JAMES MADISON QUOTE - 1822

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives."

SCOTTSBORO WEATHER - SUN & MOON RISE

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Jackson County Commission Meeting

Monday, August 22, 2011 there were 2 seperate meetings held, a Work Session in the Commission's Board room and a Regular Meeting conducted in Court Room #1.
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During the work session several budget issues were discussed. Sheriff Chuck Phillips appeared before the Commission to make requests for departmental needs which included the jail, vehicles, computers, maintenance and staff needs. The work session agenda is posted below.

On May 5, 2011 I submitted a request to the County Commission to view the financial records of the commission, this request was placed in writing and submitted to the commission. Reference this blog posting: http://arklite.blogspot.com/2011/05/continuing-deceitful-actions-of-jackson.html  On May 23, 2011 the Jackson County Commission voted to post the county financial information on the bulletin board by the main entrance, blog posting and news links concerning this issue. http://arklite.blogspot.com/2011/05/continuing-deceitful-actions-of-jackson.html
On June 13, 2011 the commission released a partial disclosure as a result of my request which was posted within this blog.  http://arklite.blogspot.com/2011/06/jackson-county-commission-meeting.html This disclosure revealed the commissions balance and budget shortfalls due to the ongoing TVA in lieu of tax issue with the Jackson County Legislative Delegation which has since been resolved.

The county commissions financial records are now posted on the commissions bulletin board after 3 months of procrastination by the commission's administrative office. It became apparent that the administrative office within the commission was not going to take any action on this issue. I discussed this issue with Mr. Stone and Mr. Allen, I was asked to give them time to resolve the matter which has now been resolved.

Regular commission meeting agenda...

The big news item was the sale of the county surplus property across the road from the old Marvin's Lumber store and adjacent to the county annex building. This property sale was approved via sealed bid for $64065.00.

Mr. John Porter, County Attorney, announced the case between the County Commission and the Legislative Delegation was settled with the judge signing the agreement concerning the TVA in lieu of tax issue.

                         County employee issue in the making?


Some county employees have expressed a concern over the recent 5% pay increase given to the commission's administrative staff to cover the additional work involved with the county park's administrative duties. The 5% pay increase was approved at the August 8, 2011 commission meeting. The 5% increase for the administrative staff is funded from county park income.

I contacted Ms. Sadie Bias, Chairperson of the Jackson County Commission, concerning this issue, she stated no county employee has discussed their concern related to this issue directly with her.

Friday, August 19, 2011

The "Mendacity Club," TVA's song and dance show with its cast of conservative socialists, the building of the fascist state in the United States of America.

"There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity!" 'Big Daddy' in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"  "Dealing with a government with whom mendacity is a science is an extremely difficult matter." John Hay, Secretary to President Lincoln


A quote by John Adams: "The true and only real definition of a republic is a government in which all men, rich and poor, magistrates and subjects, officers and people, masters and servants, the first citizen and the last are equally subject to the laws." The government itself, represented by the TVA in this case, is bound by law. Deceitful socialist bureaucracy and propaganda are being utilized to  subvert nuclear safety laws, policies and procedures by the TVA .

Yesterday's TVA board meeting should have been an eye opener for those who were in favor of Bellefonte restarting. Unfortunately, it was not, due to a willingness to accept lies from the TVA for financial motivations. What was exposed was the extent the TVA is willing to perpetuate deceit to build a nuclear power plant. TVA Executives and those who support nuclear power deceit are now members of the newly formed "Mendacity Club." Below are a few highlights of the clubs positions.

Dr. Marilyn Brown, chairperson of the Nuclear Oversight Committee, was elated over her proclamation that nuclear power is "secure, clean and affordable." ( "Secure," but not safe nuclear power.)  That statement of fallacy was repeated many times yesterday at the TVA Board meeting. Another proclamation of Dr. Brown concerned the so called unbiased and independent nuclear oversight committee experts, far from it, as both support the nuclear industry. It seems the college professor has become a developer of TVA propaganda.

