Headlines February
Inspection demands other stones under the track, ProRail to court
Rail manager ProRail is going to court because of a ban by the Labor Inspectorate. This demands that the railway manager stop using pebbles under the track that contain carcinogenic quartz dust. ProRail calls the inspection's requirement unfeasible and unworkable. When working on the track, quartz dust can be released and end up in the airways of the people who work on the track. This can lead to serious lung problems and cancer.
It concerns the stones that lie under the rails, also called ballast. They ensure that the forces of trains traveling on the track are properly dissipated to the underground. They also drain rainwater and ensure that the track remains in a straight line. The ballast is located under almost all rails in the Netherlands, which is approximately 7000 kilometers of track. Hundreds of thousands of tons of pebbles are replaced every year, which can release carcinogenic quartz dust. The television program Zembla showed last year that some railway workers have been exposed to too high concentrations of the carcinogenic substance for ten years.
Quartz-less ballast
The Inspectorate says that ProRail is in violation of the use of the ballast and demands that the rail manager start using quartz-less stones on the entire rail network within three months "to prevent employees, self-employed and third parties from being exposed to carcinogenic quartz dust". If ProRail does not succeed in switching to new stones within three months, the railway manager of the Inspectorate may continue to work with the current stones under strict conditions until January next year, and at less risky locations until January 2024. The alternative to ProRail are pebbles that do not contain quartz dust. At the moment , ProRail only uses these in tunnels and under roofs, because the risks of inhalation of the dust are greatest there. On the rest of the Dutch rail network, rail workers use the old ballast with quartz dust. The railway workers do wear mouth masks and the stones are kept wet, so that less dust is released.
According to ProRail, it is unfeasible to meet the inspection requirement, because there are not enough quartz-free stones available. "If we are required to work without quartz, we will not be able to carry out planned necessary maintenance work." The Labor Inspectorate does think there is enough stock, a spokesperson said. "We have conducted research into this and there is more than enough quartz-less ballast in Europe. We are not concerned with the price, but health has no price as far as we are concerned." With the lawsuit, ProRail hopes that the claim will be dropped. "If we don't do this, we are formally in violation and the necessary track maintenance, and thus possibly the safety of train traffic, will be endangered."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2415700-inspectie-eist-andere-stenen-onder-het-spoor-prorail-naar-de-rechter
Petten reactor shut down may affect hundreds of cancer patients
The nuclear reactor in Petten has been shut down due to a leak. The reactor was shut down for four days last month for minor maintenance, but failed to restart on January 21 after the leak was discovered in a basement.
Medical isotopes are made in Petten, which are mainly used for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Dutch Association for Nuclear Medicine (NVNG) fears that shutting down the reactor could affect hundreds of cancer patients.
"There are already reports in several hospitals in the country that a number of scans cannot take place," says Andor Glaudemans of the UMCG in Groningen and chairman of the NVNG. "But the longer it takes, the bigger the problem." He fears that it will take at least six to eight weeks before the situation returns to normal. "We are now making an inventory of the effects at all hospitals." According to the head of the nuclear medicine department, Marcel Stockel, there are no problems yet at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in Amsterdam. But he says those problems will arise in the coming weeks. "This is going to have consequences for all the treatments we do. In the coming weeks we will probably have to cancel dozens of patients."
Fifty percent worldwide
The old reactor in Petten regularly suffers from defects. "What makes this situation different is that other reactors in the world are now unable to fill the gap," says Cora van Blankendaal of the NRG nuclear institute, operator of the reactor in Petten. "We would serve fifty percent of world demand this month." There are six reactors worldwide that produce medical isotopes: in Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Australia and the Czech Republic. "But the bulk comes from the Netherlands and Belgium. The reactor in Belgium is also shut down at the moment, due to planned maintenance. So this is an unfortunate combination of circumstances," said Blankendaal. The exact cause of the spill is still under investigation. It is clear that the problem must be sought in the cooling system. The regular shutdown of the reactor also led to problems, especially in 2008 and 2010. Since that time, the maintenance of the reactors worldwide has been better coordinated, in the so-called Emergency Response System. Belgium can now start up a few days earlier, according to the spokesperson, and Poland can increase the capacity, but not everything can be accommodated.
