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Second Phase of Decommissioning for Unit 1 of Japan's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant Approved by Prefectural Committee

The Environmental Safety Management Committee for the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, held a meeting in Matsuyama City on September 2 to discuss plans by Shikoku Electric Power to proceed with the second phase of decommissioning for Unit 1 of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant. The unit, located in Ikata-cho, Ehime Prefecture, is currently in the process of being decommissioned. The decommissioning of Unit 1 at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant has been divided into four main phases. Shikoku Electric Power had previously conducted prior consultations with Ehime Prefecture and Ikata-cho regarding the transition to the next phase, obtained local consent, and submitted relevant applications to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA). In July of this year, the NRA approved the application...

2026-09-03

Russian personnel to participate in routine maintenance of Unit 1 at Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev stated during the Eastern Economic Forum that Russian personnel plan to participate in the routine preventive maintenance work at Unit 1 of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled to begin in mid-September. Likhachev said another group of workers has already arrived at the Unit 1 site of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclear fuel for replacing some fuel assemblies has also been delivered to Iran. In addition to participating in the construction of Units 2 and 3 at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Russian personnel will also provide services for the operating unit. According to him, 45 Rosatom employees are currently working at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, with another...

2026-09-03

Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Unit 3 Completes Lifting of Reactor Cavity Pool Wall Module

According to CGNPC Huizhou Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., the reactor cavity pool wall module of Unit 3 at the CGN Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Project was recently successfully lifted, creating conditions for the advancement of subsequent engineering construction. The reactor cavity pool wall is a key stainless steel cladding structure within the reactor building and serves as an important safety cooling barrier for the reactor. Following the completion of this lifting, phased progress has been achieved in the construction of key structures related to the reactor building of Unit 3, laying the foundation for the safe operation of the unit after it is put into service...

2026-09-03

New Monitoring Well Characterizes Hexavalent Chromium Plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico — The U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office continues to advance characterization efforts for the hexavalent chromium plume at Los Alamos National Laboratory to inform future remediation alternative selection. According to reports, its legacy cleanup contractor, Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos LLC, has completed drilling of a new groundwater monitoring well. Designated R-80, the well reaches approximately 1,030 feet below ground surface and will be used to further characterize the northeastern extent of the hexavalent chromium plume and evaluate different remediation alternatives. Completion of this monitoring well also marks the achievement of a Fiscal Year 2026 consent order milestone for the hexavalent chromium remediation project...

2026-09-02

Demolition Begins on Contaminated Buildings in Isotope Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Oak Ridge Environmental Management Office in Tennessee recently initiated demolition of a group of highly contaminated buildings in the Isotope Area at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Located in the laboratory's central campus, this area is considered one of the more challenging sites in the local cleanup effort. The Isotope Area comprises 10 facilities, constructed between the late 1940s and early 1960s, which once served the laboratory's isotope program. These facilities were used for decades in the production, processing, and research of chemical elements for medical, industrial, and scientific applications. As the laboratory evolved, the facilities were taken out of service in the early 1990s but remained standing. According to reports, the area retains contaminated...

2026-09-02

LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment Reports Anomalous Event in Dark Matter Search, More Data Needed for Verification

On September 1, the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter direct detection experiment released a new analysis result: researchers recorded a single-particle interaction event in the data whose characteristics could be interpreted as a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) signal, but the current evidence is insufficient to confirm a dark matter discovery. The LUX-ZEPLIN main detector is shown in a surface laboratory before being installed underground. (Matthew Kapust/Sanford Underground Research Facility) The LZ experiment involves approximately 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions, with the detector located nearly one mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, USA, and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National...

2026-09-02

Unit 4 of Japan's Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Receives 72 New Fuel Assemblies

Kyushu Electric Power Co. announced on September 1, 2026, that Unit 4 of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant has completed the receipt of a batch of new fuel. The new fuel was processed and shipped by Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd., with transportation carried out from August 27 to September 1, 2026. According to Kyushu Electric Power, the new fuel delivered to Unit 4 of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant consists of 72 fuel assemblies, transported in 36 shipping containers via both land and sea routes. Two control rod assemblies were also transported along with this batch of fuel. Fuel used in nuclear power plants...

2026-09-02

U.S. to Conduct Underwater Neutrino Detection Tests in Lake Superior and Vermilion Lake

From October 2026 to approximately April 2027, a team of researchers from U.S. universities and government agencies will conduct underwater neutrino tests in Lake Superior and Vermilion Lake. The project, named the Experimental Neutrino Detector (END), aims to validate a baseline detection system in natural water bodies to identify the NuMI neutrino beam produced by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and distinguish it from cosmic-ray backgrounds and other noise in shallow-water environments. END will place underwater neutrino detectors on the lakebed of Lake Superior where the Fermilab neutrino beamline passes through—near Two Harbors, Minnesota. The beamline will continue toward...

