The Stream, March 15: Nuclear Power

Germany has set a three-month moratorium on plans to extend the lifetimes of its 17 nuclear reactors, and Australia might reconsider its uranium export policy following the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima plant. The European Commission is also holding a meeting of ministers and experts to review its nuclear power plans.

Meanwhile, China said it would draw lessons from the accident but did not indicate any change to its timetable for building 60 nuclear reactors over the next decade. Is the world rethinking nuclear power?

Coal
Coal miner Consol Energy will pay the U.S. Environment Protection Agency $5.5 million in civil penalties for Clean Water Act violations in West Virginia, as well as spend an estimated $200 million in pollution controls to cut discharges of mining wastewater into Appalachian waterways, Reuters reports.

Water and Food Aid
Ecuador has shipped 6 tons of food and water to the Galapagos after the islands were hit by a tsunami from Japan’s massive earthquake.

Central Asia
Tajikistan is hosting a United Nations seminar on international law and water cooperation in Central Asia. The country’s plans to develop new hydropower stations are the central focus of the regional debate on water resources and have raised concerns among downstream neighbors.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.