Hillary Clinton Basically Admits U.S. Government Created Taliban & al-Qaeda!

The above video should be spread far and wide, because Hillary admits an essential (but often overlooked) fact that the USA helped create Al-Qaeda back in the day when American interests were aligned against the Soviet Union.

Source: Planetseeder.com

ExxonMobil Oil Spill in Montana's Yellowstone River Causes Evacuations over 4th of July Holiday Weekend

I feel sorry for the people that live along this river whose holiday weekend is likely being interrupted by this oil spill. No word on how much oil has spilled into the river.

Brent Peters, the fire chief for the city of Laurel about 12 miles east of Billings, said the break in the 12-inch diameter pipe occurred late Friday about a mile south of Laurel.

He said about 140 people were evacuated starting about 12:15 a.m. Saturday due to concerns about possible explosions, and the overpowering fumes. He said they were allowed to return at about 4 a.m. after instruments showed fumes had decreased.

Source: USA Today

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Statement by ExxonMobil Pipeline Company Regarding Crude Oil Release into Yellowstone River in Montana

BILLINGS, Mont.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ExxonMobil Pipeline Company issued the following statement concerning a crude release into the Yellowstone River in Montana:

“Early on the morning of July 2, we discovered an undetermined amount of crude oil was released into the Yellowstone River from an ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMPCo) pipeline. EMPCo deeply regrets this release and is working hard with local emergency authorities to mitigate the impacts of this release on the surrounding communities and to the environment.

The release originated from a 12” crude pipeline operated by EMPCo that runs from Silver Tip, MT to Billings, MT. The pipeline has been shutdown and the segment where the release occurred has been isolated. All appropriate state and federal authorities have been alerted.

At this early stage, we have no information on the cause of the incident, and we are working to determine the amount of oil released. ExxonMobil has activated its North American Regional Response Team to assist in the clean up efforts. A claims number 1-888-382-0043 has also been established to assist individuals who might have been impacted by this event.

We recognize the seriousness of this incident and are working hard to address it. Our principal focus is on protecting the safety and health of the public and our employees. We will, of course, also begin a thorough investigation of the cause of this unfortunate event. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.”

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com.

Contacts

Downstream Media Relations

703-846-4467

NYPD Allegedly Brutalizes Pete Rock's Wife & Daughter at Smif N Wessun's Album Release Party (June 29, 2011)

This video is one of the main reasons I do not visit New York City often. How in the world can the po-po beat down (allegedly) Pete Rock's wife and daughter?

The Big Apple appears to be a great city, but the NYPD are a bunch of fascists. The city also has draconian laws relating to guns, so I'm definitely not a fan. Plus, I am always hearing about police brutality stories in NYC especially in connection with hip-hop events. Click here for the video link if you cannot view it above.

Source: DJ Lady Jay Diamond

U.S. State Department Provides Grant to Create Shadow Stealth Web ("Internet in a Suitcase")

File photo

I have previously posted stories about Obama's proposed cybersecurity measures that will give the government the right to shut down the Internet with the press of a button. This new Open Technology Initiative (overseen by Sascha Meinrath at New America Foundation) is sort of a reverse version of the aforementioned process, because this "Internet in a Suitcase" will provide 'net access to people in areas where there is no Internet or where a government may have restricted or shut down the Internet.

The Obama administration is leading a global effort to deploy “shadow” Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments that seek to silence them...

...The group’s suitcase project will rely on a version of “mesh network” technology, which can transform devices like cellphones or personal computers to create an invisible wireless web without a centralized hub.

Source: The New York Times; New America Foundation

New Mexico Wildfires Cause Evacuations at Los Alamos National Laboratory

30 structures burn in Las Conchas fire: krqe.com

I have heard that some of the wildfires may have even reached the property of the Los Alamos National Laboratory facility. I would imagine that there is a lot of old radioactive material around that facility considering the number of experiments that have occurred there over the years. I will keep my eyes on this story as the world's nuclear horror year continues!

Los Alamos National Laboratory activated its Emergency Operations Center and announced it would be closed Monday. The blaze had spread to within a mile of the lab's southwest boundary.