Chief Operating Officer Bill McCollum supported and presented the "Mendacity Club's" position. One of his points was that a combined cycle natural gas plant cost nearly the same as finishing the Bellefonte Nuclear Reactor. This was a gross distortion of the facts. Cost to complete Bellefonte, $4.9 Billion, cost of a 800 mega watt combined cycle natural gas plant at Bellefonte with the pipe line, under $2 billion dollars. I'm no supporter of coal, but Bill McCollum's statement that nuclear was less expensive than coal demonstrates the extent of deceit the TVA will make to support their position concerning nuclear power.


McCollum also stated quality assurance systems were maintained during TVA's period of the nuclear plants' cancelled construction permit and subsequent stripping of the plant. McCollum's statements directly conflict with the NRC position on this issue.

The "Mendacity Club's" solution to their financial debacle, increase their debt and form schemes of irresponsibility, sell, lease and/or lease back the defective Bellefonte Nuclear Reactor.

There is a serious downside to TVA's history concerning nuclear power. The TVA and their supporters will utilize any means to support their position concerning nuclear power, including death threats, lies, massive debt, threats of arrest and the utilization of propaganda . Now, the ignoring of obvious safety problems and illegal actions contained within the current Bellefonte construction permit process.

There is a political expose in this process. Many government officials in their unwavering support of TVA's mismanagement and nuclear power have exposed themselves as supporters of deceit, propaganda and socialism as a political and economic government form. The various government officials in supporting TVA's irresponsibility demonstrate irresponsibility themselves in their grab for TVA in lieu of tax money and the false proposition that TVA is the benevolent parent providing jobs when in fact TVA is an abusive government corporate bureaucracy destroying American Regulated Capitalism via irresponsible leadership and mismanagement in a system of socialistic fascism.
(About Fascism in America: Here's a bit of reading in a factual story from an old soldier, Delta Force, Special Forces, and the various aspects of Special Observations and Operations. Suggest you read the story, it should be eye opening. "Sowing the Seeds of Fascism in America" If you wish to learn more here are some articles. http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/200601003_white_supremacism_sexism_militarism/  and http://news.softpedia.com/news/Fascism-in-America-II-131650.shtml
Lawrence University, Socialism and Fascism are Essentially the Same: http://www.lawrence.edu/sorg/objectivism/socfasc.html  )

The government officials involved do not support good ole American regulated capitalism, they support fascist socialism where the means of production and distribution are owned by the government and built by the multinational corporation at either taxpayer or TVA ratepayer expense. The "socialist corporatocracy" grows, say thank you to our ignorant, socialist supporting government leadership, the trade unions, nuclear lobbyists and the TVA. They have formed a Corporate Socialist Amerika in support of nuclear power and the beginings of the fascist state.

The Bottom Line of TVA and Bellefonte, the song and dance is not over.

Various government officials may have demonstrated they do not support the American ideals of regulated capitalism. However, this fight is not over, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Washington D.C District, will now decide the case of the defective construction permit since the TVA ignored the obvious defects in support of their deceitful financial position and gross mismanagement.
UPDATE: A technical error resulted in loss of the case. Petitioner and their attorneys failed to correct their error. Why is there always an error?

The supporters of nuclear power attempt to suckle at TVA's teats of government deceit and financial irresponsibility at ratepayer expense. The Tennessee River Valley Caucus conservative political representatives have shown their hand, they are only conservative in support to conserve the neu Corporate Socialist Amerika pouring millions of dollars into their political reelection campaigns, not to mention the millions of dollars spent for corporate lobbying.

Meanwhile our electrical rates increase, the TVA, according to their own figures supplied yesterday, ranks 43rd in 100 electrical utility providers for rates to customers.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44199002/ns/local_news-chattanooga_tn/

TVA is building a record of anti-American activities by not allowing peaceful protest and by the harrasment of citizens attempting to convey messages and gain an understanding of TVA's actions.
Protest at Knoxville TVA Headquarters.


Previous harrasment by TVA Security in violation of individual rights at Harriman, Tn..



Monday, August 8, 2011

Scottsboro City Council


Today was a regular meeting of the Scottsboro City Council. The Mayor and City Attorney were out on business for the city. The agenda is posted below, click on the image for an expanded view. The hot topic for discussion was the Resolution concerning Goose Pond Plantation Pointe Golf Course posted below along with Councilman Smith's statement to the public in reference to this resolution and situation.

Resolution (original signed)

Councilman Smith's comments, please click on images for an expanded view.