2026-09-02

Russia's Kola NPP Completes 2026 Maintenance Program

Unit 2 of Russia's Kola Nuclear Power Plant was reconnected to the grid at 15:58 Moscow time on August 31, 2026, following the completion of scheduled preventive maintenance and partial modernization. This marked the conclusion of the plant's 2026 maintenance program. It was also the first time since the plant's commissioning that the annual maintenance plan was completed during the summer season. The maintenance of Unit 2 lasted 29.5 days. During this period, plant personnel and contractors performed medium repairs and related maintenance on key equipment, covering multiple areas including the reactor building, turbine hall, and electrical systems. In the reactor building, the scope of work included major repairs of some steam generators, main circulation pumps, and primary circuit piping, as well as nuclear fuel reloading, reactor assembly disassembly, and in-vessel component maintenance. In the turbine hall, workers completed repairs of the turbine-generator unit, circulation pumps, low-pressure heaters, and moisture separator reheaters. The electrical scope included repairs of transformers and diesel generators.

2026-09-02

Unit 1 of Russia's Kalinin NPP completes scheduled maintenance ahead of schedule

Unit 1 of Russia's Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant has been restored to rated power operation after completing equipment modernization and planned major overhaul. The unit was connected to the grid on August 27, 2026, with maintenance work completed two days ahead of the original schedule. Kalinin NPP is a nuclear power plant under Rosenergoatom, located in Udomlya, Tver Oblast, Russia. During this maintenance period, plant personnel and experts from Atomenergoremont completed nuclear fuel reloading, preventive maintenance of the reactor plant and turbine-generator unit, metal condition inspection of major equipment, and diagnostic testing of heat exchange tubes in 2 of the 4 steam generators, among other tasks...

2026-09-02

U.S. Proposes Clearer Groundwater Protection Standards for In-Situ Uranium Recovery Sites

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on September 1 proposed a rule aimed at establishing clearer groundwater protection standards for communities surrounding in-situ uranium recovery sites, while streamlining the process for extending decommissioning deadlines for radioactive materials facilities and nuclear reactors, reducing redundant administrative steps without compromising safety. The rule addresses two aspects under NRC oversight. First, it proposes risk-informed regulatory standards for protecting drinking water near in-situ uranium recovery facilities, designed to guard against both radiological and non-radiological contamination. In-situ uranium recovery is a method of uranium extraction that involves injecting solution into uranium-bearing ore bodies to dissolve underground uranium resources and pump them to the surface for recovery. Second, it proposes to simplify the process for facility owners to apply for extensions of decommissioning deadlines. The NRC stated that current time requirements are relatively rigid and may lead to premature license termination; the proposed changes aim to reduce applicant costs, improve regulatory efficiency, and provide clearer expectations for communities and facility operators.

2026-09-02

AI-Enhanced MRI System Deployed at Utah Medical Center for Cardiac and Cancer Imaging

Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, has begun using a new magnetic resonance (MR) system for imaging cardiac and cancer patients. The facility stated that the GE HealthCare SIGNA Sprint Elite MR system was placed into service earlier this year, making it the first of its kind in Utah and the second in the United States. According to the hospital, the system integrates artificial intelligence software designed to reduce image noise and enhance scan clarity. The facility believes that clearer images will help clinicians assess cardiac tissue and cancer-related conditions, while also potentially reducing the time patients spend undergoing MR exams. Cardiac imaging is one of the system's key application areas.

2026-09-02

Ionetix begins routine supply of astatine-211 in North America, expanding sources of isotopes for targeted alpha therapy

Ionetix, a U.S. medical isotope producer, recently announced that it has begun routine supply of astatine-211 (At-211) in North America. The company stated that this development expands the supply sources of At-211 and is expected to support its further application in preclinical research and clinical development. Ionetix noted that it believes it is the first non-academic commercial supplier of At-211 in the United States. Ionetix produces At-211 at its facility in Lansing, Michigan, leveraging its proprietary cyclotron technology. The company currently operates a 30 MeV cyclotron equipped with optimized target technology, aiming to support the production of clinical-grade At-211. The company stated that its production ca...

2026-09-02

FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation to JBS-003 for Guiding De-escalated Radiotherapy in HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer

On September 1, Juniper Biosciences announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to its hypoxia tracer JBS-003. The product, 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (FMISO), is intended to identify tumor hypoxia and guide de-escalated radiotherapy in patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). JBS-003 is licensed from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). According to information released by the company, the tracer is based on F-MISO PET molecular imaging technology and can visualize specific hypoxic features within tumors. Tumor hypoxia is considered to be associated with radioresistance; by imaging hypoxic regions, clinicians can stratify patients by risk and...

2026-09-02

Japan's Onagawa Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 Plans to Replace Hydrogen Concentration Monitoring Equipment

Tohoku Electric Power has consulted with Miyagi Prefecture, Ishinomaki City, and Onagawa Town in advance regarding a change to the method of monitoring hydrogen concentration inside the containment vessel under severe accident conditions at Unit 2 of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Station. The company plans to submit an application to amend the reactor installation license to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan on the 2nd. Unit 2 of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Station is located in Onagawa Town and Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Tohoku Electric Power previously installed a total of four hydrogen concentration detectors inside and outside the reactor containment vessel of this unit, intended to monitor changes in hydrogen concentration within the containment vessel in the event of a severe accident. In 2025, some of these detectors experienced malfunctions. In the same year...

2026-09-02