Source: The Los Alamos Monitor Online

FLASHBACK: Case Studies of Cowpox Virus Transmission from Pet Rats to Humans in France (2009)

Cowpox Virus Transmission From Pet Rats to Humans in France

It is fairly uncommon to see human cases of cowpox infection. There are scattered cases, but usually the infected people are in contact with wild animals. However in 2009, there were four (4) documented human cases of cowpox virus infection in France connected with pet rats in a short period of time. The article points out the need for sufficient border security in connection with importation of exotic animals, because exotic rodents might potentially be contaminated with pathogens such as cowpox or other genetically modified viruses.

The above document has further analysis on the matter, but the actual cases from France are defined below.

The Cases

Case-patient 1 was an 18-year-old woman. She was scratched on the right arm by a pet rat while visiting a friend who had several domestic rats (Rattus norvegicus). One rat had been purchased at the end of December 2008 from a pet store. The rat became sick with sneezing, conjunctival hemorrhages, and epistaxis; it died 4 days after purchase. On January 4, 2009, the patient sought treatment at the emergency department of Compiegne Hospital. The lesion was excised and the patient was treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate. However, the wound did not heal. On January 11, ofloxacin was added to the treatment regimen. Eight days later, the patient was admitted to the hospital with a black necrotic scab on the internal surface of the right arm, regional lymphangitis, and axillar lymphadenopathies (Figure 1, panel A). After 3 weeks of unsuccessful antimicrobial drug treatment, she underwent surgery to remove the affected area. The outcome was favorable.

Case-patient 2 was a 17-year-old woman who had purchased a domestic rat at the end of December 2008. The rat died within 3 days of purchase and had respiratory symptoms identical to those of the rat that scratched case-patient 1. Six days after the rat died, an inflammatory cutaneous macular lesion appeared at the base of the patient’s neck, causing local pain and intense inflammatory reaction. The patient was admitted to the emergency department of Compiègne Hospital. Amoxicillin-clavulate was prescribed, but the necrotic scab continued to grow, and local pain increased along with fever (39°C) (Figure 1, panel B). Surgery was performed and the outcome was favorable.

Case-patient 3 was a 14-year-old girl. She was admitted to the emergency department of Compiègne Hospital on January 14, 2009. On January 3, she had purchased a rat from the same pet store as case-patient 1. Soon afterward, the rat began to cough and show signs of hemorrhagic lachrymal oozing; the rodent died on January 6. On January 13, the patient had maculopapular lesions on the upper right eyelid, on her left shoulder, and at the base of her neck. Due to her deteriorating condition, she was admitted to the emergency department on January 17 with rash characterized by erythema and edema, and painful regional lymphangitis and lymphadenopathy. Surgery was performed and the outcome was favorable.

Case-patient 4 was a 29-year-old woman who reported having been scratched by a rat on January 21, 2009. An inflammatory macule on her clavicle had progressed through papular, vesicular, and pustular stages; she also had fever and malaise. On January 14, she had purchased a domestic rat in the same store as the 3 previous case-patients. The rat had respiratory symptoms similar to the previously infected rats and died on January 21. The patient was admitted to Compiègne Hospital on January 30; examination showed a 20-mm black eschar with a crust, regional lymphangitis, and painful lymphadenopathies (Figure 1, panels C and D). Outcome was spontaneously favorable.

One of the World's Last Remaining Uncontacted Tribes! (Fascinating Video in Brazil)

It is hard to believe in 2011 that there are still part of the world that are uncharted and that there are people who have not been contacted by the outside world. If the video does not display above, then click here to visit the Uncontacted Tribe site.

Flood Berm Collapses at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station

File photo: Fort Calhoun (before the flooding)

This is some huge news that a flood berm has collapsed considering the Missouri River floodwaters that have seemingly engulfed the nuclear power station at Fort Calhoun.

The 2,000-foot berm collapsed about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, allowing the swollen river to surround two buildings at the plant. The NRC says those buildings are designed to handle flooding up to 1014 feet above sea level. The river is at 1006.3 feet and isn't forecast to exceed 1008 feet.