Jackson County Commission


Today was a regular meeting of the Jackson County Commission. The next regular meeting and work session will be on August 22, 2011. The agenda is posted below, click on image for an expanded view.
Note for item H in New Business, Commissioner Jack Smith abstained from voting to hire a temporary employee to fill the vacant license inspector's position.


The County Attorney reported finalizing the agreement between the Jackson County Commission and the Jackson County Legislative Delegation is underway. Previous news reports on this issue: Jul 29, 2011 Daily Sentinel  http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_dd7eb4fa-ba2f-11e0-bde4-001cc4c002e0.html  Aug 2, 2011 The Clarion http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2213:commission-and-delegation-reach-agreement&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

UPDATE, Aug 9, 2011: Chamber of Commerce Director Rick Roden presents Commission a BRAC Appreciation Plaque. The Jackson County Commission and the Scottsboro City Council has contributed to the Chamber of Commerce's BRAC project. Roden reported that approximately 125-150 citizens work at Redstone Arsenal equating to $13 million dollars in income.



Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Nuclear Power Panel of Experts - Nuclear Power Issues

An Emergency Management Briefing by Independent Experts at Duxbury, Ma., site of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant.

 "If nuclear power is made safe for the commercial nuclear power industry it can never be made economical as commercial nuclear reactors are designed for profit. Military use of nuclear reactors are designed for safety." Paul Blanch

Duxbury Presentation with Gundersen from Fairewinds Associates on Vimeo.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Shh, We Have Nuclear Power Secrets

Location of U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities: http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/materials/fuel-cycle/
The nuclear disaster at Fukushima Japan. Satellite photos showing steam rising from the boiling water of the melted reactors and fuel pools. The false mantra by the nuclear power industry that nuclear power is safe, reliable and cheap is fiction.

Nuclear power plants in the TVA system cannot operate without incoming power to operate cooling systems. a loss of incoming electrical power results in a scram, emergency shutdown, of the reactor. Back up diesel generators supply power to the reactor cooling system. Nothing reliable about nuclear power as you must have another power source to power the reactor cooling systems. Loose offsite power and you loose the electrical generating capacity of TVA nuclear power. In the information and fact points below it is demonstrated that nuclear power has sickened and killed over 48,000 American citizens in the past 7 years.


When dealing with nuclear materials some degree of secrecy is required, nuclear materials have the capability to be utilized as a weapon of mass destruction. Security at civilian fuel facilities has been a long time concern, so has telling the true story of the domestic nuclear threat at nuclear fuels facilities. A secret such as nuclear materials loss ( declassified document http://www.irmep.org/ila/nukes/NUMEC/default.asp ), and just as dangerous is the clear and present danger at the nuclear fuel manufacturing plants spread across our nation.

Today the costs to U.S. taxpayers for health and death claims paid to nuclear fuels workers exceeds $7.2 billion dollars, the costs in human pain and suffering is unimaginable. (Dept of Labor part B & E Statistics of the EEOICP http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/weeklystats.htm )



Current government information on the nuclear fuels process tends to lead (trick) those interested in the problem of human suffering due to the nuclear fuels process down the road of weaponization of Uranium. In the days of "tickling the dragon" [Manhattan Project] and the Cold War, up to the middle 1960's, this was certainly true. For the past 40 plus years, the major usage of refined Uranium is in civilian, military and experimental nuclear reactors, the major usage of nuclear fuels is for commercial nuclear power plants.

The following is a partial listing of

"Commercial Nuclear Power Secrets, shh-don't tell-nuclear fuels processing is killing folks."
( Wise Uranium Project links and listings http://www.wise-uranium.org/indexc.html )
-->NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) Event Report 45785-Global Nuclear Fuels, Wilmington, NC, March 23, 2010 [reported Mar 24, 2010] - 8.7KG (19.14 pounds) of Uranium Oxide found in a waste receptacle containing vacuum bags. An observant operator discovered the problem when the waste bag had broken free of its holder, the 8.7kg of nuclear fuel was found in vacuum bags.
NRC, Event Reports link http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2010/20100324en.html#en45785

