Not just
EDF and Calvert Cliffs
that would be enabled by
the current NRC rule-changing comment period.
In April
NRC denied a license to NRG and Toshiba Corp. (aka Nuclear Innovation North America, or NINA)
for two new reactors at the South Texas Project nuclear facility outside Bay City;
the same facility where STNP 2
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2013/01/fire-in-texas-nuclear-reactor.html
had a fire in January.
The reason for denial was the same as for EDF and Calvert Cliffs: Continue reading
Tag Archives: Law
NRC to change nuke foreign ownership so EDF can fire up Calvert Cliffs?
The NRC “upheld” license denial for the Calvert Cliffs nuke
with its fingers crossed, the very same day
directing staff to look into changing the requirement
by which it just ruled.
A requirement against majority ownership by a foreign firm,
in this case
Électricité de France (EDF),
whose flagship Cattenom reactor
caught on fire a week ago with smoke seen from miles away;
two people died at Cattenom in February.
You can comment on NRC’s proposed changes to let EDF
fire up Calvert Cliffs
online or in person June 19th in Maryland.
The same day
the NRC upheld denial of a license, 11 March 2013,
the same Commission
“directed the staff to provide a fresh assessment on issues relating to FOCD including recommendations on any proposed modifications to guidance or practice on FOCD that may be warranted.”
And the issue with Calvert Cliffs was that very same “foreign ownership, control, or domination (FOCD) of commercial nuclear power plants.”
This explains why Continue reading
Lowndes County vs. Deep South Sanitation this morning
The county government’s attempt to put a local business out of business
is this 9:30 AM at the county palace this morning 14 June 2013.
Physical Address:
Courtroom 5D, Fifth Floor
Lowndes County Judicial Complex
327 N. Ashley Street
Valdosta, GA 31601
WALB’s earlier story said June 4th, but now it’s June 14th (today), because Lowndes County Attorney Walter Elliott is also an attorney for Turner County in the LOST case before the GA Supreme Court, and he was going to be in Atlanta arguing before the Supreme Court on June 4th. Funny how everything is done for the convenience of the county government, and not for its citizens. Maybe we should change that.
-jsq
Video of oral arguments in LOST GA Supreme Court case
Here’s the Georgia Supreme Court’s own video of
S13A0992 Turner County v. City of Ashburn et al.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013.
It starts with the attorney for Turner County, Walter Elliott
(who is also Lowndes County Attorney)
apparently arguing that the courts shouldn’t intervene because
only legislative bodies should decide on taxes.
The judges didn’t seem to understand his argument.
One judge wondered how disputes would be settled then. Elliott said the local elected bodies would decide or the tax wouldn’t be levied. Another judge pointed out that legislative bodies could delegate administrative functions. Later the same judge asked how to distinguish this case from a child custody case as far as criteria and a court being able to decide. Elliott claimed that was a judicial function, but allocating tax dollars was not. The judges didn’t seem to be buying the city attorney’s argument later, either.
Funny how the Supreme Court of Georgia videos its sessions, but the Lowndes County Commission does not.
A metropolitan area needs better than trash government –John S. Quarterman
My LTE in the VDT Thursday. I’ve added links to some of my inspirations. -jsq
Local leaders worked hard to get the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area declared. Why now are they acting like a Ludowici speed trap for local businesses?
The Lowndes County Commission shouldn’t act like a private business trying to exclude anybody it doesn’t like. State law says local governments are supposed to have open bids and public hearings. A promise (in the VDT) in March 2013 of a non-exclusive contract for trash collection turned into exclusive in October; at least two of the five bidders are now the same company; and the county is suing
a local business to the profit of a company owned by investors in New York City. Meanwhile, no public accounting has ever been seen of the former waste collection sites and no public hearing was held before they closed, despite state law.
Business exists to make a profit. Government exists to provide public services like law enforcement, water, sewers, roads, and yes, trash collection. Sure, balanced books are good. But money isn’t the main point of government: providing what the people need is, and the people didn’t ask the county to exchange the waste collection centers for lower prices that won’t last.
Businesses (except monopolies) have to Continue reading
You’re losing the democratic process –Gary Wright @ LCC 2013-06-11
“I hope you’ll consider a democratic process working into your rules,”
remarked a military veteran at
Tuesday night’s
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.
After saying he was also concerned about how Deep South Sanitation is being treated, Gary Wright said:
There is a little bit of a lack of democratic process in your meeting groundrules. On your website I don’t know anything in there that said you have only thirty minute meetings for the entire thing. I don’t know if this happens whenever you have a meeting that’s only thirty minutes long; I’ve never been to one.
Their rules don’t say that, but it’s not surprising there is confusion, given Continue reading
Do the right thing –Steve Parker @ LCC 2013-06-11
The right thing is not letting one company take all the money to New York
while putting another out of business, said a local resident
at Tuesday night’s
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.
When you get a company like Veolia or Advanced that’s taking all the money to New York, and then they come to my house and they leave, I put garbage bags beside my can and they won’t pick it up.
And then my guy, Cary Scarborough, comes and picks up everything, and you know what else he does guys? Continue reading
I want a choice in who I use –Jerome Tucker @ LCC 2013-06-11
“Let me decide who I want to haul my waste,”
said a former Chairman of the Industrial Authority
at Tuesday night’s
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.
Jerome Tucker thanked
Commissioner John Page for bringing up the topic of freedom,
since that was his main topic, too.
I’m here to talk about… where I have a choice who handles my waste…
Cary didn’t come to me looking for business. I saw his truck come along and Continue reading
Thanks to the community, and I don’t understand –Cary Scarborough @ LCC 2013-06-11
The owner of Deep South Sanitation thanked the community and his family and said he didn’t understand what was going on. The Commission offered no explanation.
Cary Scarborough handed in a petition and sat down. The crowd applauded.
That rapidly turned into a standing ovation. Continue reading
What if we only had one hardware store –Duane Roark @ LCC 2013-06-11
Does the Commission already has reputation problems when
it’s being compared unfavorably to Lester Maddox?
A citizen canceled a business trip to ask “what if we only had one hardware store”
at last night’s
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.
Our prices we pay would be through the roof; we would not have a choice.And you’re welcome, Duane Roark: it was LAKE who put you on YouTube last month.
He also quoted a headline from the Fayetteville Observer,
Operation Tarnished Badge: Years later, tarnish remains.
A corruption investigation that sent the Sheriff and 21 others to prison still casts a shadow over law enforcement in Robeson County.
If we put Deep South Sanitation out of business, it’s gonna give Lowndes County a black eye. People are to say, Continue reading