For further reading:

1. Missouri River Floods Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station in Nebraska

2. Cooper Nuclear Station Declares “Notification of Unusual Event” To Address Rising Missouri River Waters & Flooding

3. Report: Spent Nuclear Fuel Pools in the United States of America (2011)

Source: KCAU-TV

FLASHBACK: Ancient Babylonian Language Revived & Published! (Is This Related to Anunnaki & Nibiru?)(2010)

It is interesting (and perhaps even intentional) that this ancient language is being revealed right around the time there are all these conspiracy theories about the Anunnaki and the 10th Planet Nibiru are supposed about to come to pass. It is enough to give me a headache when I think about everything that I have heard in the last few years about the alleged Doomsday from Y2K to Planet X to pole shifts to alien wars to black holes to Mayan prophecies to religious doctrines.

The language of the Epic of Gilgamesh and King Hammurabi has found a new life online after being dead for some 2,000 years.

The Babylonian language, written on clay tablets in cuneiform script, dominated the Near East for centuries before it was gradually displaced by Aramaic. After a long decline, it disappeared from use altogether sometime in the first century A.D. - and was only deciphered nearly two millennia later by 19th-century European academics.

Great Britain has also released some ancient Greek manuscripts as well. It could be unrelated, but I write a conspiracy theory blog, so nothing is unrelated in the overall scheme of things when it comes to these types of stories.

Source: The Seattle Times

United States Postal Service Suspends FERS Pension Contributions

Will the post office go out of business or will it receive a bailout? At this point, I do not see any hope for the USPS except for one of those two options. It is too difficult for the USPS to operate without loss in the digital age. I once used the postal service on a regular basis. I infrequently use the USPS now and I know that I am not alone. The USPS is cutting costs in an effort to stay afloat including suspension of its pension contributions by instituting a cash conservation plan.

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U.S. Postal Service Institutes Cash Conservation Plan

Payment to FERS suspended

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service has informed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) of its intention to suspend its employer’s contributions for the defined benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to conserve cash and preserve liquidity. The Postal Service has a FERS account surplus valued at $6.9 billion.

“We will continue to transmit to OPM employees’ contributions to FERS and also will continue to transmit employer automatic and matching contributions and employee contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan,” said Anthony Vegliante, chief human resources officer and executive vice president.

The Postal Service pays about $115 million every other week to OPM for the FERS annuity. Suspension of payments, effective June 24, will free about $800 million in the current fiscal year.

The Postal Service continues to cut costs significantly with initiatives to reduce the size of its labor force, the number of mail processing facilities and administrative overhead. Over the last four fiscal years, the Postal Service has reduced its size by 110,000 career positions and saved $12 billion in costs.

The Postal Service also is generating new revenue by opening cost-effective new retail locations in places where people already shop, including grocery stores, drug stores and office supply stores, and introducing other new product and pricing initiatives.

Despite significant cost reductions in areas within its control, and even with this emergency action, the Postal Service needs Congress to enact legislation that would do the following to return the Postal Service to financial stability:

• Eliminate the current mandates requiring retiree health benefit pre-payments.
• Allow the Postal Service to access Civil Service Retirement System and FERS overpayments.
• Give the Postal Service the authority to determine the frequency of mail delivery.
• The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com

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FLASHBACK: BP Exploration's Liberty Development Project in Alaska (Production Plan)(2007)

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. LIBERTY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Development and Production Plan (April, 2007)

I heard about this BP Liberty project from Lindsey Williams on The Alex Jones Show today (June 22). Mr. Williams stated that there was going to be a huge announcement in the coming weeks in connection with this oil field. The image above reflects where the oil field lies in the Beaufort Sea.

Therefore, I figured that I would do some research on the oil field in case this prediction comes true. The way Mr. Williams described it, the media will report that this oil field as being a huge find. You can read the details of these official documents submitted to Alaska by BP to make the determination of whether this constitutes a major find. BP reports that it is a 100-million barrel field which does not seem significant to me when compared with oil fields in the Middle East and Gulf of Mexico.

BP’s Liberty project, estimated to cost more than $1 billion, will tap into a new 100-million-barrel reservoir. The project will set standards for Arctic oilfield development while minimizing the onshore and offshore environmental footprint. The Liberty field is located in shallow water (20 feet) inside the Beaufort Sea’s barrier islands. The project will take advantage of existing infrastructure in the BP operated Endicott oil field, which has been producing oil since 1987.

Also, BP will have to restart operations in the field, because it appears that BP has suspended operations at the field.

BP Plc, the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the U.S., suspended construction of a drilling rig at its Liberty project in Alaska to “take time to evaluate the safety systems” on the rig, Steve Rinehart, a company spokesman, said in a telephone interview...

...The decision to halt construction of the drilling rig was made after “a number of engineering and design issues arose,” during construction, which began after parts of the rig reached Alaska’s North Slope in the late summer of 2009, Rinehart said. He declined to provide further details.

Source: BP; U.S. Minerals Management Service - Alaska OCS Region; Bloomberg

Chemtrails Caught Affecting Tropical Depression Near Baja California

If you cannot view the above video, then click here. This video shows a chemtrail pattern potentially affecting a weather system.

Boeing's Phantom Ray Completes First Flight (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle)

Phantom Ray first flight, April 2011

Photo credit: Boeing photo

Neg. #: ED11-0128-181

It looks like a stealth bomber and has radar-evading capabilities. The Phantom Ray's specifications (including a fact sheet) are:

Description & Purpose: The Phantom Ray unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) is a fighter-sized technology demonstrator designed as a flying test bed for advanced technologies. Phantom Ray is an internally funded program that evolved from the prototype vehicle Boeing originally developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/U.S. Air Force/U.S. Navy JointUnmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) program.

For a video on the Phantom Ray, click here.

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Unmanned airborne system reaches 7,500 feet, 178 knots

ST. LOUIS, May 3, 2011 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight April 27 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The 17-minute flight took place following a series of high-speed taxi tests in March that validated ground guidance, navigation and control and verified mission planning, pilot interface and operational procedures. Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots.

"This day has been two-and-a-half years in the making," said Darryl Davis, president, Boeing Phantom Works. "It's the beginning of providing our customers with a test bed to develop future unmanned systems technology, and a testament to the capabilities resident within Boeing. Just as follow-on tests will expand Phantom Ray's flight envelope, they also will help Boeing expand its presence in the unmanned systems market."

The flight demonstrated Phantom Ray's basic airworthiness, setting the stage for additional flights in the next few weeks. These company-funded flights will prepare Phantom Ray to support potential missions that may include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; electronic attack; strike; and autonomous air refueling.

"The first flight moves us farther into the next phase of unmanned aircraft," said Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing. "Autonomous, fighter-sized unmanned aircraft are real, and the UAS bar has been raised. Now I’m eager to see how high that bar will go."

Phantom Ray is one of several programs in Phantom Works, including Phantom Eye, that is part of a rapid prototyping initiative to design, develop and build advanced aircraft and then demonstrate their capabilities. Boeing's portfolio of UAS solutions also includes the A160T Hummingbird, Integrator, ScanEagle and SolarEagle.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 66,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

# # #

Related photos are available here.

Contact:
Chris Haddox
Boeing Phantom Works
Office: 314-234-6447
Mobile: 314-707-8891
chris.d.haddox@boeing.com

An Integrated Command and Control Architecture Concept for Unmanned Systems in the Year 2030 (June, 2010)

An Integrated Command and Control Architecture Concept for Unmanned Systems in the Year 2030 (June, 2010)

I happened to stumble across this June, 2010 document while doing a search for microdrones. If you are interested in the military's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles, check the above the document and scroll toward the end for an exhaustive list of the declassified vehicles. The military probably has other UAVs that are classified, so those vehicles will not appear in the above document.

As for the microdrones, there were mainstream media stories on them back in 2007, so this is not really breaking news.

When it takes to the skies above Liverpool this summer, it will be the first time such a device has been put to civilian use in this country.

With four stubby arms carrying the rotors, a miniature camera and a pair of landing skids, the near-silent drone is designed to hover above crime scenes and send footage to officers on the ground.

Source: London Evening Standard; The Defense Technical Information Center

Cooper Nuclear Station Declares “Notification of Unusual Event” To Address Rising Missouri River Waters & Flooding

Cooper Nuclear Station

Read the official press release below about the Cooper Nuclear Station. This is the 2nd report of a Nebraska nuclear station being impacted by flooding from the Missouri River (along with the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station).

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jun 19, 2011

Cooper Nuclear Station declares “Notification of Unusual Event” as part of procedure to address rising river waters

Cooper Nuclear Station, an electric power plant in southeast Nebraska, declared a “Notification of Unusual Event” this morning at 4:02 a. m. The declaration was anticipated throughout Saturday by the power plant’s operators, who closely tracked the river’s steady increase in elevation due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ releases from dams upstream.

The notification was made as part of safety and emergency preparedness plan the station follows when flooding conditions are in effect. The plan’s procedures dictate when the Missouri River’s water level reaches 42.5 feet, or greater than 899 feet above sea level, a notification of unusual event is declared.

There is no threat to plant employees or to the public; the plant continues to operate safely. Appropriate local, county, state, and federal agencies were also notified.

Cooper staff continuously monitors the river’s water levels as part of normal operations. However, on May 30, site personnel began additional preparations in anticipation of the Corps’ release of higher volumes of water. Personnel have been proactive in preparing the station for flood conditions by filling sandbags, constructing barricades, procuring materials and supplies, and reinforcing the access road plant staff use to get to the station. More that 5,000 tons of sand was brought in for constructing barricades, such as Hesco barriers placed around the station’s switchyard of transformers and other electrical equipment.

Should the river’s level increase to 900 feet above sea level, plant personnel will also barricade internal doorways as another layer of protection for facility equipment. If the river’s level increases to 45.5 feet or 902 feet above sea level, plant operators would take the station offline as a protective safety measure. The plant was built at 903’ MSL, which is 13 feet above natural grade.

A Notification of Unusual Event is the lowest and least serious of four emergency classifications established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants. If placed on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the least serious level of an emergency and 4 being the most serious level of an emergency, a “Notification of Unusual Event” would equal a 1.

Cooper Nuclear Station is located three miles southeast of Brownville, Nebraska, near the Missouri River. It is owned and operated by the Nebraska Public Power District, with headquarters in Columbus, Nebraska.

Germany Sends 1,000 Tons of Radioactive Waste to Tennessee for Incineration (Only State to Allow Commercial Burning)

I did not realize that Tennessee was the only State in the United States of America that allowed the commercial burning of radioactive waste. I would imagine that Tennessee is one of the few places in the industrialized world that permits this practice. Has anyone produced a study or report about the environmental effect that burning 41 million pounds of radioactive waste annually has on the overall health of the State of Tennessee? Germany is adding its share to that total by sending 1,000 tons of the stuff to Oak Ridge.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved licenses that will allow up to 1,000 tons of Germany’s low-level radioactive waste to be brought to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for incineration...

...The state already receives 75 percent of the nation’s low-level radioactive waste...according to state records.

Who approved the burning of commercial radioactive waste in the Tennessee Legislature? Every atomic country around the world will have Tennessee on speed-dial when it needs to dispose of some low-level radioactive waste. It reminds me of an old Simpsons episode where Homer (whom I believe was Mayor at the time) sold dumping rights permits to neighboring cities for trash disposal in Springfield. The resulting contamination and toxicity required the city to be moved. Unfortunately, there is no where nearby to move the State of Tennessee if burning 20.5 million tons of radioactive waste annually eventually contaminates the countryside.

Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press

Apple Files U.S. Patent Application (#20110128384) to Disable iPhone's Video Cameras at Live Events

The above red apple isn't Apple's logo, but I don't have the money for a license or an ample fair use argument at this time.

Apple Files Patent to Disable iPhone's Video Cameras at Live Events (App. 20110128384)

There is no guarantee that this patent will ever issue, but technology companies typically file patent applications for technologies where patents will never issue. This application was filed by Apple on December 2, 2009. You can read the patent (Application #20110128384) at the USTPO entitled - Systems and Methods for Receiving Infrared Data with a Camera Designed to Detect Images Based on Visible Light.

1. A method for using a camera, comprising: using the camera to detect an image based on at least visible light; determining whether the image includes an infrared signal with encoded data; in response to determining that the image includes an infrared signal with encoded data, routing at least a portion of the image to circuitry operative to decode the encoded data in the infrared signal; and in response to determining that the image does not include an infrared signal with encoded data, routing the image to a display operative to display the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein routing at least a portion of the image to the circuitry comprises routing only the infrared signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein only images that do not include an infrared signal with encoded data are routed to the display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: decoding the encoded data in the infrared signal; and modifying a device operation based at least on the decoded data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying a device operation comprises applying a watermark to a detected image.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein modifying a device operation comprises disabling a device function...

One key portion of the patent's claims is the part where the iPhone's camera may be potentially disabled via infrared technology at live events.

Anybody holding up their iPhone will find it triggers infra-red sensors installed at the venue.

These sensors would then automatically instruct the iPhone to shut down its camera function, preventing an footage from being recorded.

Source: The Daily Mail

Report: Spent Nuclear Fuel Pools in the United States of America (2011)

The main reason I am posting this report is because of the recent flooding incident at and/or near the Fort Calhoun nuclear facility. I am quite sure that readers are interested in knowing how much spent fuel was stored at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station. The Institute for Policy Studies commissioned a report to answer this question and it released the report last month. You can click the image above to download the report or here for Spent Nuclear Fuel Pools in the U.S.

Per the report, the amount of spent fuel at Fort Calhoun was:

• Total Assemblies = 1,054
• Metric Tons = 379
• Radioactive Inventory (Ci) = 92,962,800

Source: Institute for Policy Studies

Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station Not Prepared for Worst Case Missouri River Flood Scenario (OPPD Licensee Event Report 2011-003)

Omaha Public Power District Licensee Event Report 2011-003, Revision 1, for the Fort Calhoun Station

In sum, Fort Calhoun is prepared for a worst case flood scenario per this report. There is currently a worst case flood scenario occurring along the Missouri River and discussed in Missouri River Floods Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station in Nebraska. Click the following link for the official page where this OPPD document can be viewed.

The NRC inspection appears to have been conducted in 2010, so let's hope that Fort Calhoun addressed each of these deficiencies before the 2011 flood. If not, then it is likely that the facility is not prepared for the flooding that is happening right now.

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As a result of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection conducted from January 1 to June 21, 2010, the NRC determined that Fort Calhoun Station (FCS) did not have adequate procedures to protect the intake structure and auxiliary building against external flooding events. Specifically, contrary to Technical Specification 5.8.1.a, the station failed to maintain procedures for combating a significant flood as recommended by Regulatory Guide 1.33, Appendix A, section 6.w, “Acts of Nature.” The NRC identified the following violation of NRC requirements associated with a yellow significance determination process finding in the mitigating systems cornerstone in inspection report 05000285/2010008 dated October 6, 2010:

Technical Specification 5.8.1.a, “Procedures,” states, “Written procedures and administrative policies shall be established, implemented, and maintained covering the following activities:(a) The applicable procedures recommended in Regulatory Guide 1.33, Revision 2, Appendix A,1978.” NRC Regulatory Guide 1.33, “Quality Assurance Program Requirements (Operation),”Appendix A, “Typical Procedures for Pressurized Water Reactors and Boiling Water Reactors,”Section 6, recommends procedures for combating emergencies and other significant events. Section 6.w, “Acts of Nature,” includes, in part, procedures for combating floods.

Contrary to Technical Specification 5.8.1.a, since 1978, written procedures and administrative policies were not maintained covering the applicable procedures recommended by NRCRegulatory Guide 1.33, Revision 2, Appendix A. Specifically, the licensee failed to maintain written procedures for combating a significant external flood as recommended by NRC Regulatory Guide, Appendix A, Section 6.w, “Acts of Nature.” The licensee’s written procedures did not adequately prescribe steps to mitigate external flood conditions in the Auxiliary Building and Intake Structure up to 1014 feet mean sea level, as documented in the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report [USAR]. The NRC reported that the station’s flood protection strategy was not fully effective during worst-case Missouri River flooding scenarios. The strategy required workers to install floodgates in front of the doors to the plant’s auxiliary building and intake structure, and then stack and drape sandbags over the top of the floodgates up to a height of five feet. The procedural guidance was inadequate because the cross-section on top of the floodgates would not support a stacked sandbag configuration that would retain five feet of moving water.

Diver Swims in Volcanic Waters of Lake Nahuel Huapi (Puyehue Eruption in Chile)

If you cannot see the above video, then you can watch it on YouTube. This footage of this normally clear lake in Argentina is amazing. It looks like a crazy lake of quicksand.