More on Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, L.L.C., Wilmington nuclear fuel plant, North Carolina
, NRC License No. SNM-1097
-->Violation of criticality rules at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
On March 2, 2011, the NRC was notified through Event Notification 46650 that GNF-A had failed to maintain mass control of UO2 powder in the sinter test grinding station HEPA filter enclosure. Specifically, on March 1, 2011, GNF staff identified that approximately 46 kilograms of UO2 powder had been present in the sinter test grinder filter housing, which was greater than the analyzed safe mass to prevent a criticality.
Based on the results of an inspection conducted March 14 - 18, 2011, the NRC has determined that two Severity Level IV violations of NRC requirements occurred. (NRC Special Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, June 29, 2011, ADAMS Acc. No. ML111810118 external link)
-->Global Nuclear Fuel, NRC finds two violations at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant During an NRC inspection conducted February 22-26, 2010, two violations of NRC requirements were identified: the licensee failed to report within 24 hours of discovery, a loss or degradation of an item relied on for criticality safety, and, the licensee failed to install automatic fire detection equipment in the Process Technology laboratory area where fire hazards were present. (ADAMS Acc. No. ML100850027 external link)
-->Global Nuclear Fuel, NRC finds five apparent violations at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
During inspections conducted from November 7, 2008, through August 28, 2009, five apparent violations were identified and are being considered for escalated enforcement action. The apparent violations involve the failure to identify credible accident scenarios during process hazard analyses or document them in the Integrated Safety Analysis Reference Report; the failure to identify criticality accident scenarios as high consequence events; and three separate failures to designate controls as items relied on for safety.

"The apparent violations are of concern to the NRC because they appear to indicate a programmatic issue with your Integrated Safety Analysis. Specifically, these apparent violations indicate a systematic and consistent failure to identify and categorize accident sequences and declare items relied on for safety in accordance with your Integrated Safety Analysis methodology and the requirements of 10 CFR Part 70." (NRC letter to GNF, Nov. 6, 2009, ADAMS Acc. No. ML093100078 external link)

-->Global Nuclear Fuel, Violation of criticality rules at GNF Wilmington nuclear fuel plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has established a Special Inspection Team at the Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas commercial nuclear fuel plant near Wilmington, N.C., to inspect and assess facts and circumstances associated with an event in which moisture was detected on Jan. 30, 2008, in a process vessel which should not have contained moisture so as to prevent a nuclear criticality.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2008 external link
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $16,250 civil penalty against Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, L.L.C., for incorrectly categorizing an emergency level declaration during a Jan. 30, 2008, incident at the plant's low-enriched uranium processing line in Wilmington, N.C.
> View NRC release Aug. 14, 2008 external link

--> The Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Plant, Columbia, SC. On Feb. 25, 2011, NRC issued a Notice of Violation to Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of criticality protection rules identified at its Columbia nuclear fuel plant.

-->Spill at WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant, South Carolina
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched a Special Inspection Team to the Westinghouse commercial nuclear fuel plant near Columbia, S.C., to review the circumstances associated with a Jan. 24 event involving a spill of about 200 gallons of waste water containing ammonia and low levels of uranium.
The spill was the result of a pump failure and operators shut down the process after a few minutes. Plant employees cleaned the area, no workers were exposed to significant concentrations and no medical attention was needed. Westinghouse reported the event to the NRC on Jan. 25 and the NRC staff decided that a special inspection to review the facts surrounding the event, assess the Westinghouse response and evaluate the company's corrective actions was the appropriate course of action.
> View NRC release Feb. 1, 2010 external link
NRC proposes $17,500 fine against Westinghouse for violations at Columbia nuclear fuel plant: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $17,500 civil penalty against Westinghouse Electric Company for violations of nuclear safety requirements at its commercial nuclear fuel plant in Columbia, S.C. NRC officials said the proposed civil penalty is based on violations identified during an NRC review of a Jan. 24, 2010 event involving a spill inside the plant of about 200 gallons of waste water containing ammonia and low levels of uranium. NRC release Nov. 4, 2010 external link (PDF)

-->Nuclear fuel pellets missing from WEC Columbia nuclear fuel plant, South Carolina
The operators of a Bluff Road nuclear fuel plant can't find 25 pounds of radioactive material - and federal investigators say that's a problem. Officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission suspect someone at the Westinghouse nuclear fuel factory deliberately moved uranium fuel pellets without properly accounting for them. Neither Westinghouse nor the NRC has been able to pinpoint the person. Investigators say the fuel pellets, first reported missing in May, pose little danger to the public because the material likely never left the site. The pellets were probably recycled in the fuel plant, according to the NRC. (The State Oct. 2, 2009) (
Problematic is the assumption that the fuel pellets remained in the plant, a dangerous assumption.)
> View NRC release Sep. 17, 2009 external link Notice of Violation and NRC Inspection Report external link, Oct. 15, 2010

-->U.S. NRC issues Confirmatory Order regarding falsifications at Westinghouse Electric Company's Columbia nuclear fuel facility
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Confirmatory Order to Westinghouse Electric Company's Columbia facility as part of a settlement agreement involving the actions of a former contractor foreman. That individual deliberately created inaccurate training records for his work group and also falsified ventilation system data when the required readings had not been taken. The foreman caused Westinghouse to be in violation of NRC requirements.
> View NRC release Aug. 7, 2009 external link

-->BWX Technologies, Inc., Lynchburg, Va., Nuclear Fuel Plant
NRC finds further violation of criticality safety procedures at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
> Download Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, July 15, 2011 external link

-->NRC finds further violation of criticality safety procedures at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
> Download Inspection Report and Notice of Violation, Nov. 4, 2010 external link

-->Alert over potential criticality issue after discharge of highly enriched uranium at B&W Lynchburg nuclear fuel plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $35,000 civil penalty against the Babcock & Wilcox facility in Lynchburg, Va., for a violation of NRC requirements related to the company's emergency declaration for an event in July 2009. The violation involved a failure of Babcock & Wilcox facility staff to declare an Alert emergency classification in a timely manner as required by their emergency plan. On July 15, 2009, company employees failed to declare the emergency for more than two hours after they discovered a band saw cooling reservoir did not have the proper criticality controls.
> View NRC release Jan. 12, 2010 external link
> Download Notice of Violation Jan. 11, 2010 external link (ADAMS Acc. No. ML100110209)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Nov. 6, 2009, to discuss with officials of Babcock and Wilcox Nuclear Operations Group in Lynchburg, Va., apparent violations of NRC requirements associated with the loss of nuclear criticality controls on a mechanical saw.
> View NRC release Oct. 29, 2009 external link
A scare at the B&W Nuclear Operations Group in Lynchburg Wednesday (July 15) prompted a review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after oil containing an unknown amount of highly enriched uranium discharged at the facility. The incident began around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday (July 15). According to a news release from the NRC, a saw used to cut fuel components discharged some of that oil. The facility declared an alert and the NRC called in its response teams. Staff at the facility analyzed the materials and determined only a small amount of uranium was in the oil. (WDBJ7 Roanoke News July 16, 2009)

The problems at nuclear fuel plants are great. There is a serious health risk to employees in nuclear fuel plants and one interested in the story of civilian nuclear reactors and their safety cannot overlook the fuels cycle processes. Further reports at the nuclear fuel facilities may be found at these WISE Uranium Project links:

All to often we hear the political propaganda in some form, "there have been no accidents taking life at civilian nuclear reactors." That statement twists and distorts the full story of nuclear power. One must look at all aspects of the nuclear power generation, from Uranium mining to plant decommissioning and all aspects of nuclear power in between. Failure to consider all the facts results in facilitating a danger on our citizenry.

I periodically review NRC event reports at this link: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/ When reading the reports I take particular interest in the events which indicate radiation exposures. What is not told in the event reports are the end results of exposures to radioactive materials, a colorless, odorless, most times-tasteless material. Unless the exposure is immediately life threatning, the cellular mutations which occur from radioactive material exposures may not become problematic or discovered until many years later, the NRC reports do not reflect the end results related to the health of the exposed workers.

Some of the workers lives, suffering and death are told at our web site and other sites listed at our site. The extent of health problems and their costs relating to nuclear power are partially exposed at the Department of Labor link in the first paragraph begining this article and again listed here: Dept of Labor part B & E Statistics of the EEOICP http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/weeklystats.htm . Failure to expose the rest of the story concerning the nuclear fuels workers and the cost in human suffering related to the nuclear fuels process is nothing less than negligence and hiding the truth of nuclear power from the public.
Shhh, we have nuclear power secrets! link: http://radioactivepoison.blogspot.com/