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Duane Arnold "decommissioning fund" runs low

July 25, 2009 By

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited Iowa’s only nuclear power plant for a shortfall in funds for cleanup once the plant is decommissioned. The N.R.C. cites the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo and 25 other reactors for inadequate reserves.

Plant managers blame the shortfalls on poor stock market performance.

"Just like many others who saw investments decline last year, the decommision funds were not immune to financial crisis," says Renee Nelson, communications manager at the Duane Arnold plant. "But, our company remains committed to fulfiling our decommissioning financial obligations."

Nelson says the fund won’t be needed for a good long while, as plans call for the plant to be in operation for 25 more years.

"Because we will be doing that for a number of years, we will have plenty of time to ensure the decommissioning fund is at a level where it can support the eventual shutdown of the plant years and years down the road," Nelson says.

Duane Arnold’s license is set to expire in 2014, but the plant’s majority owner – Florida Power and Light – has applied for a license extension through 2034. Companies have as much as 60 years to tear down plants once they are taken out of service.

 

Filed Under: Business Tagged With:

Harkin mum on negotiations over union bill

July 25, 2009 By

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is leading congressional negotiations on a bill that’s backed by unions.

"We’re continuing our negotiations and talks about how we change the environment so that it’s more condusive for workers to freely join or not join a labor union," Harkin says. "We’re making progress."

Business interests have blasted the bill and there have been published reports suggesting a key component of the legislation has been axed. That provision would have allowed workers to fill out registration cards and form a union that way, without taking a vote.

"These are very delicate negotiations. I was very proud of the fact that nothing had leaked out about on these before, but then someone decided to talk to the press last week. I don’t know who it was," Harkin says. "But I’m not going to confirm, I’m not going to deny anything that came out."

All 60 Democrats in the U.S. Senate would have to unite and support the bill to avoid a likely Republican "filibuster" that would prevent a vote on the legislation. There have been reports that some moderate Democrats are balking at the legislation.

 

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Governor takes the train this weekend

July 25, 2009 By

Governor Culver will board the "Iowa Unlimited" train again this weekend to promote the idea of expanded passenger rail service in Iowa.

In campaign-style form, Culver will board the train in Iowa City on Sunday, then ride the rails to West Liberty, Durant, Walcott and Moline, Illinois.

On Monday, Culver will take the train to Chicago where he will attend the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit. Culver is pressing for expanded passenger rail service out of Chicago to Dubuque and another line that would allow passenger traffic to flow from Chicago to the Quad Cities and eventually to Des Moines.

An Amtrak analysis indicates it would cost $32 million to extend service from Chicago to Iowa City. Competition for federal economic stimulus dollars reserved for passenger rail service is fierce and Amtrak officials say they won’t have their analysis of the Iowa City to Des Moines leg done for at least another year.

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New sculpture on capitol grounds celebrates court decision

July 25, 2009 By

Capitol dome visible through new "Shattering Silence" sculpture. A new sculpture on the capitol complex in Des Moines west of the judicial building will highlight an early legal decision in the state.

Robert Bailey of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services describes the sculpture.

He says it’s called “Shattering Silence’ and was designed by Des Moines artist James Ellwanger to commemorate Iowa’s history in civil rights leadership based on the territory’s first Supreme Court ruling.

Bailey says it tells the story of a former slave named Ralph Montgomery who had negotiated for his freedom from a man in Missouri by promising to pay the man $550.

Montgomery traveled to Dubuque to work in the lead mines near Dubuque, but after two years, failed to earn the money and two bounty hunters came to take him back to Missouri. A local farmer stopped them and took them to local magistrate, Thomas Wilson. Wilson also served on the three-judge territorial Supreme Court, which decided to hear the case. The court ruled in Montgomery’s favor.

Bailey says the sculpture is in the progress of being put together. Bailey says it is made of a combination of native stone and polished stainless steel. He says the sculpture top almost looks like a windmill, but he sees it as a rock, breaking up a mirror. The sculpture is tentatively set to be dedicated in mid-September. 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government Tagged With: