gallon is reasonable.

Posted by: Regular Moron at April 20, 2013 08:07 AM (feFL6)

Propane here is $4 a gallon.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 04:11 AM (53z96)

98 Not sure what they mean by 80% but it can't be 80% U-235 because the fuel is only between 3 and 5 percent when it is new. Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 07:58 AM (53z96) 80% of it's former power.

Posted by: Oldsailor's poet , still waiting for Godot at April 20, 2013 04:12 AM (l86i3)

99 Propane here is $4 a gallon. Ridiculous, but since it's petroleum based, that's probably about right. There's more btu's in a $4.00 gallon of oil, so that's a lousy price.

Posted by: Regular Moron [/i] at April 20, 2013 04:17 AM (feFL6)

100 I use it for gas logs which I used to light off when outside temps went below 32Â°. It was only $2 or so a gal then. When it went to $4 I went to emergency use only.

Posted by: Vic at April 20, 2013 04:25 AM (53z96)

101 What the scrape broker did was perfectly legitimate. In the US one might need a clearance to export so much zirconium though.

I once had a million pounds of contaminated copper/nickel tubing from a US nuke to dispose of. It was not particularly hot but you just couldn't take it to the junk yard.

I found a company in Oak Ridge that would buy it from us, survey all the tubes, decon the tubes that exceeded release limits, and recycle the rest.

I still brag about that.

While I was negotiating that, some commodities broker cold-called, wanting me to buy copper futures. I asked him if he wanted to buy a million pounds of physical delivery from me.

Ha ha.

Posted by: Whitehall at April 20, 2013 08:32 AM (1+mGd)

102 Is there any truth to the rumor that they have reversed all the insider trading legislation they put in place for themselves? With a new bill? Or is that just internet propaganda?

Posted by: Caustic at April 20, 2013 09:56 AM (/b8+5)

103 The scrap-broker in Purp's article is none other than Tim Worstall. He's a really good writer and knows lots of stuff about stuff.

Posted by: OHai at April 20, 2013 11:45 AM (YTGKQ)

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