Obama and Modi agree to limit US liability in case of nuclear disaster

[bananas]

Source: Guardian

US industrial interests took centre-stage at the start of Barack Obama’s visit to India as he and the prime minister, Narendra Modi, outlined a deal to limit the legal liability of US suppliers in the event of a nuclear power plant catastrophe.

Thirty years after an infamous chemical leak killed thousands at Union Carbide’s factory in Bhopal, the threat of tough Indian compensation laws has frustrated US hopes of an export boom in the energy sector – despite an agreement by former US president George W Bush to share civil nuclear technology in 2005.

After pressure from US diplomats, the Indian government was thought to have agreed a state-backed insurance scheme that would cap the exposure of nuclear suppliers and open the door to billions of dollars of new contracts. India will also allow closer tracking of spent fuel to limit the risk of it falling into terrorist hands.

“Today we achieved a breakthrough understanding on two issues that were holding up our civil nuclear cooperation,” Obama said on Sunday.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/25/obama-modi-limit-us-liability-nuclear-disaster

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[jtuck004]

1. Is there an agreement to limit the damage it will do as well? Are we still in cartoon land? n/t

[Hoppy]

2. There are times Obama still sucks.

[BrotherIvan]

3. There is a victory thread right now stating the opposite

That Obama convinced Modi to embrace renewables. Are those "renewables" nuclear? Which one is telling the truth?

[Control-Z]

4. I saw that.

[cstanleytech]

5. No they arent counting nuclear as renewable but if you had read it you would have known that. nt

[bananas]

7. They are probably both true - Modi is very pro-solar.

This nuclear deal is part of Bush's stupid "Nukes-for-Mangoes" deal.

US companies have lobbied heavily for it, their insurance companies won't let them sell nuke parts to India because of the liability.

This is obviously a very corrupt arrangement and a moral hazard, it has been heavily opposed in India, there must have been some other side deals made to push it through, nuclear energy is a corrupting influence.

But Modi is known for being very pro-solar and demonstrated that as governor, so the renewable deal isn't too much of a surprise.

[BrotherIvan]

8. Thank you for the answer without snark

I was asking a question and appreciate the honest answer.

[JI7]

10. they are both true

[C Moon]

6. :/ I'm not liking this.

[Scuba]

9. 'Cause encouraging more nuke plants is good for the planet. Or something.