Pain relief
The Antoni van Leeuwenhoek fears that it will take weeks before the situation returns to normal. "And cancer does not stand still," says Stockel. With prostate cancer, we know that every week counts. Sometimes it's also about managing symptoms. In people with painful metastases in the bone, the pain can later be suppressed less well, and it can also lead to a worse prognosis in some cancers in the long term." Glaudemans points out that the isotopes are not only used for cancer, but also for cardiovascular diseases and the fight against infections. "We understand that six to eight weeks is the minimum period before the supply of isotopes is back in order. So we very much hope that it will remain at these six to eight weeks. Perhaps it will also be possible to do more abroad." so in a week or two we'll know better how big the problem really is."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2415588-stilliggen-reactor-petten-treft-mogelijk-honderden-kankerpatienten
Shell must immediately adjust advertising about 'millions of clean kilometers'
Shell must immediately adjust an advertisement about clean kilometers, the Advertising Code Committee has determined. In the relevant advertisement, the company writes: "We make millions of kilometers cleaner". According to the committee, it has not been sufficiently demonstrated that it actually concerns millions of kilometers. A complaint was lodged with the Advertising Code Committee about the advertisement for hydrogen, 'Shell Hydrogen' as the product is called. According to the complainant, the advertisement suggests that the company is well on its way with the energy transition, while in reality the share of 'clean' kilometers is small. The complainant finds the portrayal incorrect, or at least ambiguous: "From data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) it can be deduced that 700 million bus kilometers are driven annually in the Netherlands. If Shell were able to millions of kilometers of cleaning, then it is still only 0.5 percent of all kilometers." According to the Advertising Code Committee, it is necessary to put the aforementioned 'millions' in perspective to give a good picture of the size of the contribution that Shell makes. "Without this context, the term 'millions of kilometers' suggests that it is a significant contribution, while at the moment the contribution is relatively small." Shell's advertising therefore contains unclear information about the contribution to reducing greenhouse gases, is the opinion. Moreover, all environmental claims must be demonstrably correct, which, according to the committee, is not the case here.
'Serious start'
But according to Shell, the claims in the campaign are correct, both in an absolute and relative sense. The company speaks of "about two million" hydrogen kilometers. In addition, the clean kilometers may represent a relatively small part of the total, but when Shell started using its first hydrogen filling well at the end of 2020, there was zero clean kilometers. With this, the company says it has made a "serious start". The campaign is intended to highlight Shell's contribution to the energy transition and to "enthuse customers to make sustainable choices", the multinational says. The complainant also objected to another text in the same advertisement: "We change. We want to. We have to. We do it." But that does not need to be changed, because according to the committee Shell shows that it is an aim to reduce the impact of products on the climate.
'Green hydrogen'
A second complainant was also found in the right by the Advertising Code Committee. This complaint concerns the term 'green hydrogen'. According to the complainant, the hydrogen is not green, but gray. The hydrogen that Shell sells for vehicles is a by-product of chlorine production. The hydrogen is labeled 'green' via certificates. In the Committee's view, the term 'green hydrogen' requires further explanation in this case. The parties have two weeks to appeal the ruling. A Shell spokesperson said the company is still studying the ruling.
Source: https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2416681-shell-moet-reclame-over-miljoenen-schone-kilometers-direct-aanpassen
Rail manager ProRail is going to court because of a ban by the Labor Inspectorate. This demands that the railway manager stop using pebbles under the track that contain carcinogenic quartz dust. ProRail calls the inspection's requirement unfeasible and unworkable. When working on the track, quartz dust can be released and end up in the airways of the people who work on the track. This can lead to serious lung problems and cancer.
It concerns the stones that lie under the rails, also called ballast. They ensure that the forces of trains traveling on the track are properly dissipated to the underground. They also drain rainwater and ensure that the track remains in a straight line. The ballast is located under almost all rails in the Netherlands, which is approximately 7000 kilometers of track. Hundreds of thousands of tons of pebbles are replaced every year, which can release carcinogenic quartz dust. The television program Zembla showed last year that some railway workers have been exposed to too high concentrations of the carcinogenic substance for ten years.
Quartz-less ballast
The Inspectorate says that ProRail is in violation of the use of the ballast and demands that the rail manager start using quartz-less stones on the entire rail network within three months "to prevent employees, self-employed and third parties from being exposed to carcinogenic quartz dust". If ProRail does not succeed in switching to new stones within three months, the railway manager of the Inspectorate may continue to work with the current stones under strict conditions until January next year, and at less risky locations until January 2024. The alternative to ProRail are pebbles that do not contain quartz dust. At the moment , ProRail only uses these in tunnels and under roofs, because the risks of inhalation of the dust are greatest there. On the rest of the Dutch rail network, rail workers use the old ballast with quartz dust. The railway workers do wear mouth masks and the stones are kept wet, so that less dust is released.
According to ProRail, it is unfeasible to meet the inspection requirement, because there are not enough quartz-free stones available. "If we are required to work without quartz, we will not be able to carry out planned necessary maintenance work." The Labor Inspectorate does think there is enough stock, a spokesperson said. "We have conducted research into this and there is more than enough quartz-less ballast in Europe. We are not concerned with the price, but health has no price as far as we are concerned." With the lawsuit, ProRail hopes that the claim will be dropped. "If we don't do this, we are formally in violation and the necessary track maintenance, and thus possibly the safety of train traffic, will be endangered."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2415700-inspectie-eist-andere-stenen-onder-het-spoor-prorail-naar-de-rechter
Petten reactor shut down may affect hundreds of cancer patients
The nuclear reactor in Petten has been shut down due to a leak. The reactor was shut down for four days last month for minor maintenance, but failed to restart on January 21 after the leak was discovered in a basement.
Medical isotopes are made in Petten, which are mainly used for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Dutch Association for Nuclear Medicine (NVNG) fears that shutting down the reactor could affect hundreds of cancer patients.
"There are already reports in several hospitals in the country that a number of scans cannot take place," says Andor Glaudemans of the UMCG in Groningen and chairman of the NVNG. "But the longer it takes, the bigger the problem." He fears that it will take at least six to eight weeks before the situation returns to normal. "We are now making an inventory of the effects at all hospitals." According to the head of the nuclear medicine department, Marcel Stockel, there are no problems yet at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in Amsterdam. But he says those problems will arise in the coming weeks. "This is going to have consequences for all the treatments we do. In the coming weeks we will probably have to cancel dozens of patients."
Fifty percent worldwide
The old reactor in Petten regularly suffers from defects. "What makes this situation different is that other reactors in the world are now unable to fill the gap," says Cora van Blankendaal of the NRG nuclear institute, operator of the reactor in Petten. "We would serve fifty percent of world demand this month." There are six reactors worldwide that produce medical isotopes: in Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Australia and the Czech Republic. "But the bulk comes from the Netherlands and Belgium. The reactor in Belgium is also shut down at the moment, due to planned maintenance. So this is an unfortunate combination of circumstances," said Blankendaal. The exact cause of the spill is still under investigation. It is clear that the problem must be sought in the cooling system. The regular shutdown of the reactor also led to problems, especially in 2008 and 2010. Since that time, the maintenance of the reactors worldwide has been better coordinated, in the so-called Emergency Response System. Belgium can now start up a few days earlier, according to the spokesperson, and Poland can increase the capacity, but not everything can be accommodated.
Pain relief
The Antoni van Leeuwenhoek fears that it will take weeks before the situation returns to normal. "And cancer does not stand still," says Stockel. With prostate cancer, we know that every week counts. Sometimes it's also about managing symptoms. In people with painful metastases in the bone, the pain can later be suppressed less well, and it can also lead to a worse prognosis in some cancers in the long term." Glaudemans points out that the isotopes are not only used for cancer, but also for cardiovascular diseases and the fight against infections. "We understand that six to eight weeks is the minimum period before the supply of isotopes is back in order. So we very much hope that it will remain at these six to eight weeks. Perhaps it will also be possible to do more abroad." so in a week or two we'll know better how big the problem really is."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2415588-stilliggen-reactor-petten-treft-mogelijk-honderden-kankerpatienten
Shell must immediately adjust advertising about 'millions of clean kilometers'
Shell must immediately adjust an advertisement about clean kilometers, the Advertising Code Committee has determined. In the relevant advertisement, the company writes: "We make millions of kilometers cleaner". According to the committee, it has not been sufficiently demonstrated that it actually concerns millions of kilometers. A complaint was lodged with the Advertising Code Committee about the advertisement for hydrogen, 'Shell Hydrogen' as the product is called. According to the complainant, the advertisement suggests that the company is well on its way with the energy transition, while in reality the share of 'clean' kilometers is small. The complainant finds the portrayal incorrect, or at least ambiguous: "From data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) it can be deduced that 700 million bus kilometers are driven annually in the Netherlands. If Shell were able to millions of kilometers of cleaning, then it is still only 0.5 percent of all kilometers." According to the Advertising Code Committee, it is necessary to put the aforementioned 'millions' in perspective to give a good picture of the size of the contribution that Shell makes. "Without this context, the term 'millions of kilometers' suggests that it is a significant contribution, while at the moment the contribution is relatively small." Shell's advertising therefore contains unclear information about the contribution to reducing greenhouse gases, is the opinion. Moreover, all environmental claims must be demonstrably correct, which, according to the committee, is not the case here.
'Serious start'
But according to Shell, the claims in the campaign are correct, both in an absolute and relative sense. The company speaks of "about two million" hydrogen kilometers. In addition, the clean kilometers may represent a relatively small part of the total, but when Shell started using its first hydrogen filling well at the end of 2020, there was zero clean kilometers. With this, the company says it has made a "serious start". The campaign is intended to highlight Shell's contribution to the energy transition and to "enthuse customers to make sustainable choices", the multinational says. The complainant also objected to another text in the same advertisement: "We change. We want to. We have to. We do it." But that does not need to be changed, because according to the committee Shell shows that it is an aim to reduce the impact of products on the climate.
'Green hydrogen'
A second complainant was also found in the right by the Advertising Code Committee. This complaint concerns the term 'green hydrogen'. According to the complainant, the hydrogen is not green, but gray. The hydrogen that Shell sells for vehicles is a by-product of chlorine production. The hydrogen is labeled 'green' via certificates. In the Committee's view, the term 'green hydrogen' requires further explanation in this case. The parties have two weeks to appeal the ruling. A Shell spokesperson said the company is still studying the ruling.
Source: https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2416681-shell-moet-reclame-over-miljoenen-schone-kilometers-direct-aanpassen
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate