***************************************************************** 11/14/03 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 11.289 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Boston Globe: Op-ed US stays blind to Iraqi casualties 2 Newsday.com: Poll Shows Americans' Views on Iraq War 3 US warns Iran not to retreat from nuclear promise 4 Annan Welcomes Iranian Moves On Nuclear Issue 5 Guardian Unlimited: Not just in Iran (Nuclear controls) 6 Insight Mag: State Blasts IAEA on Iran's Nukes 7 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Iran stresses transparency with IAEA 8 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Mussa blasts nuke claim against Iran 9 Globe and Mail: U.S., Europe split over response to Iranian nuclear 10 N Korea nuclear decision delay 11 Las Vegas SUN: U.S., S. Korea to Prepare for Nuke Talks 12 KoreaTimes: NK Willing to Attend Nuke Talks 13 US: Don't cross the nuclear line 14 US: Las Vegas SUN: House, Senate GOP Agree on Energy Bill 15 US: Las Vegas SUN: Energy Bill Glance 16 US: Washington Times: Post-Cold War necessities 17 US: Casper Star-Tribune: Uranium lawsuit goes back to U.S. district 18 Putin Reserves Right for "pre-emptive" strike 19 The Hindu: Nuke programme: China a key provider to Pak. 20 eTaiwan News: Blix casts doubt over claims about energy program 21 iafrica.com: DRC opposition sold Al-Qaeda uranium 22 Asia Times: US sees dollars in Russian nuclear technology 23 PTI: Pak denies nuclear assistance to Iran"> 24 Expressindia: Nuclear defence seminar launched 25 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: FM makes nuke confidence in Japan NUCLEAR REACTORS 26 US: NRC Denies Rulemaking Petition by Ohio Citizens Group 27 N. Korea to Seize Equipment From Reactors 28 US: New Indian Pt. Cooling System: Years in the Making, and More to 29 BBC: Germany shuts first nuclear plant 30 US: NRC: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Indian Point Nuclear 31 US: NRC: Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., Millstone Power Station 32 US: NRC: Entergy Operations, Inc., River Bend Power Station; Order 33 US: York Dispatch: NRC holds Peach Bottom meeting 34 DW: Germany starts Nuclear Energy Phase-Out 35 US: NYT: New Indian Pt. Cooling System: Years in the Making, and Mor 36 US: Hampton Union Local News: Nuke plant off-line 37 China Daily: Nuclear power plants to go local 38 Sofia Echo PARTNERSHIP: The Israeli ambassador to Bulgaria Avraham 39 US: JOURNAL NEWS: Groups challenge DEC action on Indian Point 40 CS Monitor: Germany grows greener NUCLEAR SAFETY 41 [DU-WATCH] Support the Truth - new great CD by Dennis Kyne 42 US: America's First Nuclear Accident Revealed in New Book 43 [DU-WATCH] Iraqi "Health Will Suffer for Generations" 44 Atomic Agency Chief Urges Global Controls on Nuclear Fuel 45 DU, a WMD in Iraq 46 [DU-WATCH] DU shipping and transport 47 US: NRC: System Energy Resources, Inc.; Notice of Receipt and 48 Scotsman.com: Opinion - Ten years too late 49 Scotsman.com: MoD admits errors in Rosyth refit rejection 50 US: YDR: On drugs, and on the job - 51 US: YDR: Temp workers carefully scrutinized - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 52 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Not just Bishop 53 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada again denies water rights for federal nuclear 54 US: NRC: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impa 55 Las Vegas SUN: NRC to review Yucca data during close-door meetings 56 Las Vegas SUN: State bar might take up Yucca conflict 57 Scotsman: Sellafield Workers Strike over Pay 58 Paducah Sun: Quake study to late to help with plant - 59 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Walker won't seek tax hikes 60 UK ITV: Sellafield to switch off 61 ITV: Sellafield workers strike over pay 62 Nevada Appeal: Yucca permit rejected again 63 Pahrump Valley Times: COMMISSION PREVIEW YMP issues top agenda ** 64 AGI: NUCLEAR WASTE: APAT, WE WILL HAVE A DECISIVE ROLE 65 AGI: NUCLEAR WASTE:MATTEOLI,SITE WAS SUBJECT TO A 2 YEAR ASSESSMENT 66 Irish Examiner: Britain urged to ensure safety during Sellafield str 67 US: Deseret news: Environment takes the stage NUCLEAR WEAPONS 68 The Sunflower, November 2003 (No.78) 69 SF Chronicle: Egyptian calls for nuclear inspections in Israel US DEPT. OF ENERGY 70 Hacker sparks Panic at N-Weapons Lab 71 Tri-City Herald: Bechtel could lay off 200 by Jan. 31 72 DOE: Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program 73 DOE: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 74 Tri-City Herald: Hanford downwinders claims have fallen to 1,816 75 Oak Ridger: Sick worker plan still has problems 76 Oak Ridger: DOE: More funds needed to assist workers 77 GJSentinel: Lawmakers asking why on energy lab closure OTHER NUCLEAR 78 Google News Alert - nuclear 79 Guardian Unlimited: How first atom spy was uncovered 80 Las Vegas SUN: Opposition to USA Patriot Act swells in Nevada 81 PhysicsWeb: New particle turns up in Japan 82 Asia Times: An energy source that's out of this world ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Boston Globe: Op-ed US stays blind to Iraqi casualties [boston.com] IAEA) in Vienna conveying his government's acceptance of the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) following concerns over its possible development of nuclear weapons. "The Secretary-General welcomes the recent decision by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to conclude the Additional Protocol, to act in accordance with its provisions until its entry into force, and to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities," spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=638">statement in New York. "He encourages the IAEA, the Government of Iran and the other governments that have been working with Iran on this matter to continue their efforts in this respect." 2003-11-14 00:00:00.000 ________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml ***************************************************************** 5 Guardian Unlimited: Not just in Iran (Nuclear controls) Leader Friday November 14, 2003 The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk] Iran's agreement at last to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the monitoring of its nuclear programme is an encouraging sign in a region otherwise short of good news. The threat of nuclear proliferation is even more worrying in a world which is now much less secure than it appeared at the end of the cold war. The mounting evidence of Iranian non-compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), coupled with President Bush's wildly exaggerated inclusion of Tehran in his "axis of evil", seemed to presage a new crisis with the potential for a new war. Partly through the sensible intervention of the EU - with Britain playing a positive role alongside France and Germany - that crisis has now been defused. The renewed assurances of the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, that Britain, at any rate, would never support war against Iran, are doubly welcome. Yet the Iranian case also illustrates the fragility of the international understandings which restrain the world from nuclear proliferation, and any gain which has been achieved may soon dissipate unless much more attention is focused on the need to strengthen them. There is no hard evidence that Iran was actually working on an atomic bomb, in spite of Washington's claims, but it does seem fairly obvious that it was keeping its options open by experimental research in the secret programme which has now been revealed. The argument for doing so, favoured by hardliners in Tehran, included reference to the Israeli nuclear arsenal (notably free from western censure) and to the emerging US doctrine of preventive war. We need to remind ourselves that the agreement in 1995 of the non-nuclear powers - including Iran - to the indefinite extension of the NPT was only secured in return for specific assurances given by the nuclear powers. These included a clear pledge by those powers "to exert their utmost efforts" to establish a nuclear-free Middle East. There has been mounting frustration even from US allies like Egypt that this pledge has never been followed through. Now that the supposed threat of Iraq is out of the way, there is even less excuse for ignoring it. The other pledge given by the major nuclear powers - to seek "effective measures relating to (their own) nuclear disarmament" is better known - but has been equally ignored. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of IAEA, has recently added his weight to a proposal which might go a long way towards giving the non-nuclear community more confidence in the good intent of the nuclear powers, while specifically addressing the problem of proliferation raised by the cases of Iran and North Korea. This idea is for an agreement to restrict the production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium and its processing "exclusively to facilities under multi-national control". This would require an international control regime which has not been seriously contemplated since the abortive post-war Baruch Plan. It would reduce the risk of terrorist acquisition but, crucially, would apply to all facilities in all countries including those of the nuclear powers. It may sound a tall order to expect the US and the other powers to submit to such controls. But it is the only realistic way by which parity can be restored to the unequal relationship between the nuclear haves and have-nots. The proliferation of the last decade of nuclear weapons in South Asia already shows that non-nuclear restraint can no longer be guaranteed. As Sir Joseph Rotblat, veteran campaigner for disarmament, told the Pugwash Conference in July, the possession of nuclear weapons is "equally unacceptable, whether by 'rogue' or benevolent regimes". With attention again focused on the problem, it is time to grasp this nuclear nettle. Guardian Newspapers Limited ***************************************************************** 6 Insight Mag: State Blasts IAEA on Iran's Nukes [http://www.insightmag.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=140925 Posted Nov. 14, 2003 By Kenneth R. TimmermanLIVERMORE, Calif. - The Bush administration is finally taking off the gloves as it prepares for next week's showdown in Vienna over Iran's previously undisclosed nuclear-weapons program. On Nov. 13, Undersecretary of State John Bolton and his top deputy, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Steve Rademaker, delivered stinging rebukes of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear "watchdog," for failing to hold Iran accountable for flagrant violation of its commitments not to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has "lied repeatedly" to the IAEA, Rademaker told an audience of U.S. nuclear-weapons experts at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Iran claimed that it had never conducted a program to enrich uranium to weapons-grade or to reprocess spent fuel to extract plutonium. When U.N. inspectors found evidence that Iran had done both, Iran's leaders simply changed their story and "lied again," he said. Despite having discovered previously undeclared facilities suspected of carrying out weapons-related work, the IAEA concluded in a recent confidential report to its board that it had found no evidence of a nuclear-weapons program. That conclusion, Rademaker noted acidly, was "not supported by the IAEA's own report." The United States believes that the "massive and covert effort" by Iran to develop a wide range of nuclear technologies - from uranium mines to milling plants to a heavy-water plant to a centrifuge-enrichment "cascade" to plutonium reprocessing - "only makes sense as part of a bomb program," he added. According to the IAEA report, the Iranians showed extraordinary contempt for U.N. inspectors, apparently in the belief they would not be caught in their lies. Initially they claimed that their entire uranium-enrichment program was indigenous and used no foreign supplies. But when the inspectors found traces of highly enriched uranium on centrifuge parts, the Iranians said the parts were imported and must have been contaminated by the suppliers. Pressed to identify those suppliers, the Iranians replied that they had bought the equipment from "brokers." "Is it plausible that Iran bought centrifuge components and didnt know where they bought them?" Rademaker asked. When the IAEA Board of Governers meets in Vienna on Nov. 20, the United States will press members to "declare that Iran is not in compliance" with the treaty, he said. That would mean "referring" Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which would then have to debate whether to take punitive measures against Tehran. The unusual public criticism suggests that the Bush administration is preparing for another high-profile standoff at the United Nations. But unlike the diplomatic confrontation over Iraq, this time it appears likely that Britain will not join the United States in urging vigorous international action against Iran. "How many times has [British Foreign Minister] Jack Straw gone to Tehran recently?" one administration official asked *Insight*. "We get the sense that the British feel they need to show their independence from us on this one." Straw accompanied his French and German counterparts for two days of talks in Tehran on Iran's nuclear program at the end of October. At the conclusion of those talks, French Foreign Mnister Dominique de Villepin hailed Iran's decision to "come clean" on its previous nuclear-research programs and promised that Europe would assist Iran to acquire "peaceful" nuclear technologies in exchange. That was the original bargain on which the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was based, Rademaker noted. "Under the NPT, Iran can acquire all the capabilities it needs to produce nuclear weapons," he said. Former chief U.N. arms inspector and Swedish ambassador Rolf Ekeus urged the United States and other supplier nations to rethink the terms of that pact. In comments at a Livermore conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" program, Ekeus said there was little justification to spread enrichment technologies to developing countries. As a condition for providing nuclear-power reactors, he said, supplier nations should provide reactor fuel and take back nuclear waste and either reprocess it or dispose of it themselves. U.S. nuclear labs currently are exploring new ways of handling nuclear waste, either by mixing it with uranium into a form of fuel known as "MOX" that cannot be diverted to make nuclear weapons or through long-term disposal in deep underground sites such as the $60 billion Yucca Mountain facility in Nevada that has yet to be built. Siegfried Hecker, a former director of the Los Alamos nuclear-weapons lab, agreed that nuclear-exporting nations should consider new restrictions on future nuclear sales and needed to begin a "global cleanout" of nuclear research reactors which are fueled with weapons-grade uranium. "We should be asking what are the requirements for handling nuclear technologies? Economic stability? Political stability? Technological infrastructure? Membership in the World Trade Organization?" With rogue nations on the hunt for nuclear weapons and an increasingly jittery public worried about loose nukes and possible nuclear accidents, "The choice in managing nuclear technologies is between peace and prosperity and war and disaster," he said. Kenneth R. Timmerman is a senior writer for *Insight*. Editorial Feedback [editor@insightmag.com ***************************************************************** 7 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Iran stresses transparency with IAEA [http://www.irib.com] [http://www.iribnews.com/] IranNews Tehran Times Iran Daily 2003/11/14 Tokyo, Nov 14 - Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi stressed here Friday the transparency of Iran's nuclear program and the country's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Kharrazi, who arrived here Thursday night on a two-day visit, made the comment as he talked to reporters after his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. "Iran is determined for full transparency and has referred to all the country's nuclear activities in its report submitted to the IAEA which was even beyond what had been expected," he said. Kharrazi added that IAEA Chief Mohamed Elbaradei has also stressed there is no evidence to substantiate that Iran produces nuclear bombs. He said the IAEA inspectors can continue inspections based on the protocol to which Iran is a signatory and before the approval of the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by Majlis. He termed his talks with the Japanese prime minister as "good" and said the two sides discussed bilateral ties, regional issues, developments in Iraq and Iran's nuclear program. Kharrazi voiced Tehran's readiness to cooperate with Tokyo regarding reconstruction of Iraq. Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.COM [Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.COM] ***************************************************************** 8 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Mussa blasts nuke claim against Iran [http://www.irib.com] [http://www.iribnews.com/] IranNews Tehran Times Iran Daily 2003/11/14 Cairo, Nov 14 - Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said Wednesday that it was hypocritical to accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons while Israel escaped censure. "We see that there are double standards and that one country is singled out while there is silence about Israel, which owns weapons of mass destruction," Mussa said after meeting a senior Iranian diplomat. Mussa had held talks with Mohamed Sabhani, an Iranian Foreign Ministry official, who passed on a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi about "efforts to set up a nuclear-arms free zone" in the Middle East. "We are for equality in the application of international conventions," Mussa said, pointing out that Israel "is exempt from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) while other countries are subject to pressure." Unlike Iran, Israel has not signed up to the treaty, which allows international inspections of nuclear plants. Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.COM [Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.COM] ***************************************************************** 9 Globe and Mail: U.S., Europe split over response to Iranian nuclear program [globeandmail.com] Friday, Nov. 14, 2003 Associated Press Vienna — As a key UN atomic agency meeting approaches, a rift is opening between the United States and Europe over how far to go in condemning Iran's nuclear activities, diplomats said Friday. Among draft resolutions being drawn up is one by Britain, France and Germany that one diplomat described as a "strongly worded" demand Iran continue acting on its stated intention to co-operate with the agency. The United States is hoping for something tougher, such as involvement by the UN Security Council. Canada and Australia are believed to be close to the U.S. position, the diplomat said. While disappointed at the softer stance of the West Europeans, the Americans are willing to accept a compromise resolution "as long as it moves things forward" in reducing the perceived nuclear threat from Iran, he said. An International Atomic Energy Agency report leaves no question Iran covered up past nuclear programs, including enriching uranium and processing small amounts of plutonium. Washington said the report proves Iran's intent to manufacture weapons. The document, prepared for a Nov. 20 meeting of the IAEA's board of governors, lists numerous nuclear cover-ups, some over decades, and says they effectively represent Iran's violations of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by violating safeguards agreements that are part of that treaty. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei's report found "no evidence" Tehran tried to make atomic bombs but said such efforts cannot be ruled out until Iran's previously covert activities are further examined. The U.S. administration wants Iran declared in violation of the treaty at next week's board meeting — a move that would lead to UN Security Council involvement and possible sanctions. But diplomats who follow the agency said there is substantial opposition to such a harsh response, with even key U.S. allies leaning toward a resolution that stops short of referring the issue to the Security Council. There is fear Iran could renege on recent moves to work with the agency if slapped too hard, they said. The British, French and German draft would urge Iran to clear up suspicions arising from past covert activities and open current programs to thorough IAEA control. However, it stops short of declaring Iran in non-compliance, meaning the issue will not be kicked up to the Security Council, said one diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He and others emphasized the draft could be withdrawn, merged with others or substantially changed even before the board starts meeting Thursday. Another diplomat familiar with the U.S. position said Washington still hopes for some kind of Security Council involvement but would settle for Council admonition of Iran that stops far short of sanctions threats. Within recent weeks, Iran has swung from belligerent denial of wrongdoing to acknowledging past "mistakes" in not reporting honestly to the agency. While still maintaining it only wants to generate nuclear power, it has delivered what it said is complete information about past suspect activities. Last week, it also fulfilled promises made during a visit to Iran last month by the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany by suspending uranium-enrichment and formally agreeing to throw open its nuclear programs to thorough agency inspections — both key IAEA demands. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com © 2003 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 10 N Korea nuclear decision delay Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:20:58 -0600 (CST) 11 BBC: N Korea nuclear decision delay Last Updated: Tuesday, 4 November, 2003 An international consortium established to build nuclear power plants in North Korea has delayed a decision on whether to suspend the project. Board members of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (Kedo), who represent the United States, Japan, South Korea and the European Union, are to refer the matter to their governments. Kedo spokesman Roland Tricot said after the meeting in New York that a decision on the project would be made no later than 21 November. The power station project was agreed upon as part of a 1994 anti-nuclear pact. Behind schedule The US has sought a suspension of the project arguing that the 1994 agreement has been broken by Pyongyang's renewed attempts to develop nuclear weapons. "It is our position that the Kedo executive board should agree to formally stop work on the light water reactor project," said State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli. But there are fears that an angry North Korean reaction to a decision to suspend the project - which is already years behind schedule - could jeopardise further talks aimed at resolving the crisis. The last round of talks held in August involving North Korea, Russia, South Korea, China the US and Japan were inconclusive, with Pyongyang vowing to press ahead with its nuclear plans. Meanwhile, some 600 employees continue construction work on the project. ***************************************************************** 11 Las Vegas SUN: U.S., S. Korea to Prepare for Nuke Talks ASSOCIATED PRESS SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A top U.S. envoy will meet with senior South Korean officials next week to prepare for a fresh round of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, the foreign ministry said. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly will meet officials from South Korea's presidential office and the foreign ministry during his three-day visit starting next Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement. Kelly, who led the American delegation during the first round of multination talks on the nuclear crisis, is expected to visit Tokyo and Beijing before arriving in Seoul. Earlier this week, South Korea and China expressed optimism that more talks would be held before the end of the year. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo vowed Friday to peacefully resolve the standoff over North Korea's nuclear ambitions and arrange the new talks, but gave no word on when more negotiations might be held. Dai, who was in Tokyo to discuss the nuclear dispute, told Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi that China was working to schedule a meeting soon, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on condition of anonymity. Kawaguchi pushed China to include North Korea's past practice of abducting Japanese nationals on the agenda of upcoming talks. The ministry spokesman would not comment on Dai's response. China hosted the first round of talks - which also involved the United States, the two Koreas, Japan and Russia - in Beijing in August. That meeting ended without an agreement on when to resume talks. China, North Korea's leading ally, has been trying to jump-start the second round. Last month, it helped persuade Pyongyang to agree "in principle" to return to the negotiating table. The nuclear dispute began a year ago when U.S. officials said North Korea admitted running a secret nuclear program in violation of international agreements. The communist North is believed to already have built one or two atomic bombs and recently said it extracted plutonium from 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods to build more. Separately, North Korea on Friday berated South Korea for planning to deploy U.S.-made missiles near the border, calling them part of a U.S. plot to trigger a "nuclear holocaust" on the peninsula. Early this month, South Korea said it would start deploying the Army Tactical Missile System Block 1A missiles next month near the border with the North. The missile, which has a range of 186 miles, can reach Pyongyang and targets further north, including North Korea's main nuclear complex in Yongbyon, where the country says it is using spent nuclear fuel rods to make atomic bombs. The deployment would exacerbate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, said KCNA, Pyongyang's official news agency. North Korea, which often issues such belligerent statements, has deployed missiles capable of covering all South Korea and parts of Japan. It alarmed the region in 1998 by firing a new long-range missile that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific. The North also urged South Koreans to resist Washington's request for troops to bolster U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. Officials said Friday that South Korea has ordered its troops in southern Iraq to suspend their operations outside coalition bases, following Wednesday's deadly suicide truck bombing in Nasiriyah. Last month, South Korea agreed to send additional troops to help U.S. forces rebuild the war-torn Arab nation but said Thursday it will not send more than 3,000. The Koreas were divided in 1945. Since the 1950-53 Korean War, their border remains sealed and heavily armed. -- ***************************************************************** 12 KoreaTimes: NK Willing to Attend Nuke Talks Hankooki.com > Korea Times > Nation MOSCOW (Yonhap) _ North Korea affirmed again its intention to participate in a new round of six-way talks on resolving concerns over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons plan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. ``North Korean Ambassador to Russia Pak Ui-chun and Vice Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said in Moscow that their countries are ready for a new round of six-way talks to seek a fair and reciprocal resolution to the nuclear issue,¡¯¡¯ a spokesman for the ministry said. In a significant turnaround from its earlier position, North Korea agreed in principle to a second round of six-way talks during a meeting with a delegation from China in late October. South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia met with North Korea in the six-party format in Beijing in August, but the meeting ended with no progress made, and the North has since rejected all calls for further discussion. Losyukov was quoted as saying that the North Korean side specified topics that should be discussed during the new multilateral talks, but has not yet officially agreed to the talks. 11-14-2003 19:06 ***************************************************************** 13 Don't cross the nuclear line Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:59:22 -0600 (CST) 64 DenverPost.com: Ed: Don't cross the nuclear line Published: Friday, November 07, 2003 editorial The Bush administration is pursuing an alarming expansion in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The $6.1 billion plan, which may get final approval from the U.S. House today, would take U.S. atomic weapons development in troubling directions. The proposal goes far beyond the pragmatic need to spend money maintaining the existing U.S. nuclear missiles and bombs. It plunges the United States back into the business of building atomic bombs for the first time in almost a decade. Indeed, the money Congress is poised to appropriate for nuclear weapons research and maintenance is 50 percent more than what the country spent on building atomic weapons during the height of the Cold War. The plan's most alarming segments involve $7.5 million for research on "bunker busting" bombs - battlefield nukes capable of penetrating deeply buried military sites. It's possible that atomic bunker busters would be more effective than existing conventional weapons, but their use would cross a moral line that no nation has crossed since the age of atomic terror opened over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Use of even tactical nuclear weapons would invite retaliation with larger nukes or other weapons of mass destruction such as poison gas or biological agents. Other funds that likely will be approved today will restart research into the so-called neutron bomb, an enhanced radiation weapon that kills people while reducing the damage to distant buildings. International protests stopped the United States from developing the neutron bomb a quarter of a century ago. Ironically, the neutron bomb was originally deisgned chiefly to kill tank crews - who might otherwise be sheltered from blast effects by their vehicles' armor. But as the last two Iraq wars have proven, tanks can be destroyed with devastating precision by the existing tank-busting aircraft like the A-10 Warthog, or missiles fired from helicopters. The purpose of restarting a program to build new nuclear weapons is murky, but the long-term diplomatic and ethical quagmire the effort will cause looms starkly clear. If the United States, with all its formidable conventional military might, shows that it needs new nuclear weapons, it will be nearly impossible to stop other countries from rushing ahead with their own atomic programs. The result of Bush's policies will be more nuclear proliferation and less national security. President Bush wants to restart nuclear bomb testing in just 18 months, but Congress delayed that alarming ambition for 24 months. And while Congress approved spending a half-billion dollars more on nuclear weapons next year than it did for 2003, lawmakers also trimmed Bush's budget request. Apparently, even some Republicans doubt the proposals' military need or affordability. Congress, though, should have eliminated Bush's most disturbing proposals. The push for bunker-busting nukes should land in the trash, and the plan to restart atomic bomb testing should be nixed, not just postponed. The members of The Post editorial board are William Dean Singleton, chairman and publisher; Bob Ewegen, deputy editorial page editor; Todd Engdahl, assistant editorial page editor; Peter G. Chronis, Angela Cortez, Dan Haley and Penelope Purdy , editorial writers; Mike Keefe, cartoonist; Barbara Ellis, news editors; and Fred Brown and Barrie Hartman, associate members. DenverPost.com ***************************************************************** 14 Las Vegas SUN: House, Senate GOP Agree on Energy Bill By H. JOSEF HEBERT ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - House and Senate Republicans reached agreement Friday on the first overhaul of national energy policy in a decade, clearing the way for likely final action on the bill next week. GOP energy negotiators said they would provide Democrats details Saturday on the 1,700-page bill, which is unlikely to be changed significantly given the Republican majority in the House and Senate conference. "I think we're being asked to take it or leave it," responded Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who led the Senate Democrats on the energy conference. Supporters of the bill called it a comprehensive and balanced energy blueprint that will spur job creation and reduce the likelihood of future energy crisis such as the surging natural gas prices earlier this year and the summer power blackout. "This is going to make a difference in American families' lives," predicted Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., the House chief negotiator. He said it will "begin the restructuring of energy in this country." The compromise bill reflects many of President Bush's energy priorities, although it does not include a Bush proposal to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling. It became clear that the refuge issue would jeopardize the bill in the Senate, where Democrats and moderate Republicans want the Alaska refuge protected. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the energy conference, called the weeks of negotiations "most difficult" and said there may still be issues that might cause problems in getting final approval in the Senate if Democrats choose to filibuster the bill. He said he hoped for "a strong surge to get it done." Domenici said the House could have a bill for a vote as early as next Tuesday, with the Senate taking it up as early as Wednesday. Staffers involved in the tax negotiations said some disagreements still were being worked out on taxes, but Domenici said a tax deal has been made. The legislation calls for billions of dollars in tax breaks for energy industries and would double the use of corn-based ethanol as a gasoline additive, a boon to farm states. It would call for new laws to ensure reliability of the electricity grids and make it easier for energy companies to develop oil and gas on federal land. Agreement on the bill came after weeks of wrangling over tax breaks for ethanol, certain types of petroleum and the nuclear power industry, as well as how much support the government should give a proposed natural gas pipeline in Alaska. While a clear estimate on the cost of the bill won't be available for some days, House and Senate tax negotiators have been discussing between $16 billion and $21 billion worth of tax incentives, a majority earmarked to boost energy production. Democrats have largely been left out of the energy negotiations, although they had some involvement in the tax issues. Domenici said he would give Democrats in the conference 48 hours to review the massive bill before calling a meeting for a formal vote. Once the bill is approved by the conference it must be given final approval by both the House and Senate. Energy legislation has been a top priority of the White House. President Bush said he wanted a bill this year, calling it both an economic and national security issue. Pressure on lawmakers to push through a bill increased last August when a power blackout hit all or parts of eight states in the Midwest and Northeast. But getting a bill has been anything but easy. Both the House and Senate passed significantly different versions of the bill earlier this year. Sharp differences remained between House and Senate Republicans over the expanded use of ethanol and some of the tax provisions. Vice President Dick Cheney intervened personally a week ago to get an agreement on ethanol taxes, an issue that threatened for a time to scuttle the bill. The bill could still prompt sharp debate in the Senate, however. It includes liability protection for makers of the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to contaminate drinking water. At last one senator has promised a filibuster over the issue, although Republicans said they have votes to beat back the MTBE protest. The MTBE waiver "will give heartburn to quite a few members on the Democratic side," Bingaman told reporters. A majority of the bill's tax breaks would boost development of oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear power. Some tax breaks will go to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy sources such as power from wind turbines. Democrats have sought more support for renewable energy sources. They criticized the legislation for not requiring electric utilities to produce a certain amount of power from renewables and not taking steps to curtail fuel used by automobiles. The legislation takes steps to improve the reliability of the nation's electricity grid by for the first time imposing government reliability standards and penalties on the transmission system. To promote more energy development, the GOP bill will speed up permits and ease environmental restrictions for developing oil and gas on federal land. It also will provide royalty relief for companies that pursue natural gas in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and some tax benefits for construction of a $20 billion pipeline to bring gas from Alaska's North Slope. -- ***************************************************************** 15 Las Vegas SUN: Energy Bill Glance By The Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS Major provisions in the Republican energy draft released Friday: -A doubling of ethanol production for gasoline to 5 billion gallons a year by 2012. -Billions of dollars in tax incentives for producers of oil, natural gas, clean coal and nuclear power. The size of the tax package has yet to be made public, but discussions have ranged from $16 billion to $20 billion, the majority going to traditional energy industries. -Authority and financial help to build a $20 billion pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska's North Slope. -Mandatory reliability requirements for high-voltage power lines and incentives to spur power line production. -Tax incentives aimed at improving energy efficiency of homes and some appliances and at encouraging use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biodiesel. -A requirement to speed up permits and easing of some environmental rules to promote energy development on public lands. -Authority for the Energy Department to build a $1 billion reactor in Idaho to produce hydrogen and tax breaks to spur development of six next-generation commercial power reactors. -- ***************************************************************** 16 Washington Times: Post-Cold War necessities November 14, 2003 House and Senate negotiators recently resolved their differences over the 2004 energy and water spending bill, and the resulting conference report now awaits final action in both chambers. Beyond the customary pork-barrel water projects, the legislation also funds important post-Cold War nuclear-weapons programs intended to deflect rogue nations from coming into possession of weapons of mass destruction. On balance, the final product represents a step forward. But it is not as big a step as is needed. Compromises were necessary, largely because the House's chief negotiator, Rep. David Hobson of Ohio, balked at fully supporting national-security policies embraced by President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. On the other hand, Mr. Hobson achieved an important, constructive victory by obtaining a major funding increase for the creation of a secure national nuclear-waste depository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain. Mr. Bush requested, and the Senate initially approved, $15 million to study the development of small, tactical, earth-penetrating nuclear weapons capable of destroying deeply buried, hardened WMD storage sites while limiting above-ground damage. The conference committee provided $7.5 million in funding for the project. Unlike the House version that included no funding, the final bill also provides $6 million to study "advanced weapons concepts," which could include very-low-yield nuclear weapons ranging from 5 kilotons to 0.1 kiloton of TNT. Researching low-yield weapons had been prohibited since 1994, but the conference committee dealing with the defense authorization bill recently repealed that prohibition. Such nuclear devices might prove valuable in destroying nuclear-, biological- and chemical-weapons sites, while, at the same time, vastly limiting collateral damage. The Pentagon's current Cold War nuclear arsenal contains powerful weapons designed to deter an attack by a superpower of the Soviet Union's caliber. Their use against much smaller states, such as North Korea and Iran, would be so destructive that the United States would be reluctant to use them. Because today's threats emerging from North Korea and Iran are much different from the those of the Cold War, deterrence must change to address them. Having smaller, mission-specific weapons in the arsenal might well serve as a greater deterrent against these rogue states than weapons that are unlikely to be used. The fact that the United States has not tested a nuclear weapon since 1992 has not deterred India, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran from pursuing nuclear-weapons development. Today, it would take the United States about three years to prepare to conduct a nuclear test. The Bush administration sought to shorten that period to 18 months; in another compromise, the bill provides nearly $25 million to reduce the lead time to two years. While not going as far as we would like, the compromise bill nonetheless takes some important steps in the right direction. ***************************************************************** 17 Casper Star-Tribune: Uranium lawsuit goes back to U.S. district court [http://www.trib.com CANON CITY, Colo. (AP) - Residents who claim a uranium mill caused groundwater contamination and health problems must return to U.S. District Court after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a jury ruling in April that would have forced Cotter Corp. to pay residents of the Lincoln Park neighborhood and former employees $43.5 million. The appeals court sent the case back to federal district court for trial. The Supreme Court turned the case down on Monday. The lawsuit claims company negligence exposed the plaintiffs to toxic chemicals and radiation and caused damage to their health and property. ''We have always been confident that the appellate courts would overturn these verdicts,'' Cotter President Richard Cherry said. ''The 10th Circuit's opinion, which has been upheld by the highest court in the country, demonstrates the overpowering weaknesses in the plaintiffs' claims.'' The mill began operation in 1958, extracting uranium from ore by acid bleaching. Cotter stored waste in unlined holding ponds. The mill and part of the nearby Lincoln Park community were listed as a federal Superfund cleanup site in 1984. Cotter Corp., a subsidiary of General Atomics, continues to operate a uranium mill just south of Canon City. AP-WS-11-13-03 2046EST ***************************************************************** 18 Putin Reserves Right for "pre-emptive" strike Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:29:57 -0600 (CST) 21 Hi Pakistan: Right reserved for pre-emptive strike if practice widens - Putin November 05 2003 MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed his position that Russia can resort to pre-emptive military strikes because the policy is also practiced by the United States. "If the principle of preventive use of force continues to develop in international practice, then Russia reserves the right to act in an analogous manner to defend its national interests," Putin said in an interview whose transcript was released on Tuesday. "All nuclear powers are improving their nuclear potential and Russia will do the same," Putin said in an interview with Italian journalists ahead of this weeks visit to Rome, according to Interfax. "But our nuclear policy, as opposed, say, to that of the Soviet Union, is not directed at anyone, it is directed only at strengthening our security," Putin said. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov in October said that Russia would re-evaluate its nuclear stance should NATO remain a military alliance with an "offensive" doctrine. But later, speaking in the United States, he assured NATO countries that Moscow was not seeking to adopt a pre-emptive nuclear strategy. "Russia still regards nuclear weapons as a means of political deterrence. We do not envisage a scenario or a situation where we would use such weapons first," said Ivanov on October 9. Putin in late October said that Russia still planned to rely on its massive nuclear arsenal for decades to come despite signing a broad disarmament agreement with the United States last year. He said Russia has a "significant amount" of SS-19 intercontinental ballistic missiles that had never previously deployed and were thus not part of disarmament negotiations and which remain mothballed for emergency use. He said these would be the perfect weapons for breaking through a potential missile defence shield that has been heavily backed by US President George W. Bush. "These rockets could easily break through any missile shield for decades to come," Putin warned. He said the SS-19 could function for up to 25 more years and gradually replace decommissioned missiles. "In the meantime, we will begin producing new strategic weapons that will guarantee are strategic nuclear missile deterrence system," he said. Putin was on Tuesday due to leave Moscow for Italy for a summit with the European Union on Thursday. Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 19 The Hindu: Nuke programme: China a key provider to Pak. Friday, November 14, 2003 Washington, Nov. 14. (PTI): China continues to provide nuclear-weapon and ballistic missiles assistance to Pakistan despite assurances to the US that it would not do so, the Central Intelligence Agency has said. "We cannot rule out, however, some continued contacts subsequent to the pledge between Chinese entities and entities associated with Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme," it said in its latest six-monthly report to Congress. The latest report on Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction covers the period January 1 through June 30, 2003. Unlike previous reports, there are no separate chapters relating to India and Pakistan but their activities find mention in the context of actions by China, Russia, North Korea and the EU. Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. ***************************************************************** 20 eTaiwan News: Blix casts doubt over claims about energy program [http://www.etaiwannews.com/] 2003-11-14 / Reuters / Former chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix cast doubt on Wednesday on charges that Iran engaged in a civilian energy program to make a nuclear bomb, saying there was no direct evidence. The United States has long accused Iran of using a nuclear energy program as a front to build a bomb and is set to clash next week with three European countries over a U.N. report on the subject. Blix, who is heading a new Swedish government-backed international commission on weapons of mass destruction, said Iran's civilian reactors were not themselves a worry and it was uncertain whether Tehran wanted to build a nuclear bomb. "I haven't seen any evidence of that," he told Reuters in an interview at his Stockholm home. "I don't think these two reactors or a civilian nuclear program are a danger per se." Blix said many countries had similar programs, but Iran still needed to reassure the world it was not moving towards a weapon. His remarks came as President Mohammad Khatami voiced optimism that Iran would avoid being reported to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions, despite a tough U.N. report on its nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report obtained by Reuters on Monday it found no evidence of a secret arms bid, but that Tehran had dabbled in activity often associated with bomb-making, such as plutonium production. Western diplomats say the United States will have a tough fight getting France, Germany and Britain to back its position at a November 20 meeting of the IAEA board. Washington wants the board to pass a resolution to report Iran to the Security Council, a move which could lead to sanctions. Arms experts told Reuters the report supports U.S. claims Tehran has a secret atomic weapons program by detailing a two-decade cover-up of research possibly linked to bomb making. Looking at Iraq, Blix repeated his conviction that no evidence of weapons of mass destruction would ever be found. While Washington was unlikely to pull out of Iraq soon - despite potential political fallout ahead of 2004 presidential elections - it would dearly love to leave, he said. "I am sure they would like to get out, not only before an election, but any time American lives are lost. They thought Iraq would be an easy affair and people would greet them with flowers and hug them and it didn't turn out that way." © 2001-2003 Taiwan News. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 21 iafrica.com: DRC opposition sold Al-Qaeda uranium iafrica.com/news] FRANCE Posted Fri, 14 Nov 2003 A representative of al-Qaeda bought enriched uranium capable of being used in a so-called dirty bomb from the Congolese opposition in 2000, according to sworn testimony quoted in a French newspaper on Thursday. An unnamed former soldier from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has told investigators looking into the murders of two Congolese opposition figures in France in December 2000 that he attended a meeting earlier that year at which the uranium was sold, the Lyon-based Le Progres reported. The man "described a meeting which took place on March 3 in (the German city of) Hamburg between some Congolese men and an Egyptian by the name of Ibrahim Abdul," the newspaper said. It quoted the man as saying: "I realised it was al-Qaeda." According to Le Progres, the Egyptian was able to acquire two bars of enriched uranium 138. Only highly enriched uranium can be used in the manufacture of an atomic bomb, but anti-terrorist experts take more seriously the threat of a "dirty bomb", in which radioactive material is disseminated via a conventional explosive. The unnamed source spoke of the purchase in December 2002 in an affidavit to German police, who passed it to their French counterparts. The evidence is part of the dossier compiled by the team looking into the deaths of the two Congolese opposition figures. According to Le Progres, the man is himself close to Congolese opposition circles and told the German investigators that the money paid for the uranium was needed to finance a putsch against late DRC president Laurent-Desire Kabila. The man has been interviewed by the American and French security services, but could give no information on the source of the uranium, the paper said. The burned bodies of Philemon Naluhwindza and Aime Atenbina were found not far from Lyon in December 2000. An official close to the investigation confirmed to AFP that they had been seeking funds for a coup attempt against Kabila. *AFP* Copyright © 2002 iafrica.com, a division of Metropolis*. ***************************************************************** 22 Asia Times: US sees dollars in Russian nuclear technology [http://www.atimes.com/ By Nikola Krastev PHILADELPHIA - At a time of growing alarm about terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and nuclear proliferation, United States officials are looking to enlist the ingenuity of former Soviet scientists. The US Department of Energy last week unveiled a new approach to its non-proliferation efforts at a two-day conference in Philadelphia - highlighting products from the former Soviet Union in need of matching capital. The conference featured 140 high-tech products from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan for use in a diverse range of industries, including nuclear reactors, coal, petroleum and gas and hydrogen technology. Many of the technologies presented have never before been accessible to US companies. US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham spelled out the importance of the initiative, called "Partnerships for Prosperity and Security": "There is no question that many of these technologies can have wider applications in the global marketplace. On display are more than 100 high technology products ready for commercialization, in areas ranging from nuclear fuel and reactor technology to fuel cells, aerospace and nanotechnology. There are even several technologies specifically designed to aid nonproliferation efforts and reduce terrorism threats. Among these are face-recognition software, portable diagnostics and chemical and biological detectors." This technical ingenuity is the product of entities like the Moscow-based Kurchatov Research Institute for Nuclear Energy, which during the Cold War employed more than 10,000 nuclear energy experts and scientists. With the demise of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the planned Soviet economy, a significant number of these professionals could not find employment or were forced by necessity to work for meager salaries. The US was intent from the beginning on preventing these scientists from accepting employment in rogue states considered a threat to international peace and security. Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Russia's atomic energy minister, acknowledged at the Philadelphia conference that there are few opportunities for these scientists in Russia, especially those employed in the so-called "closed cities" inaccessible to foreigners. A Russian nuclear city is a closed territory where nuclear weapons design and production takes place. "It's true, it is definitely a problem for us to determine how we should transform these unemployed [or underemployed] scientists for a peaceful, [non-military] working environment," Rumyantsev said. "Today's exhibit is an intermediate step, a kind of bridge-crossing between the military use of nuclear energy and its use for peaceful and practical purposes for all humankind." Rumyantsev recalled the experience of the joint US-Russia Nuclear Cities Initiative, which sought to provide employment to former military nuclear specialists. The development of nuclear arms was accompanied by the discovery of many new technologies that at the time were highly secretive. But now, with the dismantling or reducing of nuclear arms facilities in both the US and Russia, there is a potential for many of those innovations to be applied in non-military fields, such as medicine. Last week's conference follows strides in recent months to enhance the energy dialogue between the US and Russia. Last month, Abraham participated in the US-Russia Commercial Energy Summit in St Petersburg, which drew 600 business and government leaders in energy policy and commerce. Abraham told the Philadelphia conference that such efforts are starting to yield results: "Promoting employment and economic development opportunities for these individuals is one of Minister Rumyantsev's and my highest priorities. And I am proud of the significant resources which our department has been devoting for creating peaceful commercial prospects for those individuals. So far we have witnessed a number of encouraging developments in these efforts to create jobs and partnerships for former weapon scientists." Abraham and Rumyantsev announced at the conference the first joint venture project between a US company and a Russian company founded in a closed nuclear city. The groundbreaking project, which furthers the non-proliferation efforts of the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, will employ former Russian nuclear scientists to manufacture medical components, equipment and devices in the formally closed city of Snezhinsk. The joint venture - between Numotech Inc, a Northridge, California medical-devices company, and Spektr-Conversion LLC, a Russian entrepreneurial start-up - will make life-changing medical products available to millions of people worldwide. Projects include a product to prevent and heal pressure ulcers for those confined to wheelchairs, and a unique oxygen-bath system for healing wounds, pressure sores, burns and incisions. Nearly 100 former employees of the Russian Federation's All Russian Scientific and Research Institute for Technical Physics, who previously worked on the manufacturing and design of nuclear weapons, are now employed at Spektr-Conversion. The Numotech-Spektr Conversion joint venture culminates three years of US government support and is expected to create 433 permanent local jobs. *Part 2 explores in detail new ventures involving Russian, Kazakh and Ukrainian partners.* *Copyright (c) 2002, RFE/RL Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC 20036* Nov 15, 2003 Online, 4305 Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Rd, Policies [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/policies.html] ***************************************************************** 23 PTI: Pak denies nuclear assistance to Iran"> Friday, 14 November , 2003, 17:14 Islamabad: Pakistan has termed as "erronous" and "baseless" reports that Iran has admitted to receiving assistance from Islamabad in its nuclear programme. Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said the reported revelation by Tehran about the nuclear assistance by Islamabad came up for discussion between Iran's Deputy Minister for Law and World Affairs Ghulam Ali Khusro and Pakistan's Acting Foreign Secretary Usman Hyder during a meeting. While terming a report by the Times daily of London, as "erronous" and "baseless", he said the two officials also denied it during their meeting. The two officials recalled that the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Iran in a joint press conference here on August 29 had categorically stated that Islamabad had not assisted Tehran's nuclear programme, according to a Foreign Office statement. These "unsubstantiated" reports, Hyder said, occurred periodically in some section of the western media, reflecting what he termed as their "long standing anti-Muslim bias," the statement said. During the meeting, Khusro told Hyder about measures taken by Iran to resolve outstanding issues with the IAEA. Hyder said Pakistan appreciated Iran's constructive efforts and expressed the hope that all such issues would be amicably resolved within the context of the IAEA. [http://sify.com/ Sify.com hosted at SifyHosting India's first Level 3 Internet Data Centre © Copyright Sify Ltd, 1998-2003. All rights reserved. See ***************************************************************** 24 Expressindia: Nuclear defence seminar launched [http://www.expressindia.com/] Pune, November 13: DIRECTOR of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Dr B Bhattacharjee has emphasised the need for the enhancement of nuclear detonation detection capability by the setting up of more monitoring stations across the country. He was delivering the key-note address at a seminar on ‘Nuclear biological and chemical defence (NBCD) preparedness as an imperative — emerging implications for armed forces and civilian population’ at the NBCD School at INS Shivaji, Lonavla near Pune on Thursday. Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral Yashwant Prasad chaired the inaugural session. At present, Bhattacharjee observed, the country had a few stations under the Indian Environmental Radiation Monitoring Network (IERMON) set up by BARC. The need was for enhancing such detection capability, he added. He also stressed the need for effective preparedness and response needs such as assessing, monitoring and taking necessary decisions in the ev ent ofan NBC strike. ‘‘We have to intensify such preparedness effort against the backdrop of incidents like 9/11 attacks and the anthrax scare,’’ Vice Admiral Prasad observed. The seminar was organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the NBCD School, which caters to the training requirements of Indian navy, coast guards and friendly foreign navies. Bhattacharjee released a special edition of the biennial publication Journal of Marine Engineering to mark the occasion. Delegates from the armed forces, defence research and development organisation, government, public and private sector industries are attending the two-day event that will witness the presentation of 10 technical papers. © 2003: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. All ***************************************************************** 25 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: FM makes nuke confidence in Japan [http://www.irib.com] [http://www.iribnews.com/] IranNews Tehran Times Iran Daily 2003/11/14 Tokyo, Nov 14 - Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi here on Friday refreshed vows that Iran's nuclear energy activities are peaceful. In a meeting with the presiding board of Iran-Japan parliamentary friendship group, Kharrazi said Iran is determined to expand cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "Iran is also determined to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," he said. Pointing to Tehran's stance on regional issues, he said that Iran has always taken strides to establish peace, security and stability in the region. Kharrazi said Iraq's neighboring countries can play an important role in restoring stability and supporting a broad-based government in that country. He also stressed the need for the United Nations to maintain a constructive involvement in Iraq. Meanwhile, members of the board told Kharrazi that Iran had shown its goodwill through positive steps it took regarding cooperation with the IAEA. The board also said that Japan is ready to help expand relations between the two countries. The board members highlighted the importance of exchanging viewpoints on various global issues and said the two sides should use their potentials to promote global peace and stability. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi arrived here on Thursday for a two-day official visit. Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.COM [Webmaster@IRIBNEWS.COM] ***************************************************************** 26 NRC Denies Rulemaking Petition by Ohio Citizens Group Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:23:33 -0600 (CST) 23 NRC: NRC Denies Rulemaking Petition by Ohio Citizens Group News Release - 2003-14 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 03-141 November 4, 2003 to amend Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 9, Public Records, by adding a subpart entitled Public Right Access to Licensee-Held Information. This subpart would provide for public access to licensee-held documents, with limited exceptions, and include appeal procedures. The Commission found that the additional record-keeping and reporting proposed in the petition are not necessary to protect the public health and safety or to ensure effective public participation in NRC adjudicatory hearings on licensing actions. In denying the petition, the Commission said that much of the information that is of interest to the petitioner, now kept onsite by licensees, may also be available to the public in other documents (as part of applications, or in response to agency requests for additional information) and placed in the NRCs Public Document Room and/or the agencys Public Electronic Reading Room. Specifically, the Commission found that the information used by the decision-maker in agency licensing decisions is available to the public at these locations, unless the information is exempt from disclosure. This would include personal information, proprietary information, safeguards information, the identity of confidential sources and classified information. The petition for rulemaking was filed in February 1994. The NRC published a notice that it had received the petition and was seeking public comments on the proposed changes in The Federal Register the following June. A response to the petition was delayed a number of times, however, in light of the Commissions ongoing public information initiatives, as well as legislative and executive directives to reduce unnecessary record-keeping and reporting. Nevertheless, the Commission is committed to a more rigorous review of action on pending rulemaking petitions in order to prevent a recurrence of a delay of this length and to assure timely response. When the petitioner filed the proposed amendments, it said that NRC licensee-held documents were not publicly accessible and may contain information members of the public would find useful as they participated in agency proceedings. Meanwhile, since 2000, the NRC has made substantial amounts of information available for public review on its web-site. Along with the development of the Agency-wide Documents Access and Management System, or ADAMS, it has provided this information in a more searchable form at the NRCs Public Electronic Reading Room, i.e. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html. These documents, which include significant amounts of information relevant to licensing decisions, (e.g., the license application), as well as subsequent changes, correspondence between the licensee and NRC, and inspections reports, are now available in ADAMS and continue to be available in the Public Document Room. *Last revised Tuesday, November 04, 2003* ***************************************************************** 27 N. Korea to Seize Equipment From Reactors Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:34:37 -0600 (CST) 5 Las Vegas SUN: N. Korea to Seize Equipment From Reactors By SANG-HUN CHOE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea will seize equipment and technical data from two nuclear power plants being built there, its government said Thursday, days after a U.S.-led group stopped the $4.6 billion project in retaliation for the communist country's atomic weapons programs. The tit-for-tat came as North Korea and the United States vied for leverage ahead of six-nation talks being arranged by China to peacefully resolve the yearlong dispute over the North's nuclear weapons ambitions. The North's Foreign Ministry on Thursday did not revoke its earlier agreement "in principle" to return to the talks, which have been stalled since the nations met in Beijing in August. But it warned that suspending the reactor project gives the government "a reason strong enough to take the most appropriate measure when necessary." It did not elaborate. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Beijing's point man on North Korea, traveled to Washington on Thursday to prepare for a new round of talks, where it hopes the United States and North Korea would sort out their differences. China, South Korea, Japan and Russia also participate, largely as mediators. Earlier this week, the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, a consortium based in New York, tentatively decided to suspend work for one year at Kumho, a remote northeastern coastal village where it has been building two light-water reactors to generating badly needed electricity for the impoverished state. The project began after North Korea promised to freeze and eventually dismantle its suspected nuclear weapons facilities in a 1994 deal with the United States. Washington has convinced three other members of KEDO's executive board - South Korea, Japan and the European Union - that they should halt the project because North Korea has flouted the 1994 accord. KEDO will make a final decision by Nov. 21. The United States and KEDO must fully compensate North Korea "under relevant articles of the light-water reactor agreement," an unnamed North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman told Pyongyang's official news agency, KCNA. "The DPRK ... will never allow them to take out all the equipment, facilities, materials and technical documents now in Kumho area for the light-water reactor construction till this issue is settled." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. South Korea accused Pyongyang of breaking agreements to protect personnel and equipment in Kumho. "We are seriously concerned and strongly urge the North to withdraw its decision immediately," South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement. Hundreds of workers, mostly from South Korea, have been working to build the reactors. The project is about one-third complete, but no core reactor parts have been delivered during the nuclear dispute. The Bush administration says North Korea admitted in October 2002 it violated the 1994 deal by running an uranium-based weapons program. The State Department said it sees "no future" for the Kumho project. In Seoul, visiting Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf denied allegations his country supplied North Korea with gas centrifuges and other crucial machinery for making weapons-grade uranium - in return for North Korean missile technology. "President Musharraf reaffirmed that there was no such cooperation in the past and there will also be no such cooperation in the future," South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's office said in a statement. Pyongyang says the United States has reneged on the 1994 accord by breaking its promise to build one reactor by 2003 and by refusing to compensate for the "tremendous" economic losses caused by the delays. Since last year, Washington and its allies have cut off 147 million gallons of annual free oil shipments to North Korea that were part of the 1994 deal. Pyongyang later expelled U.N. nuclear monitors and said it was restarting the plutonium-based weapons program it froze under the deal. Last month, it said it was building more atomic bombs, adding to the one or two it is believed to already possess. -- ***************************************************************** 28 New Indian Pt. Cooling System: Years in the Making, and More to Come Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 11:28:17 -0500 http://www.nytimes.com http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/14/nyregion/14NUKE. html New Indian Pt. Cooling System: Years in the Making, and More to Come By LISA W. FODERARO Published: November 14, 2003 day after New York State laid out rigorous requirements for the Indian Point nuclear plant that were intended to reduce fish kills, environmentalists and other critics disputed the plant owner's claims that a new cooling system would cost more than $1 billion. Entergy Nuclear Northeast, the owner of the plant in Westchester County, said a "closed-cycle" cooling system, which would reduce fish mortality by 97 percent, could be so expensive as to cause it to close the plant. Advertisement On one level, that is precisely what plant opponents would like to see. But the environmental groups and the state legislator who sued the State Department of Environmental Conservation to compel the installation of a new cooling system say that they were not motivated by a desire to see the plant shut down. Rather, long before Sept. 11, 2001, and the concerns about the plant's vulnerability to terrorism, environmental groups were pushing the federal government and then the state to force Indian Point to install a new cooling system. Such a system would use recycled water and avoid sucking in up to 2.5 billion gallons of water a day from the Hudson River, killing millions of fish and their eggs and larvae each year. The environmental group Riverkeeper - a party to the lawsuit against the state brought last year by Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, the singer Pete Seeger and others - said that over a year, Indian Point's current cooling system withdrew the equivalent of the entire volume of the river from Battery Park to Troy, N.Y. Riverkeeper's predecessor, the Hudson River Fishermen's Association, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Scenic Hudson, have worked for 30 years to get Indian Point and other nonnuclear power plants along the Hudson to adopt closed cooling systems. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency, in its enforcement of the Clean Water Act, issued a similar draft permit in 1975 calling for the same kind of cooling technology the state recommended on Wednesday. Years of hearings followed that draft permit; then the issue was formally delayed for 10 years, beginning in 1981. That was the year the groups signed a landmark agreement with several utilities and state and federal agencies that, among other things, stopped a fiercely contested pumped storage plant that Con Edison wanted to build on Storm King Mountain north of West Point, N.Y. In exchange for the withdrawal of that proposal, the environmental groups and the regulators agreed that the utilities did not have to install the newer cooling technology for 10 years. After 1991 came more studies and negotiations but no action, and Indian Point was allowed to operate its present cooling system even after its permit expired. So while environmental groups and Mr. Brodsky applauded the state's move this week, they focused even more on what they saw as a lax timetable for implementation, possibly as long as a decade. Under the draft permit, which will enter a 90-day comment period, Entergy would not have to build a cooling system until it received a license extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The license for one of the plant's reactors expires in 2013, while the other expires in 2015. Entergy bought the reactors in 2000 and 2001. A spokesman for the N.R.C., Neil A. Sheehan, said that nuclear operators must apply for renewal at least five years before the license is to expire. The agency then typically takes two years to grant or deny the license, which in Entergy's case, would bring the process to 2010. The new cooling system would then undergo an environmental review, a process that could take months. "We've had 30 years of delay," said Warren P. Reiss, general counsel for Scenic Hudson. "This is the last ecological insult to the river. There is a remedy that is known and available, and Entergy should be obliged to implement it at the soonest possible time." Entergy says the new cooling system would be so costly to build - $1.6 billion by its estimate - that it may opt not to renew its license. Jim Steets, an Entergy spokesman, said the figure included about $600 million in lost revenues from a nine-month shutdown of the plant during construction. "We may or may not apply for it," Mr. Steets said of the license renewal. "An order to install cooling towers may preclude it." But a consultant hired by environmental groups said such a system would cost far less, $200 million to $360 million, said David K. Gordon, a senior lawyer for Riverkeeper. And the groups argue that a long shutdown would not be necessary. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Riverkeeper has been a forceful advocate of Indian Point's closing. While the group says it is not using fish mortality as another weapon against the plant, it does acknowledge a link. "They have no right to kill over a billion fish each year," said Alex Matthiessen, executive director of Riverkeeper. "If a new cooling system helps make Entergy's enterprise unprofitable and forces them to shut down the plant, all the better." ***************************************************************** 29 BBC: Germany shuts first nuclear plant Last Updated: Friday, 14 November, 2003 [Technician turns off reactor at Stade nuclear plant] Germany plans to close all nuclear plants by 2025. Germany has shut the first of its 19 nuclear plants in an initial step towards phasing out using atomic power. The 32-year-old Stade plant near Hamburg was taken off the country's electrical grid on Friday morning. Its closure was part of an agreement reached two years ago between the government and power companies. Germany aims to shut all its nuclear power plants by 2025, although it is unclear how Germany will make up for the energy shortfall. Alternative sources "All rods are engaged. We are now out," said technician Bernd Schroeder as the plant was shut down. Spent nuclear rods from the facility will be sent to France for reprocessing, after which work will begin to demolish the plant. The demise of Germany's nuclear industry was sealed in 1988 when German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder pledged to phase out atomic energy in a deal which brought the Green Party into coalition with Mr Schroeder's Social Democrat Party. The phase-out was agreed between Environment Minister Juergen Trittin and Germany's industrial giants. Nuclear power provides a third of Germany's electricity supply; alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are supposed to make up the shortfall. Environmental groups cautiously welcomed Stade's closure, but expressed disappointment that some of its output had been shifted to other nuclear plants. ***************************************************************** 30 NRC: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Indian Point Nuclear FR Doc 03-28498 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64668-64671] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-120] Generating Unit No. 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-26, issued to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (ENO or the licensee) for operation of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2 (IP2), located in Westchester County, New York. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact. Environmental Assessment Identification of the Proposed Action The proposed action would revise the existing, or current, Technical Specifications (TS) for IP2 in their entirety based on the guidance provided in NUREG-1431, ``Standard Technical Specifications for Westinghouse Plants,'' Revision 2, dated April 2001, and in the Commission's ``Final Policy Statement on Technical Specifications Improvements for Nuclear Power Reactors,'' published on July 22, 1993 (58 FR 39132). The proposed amendment is in accordance with the licensee's application dated March 27, 2002, as supplemented by letters dated May 30, 2002; July 10, 2002; October 10, 2002; October 28, 2002; November 26, 2002; December 18, 2002; January 6, 2003; January 27, 2003; February 26, 2003; April 8, 2003; May 19, 2003; June 23, 2003; June 26, 2003; July 15, 2003; August 6, 2003; September 11, 2003; October 8, 2003; and October 14, 2003. The Need for the Proposed Action It has been recognized that nuclear safety in all nuclear power plants would benefit from the improvement and standardization of plant TSs. The ``NRC Interim Policy Statement on Technical Specification Improvements for Nuclear Power Plants'' (52 FR 3788), contained proposed criteria for defining the scope of TSs. Later, the Commission's ``Final Policy Statement on Technical Specifications Improvements for Nuclear Power Reactors,'' published on July 22, 1993 (59 FR 39132), incorporated lessons learned since publication of the interim policy statement and formed the basis for revisions to 10 CFR 50.36, ``Technical Specifications.'' The ``Final Rule'' (60 FR 36953) codified criteria for determining the content of TSs. To facilitate the development of standard TS for nuclear power reactors, each power reactor vendor owners' group (OG) and the NRC staff developed standard TS. For IP2, the Improved Standard Technical Specifications (ISTS) are in NUREG-1431, Revision 2. The NRC Committee to Review Generic Requirements (CRGR) reviewed the ISTS, made note of their safety merits, and indicated its support of the conversion by operating plants to the ISTS. The proposed changes to the current TS (CTS) are based on NUREG- 1431, Revision 2, and on guidance provided by the Commission in the Final Policy [[Page 64669]] Statement. The objective of the changes is to completely rewrite, reformat, and streamline the TSs (i.e., to convert the CTS to Improved Technical Specifications (ITS)). Emphasis is placed on human factors principles to improve clarity and understanding of the TSs. The Bases section of the ITS has been significantly expanded to clarify and better explain the purpose and foundation of each specification. In addition to NUREG-1431, Revision 2, portions of the CTS were also used as the basis for the development of the IP2 ITS. Plant-specific issues (e.g., unique design features, requirements, and operating practices) were discussed with the licensee, and generic matters were discussed with Westinghouse and other OGs. The proposed changes to the CTS can be grouped into four categories. These groupings are characterized as administrative changes, relocation changes, more restrictive changes and less restrictive changes. 1. Administrative changes are those that involve restructuring, renumbering, rewording, interpretation, and complex rearranging of requirements and other changes not affecting technical content or substantially revising an operating requirement. The reformatting, renumbering, and rewording process reflects the attributes of NUREG- 1431, Rev. 2, and does not involve technical changes to the ITS. The proposed changes include: (a) Providing the appropriate numbers, etc., for NUREG-1431 bracketed information (information that must be supplied on a plant-specific basis, and which may change from plant to plant), (b) identifying plant-specific wording for system names, etc., and (c) changing NUREG-1431 section wording to conform to existing licensee practices. Such changes are administrative in nature and do not impact initiators of analyzed events or assumed mitigation of accident or transient events. 2. Relocation changes are those involving relocation of requirements and surveillances for structures, systems, components, or variables that do not meet the criteria for inclusion in TSs. Relocated changes are those CTS requirements that do not satisfy or fall within any of the four criteria specified in 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) and may be relocated to appropriate licensee-controlled documents. The licensee's application of the screening criteria is described in the attachment of the licensee's March 27, 2002, submittal, which is entitled, ``Application of NRC Selection Criteria Including the CTS to ITS Disposition and Relocation Matrix'' (Split Report) in Volume 1 of the submittal. The affected structures, systems, components or variables are not assumed to be initiators of analyzed events and are not assumed to mitigate accident or transient events. The requirements and surveillances for these affected structures, systems, components, or variables will be relocated from the TSs to administratively- controlled documents such as the quality assurance program, the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), the ITS Bases, the Technical Requirements Manual (TRM) that is incorporated by reference in the FSAR, the Core Operating Limits Report (COLR), the Offsite Dose Calculation Manual (ODCM), the Inservice Testing (IST) Program, or other licensee-controlled documents. Changes made to these documents will be made pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59 or other NRC-approved control mechanisms, which provide appropriate procedural means to control changes by the licensee. 3. More restrictive changes are those involving more stringent requirements compared to the CTS for operation of the facility. These more stringent requirements do not result in operation that will alter assumptions relative to the mitigation of an accident or transient event. The more restrictive requirements will not alter the operation of process variables, structures, systems, and components described in the safety analyses. For each requirement in the ISTS that is more restrictive than the CTS that the licensee proposes to adopt in the ITS, the licensee has provided an explanation as to why it has concluded that adopting the more restrictive requirement is desirable to ensure safe operation of the facility because of specific design features of the plant. 4. Less restrictive changes are those where CTS requirements are relaxed or eliminated, or new plant operational flexibility is provided. The more significant ``less restrictive'' requirements are justified on a case-by-case basis. When requirements have been shown to provide little or no safety benefit, their removal from the TSs may be appropriate. In most cases, relaxations previously granted to individual plants on a plant-specific basis were the result of: (a) Generic NRC actions, (b) new NRC staff positions that have evolved from technological advancements and operating experience, or (c) resolution of the Owners Groups' comments on the ISTS. Generic relaxations contained in NUREG-1431, Revision 2 were reviewed by the staff and found to be acceptable because they are consistent with current licensing practices and NRC regulations. The licensee's design is being reviewed to determine if the specific design basis and licensing basis are consistent with the technical basis for the model requirements in NUREG-1431, Revision 2, thus providing a basis for the ITS, or if relaxation of the requirements in the ITS is warranted based on the justification provided by the licensee. These administrative, relocated, more restrictive, and less restrictive changes to the requirements of the ITS do not result in operations that will alter assumptions relative to mitigation of an analyzed accident or transient event. In addition to the proposed changes solely involving the conversion, there are also changes proposed that are different from the requirements in both the CTS and the STS NUREG-1431. These beyond scope issues to the conversion, listed in the order of the applicable ITS specification or section, as appropriate (from ITS 3.6.9 to ITS 3.8.7), are as follows: 1. The licensee added ITS Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) 3.6.9--Isolation Valve Seal Water System to the proposed IP2 ITS. NUREG-1431 does not include an STS for this system, because very few plants have this kind of system. The CTS provides a base set of requirements, which the staff will use to evaluate the licensee's proposed change for parameters such as allowable out-of-service time and surveillance requirements (SRs). 2. The licensee added ITS LCO 3.6.10--Weld Channel and Penetration Pressurization System (WC) to the proposed IP2 ITS. The WC is designed to continuously pressurize the space between selected containment isolation valves, containment piping penetration barriers, and most of the weld seam channels installed on the inside of the containment liner. Pressurization by the WC provides a means of monitoring the containment leakage of the affected barriers. WC pressure is maintained above P*a* [atmospheric pressure], so the system may also reduce out leakage from the containment during an accident, although it is not credited for doing so. There are no regulatory requirements or guidance for this system. NUREG-1431 does not include an STS for this system, because very few plants have this kind of system. 3. The licensee added ITS 3.7.2--Main Steam Isolation Valves (MSIVs) and Main Steam Check Valves (MSCVs) to the proposed IP2 ITS. CTS 3.4B allows all 4 MSIVs to be inoperable for up to 72 hours prior to requiring initiation of plant shutdown. The proposed ITS LCO 3.7.2, required action C.1, allows only one MSIV to be [[Page 64670]] inoperable for up to 72 hours prior to requiring initiation of a plant shutdown. If more than one MSIV is inoperable in Mode 1 (and not closed), ITS LCO 3.0.3 is immediately applicable and a plant shutdown must be initiated within one hour. Proposed ITS 3.7.2 deviates from STS 3.7.2 which allows all four MSIVs to be inoperable for up to 72 hours prior to requiring initiation of plant shutdown. 4. The licensee proposed ITS LCO 3.7.3 for Main Feedwater Isolation to add requirements for operability, allowable out of service times and SRs which are deviations from the Scope of STS conversion. 5. The licensee proposed ITS LCO 3.7.8 of 72 hours allowed out of service time which is less restrictive (i.e., longer) than the STS allowed out of service time of 12 hours, without adopting NUREG-1431, STS LCO 3.7.8 Notes 1 and 2, for the service water pumps. 6. The licensee proposed ITS LCO 3.8.1 to replace the current CTS 3.7 and to require that onsite and offsite electrical power systems are operable in Modes 1, 2, 3, and 4. Current requirements of CTS 3.7 specify that requirements for onsite and offsite electrical power systems are applicable only when the reactor is critical and, therefore, requires only that the reactor be made subcritical when requirements are not met. CTS 4.6 does not establish any requirements for the periodic verification of correct breaker alignment and indicated power availability for offsite circuits. 7. The licensee proposed the following SRs for ITS LCO 3.8.3-- Diesel Fuel Oil and Starting Air: (a) ITS SR 3.8.3.1, requirement for verification regarding the emergency diesel generator fuel oil inventory in the fuel oil storage tanks, is relaxed. (b) Proposed ITS does not adopt STS SR 3.8.3.2 requirement for verification regarding the lube oil inventory; and (c) The licensee added new sections to specify a range of pressure limits and impose LCOs and SRs for the starting air receivers. CTS does not currently have these requirements. 8. The licensee proposed ITS LCO 3.8.4, ``DC Sources--Operating'' and associated ITS SR 3.8.4 which are less restrictive than CTS 3.7.B.5 and CTS 3.7.B.6, CTS 3.7.B.5, and CTS 3.7.B.6 allow one of the four batteries to be inoperable for 24 hours if the associated charger is operable or allow one of the four chargers to be inoperable for 24 hours if the associated battery is operable. 9. The licensee originally proposed ITS LCO 3.8.6, which did not include a requirement to verify battery float current every seven days in accordance with STS 3.8.6, but required seven days with associated conditions. The original proposed ITS 3.8.6 was a deviation from STS 3.8.6, which specified the seven-day interval requirement. However, the licensee later modified its proposed ITS 3.8.6 to include the seven-day SR. 10. The licensee originally proposed ITS LCO 3.8.7, ``Inverter-- Operating,'' which limits the time the inverter may be inoperable to seven days in its March 27, 2002, submittal in lieu of 24 hours as recommended by NUREG-1431. The staff was concerned that the seven-day LCO was too long and also was not consistent with NUREG-1431. Subsequently, the licensee modified its proposed ITS LCO 3.8.7 to reduce the LCO from seven days to 24 hours. 11. The licensee proposed ITS 5.5.11, ``Diesel Fuel Oil Testing Program,'' which is a deviation from STS 5.5.13. The current CTS and UFSAR do not have any requirements for testing diesel fuel oil. Proposed ITS 5.5.11 adds a new program, ``Diesel Fuel Oil Testing,'' to require that a diesel fuel oil testing program is maintained with specific TS requirements for acceptance criteria and testing frequency. IP2 design and licensing basis requires that each diesel generator (DG) has an onsite underground storage tank containing oil for 48 hours of minimum safeguards load and a DG fuel oil reserve with sufficient fuel to support an additional 5 days of operation. ITS 5.5.11 will establish separate fuel oil testing programs for onsite underground storage tanks and the DG fuel oil reserve tanks. The proposed ITS adds to the Administrative Control Section of the TS a new diesel fuel oil testing program. It also incorporates several editorial changes in order to make the ITS consistent with the STS. With a few exceptions, this program follows the requirements specified in the STS. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed conversion of the CTS to the ITS for IP2, including the beyond scope issues discussed above. Changes which are administrative in nature have been found to have no effect on the technical content of the TSs. The increased clarity and understanding that these changes bring to the TSs are expected to improve the operators' control of IP2 in normal and accident conditions. Relocation of the requirements from the ITS to other licensee- controlled documents does not change the requirements themselves. Future changes to these requirements may be made by the licensee under 10 CFR 50.59 and other NRC-approved control mechanisms, which will ensure continued maintenance of adequate requirements. All such relocations have been found consistent with the guidelines of NUREG- 1431, Revision 2, and the Commissions's Final Policy Statement. Changes involving more restrictive requirements have been found to enhance plant safety. Changes involving less restrictive requirements have been reviewed individually. When requirements have been shown to provide little or no safety benefit, or to place an unnecessary burden on the licensee, their removal from the TSs was justified. In most cases, the relaxations previously granted to individual plants on a plant-specific basis were the result of generic action, or of agreements reached during discussions with the owners' groups, and found to be acceptable for the plant. Generic relaxations contained in NUREG-1431, Revision 2, have been reviewed by the NRC staff and found to be acceptable. In summary, the proposed revisions to the TSs were found to provide control of plant operations such that reasonable assurance will be provided that the health and safety of the public will be adequately protected. The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed action involves features located entirely within the restricted area for the plant defined in 10 CFR part 20 and does not have the potential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. It does not increase any discharge limit for the plant. Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered denial of the [[Page 64671]] proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in the current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternative action are similar. Alternative Use of Resources This action does not involve the use of any different resources than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for IP2, dated September 1972. Agencies and Persons Consulted On September 25, 2002, the staff consulted with the New York State official, Ms. Alyse Peterson, of the New York Energy and Research Authority, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments. Finding of No Significant Impact On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action. For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's letter dated March 27, 2002, as supplemented by letters dated May 30, 2002; July 10, 2002; October 10, 2002; October 28, 2002; November 26, 2002; December 18, 2002; January 6, 2003; January 27, 2003; February 26, 2003; April 8, 2003; May 19, 2003; June 23, 2003; June 26, 2003; July 15, 2003; August 6, 2003; September 11, 2003; October 8, 2003; and October 14, 2003. Documents may be examined, and/ or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North Public File Area 01F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 5th day of November, 2003. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Richard Laufer, Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate 1, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 03-28498 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 31 NRC: Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., Millstone Power Station; FR Doc 03-28501 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64662-64663] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-116] Order Modifying Licenses (Effective Immediately) Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. (DNC) has been issued a general license by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) authorizing storage of spent fuel in an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 10 CFR part 50, and 10 CFR part 72. This Order is being issued to DNC who has identified near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of 10 CFR part 72. The Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5) and 10 CFR 73.55(h)(1) require DNC to maintain safeguards contingency plan procedures in accordance with 10 CFR part 73, Appendix C. Specific safeguards requirements are contained in 10 CFR 73.55. On September 11, 2001, terrorists simultaneously attacked targets in New York and Washington, DC, utilizing large commercial aircraft as weapons. In response to the attacks and intelligence information subsequently obtained, the Commission issued a number of Safeguards and Threat Advisories to its licensees in order to strengthen licensees' capabilities and readiness to respond to a potential attack on a nuclear facility. The Commission has also communicated with other Federal, State, and local government agencies and industry representatives to discuss and evaluate the current threat environment in order to assess the adequacy of security measures at licensed facilities. In addition, the Commission has been conducting a comprehensive review of its safeguards and security programs and requirements. As a result of its consideration of current safeguards and security plan requirements, as well as a review of information provided by the intelligence community and other governmental agencies, the Commission has determined that certain compensatory measures are required to be implemented by licensees as prudent, interim measures, to address the current threat environment in a consistent manner throughout the nuclear ISFSI community. Therefore, the Commission is imposing requirements, as set forth in Attachment 1\1\ of this Order, on DNC who has indicated near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of 10 CFR part 72. These interim requirements, which supplement existing regulatory requirements, will provide the Commission with reasonable assurance that the public health and safety and common defense and security continue to be adequately protected in the current threat environment. These requirements will remain in effect until the Commission determines otherwise. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ Attachment 1 contains SAFEGUARDS information and will not be released to the public. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The Commission recognizes that some measures may not be possible or necessary, or may need to be tailored to accommodate the specific circumstances existing at DNC's facility to achieve the intended objectives and avoid any unforeseen effect on the safe storage of spent fuel. [[Page 64663]] In order to provide assurance that licensees are implementing prudent measures to achieve a consistent level of protection to address the current threat environment, the Commission concludes that security measures must be embodied in an Order consistent with the established regulatory framework. DNC's general license issued pursuant to 10 CFR 72.210 shall be modified to include the requirements identified in Attachment 1 to this Order. In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, the Commission finds that in the circumstances described above, the public health, safety, and interest require that this Order be effective immediately. Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 103, 104, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182, and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR parts 50, 72, and 73, it is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that your general license is modified as follows: A. DNC shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any Commission regulation or license to the contrary, comply with the requirements described in Attachment 1 to this Order except to the extent that a more stringent requirement is set forth in their security plan. DNC shall immediately start implementation of the requirements in Attachment 1 to the Order and shall complete implementation before spent fuel is initially placed in the ISFSI. B. 1. DNC shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order, notify the Commission: (1) If they are unable to comply with any of the requirements described in Attachment 1, (2) if compliance with any of the requirements is unnecessary in their specific circumstances, or (3) if implementation of any of the requirements would cause the licensee to be in violation of the provisions of any Commission regulation or the facility license. The notification shall provide the licensees' justification for seeking relief from or variation of any specific requirement. 2. If DNC considers that implementation of any of the requirements described in Attachment 1 to this Order would adversely impact the safe storage of spent fuel, DNC must notify the Commission, within twenty (20) days of this Order, of the adverse safety impact, the basis for its determination that the requirement has an adverse safety impact, and either a proposal for achieving the same objectives specified in the Attachment 1 requirement in question, or a schedule for modifying the facility to address the adverse safety condition. If neither approach is appropriate, DNC must supplement its response to Condition B.1 of this Order to identify the condition as a requirement with which it cannot comply, with attendant justifications as required in Condition B.1. C. 1. DNC shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order, submit to the Commission, a schedule for achieving compliance with each requirement described in Attachment 1. 2. DNC shall report to the Commission when they have achieved full compliance with the requirements described in Attachment 1. D. Notwithstanding the provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5), all measures implemented or actions taken in response to this Order shall be maintained until the Commission determines otherwise. DNC's responses to Conditions B.1, B.2, C.1, and C.2, shall be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 72.4. In addition, submittals that contain Safeguards Information shall be properly marked and handled in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21. The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards may, in writing, relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon demonstration by DNC of good cause. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, DNC must, and any other person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this Order, and may request a hearing on this Order, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for extension of time in which to submit an answer or request a hearing must be made in writing to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. The answer may consent to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically set forth the matters of fact and law on which the licensee or other person adversely affected relies and the reasons as to why the Order should not have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also shall be sent to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same address; to the Regional Administrator for NRC Region I; and to the licensee, if the answer or hearing request is by a person other than the licensee. Because of potential disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it is requested that answers and requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission, either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101, or by e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov [hearingdocket@nrc.gov] , and also to the Office of the General Counsel, either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725, or by e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov [OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov] . If a person other than DNC requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the manner in which his interest is adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d). If a hearing is requested by DNC or a person whose interest is adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at such a hearing shall be whether this Order should be sustained. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), DNC may, in addition to demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the Order on the ground that the Order, including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations, or error. In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions specified in Section III above shall be final twenty (20) days from the date of this Order without further order or proceedings. If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the provisions specified in Section III shall be final when the extension expires if a hearing request has not been received. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this order. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day of October 2003. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Martin J. Virgilio, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 03-28501 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 32 NRC: Entergy Operations, Inc., River Bend Power Station; Order FR Doc 03-28502 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64664-64665] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-117] [[Page 64664]] Modifying Licenses (Effective Immediately) Entergy Operations, Inc., (EO) has been issued a general license by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) authorizing storage of spent fuel in an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 10 CFR part 50, and 10 CFR part 72. This Order is being issued to EO who has identified near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of 10 CFR part 72. The Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5) and 10 CFR 73.55(h)(1) require EO to maintain safeguards contingency plan procedures in accordance with 10 CFR part 73, Appendix C. Specific safeguards requirements are contained in 10 CFR 73.55. On September 11, 2001, terrorists simultaneously attacked targets in New York and Washington, DC, utilizing large commercial aircraft as weapons. In response to the attacks and intelligence information subsequently obtained, the Commission issued a number of Safeguards and Threat Advisories to its licensees in order to strengthen licensees' capabilities and readiness to respond to a potential attack on a nuclear facility. The Commission has also communicated with other Federal, State, and local government agencies and industry representatives to discuss and evaluate the current threat environment in order to assess the adequacy of security measures at licensed facilities. In addition, the Commission has been conducting a comprehensive review of its safeguards and security programs and requirements. As a result of its consideration of current safeguards and security plan requirements, as well as a review of information provided by the intelligence community and other governmental agencies, the Commission has determined that certain compensatory measures are required to be implemented by licensees as prudent, interim measures, to address the current threat environment in a consistent manner throughout the nuclear ISFSI community. Therefore, the Commission is imposing requirements, as set forth in Attachment 1\1\ of this Order, on EO who has indicated near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of 10 CFR part 72. These interim requirements, which supplement existing regulatory requirements, will provide the Commission with reasonable assurance that the public health and safety and common defense and security continue to be adequately protected in the current threat environment. These requirements will remain in effect until the Commission determines otherwise. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ Attachment 1 contains SAFEGUARDS information and will not be released to the public. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The Commission recognizes that some measures may not be possible or necessary, or may need to be tailored to accommodate the specific circumstances existing at EO's facility to achieve the intended objectives and avoid any unforeseen effect on the safe storage of spent fuel. In order to provide assurance that licensees are implementing prudent measures to achieve a consistent level of protection to address the current threat environment, the Commission concludes that security measures must be embodied in an Order consistent with the established regulatory framework. EO's general license issued pursuant to 10 CFR 72.210 shall be modified to include the requirements identified in Attachment 1 to this Order. In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, the Commission finds that in the circumstances described above, the public health, safety, and interest require that this Order be effective immediately. Accordingly, pursuant to sections 103, 104, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182, and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR Parts 50, 72, and 73, It is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that your general license is modified as follows: A. EO shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any Commission regulation or license to the contrary, comply with the requirements described in Attachment 1 to this Order except to the extent that a more stringent requirement is set forth in their security plan. EO shall immediately start implementation of the requirements in Attachment 1 to the Order and shall complete implementation before spent fuel is initially placed in the ISFSI. B. 1. EO shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order, notify the Commission: (1) If they are unable to comply with any of the requirements described in Attachment 1, (2) if compliance with any of the requirements is unnecessary in their specific circumstances, or (3) if implementation of any of the requirements would cause the licensee to be in violation of the provisions of any Commission regulation or the facility license. The notification shall provide the licensees' justification for seeking relief from or variation of any specific requirement. 2. If EO considers that implementation of any of the requirements described in Attachment 1 to this Order would adversely impact the safe storage of spent fuel, EO must notify the Commission, within twenty (20) days of this Order, of the adverse safety impact, the basis for its determination that the requirement has an adverse safety impact, and either a proposal for achieving the same objectives specified in the Attachment 1 requirement in question, or a schedule for modifying the facility to address the adverse safety condition. If neither approach is appropriate, EO must supplement its response to Condition B.1 of this Order to identify the condition as a requirement with which it cannot comply, with attendant justifications as required in Condition B.1. C. 1. EO shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order, submit to the Commission, a schedule for achieving compliance with each requirement described in Attachment 1. 2. EO shall report to the Commission when they have achieved full compliance with the requirements described in Attachment 1. D. Notwithstanding the provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5), all measures implemented or actions taken in response to this Order shall be maintained until the Commission determines otherwise. EO's responses to Conditions B.1, B.2, C.1, and C.2, shall be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 72.4. In addition, submittals that contain Safeguards Information shall be properly marked and handled in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21. The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards may, in writing, relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon demonstration by EO of good cause. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, EO must, and any other person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this Order, and may request a hearing on this Order, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for extension of time in which to submit an answer or request a hearing must be made in writing to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and [[Page 64665]] Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. The answer may consent to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically set forth the matters of fact and law on which the licensee or other person adversely affected relies and the reasons as to why the Order should not have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also shall be sent to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same address; to the Regional Administrator for NRC Region IV; and to the licensee, if the answer or hearing request is by a person other than the licensee. Because of potential disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it is requested that answers and requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission, either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101, or by e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov [hearingdocket@nrc.gov] , and also to the Office of the General Counsel, either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725, or by e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov [OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov] . If a person other than EO requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the manner in which his interest is adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d). If a hearing is requested by EO or a person whose interest is adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at such a hearing shall be whether this Order should be sustained. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), EO may, in addition to demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the Order on the ground that the Order, including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations, or error. In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions specified in Section III above shall be final twenty (20) days from the date of this Order without further order or proceedings. If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the provisions specified in Section III shall be final when the extension expires if a hearing request has not been received. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this order. Dated at Rockville, MD, this 31st day of October 2003. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Martin J. Virgilio, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 03-28502 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 33 York Dispatch: NRC holds Peach Bottom meeting November 14, 2003 Probe of September incident at nuke plant to be discussed Tuesday By REBECCA J. RITZEL *(Lancaster) Intelligencer Journal* Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials will host a public meeting Tuesday to explain why a September lightning strike in Chester County shut down a pair of nuclear reactors 36 miles away. The NRC sent a special inspection team to Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station a week after the Sept. 15 incident. The six-member team investigated why the reactors shut down and evaluated how Peach Bottom staff handled the situation. The meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Peach Bottom Inn on Route 74, Delta, will be open to the public. NRC inspectors will discuss inspection results with officials from Peach Bottom operator Exelon Nuclear, then open the floor to questions from the public. Officials from PECO Energy Co., an Exelon subsidiary, claimed indirect responsibility for the shutdown. Early that morning, lightning struck a PECO power line in East Bradford Township, near West Chester. A circuit breaker failed to isolate the damaged power line, cutting off electricity to more than 100,000 PECO customers and three PECO/Exelon plants -- Peach Bottom, Conowingo (Md.) Hydroelectric Station and Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility in Holtwood. The Conowingo and Muddy Run plants were shut down for just a few hours, but Peach Bottoms' Unit 2 reactor was sidelined for a week. Exelon chose to keep Unit 3 off line until Oct. 11 for refueling. At least two complications occurred at Peach Bottom as the reactors were shutting down, according to a preliminary report issued by the NRC. One of four emergency generators failed, and a safety relief valve used to control steam pressure initially stuck open. The NRC has decided to penalize Exelon because the September shutdown was the fourth at Unit 2 in less than a year. Plants that automatically shut down, or "scram," three times within 7,000 hours of operation are subject to additional oversight, NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said. The reactor tripped off unexpectedly Dec. 21, 2002, when a computer failure caused steam isolation valves to close. On April 21, the valves closed and shut the reactor again because of instrument problems on an air line. The unit also was down from July 22 to Aug. 1 because of generator problems. Sheehan said Exelon must establish a "corrective action program" to curb the trend of frequent scrams and submit the plan to the NRC for approval. Unit 2 also will undergo additional federal inspections in the next 12 months, he said. Since 1997, the nation's 103 commercial reactors have automatically scrammed an average of once every two years, according to the NRC. Peach Bottom's Unit 3 has a better performance record than Unit 2, with a current average of 0.8 scrams each year, Sheehan said. A third reactor, Peach Bottom Unit 1, was permanently shut down in the 1970s. ©2003 by MediaNews Group, Inc. and York Newspaper Company ***************************************************************** 34 DW: Germany starts Nuclear Energy Phase-Out [http://dw-world.de 14.11.2003 Stade was Germany's second-oldest nuclear reactor. Germany's future is looking a lot greener with the closure of the Stade nuclear reactor power plant on Friday. But critics of Germany's ambitious nuclear phase-out law say the country still needs atomic energy. There will be no cermonial shut-off switch for Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin to flick when the Stade nuclear power plant in northern Germany goes offline on Friday, but chances are the champagne corks will be popping in the Green party headquarters this evening. With the early closure of the country's second-oldest nuclear reactor, Germany will take the first step of an ambitious nuclear phase-out law engineered by the Greens three years ago. “It’s of course wonderful, and the first of many,†said Michaela Hustedt, the Greens' environmental expert in an interview. Under the 2002 law, Germany’s 19 nuclear reactors will close down after reaching 32 years of operation. Stade is the first reactor to be removed from the grid. When the last reactor goes off the grid in around 2020, nuclear and coal power, which currently provide the country with 80 percent of its electricity, will have bowed out in favor of renewable energy. But the plan is coming under increasing criticism from energy companies and opposition politicians, who say the prohibitive cost of renewable energy and recent blackouts in the United States prove the country still needs its nuclear plants. “Looking at it technically, renewable energy can’t cover as our basic source of energy,†said Peter Poppe, a spokesman for Vatenfall Europe, one of the four utility companies to agree on the “Nuclear Consensus†in 2000. “The sun, we all know, isn’t a regular in Germany and the wind, as it says in the Bible, the wind blows where it wants to.†Other countries holding off of nuclear power Nuclear reactors, though heavily subsidized by the government, still provide the more stable form of energy, say phase-out opponents. Across Europe countries that have sworn off nuclear energy, like Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, continue to rely heavily on their reactors. Sweden which decided to phase out nuclear power in 1980, has so far taken only one reactor off the grid and has been hesitating recently on shutting down the second. With the Kyoto Protocol requiring countries in the future to keep carbon emissions like those from coal-burning plants down, German energy experts are concerned that the country won’t have a stable source of power to make up for the 40,000 megawatts in power lost when plants go off the grid in the coming 20 years. [Preussen-Elektra coal fired power plant, Grosskrotzenburg-Hessen, Germany ] “You either phase-out nuclear energy, or you reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but you can’t do both,†says Wolfgang Pfaffenberger, director of the Bremen Energy Insitute. Energy companies hoping for delay Germany’s big four energy companies – Vatenfall, Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg, E.on and RWE – are secretly hoping the country follows the European trend and delay deadlines for shutting their reactors, says Pfaffenberger. Their problem would also be solved if the opposition Christian Democratic party, which wants to keep nuclear energy around longer, boots out the Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s red-green coalition government in the 2006 federal elections. “They are hoping that day comes but they don’t want to say it because it would decrease the likelihood of it happening,†Pfaffenberger says. Environmentalists say they should instead be focusing on developing their renewable energy technology. The gradual transition from nuclear power will be covered by a temporary combination of coal, wind and gas power, according to the Environment Ministry. Eventually, coal will be phase out as new energy sources like the geo-thermic plant that opened in northeastern Germany this week, become economicallly viable. “We just can’t switch our energy sources from today to tomorrow,†says Björn Pieprzyk, of the Association for Renewable Energy. “But the direction has to be right.†The growing power of wind Germany has so far favored wind over other renewable energy resources. The more than 12,000 wind turbines that dot the German countryside in the north and southwest of the country are indirectly subsidized by the government. The early subsidies have helped mid-sized German companies become worldwide leaders in the wind market. “Wind is already a classic energy source, even if some don’t see it, or want to see it,†says Andreas Düser, whose company Enercon is second in the worldwide market and has production plants in Sweden, Brazil and India. The Green party has high hopes for additional renewable energy sources, eventually wanting them to increase their current eight percent share of the German electricity market to 20 percent by 2020. Critics want energy puzzle solved “We want a broad palette of renewable energies. Micro-turbines, solar technology, and so on,†says Hustedt. “But it is difficult to predict,†what will take off economically. The economic uncertainty on what renewable energy source will take off when has only added fuel to the argument of the phase-out naysayers. Though the transition from nuclear power is only just beginning, skeptics say Germany needs to have a better concept of what makes up the rest of the energy puzzle. If the Greens increase renewable energy to 20 percent, "you still have 80 percent you need to take care of, and no nuclear energy," says Pfaffenberger, co-author of a book on power supply. "Up until now, people haven't been worried ... and who looks 10 years into the future anyway? But the experts are annoyed that we haven't found an alternative yet," he said. [en:video] Under the 2002 law, Germany’s 19 nuclear reactors will close down after reaching 32 years of operation. DW-TV: Journal (english) DW ***************************************************************** 35 NYT: New Indian Pt. Cooling System: Years in the Making, and More to Come By LISA W. FODERARO Published: November 14, 2003 [A] day after New York State laid out rigorous requirements for the Indian Point nuclear plant that were intended to reduce fish kills, environmentalists and other critics disputed the plant owner's claims that a new cooling system would cost more than $1 billion. Entergy Nuclear Northeast, the owner of the plant in Westchester County, said a "closed-cycle" cooling system, which would reduce fish mortality by 97 percent, could be so expensive as to cause it to close the plant. On one level, that is precisely what plant opponents would like to see. But the environmental groups and the state legislator who sued the State Department of Environmental Conservation to compel the installation of a new cooling system say that they were not motivated by a desire to see the plant shut down. Rather, long before Sept. 11, 2001, and the concerns about the plant's vulnerability to terrorism, environmental groups were pushing the federal government and then the state to force Indian Point to install a new cooling system. Such a system would use recycled water and avoid sucking in up to 2.5 billion gallons of water a day from the Hudson River, killing millions of fish and their eggs and larvae each year. The environmental group Riverkeeper — a party to the lawsuit against the state brought last year by Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, the singer Pete Seeger and others — said that over a year, Indian Point's current cooling system withdrew the equivalent of the entire volume of the river from Battery Park to Troy, N.Y. Riverkeeper's predecessor, the Hudson River Fishermen's Association, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council and Scenic Hudson, have worked for 30 years to get Indian Point and other nonnuclear power plants along the Hudson to adopt closed cooling systems. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency, in its enforcement of the Clean Water Act, issued a similar draft permit in 1975 calling for the same kind of cooling technology the state recommended on Wednesday. Years of hearings followed that draft permit; then the issue was formally delayed for 10 years, beginning in 1981. That was the year the groups signed a landmark agreement with several utilities and state and federal agencies that, among other things, stopped a fiercely contested pumped storage plant that Con Edison wanted to build on Storm King Mountain north of West Point, N.Y. In exchange for the withdrawal of that proposal, the environmental groups and the regulators agreed that the utilities did not have to install the newer cooling technology for 10 years. After 1991 came more studies and negotiations but no action, and Indian Point was allowed to operate its present cooling system even after its permit expired. So while environmental groups and Mr. Brodsky applauded the state's move this week, they focused even more on what they saw as a lax timetable for implementation, possibly as long as a decade. Under the draft permit, which will enter a 90-day comment period, Entergy would not have to build a cooling system until it received a license extension from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The license for one of the plant's reactors expires in 2013, while the other expires in 2015. Entergy bought the reactors in 2000 and 2001. A spokesman for the N.R.C., Neil A. Sheehan, said that nuclear operators must apply for renewal at least five years before the license is to expire. The agency then typically takes two years to grant or deny the license, which in Entergy's case, would bring the process to 2010. The new cooling system would then undergo an environmental review, a process that could take months. "We've had 30 years of delay," said Warren P. Reiss, general counsel for Scenic Hudson. "This is the last ecological insult to the river. There is a remedy that is known and available, and Entergy should be obliged to implement it at the soonest possible time." Entergy says the new cooling system would be so costly to build — $1.6 billion by its estimate — that it may opt not to renew its license. Jim Steets, an Entergy spokesman, said the figure included about $600 million in lost revenues from a nine-month shutdown of the plant during construction. "We may or may not apply for it," Mr. Steets said of the license renewal. "An order to install cooling towers may preclude it." But a consultant hired by environmental groups said such a system would cost far less, $200 million to $360 million, said David K. Gordon, a senior lawyer for Riverkeeper. And the groups argue that a long shutdown would not be necessary. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Riverkeeper has been a forceful advocate of Indian Point's closing. While the group says it is not using fish mortality as another weapon against the plant, it does acknowledge a link. "They have no right to kill over a billion fish each year," said Alex Matthiessen, executive director of Riverkeeper. "If a new cooling system helps make Entergy's enterprise unprofitable and forces them to shut down the plant, all the better." Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company ***************************************************************** 36 Hampton Union Local News: Nuke plant off-line [webmaster@seacoastonline.com Hampton, NH Friday, November 14, 2003 By Susan Morse smorse@seacoastonline.com [smorse@seacoastonline.com] SEABROOK - Seabrook Station went off-line Tuesday night for the repair of a leak in the reactor coolant system within the containment building, according to a spokesman for the nuclear power plant. Unlike the hydrogen leak found on Monday, which caused plant officials to declare an unusual event, Tuesday’s coolant leak of filtered water and boron - a chemical used to help regulate a nuclear reaction - did not warrant an emergency classification and was not released to the media, according to spokesman Al Griffith. According to Griffith and a spokesman for the state Bureau of Emergency Management, these types of leaks happen as regularly as twice a year "It’s not that it’s routine," said Jim Van Dongen, the public information officer for the state Department of Safety’s Bureau of Emergency Management. "It will happen a couple times a year. It’s not critical." The information is posted on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Web site, Griffith said. On Wednesday, FPL Energy, the majority owners of Seabrook Station, notified emergency management directors in towns within a 10-mile radius of the plant and the state Bureau of Emergency Management of the repair, which shut down power. Throughout the day Tuesday, plant operators received indications of a problem from flow transmitter monitors, Griffith said. "We detected a leak in the system," he said. "To do the repair, we have to reduce power." The plant’s turbine generator went off-line at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and reactor power was reduced. Workers replaced the leaking part and the plant was back on-line by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Griffith said. The leak was discovered in instrumentation, an assembly that is an estimated foot or two in width, which measures temperature and the flow of water through coolant pipes circulating through the reactor system. Workers shut off the two valves on either side of the instrumentation, took out the assembly and replaced it, said spokesman Dave Barr. The water in the reactor system is hot and under high pressure. The small leak allowed the filtered water mixed with boron to escape into the containment building. There was no release of radiation, Griffith said. The repair of leaks of this kind is routine maintenance, said Griffith, who had no figures on how much of the coolant was released or for how long. The incident was unrelated to a hydrogen gas leak found Monday morning in the main generator in the turbine building on the non-nuclear side of the plant, said Griffith. The hydrogen leak caused plant officials to declare an unusual event, the lowest of four emergency levels at a nuclear power plant. The unusual event was declared because hydrogen is flammable, Griffith said. Tuesday’s coolant leak did not meet the criteria of an unusual event, Griffith said. "If you have a flammable or toxic leak," Griffith said, "it rises to a different level than what we’re talking about with a leaky valve." Copyright © 2003 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please ***************************************************************** 37 China Daily: Nuclear power plants to go local [www@chinadaily.com.cn] |.about us ( 2003-11-14 23:10) (China Daily) The China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), the nation's largest nuclear power plant builder, is going to direct more of its own technological and design capabilities into the construction of new nuclear power generators, rather than rely on importing them from foreign countries. The State-owned company's decision follows the government's earlier approval of the construction of four new multi-billion-dollar nuclear power generators. This is the first time in the past six years for the central government to give the go-ahead for the construction of new nuclear power plants. The move is being taken to answer the growing demand for electrical power. China has imported three of its four present nuclear power plants from foreign countries, including France, Canada and Russia. The second-phase of the Qinshan Nuclear Plant in East China's Zhejiang Province is the only one with generators designed and built by China. When visiting Qinshan last year, President Hu Jintao said: "Nuclear power generation is a high tech industry that cannot rely totally on purchasing equipment from abroad.'' "The only way to develop our nuclear industry is to rely on our own expertise,'' Hu said in a speech early this year. Sun Hanhong, director the of Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute, under the CNNC, said China's nuclear plants should use key technology developed by Chinese so that the nation can have a strong say in procurement and operation and in management of the plants. Developing the country's own technology, rather than importing it from foreign countries, will also help guarantee rapid responses in case there should be emergencies. Although foreign co-operation is necessary at present to supplement the Chinese technology, China should try to increase the use of its own designs and technology in building its nuclear power plants, said Shen. Yang Qi, director of the Nuclear Power Institute of China under the CNNC, said domestic design and technology would also bring a reduction in construction costs, thus improving the competitiveness of the plants. The average investment in a generator for the second phase of Qinshan plant, for instance, is US$1,330 per kilowatt, while it costs US$2,000 per kilowatt to import it. According to the government's blueprint, the costs of the construction of the new nuclear power plants are to be capped at US$1,500 per kilowatt, in a bid to keep the plants competitive with local coal-fired power plants. Yang said the requirement will push CNNC to rely more on domestic design and technology to cut the costs. He said doing its own design work will also strengthen the company's bargaining position in negotiating with foreign partners. Wang Zhaofu, a senior engineer with CNNC, said the successful operation of the Qinshan plant proves that Chinese technology and design are reliable. The first generator of the second phase of the Qinshan plant has been in operation for more than a year with satisfactory economic and security records. Wang also urged that the country develop its own complete nuclear industry system, covering everything from research and design, geological survey and fabrication of nuclear fuel rods to construction and operation of the plants, disposal of nuclear wastes and nuclear security. A complete system will help consolidate the industry. This will not only help sustain the development of the nuclear power industry, but also help maintain China's military power, Wang added. Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved ***************************************************************** 38 Sofia Echo PARTNERSHIP: The Israeli ambassador to Bulgaria Avraham - Bulgaria's English-language newspaper Issue 46: November 14 to 20, 2003 Sharon, left, was present at the opening of the Israeli-Bulgarian high-tech forum in the Sheraton Sofia hotel earlier this week. THE Ministry of Energy received the final programme for the upcoming peer review of the Kozlodui nuclear power plant from the working group on nuclear matters at the Council of Europe. According to the programme, the expert mission will base its conclusions on the additional information from September and October 2003 provided by the Energy Ministry and the Kozlodui power plant as well as on the reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA) from June this year, the final report of IAEA from 2002 and the report of Enconet of 2002. According to the programme, however, the group will not discuss the political aspects of the demands for the closure of units 3 and 4 of Kozlodui power plant because it does not have the capacity to do so. Minister of Energy Milko Kovachev said that he was satisfied with the scope of the programme of the expert group. "The rules are clear, the procedure is concentrated entirely towards giving adequate and correct answers to all questions," Kovachev said. The chairperson of the Agency for Nuclear Regulation (ANR) Emil Vapirev, however, said that the scope of the review does not include an objective evaluation of the actual status of the Kozlodui power plant after modernization of the two units in which more than $ 300 million were invested. "The fact that the results of the peer review will be given in April 2004 also shows that the review is only a formality," Vapirev said. According to him, the reports of such reviews are given immediately after they are finished, not months later. Vapirev also said that out of the 12 experts who will conduct the review, only three or four are familiar with the type of reactors used in units 3 and 4. A Greek MP at the European Parliament, Andonis Trakatelis, demanded information on the closure of the, what he called the dangerous nuclear reactors 3and 4 of Kozlodui and the keeping of the agreement between Bulgaria and the EU for nuclear safety. Trakatelis, who is the floor leader of the New Democracy parliamentary group at the European Parliament, made the demand in connection to the recent statements of Bulgarian officials regarding a new agreement on the closure of the two units and the position of the Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on the matter. According to Trakatelis, the position of Simitis was "worthy of pity" because he could not see the strategy of delaying tactics for the closure of units 3and 4 of the Kozlodui power plant. Meanwhile the Belgian ambassador to Bulgaria Edmond deWilde said that before entering into conflict for or against the closure of units 3 and 4, Bulgaria must decide on its future as a player in the EU energy market. According to him, in the long run the country would not have energy deficiency but the energy exports will be defined by the conditions of the market. De Wilde said that Bulgaria must decide whether it is lucrative to invest money in expensive modernizations of the existing nuclear units or the construction of new ones. © 2002, Sofia Echo Media Ltd. ***************************************************************** 39 JOURNAL NEWS: Groups challenge DEC action on Indian Point By ROGER WITHERSPOON THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: November 14, 2003) HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON — Environmentalists yesterday said they would challenge a state order that gives Indian Point the option of using Hudson River water to cool its equipment for another decade, despite the resulting deaths of billions of fish. At a news conference on the river's wind-swept banks, the state Department of Environmental Conservation was praised for its declaration Wednesday that the best way to protect the river was to require the nuclear power plants to install a closed-cycle cooling system instead of using the Hudson. But the agency also was criticized for allowing Indian Point to reject the new cooling system if its owner agreed not to seek renewal of its operating licenses when they expire in 10 to 12 years. The permits that allow Indian Point to use the river expired in 1992, and the plants have been using the river since then without state approval. Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, D-Greenburgh, folk singer and environmentalist Pete Seeger, two environmental groups and two anti-Indian Point groups successfully sued the DEC last spring. The agency was ordered to issue a new discharge permit by today. The new permit gives Indian Point the option of building two new cooling towers, at a cost Entergy Nuclear Northeast says is prohibitive and unnecessary, or agreeing to let each plant's operating license expire in 2013 and 2015. Whichever option is chosen, the DEC has required the plants to take other steps to help protect the river and ameliorate the damage caused by the current cooling system. "The (DEC) got it profoundly wrong by giving Entergy a 10-year get-out-of-jail-free card," Brodsky, who led the court effort, said yesterday. "This smacks of the same kind of political interference which let the Pataki administration not to do anything until the judge forced them to act. If we have to go back to court to make clear that that political protection is illegal and has to stop, we will do that." The plants' operating licenses are granted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has sole discretion over whether a plant may continue working. The plants still must comply with all state laws, however, so the DEC could conceivably stop Indian Point from operating without a state permit. "They get their discharge permits from the state," NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said, "and that is not something we would intervene in. If they are not able to work that out, the state has sole jurisdiction in that area." The state issues five-year discharge permits that govern the dumping into state waterways. Indian Point's proposed permit, if finalized early next year, would expire in 2009. The DEC is planning hearings on the permits in January and March. Brodsky said a letter would be sent to the DEC next week requesting the hearing schedule be moved up to December. "For over 30 years, environmental groups have fought against this pernicious and destructive process of withdrawing vast amounts of the river's water for cooling purposes," said David Gordon, an attorney with the environmental group Riverkeeper. "The DEC has no legal authority, and there is no policy justification, for deferring the retrofit of the technology that can save the river from this impact for another generation." Jim Steets, an Entergy spokesman, declined to discuss the DEC's draft discharge permit. Entergy has maintained in documents filed with the DEC that retrofitting the twin nuclear plants with a closed-cycle system would require construction of two massive cooling towers three times the size of the existing containment buildings, cost $1.4 billion and require a 10-month shutdown for installation. The company filed a court challenge to the state's environmental impact assessment on the existing cooling system two weeks ago, asserting that use of the river water did not harm the Hudson's ecology. "This press conference and their rantings are not about cooling towers," Steets said in a statement. "It's about Riverkeeper and Assemblyman Brodsky searching for new ways to close Indian Point." The DEC declined to comment on the issue. *Send e-mail to [rwithers@thejournalnews.com] * [http://www.thejournalnews.com Copyright 2003 The Journal News, [http://www.gannett.com/] . Inc. newspaper serving Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties in New York. Use of this site indicates your agreement to the [http://www.thejournalnews.com/include/terms.html] (updated 12/17/2002) ***************************************************************** 40 CS Monitor: Germany grows greener [http://www.csmonitor.com/] 11/12/03 from the November 14, 2003 edition The Stade power plant closes Friday, the first step in a two-decade program to wean Germany from nuclear power. By Andreas Tzortzis | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor BERLIN  When the German energy company E.On quietly removes the Stade nuclear plant from the grid Friday, Germany will take the first step toward a future of rooftop solar panels, wind farms, and natural gas-burning plants. The closure spells joy for people like Michaela Hustedt, an environmental expert for Germany's Greens, who engineered Germany's ambitious law to phase out nuclear power over the next 20 years. "It's, of course, wonderful, and the first of many [plants that will close]," she says. TRIPLE TURRETS: The cooling towers of Grafenrheinfeld, one of Germany's 19 nuclear power plants, frame the spire of a church in the Bavarian village of Heidenfeld. MICHAEL DALDER/REUTERS/FILE But the plan is coming under increasing criticism from energy companies and opposition politicians, who say the prohibitive cost of renewable energy and recent blackouts in the United States prove the country still needs to rely on its nuclear plants. "Looking at it technically, renewable energy can't cover as our basic source of energy," says Peter Poppe, a spokesman for Vatenfall Europe, one of the four utility companies to agree on the "Nuclear Consensus" in 2000. "The sun, we all know, isn't a regular in Germany, and the wind, as it says in the Bible, the wind blows where it wants to." Switching off Under the 2002 law, Germany's 19 nuclear reactors will close down after the newest of the plants reaches 32 years in production. When the last reactor goes off the grid in 2023, nuclear and coal power, which currently provide the country with 80 percent of its electricity, will have bowed out in favor of so-called "renewable" energy. That could spell disaster, opponents of the nuclear phaseout warn. Nuclear reactors, which are heavily subsidized by the government, still provide the more stable source of energy, the critics say. They point to other European countries that have sworn off nuclear energy yet continue to rely on their reactors. Sweden, for example, has so far taken only one reactor off the grid and has been hesitating recently on shutting down a second. With the Kyoto Protocol requiring countries in the future to limit carbon emissions like those from coal-burning plants, German energy experts are concerned that the country won't have a stable source of power to make up for the 40,000 megawatts lost when nuclear and coal plants go off line in the coming two decades. "You either phase out nuclear energy, or you reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, but you can't do both," says Wolfgang Pfaffenberger, director of the Bremen Energy Insitute. Germany's four big energy companies - Vatenfall, Energie Baden-Württemberg, E.on and RWE - are hoping the country will delay the deadlines for shutting reactors, says Mr. Pfaffenberger. The chances of this would be boosted if in the 2006 federal elections the opposition Christian Democrats manage to unseat Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's coalition government, which includes the environmentalist Greens as junior partner. "They [the energy firms] are hoping that day comes, but they don't want to say it because it would decrease the likelihood of it happening," Pfaffenberger says. Environmentalists say the big four should instead be focusing on developing their renewable energy technology. The gradual transition away from nuclear power will be covered by a temporary combination of coal, wind, and gas power, according to the Environment Ministry. Eventually, coal will be phased out as new energy sources - like the geothermic plant that opened in northeastern Germany this week - become economicallly viable. "We just can't switch our energy sources from Friday to Saturday," says Björn Pieprzyk, of the Association for Renewable Energy. "But the direction has to be right." Breezy solution? Germany has so far favored wind over other renewables. The more than 12,000 wind turbines that dot the German countryside in the north and southwest of the country are indirectly subsidized by the government. The indirect financial breaks - 2.7 billion ¬ ($3.1 billion) in financial breaks in 2002 alone - have helped mid-sized German companies become worldwide leaders in the wind market. "Wind is already a classic energy source, even if some don't see it, or don't want to see it," says Andreas Düser, whose company Enercon is second in the worldwide market and has production plants in Sweden, Brazil and India. The Greens have high hopes for additional renewable energy sources, eventually wanting them to increase their current 8 percent share of the German electricity market to 20 percent by 2020. "We want a broad palette of renewable energies. Micro-turbines, solar technology, and so on," says Ms. Hustedt. "But it is difficult to predict," what will take off economically. Skeptics say Germany needs to have a better concept of what makes up the rest of the energy puzzle before it embarks on the path of abandoning nuclear power. If the Greens increase renewable energy to 20 percent, "you still have 80 percent you need to take care of, and no nuclear energy," says Pfaffenberger, co-author of a book on power supply. "Up until now, people haven't been worried ... and who looks 10 years into the future anyway? But the experts are annoyed that we haven't found an alternative yet." Plans call for the Stade plant to be torn down starting in 2005, after spent fuel rods are removed and sent to France for reprocessing. Spent fuel from German power plants is shipped to both France and Britain for reprocessing but returns to Germany for storage - triggering regular protests along the route by antinuclear activists, including several this week. " *Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.* www.csmonitor.com | Copyright © 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 41 [DU-WATCH] Support the Truth - new great CD by Dennis Kyne Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 01:37:08 -0600 (CST) Dear All, gulf veteran, activist, photo-journalist and muscian Dennis Kyne has just produced a most amazing CD to support the investigation into the truth about DU and Gulf War Syndrome. Dennis is presently touring the US doing tours,(mostly the west coast at present) and all infomation on this "non-compromising bard" can be found at http://www.denniskyne.com/ For those in the UK who want to buy his album "Support the truth", then look at http://www.discoweb.com/uk/Music/scripts/Albums.asp?Interprete=DENNIS+KYNE this kind of venture, espeically in the environment of silence and cover-up over Iraq needs all the support it can be given. cheers davey ________________________________________________________________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/9rHolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 42 America's First Nuclear Accident Revealed in New Book Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 22:58:15 -0600 (CST) 40 Newswise: America's First Nuclear Accident Revealed in New Book Source: ECW Press Released: Mon 03-Nov-2003, 00:00 ET DescriptionA revealing new book claims that the first nuclear disaster to claim fatalities took place on U.S. soil. Newswise A revealing new book claims that the first nuclear disaster to claim fatalities took place on U.S. soil. *Idaho Falls: The Untold Story of Americab,"s First Nuclear Accident* attempts to answer questions about the devastating accident that have gone unanswered for more than forty years. The SL-1 was a military test reactor hidden in Idahob,"s Lost River Desert that exploded January 3, 1961. Author William McKeown investigates the ensuing cover-up of the accident and examines the potential causes of the disaster. Possible explanations for the tragedy range from faulty reactor design and mismanagement of the reactorb,"s facilities to the personal problems of incompetent personnel. The author also investigates rumours of a failed love affair that prompted deliberate sabotage of the plant, as is the ensuing cover-up by the U.S. government. McKeown employs sound research in his search for the truth, including details uncovered in official documents, firsthand accounts from rescue workers and nuclear industry insiders. Exclusive interviews with the victimsb," family and friends illustrate the devastating nature of the worldb,"s first nuclear disaster and point towards a naC/ve and overzealous emerging U.S. atomic energy industry. As the facts emerge, so too does the claim by McKeown that the truth of Americab,"s first nuclear accident was deliberately suppressed to protect the budding nuclear energy industry in the U.S. McKeown is a reporter and editor based in Colorado Springs. ) 2003 Newswise. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 43 [DU-WATCH] Iraqi "Health Will Suffer for Generations" Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 01:45:38 -0600 (CST) http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1083106,00.html 'Health will suffer for generations' James Meikle, health correspondent Wednesday November 12, 2003 The Guardian Iraqis will suffer the health consequences of the second Gulf war "for years, maybe generations", says a report warning of an "information black hole" on what is truly happening in the country. The international health charity Medact said yesterday that up to 9,565 civilians might have been killed between the start of the war in March and October 20, and more were at risk as already weakened public services collapse. A breakdown in law and order, lack of security and damage to infrastructure threatened further casualties. Even in 2001, Unicef, the UN's children's organisation, reported that one in eight children under five died and one in four was chronically undernourished. The Medact report, Continuing Collateral Damage, estimates that 22,000 to 55,000 people on all sides, including in the military, had died in the war and its aftermath. The figure is far lower than the 49,000 to 261,000 the UK-based charity forecast before the war, largely because military resistance collapsed quickly. But disruption to the country's health was still considerable, says the report's author, Dr Sabya Farooq, pointing to dangers such as leftover explosives and ammunition - Unicef has said this has hurt more than 1,000 children - landmines, and risks of cancers from toxic dust from weapons with depleted uranium. "The mental and physical health of already weakened and unhealthy people is being damaged further," the report says. "Shortages of clean water, adequate food and power leads to an increase in diseases that is likely to result in more deaths than those directly caused by the conflict." It adds: "The absence of reliable data, the failure of occupying forces to provide full information, and the deteriorated security situation which caused most UN staff and many non-government organisations to leave have led to an information black hole of unique proportions." The report calls for independent academic institutions or the UN to be funded to monitor the war's effects, while an assessment of chemical risks and a rapid clear-up of unexploded ordnance should be organised. A strong health sector, eventually paid for by progressive taxation, must be established quickly, it says. Iraq's #260bn debt must be cancelled or substantially cut and not left hanging like a millstone around the new democratic government's neck. Iraqi doctors working in Britain who attended a London seminar to launch the report warned that health professionals still in Iraq were in increasing danger of kidnap, violence and murder. Salih Ibrahim, a histopathologist at St Peter's hospital in Chertsey, Surrey, said: "It is a living hell. Doctors are regarded as soft targets. Nurses on their way to work have to have a male relative to accompany them and wait to take them home." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/9rHolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 44 Atomic Agency Chief Urges Global Controls on Nuclear Fuel Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:22:57 -0600 (CST) 21 NYT: Atomic Agency Chief Urges Global Controls on Nuclear Fuel By KIRK SEMPLE Published: November 4, 2003 [U] NITED NATIONS, Nov. 3 The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, citing the growing threat of nuclear terrorism, urged the United Nations on Monday to consider imposing multinational control over the production of nuclear material that could be used in weapons. "Information and expertise on how to produce nuclear weapons has become much more accessible," the official, Mohamed ElBaradei, said in an address to the General Assembly. "This places extra emphasis on the importance of controlling access to weapon-usable nuclear material." The proposal, if adopted, would amount to a major overhaul of the current nuclear regime, established by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which permits signers to handle their nuclear fuel under international inspection. The treaty, which entered into force in 1970, was intended to limit the spread of nuclear technology and material. Nations that were not already nuclear powers agreed to refrain from developing nuclear weapons in return for help with their nuclear energy or nuclear medicine programs. At the time the treaty was negotiated, there was less concern that rogue states, terrorists groups and individuals might be able to obtain highly enriched uranium and plutonium, the crucial ingredients for nuclear weapons. "Recent events have made it clear that the nonproliferation regime is under growing stress," Mr. ElBaradei warned. He pointed to the "serious and immediate challenge" posed by North Korea, which has pulled out of the nonproliferation treaty, and to the uncertainties about nuclear programs in Iran and Iraq. One idea that may now be worth serious consideration is the advisability of limiting the processing of weapon-usable material by restricting it exclusively to facilities under multinational control, he said. This new approach could also apply to "the management and disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste," he said, adding that spent fuel is stockpiled and awaiting reprocessing in more than 50 countries. The proposal could well rankle countries like Japan that have nuclear programs but insist they will not develop nuclear weapons and are not suspected of conducting secret programs. Japan has a nuclear fuel program and says it will not use it to make weapons. It is not clear how Mr. ElBaradei's proposal would affect the five nations the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China with nuclear weapons programs that predated the treaty. On the threat posed by North Korea, Mr. ElBaradei said that in the absence of inspections there, the agency cannot "provide any level of assurance about the nondiversion of nuclear material." As for Iran, Mr. ElBaradei said he planned to report to the agency this month following current inspections there. Iran is under international pressure to prove that it is not building nuclear weapons. At the General Assembly meeting on Monday, Iran's ambassador here, Javad Zarif, said Tehran would accept the terms of an additional protocol to the nonproliferation treaty that would permit surprise inspections. Mr. ElBaradei, in his speech on Monday, also insisted that inspectors from his agency and the United Nations be permitted to return to Iraq "to provide ongoing assurance that activities related to weapons of mass destruction have not been resumed." Renewed inspections would "bring the weapons file to a closure," he said. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company ***************************************************************** 45 DU, a WMD in Iraq Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 23:25:50 -0600 (CST) 34 Scoop: Perhaps the US Embassy should investigate this! [http://www.scoop.co.nz/] Tuesday, 4 November 2003, 5:53 pm Opinion: Scoop Reader Opinion In support of Bruce Hubbard Regards, Gill Iraq's real WMD crime Depleted uranium has a half life of 4.7 billion years... that means thousands upon thousands of Iraqi children will suffer. Article By Lawrence Smallman on Al-Jazeera. Thursday 30 October 2003 Aljazeera http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E8C356F9-E89F-4CD3-88B5-BB BDF9E085C1.htm *(Editors caution the following two links are images that will disturb.) * Photo: Depleted uranium has caused severe deformities in babies http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/rdonlyres/E8C356F9-E89F-4CD3-88B5 -BBBDF9E085C1/15517/5E2D07C4FA4549DCB632AB2B16F4348B.jpg Photo: Many affected foetuses are so deformed they cannot survive http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/rdonlyres/E8C356F9-E89F-4CD3-88B5 -BBBDF9E085C1/15518/19C44F51B98B425EBD103E840B4BF00E.jpg There are weapons of mass destruction all over Iraq and they were used this year. Iraqi children continue to find them every day. They have ruined the lives of just under 300,000 people during the last decade - and numbers will increase. The reason is simple. Two hundred tonnes of radioactive material were fired by invading US forces into buildings, homes, streets and gardens all over Baghdad. The material in question is depleted uranium (DU). Left over after natural uranium has been enriched, DU is 1.7 times denser than lead - effective in penetrating armoured objects such as tanks. After a DU-coated shell strikes, it goes straight through before exploding into a burning vapour which turns to dust. "Depleted uranium has a half life of 4.7 billion years that means thousands upon thousands of Iraqi children will suffer for tens of thousands of years to come. This is what I call terrorism," says Dr Ahmad Hardan. As a special scientific advisor to the World Health Organisation, the United Nations and the Iraqi Ministry of Health, Dr Hardan is the man who documented the effects of depleted uranium in Iraq between 1991 and 2002. But this year's invasion and occupation has doubled his workload. Terrible history repeated "American forces admit to using over 300 tonnes of depleted uranium weapons in 1991. The actual figure is closer to 800. "This has caused a health crisis that has affected almost a third of a million people" - Dr Ahmad Hardan, scientific advisor to the World Health Organisation "This has caused a health crisis that has affected almost a third of a million people. As if that was not enough, America went on and used 200 tonnes more in Baghdad alone this April. I don't know about other parts of Iraq, it Will take me years to document that. " Hardan is particularly angry because he says there is no need for this type of weapon . US conventional weapons are quite capable of destroying tanks and buildings. "In Basra, it took us two years to obtain conclusive proof of what DU does, but we now know what to look for and the results are terrifying. " Leukaemia has already become the most common type of cancer in Iraq among all age groups, but is most prevalent in the under-15s. It has increased way above the percentage of population growth in every single province of Iraq without exception. Women as young as 35 are developing breast cancer. Sterility amongst men has increased ten-fold. Barely human But by far the most devastating effect is on unborn children. Nothing can prepare anyone for the sight of hundreds of preserved foetuses . Barely human in appearance. There is no doubt that DU is to blame. "All children with congenital anomalies are subjected to karyotyping and chromosomal studies with complete genetic back-grounding and clinical assessment. Family and obstetrical histories are taken too. These international studies have produced ample evidence to show that DU has disastrous consequences. " Not only are there 200 tonnes of uranium lying around in Baghdad, the containers which carried the ammunition were discarded. For months afterwards, many used them to carry water others used them to sell milk publicly. It is already too late to reverse the effects. After his experience in Basra, Hardan says that within the next two years he expects to see significant rises in congenital cataracts, anopthalmia, microphthalmia, corneal opacities and coloboma of the iris . and that's just in peoples eyes. Add to this foetal deformities, sterility in both sexes, an increase in miscarriages and premature births, congenital malformations, additional abnormal organs, hydrocephaly, anencephaly and delayed growth. Soaring cancer rates "I had hoped the lessons of using DU would have been learnt especially as it is affecting American and British troops stationed in Iraq as we speak, they are not immune to its effects either. " If the experience of Basra is played out in the rest of the country, Iraq is looking at an increase of over 300% in all types of cancer over the next decade. The signs are already here in Baghdad - the effects are starting to be seen. Every form of cancer has jumped up at least 10% with the exception of bone tumours and skin cancer, which have only reason 2.6% and 9.3% respectively. Another tragic outcome is the delayed growth of children. Skeletal age comparisons between boys from southern Iraq and boys from Michigan show Iraqi males are 26 months behind in their development by the time they are 12-years-old, and girls are almost half a year behind. "The effects of ionising radiation on growth and development are especially significant in the prenatal child", adds Dr Hardan. "Embryonic development is especially affected. " Action needed Those who have seen the effects of DU hope the US and its allies will never use these weapons again but it seems no such decision is likely in the foreseeable future. "A world famous German cancer specialist agreed to come, only to be told later that he would not be given permission to enter Iraq" Dr Ahmad Hardan, scientific advisor to the World Health Organisation "I arranged for a delegation from Japan's Hiroshima hospital to come and share their expertise in the radiological related diseases we are likely to face over time, says Hardan. The delegation told me the Americans had objected and they had decided not to come. "Similarly, a world famous German cancer specialist agreed to come, only to be told later that he would not be given permission to enter Iraq. " Secondly, Hardan believes, the authorities need to produce precise information about what was used and where, and there needs to be a clean-up operation and centres for specialist cancer treatment and radiation-related illnesses. Iraq only has two hospitals that specialize in DU-related illnesses, one in Basra and one in Mawsil this needs to change and soon. "I'm fed up of delegations coming and weeping as I show them children dying before their eyes. I want action and not emotion. The crime has been committed and documented but we must act now to save our children's future." *-- Gill Jackson * Home Page [http://www.scoop.co.nz Copyright (c) Scoop Media ***************************************************************** 46 [DU-WATCH] DU shipping and transport Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 00:50:36 -0600 (CST) Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, Poulsbo, Washington Website: www.gzcenter.org E-mail: info@gzcenter.org Traprock Peace Center, Deerfield, Massachusetts Website: www.traprockpeace.org E-mail: traprock@crocker.com Military Toxics Project, Lewiston, Maine Website: www.miltoxproj.org Email: mtp@miltoxproj.org Nukewatch, Luck, Wisconsin Website: www.nukewatch.com E-mail: nukewatch@lakeland.ws Depleted Uranium Munitions Action Plan The United States military does not want civilian populations to know how and when depleted uranium (DU) munitions are being shipped through their communities for fear of unnecessary public concern about the radiation risks associated with DU munitions. Normally this type of shipment would be labeled with both Department of Transportation (DOT) Radioactive and Explosive placards. Branches of the U.S. military, however, have a special Department of Transportation exemption, DOT-E 9649, which allows them to ship DU munitions without the Radioactive placard. The exemption must be renewed every few years by the DOT and the Military Traffic Management Command. The current DU munitions shipping exemption expires on June 30, 2004. Public pressure could force the DOT to not renew the next application for exemption by the Military Traffic Management Command. Why should we care about DU shipments while devastation continues in foreign countries from the actual use of this radioactive weapon? By understanding the danger of shipping DU through our neighborhoods, we will better understand the damage done by firing DU in neighborhoods in other countries in our name. By identifying shipments of DU munitions en route to military bases inside the United States for deployment overseas, we open the opportunity to expose and eventually stop the shipments. What to do Contact the Department of Transportation Exemptions division and ask that the DOT immediately terminate and not renew DOT-E 9649. Depleted uranium munitions should have a Radioactive placard and an Explosives placard on shipments. Depleted uranium is an extremely toxic material and much more dangerous when shipped with an explosive propellant as in the case of DU munitions. In case of a fire, first responders (local police and fire fighters) would have no idea the shipment contained radioactive material. Send correspondence regarding DOT-E 9649 to: Mr. Delmer Billings DHM-31 Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Exemptions and Approvals Department of Transportation 400 7th St. SW Washington, D.C. 20590 Fax: (202) 366-3308 E-mail: delmer.billings@rspa.dot.gov Please also (if you want) send a copy to info@gzcenter.org Please share this information with others and local officials. DU Shipping information Depleted uranium (DU) munitions are deployed by the United States military in a number of weapons systems in various locations in the United States and other nations. DU munitions, in our time of endless war, are shipped on a daily basis on our nations highways, railways, waterways, and through foreign nations. DU munitions are a uniquely hazardous material, consisting of a radioactive penetrator which breaks down into small particles when burned, and an explosive charge or combustible propellant in the shell of the cartridge. In an accident scenario, DU munitions on our highways or railways can burn and spread radioactive material. The DU shipments are, in essence, the dirty bomb that our government warns us about. In the case of an accident involving a fire, it is very likely the driver would be incapacitated. The driver would not be able to communicate to others that radioactive material is involved in the fire, making it impossible for first responders to correctly control the fire and protect the public from radioactive material. Three U.S. government documents best describe the purposes and dangers behind DU shipments and DOT-E 9649. U.S. Military Reasons for DOT-E 9649 The original application to the DOT in 1986 from the Military Traffic Management Command stated three reasons for the special exemption for DU munitions. The application for exemption also showed the U.S. military knew in 1986 that DU munitions shipments were a potentially controversial issue. A letter from the U.S. Army Military Traffic Management Command dated August 11, 1986 stated, There are three reasons for transporting DOD DU munitions without drawing public attention by placarding trucks or marking munitions containers as radioactive. First, marking the outside of the DU munitions containers as radioactive may create friction with foreign governments when foreign nations handle DU munitions during shipping, loading or unloading. Secondly, we do not want to generate unnecessary public concern about the radiation risks associated with DU munitions. Thirdly, we do not want to raise public concerns by placarding trucks with the words Radioactive and Explosive since the combination of these two hazard class placards may be construed to mean that nuclear weapons are being shipped when this simply is not the case. The Danger A May 14, 1984 Material Safety Data Sheet on depleted uranium stated the hazards of a fire involving DU. 8. Should DU be handled in powdered form or should a DU penetrator oxidize resulting from a penetrators involvement in an accident such as a fire, then the intake of DU aerosol or ash via inhalation, ingestion or absorption presents an internal hazard. 9. Depending upon the solubility of the particular DU compound in body fluids, it may also be toxic, particularly to the kidney. 10. Should an accident occur or DU corrosion be discovered, clean up and decontamination should be performed only by authorized personnel. 11. Anyone who may have inadvertently come in contact with material that is potentially contaminated with DU should be surveyed for contamination by authorized personnel as soon as possible, remove any clothing which may be contaminated, wash hands, arms, face and any other exposed parts of the body with soap and water. Do not eat, drink, smoke or apply cosmetics before being satisfactorily decontaminated. The August 2002 Navy Radioactive Materials Permit contains a supplement showing the hazardous potential of a fire involving the shipment of DU. The Navy permit application dated August 21, 2002 contained a lengthy but informative section, applicable to any situation involving the combustion of DU. Transportation Accident/Incident w/Fire When involved in a fire, depleted uranium (DU) may oxidize, generating a downwind hazard in the form of a DU oxide dust plume. The significant health hazards associated with the dust plume are; 1) heavy metal poisoning from inhalation of the dust, and 2) the radiological hazards associated with inhalation of the dust. First responder personnel should adhere to the following information when approaching the scene of a DU fire. a. First responders should approach the scene from upwind and assure all non-emergency personnel are evacuated from all downwind areas. First responder personnel should wear self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) respirators to protect against inhalation of any DU oxide dust or remain upwind of the fire. Evacuate the immediate vicinity of the accident and notify the emergency number identified on the DD form 836. In the event that the DD form 836 is not available the on-scene commander should notify the traffic manager at the nearest military base. b. Because, the complete round of DU ammunition contains explosive propellant an explosive hazard exists when fire is present. In this case, remain upwind and assure that essential and non-essential personnel are moved to a safe distance as listed on the DD form 836, Fire Fighting Instructions. Use any available method to stay upwind of the smoke plume. c. Each hazardous material shipment made by the Department of Defense requires the vehicle driver to have in their possession a DD form 836, Fire Fighting Instructions. The DD form 836 contains the necessary withdrawal distance for on-scene emergency personnel and public. The on-scene commander will assure these distances are strictly adhered to. The on-scene commander should establish a cordon of the accident area and assure all personnel are evacuated from the downwind side. The cordon can be increased to limit the effects of wind changes or adverse weather conditions. Establish an entry control point and monitor all personnel entering and exiting the hazard zone. Evaluate the fire scene and determine what actions or non-actions to initiate. In most cases, fire and ammunition dont mix and fire fighting personnel are relegated to observer status to assure the fire doesnt spread or become more serious. d. Contact the nearest Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit to inspect the load and determine the extent of damage. Navy EOD personnel are trained in make-safe operations involving depleted uranium ammunition. Navy EOD personnel will also make all contacts to coordinate clean-up and disposal actions required by U.S. Army Technical Assistance Team. e. The establishment of a radiation contamination control line (RCCL) should be established near the cordon entry control point and outside of the contaminated area. The number of emergency personnel who are to pass over the RCCL should be kept to a minimum. All personnel evacuated from the established cordon should report to the RCCL radiation contamination for screening. The names, addresses, telephone number and monitoring results of all personnel passing through the RCCL shall be recorded, whether contaminated or not. f. Personnel injured in the accident will be evacuated through medical channels. Injured personnel evacuated from the accident scene should be wrapped in a white sheet and tagged to identify possible exposure to DU contamination. Medial treatment for serious injuries takes priority over contamination surveys and decontamination efforts. g. All materials including soil, clothing, packaging, pallets, vehicles and dismembered parts, etc. shall be surveyed and declared radioactive free. Contaminated materials should be disposed of per OPNAVNOTE 5100, Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLWR) Disposal Program. All materials found to be radioactive free may be disposed of through normal methods. h. Once the fire has been extinguished, a smaller controlled area around the accident site must be maintained, until it has been surveyed by EOD and radiological personnel and declared contamination free or the area decontaminated per local, state and federal laws and regulations. i. All emergency response personnel may be contaminated with DU. Some of the personnel may sustain injuries while working at the scene, they should be decontaminated prior to receiving medical treatment, provided medical personnel concur. All equipment used at the fire scene shall be surveyed for radioactive contamination and decontaminated at the RCCL. j. After EOD has declared the area safe from an explosive standpoint, radiation surveys will be performed to determine the extent of radioactive contamination. Areas noted to be contaminated shall be marked and decontaminated as soon as possible. k. The chain-of-command/local military community will assure that waste receptacles are available, and located at the RCCL for disposal of contaminated clothing and equipment. Metal containers with lids should be available with 4 mil plastic linings for solid waste. Radioactive waste should be held at the nearest Department of Defense installation, and disposition instructions requested per OPNAV NOTICE 5100. l. Damaged ammunition that is contamination free shall be repackaged and reported to the applicable Program Manager, listed in appendix 1 to Supplement 7, for disposition. m. Specific guidance on packaging damaged DU ammunition may be obtained by contacting the points of contact identified in Supplement 7, paragraph D.3 and D.4. Not mentioned in the documents is how first responders would have any idea that a burning truck with an Explosives placard might contain depleted uranium. This is because the U.S. government does not want anyone to know. Tara Thornton Executive Director Military Toxics Project P.O. Box 558 Lewiston, ME 04243 (207)783-5091 phone (207783-5096 fax ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/9rHolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 47 NRC: System Energy Resources, Inc.; Notice of Receipt and FR Doc 03-28497 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64665] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-118] Availability of Early Site Permit Application for the Grand Gulf ESP Site On October 21, 2003, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) received an early site permit (ESP) application dated October 16, 2003, from System Energy Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, filed pursuant to section 103 of the Atomic Energy Act and 10 CFR part 52. The site selected for the application is property co-located with the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station near Port Gibson, Mississippi and is identified as the Grand Gulf ESP site. An applicant may seek an ESP in accordance with subpart A of 10 CFR part 52 separate from the filing of an application for a construction permit (CP) or combined license (COL) for a nuclear power facility. The ESP process allows resolution of issues relating to siting. At any time during the period of an ESP (up to 20 years), the permit holder may reference the permit in an application for a CP or COL. Subsequent Federal Register notices will address the acceptability of the tendered ESP application for docketing and provisions for participation of the public and other parties in the ESP review process. A copy of the application is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland and via the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] . The accession number for the application is ML032960315. Future publicly available documents related to the application will also be posted in ADAMS. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC Public Document Room staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . The application is also available to local residents at the Harriette Person Memorial Library in Port Gibson, Mississippi, and it will be available on the NRC web page at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/license-reviews/esp.htm l [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/ license-reviews/esp.html] . Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of November 2003. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. James E. Lyons, Program Director, New, Research and Test Reactors Program, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 03-28497 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 48 Scotsman.com: Opinion - Ten years too late Fri 14 Nov 2003 IT is not exactly an act of contrition, but the Ministry of Defence has grudgingly admitted that mistakes were made in the awarding of the Trident nuclear submarine contract to Devonport instead of Rosyth. The MoD’s official response to a damning report by Westminster’s all-party public accounts committee of MPs insists that lessons have been learned from the project, which has already quadrupled in price from £236 million to more than £900m. According to the MoD, this project was "complex", and involved "a steep learning curve", but steps are now being taken to ensure such a situation does not arise again. Frankly, when hundreds of people’s livelihoods and hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money have been lost, this woolly explanation, delivered ten years after the event, is just not good enough. Helen Eadie, the MSP for Dunfermline East, whose constituency includes Rosyth, says she is pleased that "someone is taking responsibility" for this huge error of judgment at last. But the fact is that no-one is really taking responsibility what the public accounts committee has described as a "monumental failure". It is not as if the MoD were not warned at the time that Devonport’s bid was unrealistic in the extreme, particularly given the nature of the engineering problems. This has been proven beyond doubt by the fact that the cost has risen four-fold, far exceeding Rosyth’s higher but obviously much more accurate bid. There was understandable resentment about the decision, which some critics believed had been politically motivated by the then Tory Government. Whatever the reason behind the decision, the MoD still gave this vital contract to the Plymouth yard and sounded the death knell for Rosyth. A decade later, it is now too late for the ministry to give a collective shrug of shoulders and say that it made a mistake. The fact that Devonport was given this contract in the first place was nothing less than a national scandal. The MoD should be reviewing not only the errors made in this debacle, but how it can compensate the yard at Rosyth for this sheer incompetence. The contract for the Trident refit has long gone, just like the 10,000 jobs that were lost as a result. But it is not too late for the MoD to ensure that the jobs which remain at Rosyth are protected for the future. Indeed, it is not too late for the yard to be built up again. The workers at Rosyth deserve nothing less. In the club IN theory, anything which encourages and supports people to use cars less frequently, thereby reducing congestion and pollution, is a good idea. But in practice the City Car Club has been nothing less than an expensive failure. After four years, the venture has only managed to attract 215 members and it would need another 500 in the next two years just to be able to break even. It seems that the car club is just not an attractive option to motorists who value the freedom that having their own car gives them. In many ways this is a paradigm for the council’s entire policy on transport; people will only stop using their cars if there is an alternative that is both viable and reliable. Councillor Andrew Burns may argue this is the biggest car club in Britain and that he is happy with its performance. But its relative success when compared to similar ventures does not mean the taxpayer should continue to pour money into a club few want to join. Surely there are more efficient ways of spending this subsidy to encourage people to use more environmentally friendly modes of transport? [http://www.scotsman.com ***************************************************************** 49 Scotsman.com: MoD admits errors in Rosyth refit rejection Fri 14 Nov 2003 *BILL JACOBS WESTMINSTER EDITOR* THE Ministry of Defence has said it has learnt from its mistakes in controversially awarding the Trident nuclear submarine refit contract to Devonport in England instead of Rosyth in Fife. In its official response to a scathing report by Westminster MPs on the "monumental failure" of the move, the MoD promised steps had been taken to prevent a similar expensive fiasco happening again. Measures have also been put in place to ensure the spiralling costs of the project, which have risen four-fold, don’t go higher. The MoD has come under fire from the all-party House of Commons public accounts committee and the National Audit office after awarding the work to Devonport Management Ltd (DML) near Plymouth saw costs soar. The original Devonport price of £236 million - cheaper than Rosyth’s bid - eventually came in at more than £900m. The 1993 decision to transfer the Trident work from Rosyth to Devonport was strongly criticised in Scotland at the time. The MoD in its response has now admitted the project involved a "steep learning curve". Ministry chiefs have said they are "already applying the lessons learnt to the remainder of the project". Steps have been introduced to improve the department’s risk assessment procedures. Although DML would be able to recoup overspending through reduced overhead costs in the next 20 years, it had already lost a potential profit of £30m, the report said. The MoD said the Trident contract involved "a complex, time-critical project where nuclear safety is of prime importance and there were difficulties specifying at the outset a scope of work subject to subsequent nuclear regulation". "Pressures to deliver facilities in time for the start of HMS Vanguard’s refit meant some designs had to be developed after contract signature. "This project was the first time the civil and internal nuclear regulators had been involved with a defensive project of this type where the department did not own the site. This resulted in a steep learning curve and the department accepts that some uncertainty about the interaction with the regulatory authorities was not resolved until after contract award." The MoD said these risks could not be costed until late on in the process. The MoD said it had little alternative to negotiating a new contract once the scale of problems was clear and said: "Under the renegotiated contract, DML increased its contribution to £43m. Additionally they lost all their potential profit of up to £30m. "In addition, cost increases above £727m are initially met by DML and will be recovered through the overhead costs of submarine work in Devonport over the next 20 years. "The financing costs of any capital borrowing incurred by DML will be met by them and not recovered from the MoD." Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie welcomed the MoD’s admission. She said: "This was a very expensive and serious error which led to a great loss in this community and also had a dramatic effect on jobs right across Central Scotland. "I am pleased someone is taking responsibility for this. It is rare to see someone putting their hand up." ***************************************************************** 50 YDR: On drugs, and on the job - York Daily Record [ydr.com] OPEN RECORDS Federal level: Congress passed the Freedom Of Information Act in 1966. The act requires federal documents to be made available upon request, with exceptions to protect national security, law enforcement and commercial and individual privacy. FOI sample request letter. More sample letters can be found at [http://foi.missouri.edu/foialett.html#foireq] . + [http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/index.html] State level: On Dec. 26, 2002, Pennsylvania’s new Right-To-Know Act — the first update to the state’s open-records law since 1957 — took effect. Among other things, the law requires public agencies to put denials for public records in writing within 10 days and provides for an appeal process in the courts for denied records. The law also requires agencies and officials found to have unreasonably denied a request to pay fines of up to $300 for each day the document was denied. PA 'Right to Know' request sample letter. On drugs, and on the job Between July 1999 and December 2002, 143 workers and applicants for work at local power plants tested positive for drugs or alcohol. By SEAN ADKINS Daily Record staff Friday, November 14, 2003 See also: At bottom: · ABOUT MARIJUANA SUBMITTED In this 2001 photograph, steam rises from water cooling towers at TMI. Power plants hire short-term contractors for repairs and maintenance, like the installation of a reactor vessel head at TMI since Oct. 18 while the plant's unit 1 reactor is shut down. Most of those who tested positive for drugs and alcohol at TMI and Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station were short-term contractors. bigger version &more photos (2) Late in the afternoon of Sept. 24, 1999, a Three Mile Island security officer checked a tip about a short-term contractor smoking marijuana on the job. Officer Darlene Ranck escorted George Lonnie McDaniel, 27, to TMI’s security office to be questioned for violating the plant’s Fitness-for-Duty Program. Ranck and Officer Greg DeHoff asked McDaniel to empty his pockets. The Jessup, Ga., resident pulled a small plastic bag of marijuana from his pocket, and plant security officers called the Pennsylvania State Police, according to an affidavit filed with District Justice David H. Judy in Dauphin County. McDaniel’s job at TMI did not grant him access to vital areas of the plant. Currently, Dauphin County has a fugitive warrant out for McDaniel’s arrest. He could not be reached for comment for this article. Between July 1999 and December 2002, 143 workers and applicants for work at Three Mile Island and Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station tested positive for drugs or alcohol, according to biannual Fitness-for-Duty reports. The York Daily Record obtained the reports from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission through a Freedom of Information Act request. Drugs listed in the reports include marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines and alcohol. All the people tested had or were applying for unescorted access to vital areas of the plants. Many were short-term workers, such as McDaniel, or were applying for similar jobs. Such workers travel the nation, from power plant to power plant, to work when reactors are shut down for refueling. State Rep. Bruce Smith, R-Dillsburg, said he was disturbed by the number of positive drug tests reported by TMI officials. “There is no excuse or any way to defend substance abuse at a nuclear power plant,” he said. Smith said he plans to contact the NRC and acquire the plant’s Fitness-for-Duty reports for his own records. A Daily Record investigation found: · More people might have tested positive, but the NRC does not have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to chemical testing. The commission uses cutoff limits to screen for narcotics and alcohol. For example, the NRC’s limit for alcohol is a blood-alcohol content of 0.04 percent. That is equivalent to three 12-ounce beers in an hour for a 200-pound man. ·Applicants for short-term contracting work made up the majority of those who tested positive at both Peach Bottom and TMI unit 1 in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County. Short-term contractors generally handle maintenance and repairs that cannot be completed when the plant is on-line. · Workers’ inability to cope with stress following the terrorist attacks may have contributed to the largest single six-month jump in marijuana use among plant workers since July 1999. For both plants, 73 people tested positive for marijuana — the most of any intoxicant. Keeping fit for duty In 1989, the NRC created a policy that each plant should follow an individual fitness-for-duty program. Collecting such data helps ensure that workers complete their jobs free of any physical or mental impairment such as drugs, said Neil Sheehan, commission spokesman. Twice a year, each plant files a report with the commission that details how many workers tested positive for legal or illegal substances. The commission examines the data for trends in drug use among plant workers, Sheehan said. “It acts as a performance indicator of a plant,” he said. If a plant reports two or more fitness-for-duty program failures, the NRC will increase its level of oversight. An example of a program failure could be a worker and plant physician working together to falsify screening results. Program failures could translate into increased inspections and possible fines, Sheehan said. In 2001, the NRC hosted a specific investigation into whether a former commission- licensed chief shift operator at the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in New York had deliberately provided false, inaccurate, or incomplete information on health history forms. The investigation uncovered that the operator deliberately failed to provide complete information on the forms in order to mislead an officer. The fitness-for-duty violation case did not result in a fine, but the NRC could have issued a base civil penalty of $55,000. Neither Peach Bottom nor TMI Unit 1 has been cited for a fitness-for-duty violation. Test limits Rather than have a zero-tolerance drug policy, the NRC relies on cutoff levels to test if a person has abused drugs or alcohol. For example, the NRC’s limit on marijuana is 100 ng/ml — about the equivalent of smoking one joint in a week. At those levels, it is possible that a worker could endanger himself, fellow employees and the community, said Jim Beek, a public information officer for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA sets guidelines for workplace drug testing for the NRC. The level of impairment depends heavily on a person’s sensitivity to a specific drug, Beek said. Since most “street drugs” like marijuana and cocaine are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it can be difficult for experts to determine the strength of the drug, Beek said. “When someone takes a hit off of a joint, you don’t know how or when it might affect them,” he said. “They could end up losing an arm or blowing up Delta, Pa.” From her living room, Marianne Adamski of Goldsboro has a view of TMI’s water cooling towers billowing steam. She said the lack of a zero-tolerance drug policy for plant workers is “scary.” “They should regulate it much better than that,” Adamski said. “They should be more responsible than that.” The NRC’s use of cutoff levels rather than zero tolerance is based on decades of research, Sheehan said. Studies indicate that drugs in quantities below the cutoff levels are not likely to affect job performance. For example, a plant employee who must report to work at 4 p.m. Monday and has cocktails Sunday night should not be affected by the alcohol once he reports to the plant, Sheehan said. “You might have a small amount of alcohol in your body, but based on evidence, it will not impair your ability to do the job effectively,” Sheehan said. One expert claims a zero-tolerance drug policy does not account for human digestion and passive exposure involving marijuana. The human body produces alcohol as a process of digestion, said Robert Stephenson, head of the SAMHSA Division of Workplace Programs. That amount of alcohol is below the level of impairment but above zero, Stephenson said. Marijuana can stick to clothes and hair, he said. If a person walks through a room where people are smoking marijuana, it may mean that they were exposed to second-hand smoke rather than ingesting the drug. “Zero tolerance means that we won’t tolerate one free bite of the apple,” Stephenson said. Another hurdle that laboratories must traverse in the quest for a true zero-tolerance drug test is technology. Many drug cutoff levels exist essentially to test how far down the screening equipment can reach, said Dr. Carla Huitt. “Much of the equipment can’t accurately measure down to zero,” said Huitt, medical director of the Industrial Resource Center at Memorial Hospital. “Below the cutoff level, they are just making an assumption that the person is not impaired.” Regardless of the equipment, doctors cannot determine how an illegal drug will affect one person compared to the next. Marijuana, the most common drug found in plant workers, can remain in the body for up to a month, Huitt said. Fitness offenders On a regional level, most nuclear plant workers who tested positive for drugs were short-term contractors who work the sites during refueling. Between July 1999 and December 2002, 91 short-term contractors at Peach Bottom tested positive for drugs. At TMI, 45 temporary employees tested positive. The remaining seven workers who tested positive for drugs at both power plants were licensed employees. A licensed worker is someone who has been certified by the NRC in their job and works at the plant full time. One reason for the unbalanced figures could be that Peach Bottom has two operating reactors that require double the manpower, compared to the needs of TMI’s lone unit, Sheehan said. Typically, plants temporarily hire hundreds of short-term contractors for repairs and maintenance when reactors are shut down for refueling. For example, short-term contractors have been involved with the installation of a reactor vessel head at TMI since Oct. 18. The plant’s unit 1 reactor is currently shut down. “There really is no need to keep a staff that size on permanently,” said David A. Lochbaum, of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit environmental group. Power companies have the month-long outages every two years to conduct inspections, change out spent fuel rods, upgrade equipment and perform preventive maintenance that is difficult to complete while a plant is operational. Since 1990, when the average refueling outage lasted 60 to 75 days, the industry has pushed to reduce the number of days the power plants are down, Lochbaum said. The more time a reactor is offline, the longer a plant goes without supplying power to the electrical grid — its main business. “They make their money when the plant is running,” Lochbaum said. “Plant operators began to hire additional workers to get the required repairs completed in half the time.” But more workers means more drug screenings and a greater potential for positive chemical tests, Lochbaum said. Most of those who fail the plants’ drug tests are pending hires who are being screened for the first time and have not yet been assigned to the protected area, he said. For those workers who actively take drugs and make it to the protected area of the plant, specific safeguards exist to expose that person’s habits to security. Exelon Nuclear operates a computer program that randomly drug tests 50 percent of a plant’s staff on an annual basis, said Hugh McNally, regional security manager for Exelon Generation. The process deters people from taking drugs under the assumption that a random test could take place at any time, he said. For example, the computer could randomly select a worker who was tested for drugs on Monday to be screened again on Thursday of the same week. “I could be tested three times in a year,” McNally said. “Personally, I’ve been tested twice in one week.” As part of the plant’s training process, new workers are instructed to recognize the symptoms of narcotics use and must report any changes in behavior they notice in other employees. Failure to do so could result in a worker losing his job, McNally said. “If I smell alcohol on someone’s breath,” he said, “I need to report it to my supervisor.” At the drug test, a worker must list all the prescription medications he may be taking. The employee must fill a container with urine, McNally said. The worker is allowed to complete the four-minute test in a bathroom in private, but the employee is not permitted to run any water or flush the toilet. “We try to have a lot of controls in place so a person can’t beat the system,” he said. An onsite laboratory tests the samples. If a worker’s urine screens positive for drugs, the plant sends the sample to an outside laboratory for complete verification. Exelon temporarily denies the employee access to the protected area of the plant. Once the outside laboratory has confirmed the test, the plant’s medical review officer makes a final determination. The commission requires a nuclear plant to restrict a worker’s access to protected areas for at least 14 days. “For most people,” Lochbaum said, “that means they lost their job.” The plant may request a worker complete drug and alcohol counseling before the employee can return to the plant. Plant officials make the final determination whether to reinstate the employee’s access to the protected area or to fire the employee, McNally said. Access is automatically denied for three years if a person screens positive a second time, he said. A failed drug test could hamper a person’s chances for a new job, Lochbaum said. Power companies enter information relating to the failed test into a national database that is monitored by all power plants. “It’s a red flag that you lost unescorted access privileges to the plant,” Lochbaum said. “If you violated their drug policy, you’ve kissed your job goodbye.” Spike in marijuana use Between July and December 2001, 10 TMI workers tested positive for marijuana while 20 Peach Bottom employees screened positive for the illegal drug — the largest single six-month jump since July 1999. By contrast, no workers at Peach Bottom tested positive for marijuana during the previous six-month period. At TMI Unit 1, three people tested positive for the drug during that period. Aside from fall refueling outages that require more workers, the jump in drug abuse may be attributed to stress. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks happened during the six months when the spike occurred. Generally, an unstable political and economic climate can elevate stress to the point where a person could turn to drugs as a coping mechanism, said Helen Gyimesi, a drug and alcohol prevention specialist for Memorial Hospital. “These are mood-altering drugs,” she said. “Working in a place like that after 9/11 could be scary.” *Reach Sean Adkins at 771-2047 or [sadkins@ydr.com] . ABOUT MARIJUANA Marijuana ranked first on the list of illegal drugs found in the systems of people who worked at either Three Mile Island or Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. Since July 1999, 73 people tested positive for the drug. Typically, the shredded green-and-brown leaves of the cannabis plant are smoked. The active chemical in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydocannabinol or THC, binds to nerve cells in the brain. A cellular reaction takes place in the brain and leads to the “high” marijuana users experience. The drug is known to impair judgment and cause long-term memory loss. Marijuana may also damage a person’s immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer. Marijuana can stay in a person’s fat cells for up to a month, said Dr. Carla Huitt, medical director of the industrial resource center at Memorial Hospital. One study cited by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that a person’s risk of a heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. Typically, marijuana users inhale the smoke more deeply than those who use tobacco. That practice increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke and heightens the risk of cancer. Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people. Copyright © York Daily Record 2003 122 S. George St., P.O. Box 15122 York, PA 17405, (717) 771-2000 ***************************************************************** 51 YDR: Temp workers carefully scrutinized - York Daily Record [ydr.com] OPEN RECORDS Federal level: Congress passed the Freedom Of Information Act in 1966. The act requires federal documents to be made available upon request, with exceptions to protect national security, law enforcement and commercial and individual privacy. FOI sample request letter. More sample letters can be found at Freedom of Information Center [http://foi.missouri.edu/foialett.html#foireq] . + Department of Justice: FOI page [http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/index.html] State level: On Dec. 26, 2002, Pennsylvania’s new Right-To-Know Act — the first update to the state’s open-records law since 1957 — took effect. Among other things, the law requires public agencies to put denials for public records in writing within 10 days and provides for an appeal process in the courts for denied records. The law also requires agencies and officials found to have unreasonably denied a request to pay fines of up to $300 for each day the document was denied. PA 'Right to Know' request sample letter. Main News > FOI Reporting [E-mail Icon] E-mail story [Printer Icon] Printer friendly Temp workers carefully scrutinized The NRC can investigate a plant that has questionable hiring practices. By SEAN ADKINS Daily Record staff Friday, November 14, 2003 No one has kept a better history of Mimi Frank’s life than Mimi Frank. Except for maybe Exelon Nuclear. In 1999, Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station hired Frank as a short-term contractor to work its refueling outage. Frank, a senior technician in the work support group, flushed lines and cleaned floors, walls and pipe. The company routinely conducts thorough background checks of all workers — including the short-term contractors it hires when a reactor is shut down. Along with the background checks, short-term contractors must pass a drug test and are subject to random screening while employed at the plant. “They know my life history from birth to the last time I was there,” she said. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission can initiate an investigation into a power plant that has hired a high number of people with questionable backgrounds, said commission spokesman Neil Sheehan. Fines and a more stringent inspection schedule could be enforced as a result of the investigation’s findings. While Frank lives within a quarter-mile of the plant, some short-term contractors hired by the power station and Three Mile Island hail from across the country. These workers travel from power plant to power plant to work during refueling, said David A. Lochbaum of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C. Based on the belief that these transient workers have become familiar with NRC policies, Frank found it hard to believe that 91 short-term contractors had tested positive for drugs and alcohol at the Peach Bottom since July 1999. “Unless you were a total idiot, you’d know you were being tested,” she said. “Once you failed, you never got back in again.” Months before a reactor is shut down, recruiters for the power plants scour regional union halls and offer temporary jobs to welders, sheet metal workers and pipe fitters, said Michael K. Gabner, business manager with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 777. The union covers workers at Three Mile Island Unit 1 in Dauphin County. Typically, short-term contractors take home $40 to $50 per hour, Lochbaum said. The power companies cover all travel and living expenses. “That’s a pretty good job,” he said. “You don’t want to throw away a good career for drugs.” *Reach Sean Adkins at 771-2047 or sadkins@ydr.com [sadkins@ydr.com] . Copyright © York Daily Record 2003 122 S. George St., P.O. Box 15122 York, PA 17405, (717) 771-2000 ***************************************************************** 52 Salt Lake Tribune: Not just Bishop November 14, 2003 I, too, am against U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop's position and ongoing activity to permit higher level radioactive waste to But is everybody forgetting that Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett are also in favor of the legislation? Where is the outcry there? They didn't sponsor it, but they sure as heck aren't speaking out against it, either. There are three members of our congressional delegation who need to open their eyes to their constituents, not just one. Linda Kramer Sandy Copyright Salt Lake City Tribune ***************************************************************** 53 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada again denies water rights for federal nuclear dump November 13, 2003 By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada is again denying water rights to Yucca Mountain, the site the federal government plans for a national nuclear waste dump. "The building of a nuclear waste repository is not a beneficial use," state Engineer Hugh Ricci said Thursday of his decision to deny permanent groundwater rights to the Energy Department. Ricci's ruling, dated Nov. 7, has no immediate effect because a court order currently allows enough water for maintenance and scientific activities at the site 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Ricci cited "overwhelming opposition in Nevada" to the Energy Department plan and called the Yucca Mountain repository "detrimental to the public interest." The federal government can challenge Ricci's ruling, although Energy Department spokesman Allen Benson said Thursday in Las Vegas that no decision had been made. "It's under review," Benson said. The state and federal government have been battling since Ricci's predecessor denied water rights to the site in 2000 citing "public interest." A federal judge in Las Vegas got lawyers for the state and federal governments to agree in December to allow pumping a limited amount of water from underground aquifers to refill storage tanks and serve restrooms and emergencies at Yucca Mountain. That interim agreement does not provide enough water to build, open and operate the repository. Water is just one issue unresolved since Congress and the Bush administration picked Yucca Mountain in July 2002 as the place to entomb the nation's commercial, industrial and military nuclear waste. Nevada Nuclear Projects Agency chief Bob Loux noted Thursday that under the federal judge's order, Ricci's decision can't be challenged until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decides other lawsuits the state has filed against the Yucca Mountain project. The state is challenging site selection standards, Environmental Protection Agency radioactivity standards and Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules for licensing the dump. One case also challenges the constitutionality of forcing one state to accept the burden of other states' radioactive waste. Oral arguments in those cases are scheduled for January. The Energy Department plans by the end of 2004 to submit an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to open the repository in 2010. -- ***************************************************************** 54 NRC: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact of FR Doc 03-28499 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64665-64668] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-119] License Amendment for BWX Technologies, Inc. ACTION: Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Amendment of BWX Technologies, Inc., Materials License SNM-42 to approve the Final Status Survey Plan and Decommissioning Plan for Industrial Waste Landfill 1. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Stout, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T8-A33, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-5269 and e-mail des1@nrc.gov [des1@nrc.gov] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the amendment of Special Nuclear Material License SNM-42 to approve the Final Status Survey Plan (FSSP) and Decommissioning Plan (DP) for Industrial Waste Landfill 1 (ILW1) at the [[Page 64666]] BWX Technologies, Inc., facility located in Lynchburg, VA, and has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this action. Pursuant to NRC regulations (10 CFR part 51) which implement the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the NRC staff prepared an EA to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with approval of the FSSP and DP for ILW 1. Based on this evaluation the NRC has concluded that a FONSI is appropriate for the proposed licensing action. The NRC published a Federal Register notice on October 23, 2002 (67 FR 65146), with a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing on the proposed action. No request for a hearing was received. II. Environmental Assessment 1.0 Introduction The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received a license request from BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), dated June 11, 2002, to amend SNM-42 to approve the DP and the FSSP for IWL1 (Ref. 1). The purpose of this document is to assess the environmental consequences of the proposed license amendment. The BWXT facility in Lynchburg, VA is authorized under SNM-42 to possess nuclear materials for the fabrication and assembly of nuclear fuel components. The facility fabricates research and university reactor components, and manufactures compact reactor fuel elements. The facility also performs recovery of scrap uranium. Research and development activities related to the fabrication of nuclear fuel components are also conducted. 1.1 Background BWXT began operations at the Lynchburg, VA facility in 1956. From 1972 until 1990, BWXT, formerly Babcock and Wilcox, operated two industrial waste landfills, designated IWL1 and IWL2 (further subdivided into 2A and 2B). The landfills were operated under permits issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. During an internal investigation in 1990, it was determined that the material in the landfills had been contaminated prior to disposal. Subsequent to the investigation, the NRC issued a violation for onsite disposal of radioactive material. In response to the violation, BWXT committed to submitting a characterization plan to the NRC for the industrial waste landfills. Following the completion of the characterization, BWXT's intention was to request permission to leave the contaminated material in place, as scoping surveys indicated that the criteria for unrestricted release could be demonstrated. In a submittal dated September 29, 1999, BWXT requested approval of Revision 0 of the Final Status Survey Report (FSSR) for the Industrial Waste Landfills at the Lynchburg, VA facility. In a response dated May 19, 2000, the NRC staff concluded that IWLs 2A and 2B were acceptable for release, provided the licensee demonstrated that the cover would remain in place. However, the staff also determined that Trenches 2 and 3 of IWL1 should be remediated. The FSSP and DP for IWL1 were submitted on June 11, 2002, and are the subject of this EA. The purpose of the FSSP and DP is to provide a plan for demonstrating that the levels of radioactive contamination in IWL1 satisfy NRC requirements for complying with 10 CFR 70.38, which requires the licensee to decommission any outdoor area where no principal licensed activities are occurring. Based on knowledge of the source of contamination, as well as scoping survey information, the main radioactive contaminant present in IWL1 is highly enriched uranium. The criteria that BWXT proposes to meet are found in the Branch Technical Position (BTP), ``Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes from Past Operations'' (Ref. 2). This criteria was approved by the NRC for use at the BWXT site before the License Termination Rule was published in 1997. The criteria in the BTP which BWXT propose to meet are as follows: Option 1--Disposal of acceptably low concentrations enriched uranium with no restriction on burial. For enriched uranium, the maximum acceptable concentration is 30 pCi/gm. Option 2--Disposal of certain low concentrations of enriched uranium, when buried under prescribed conditions, with no subsequent land use restrictions and no continuing NRC licensing of the material. For enriched uranium, the maximum acceptable concentration is 100 pCi/ gm for soluble U and 250 pCi/gm for insoluble U. Conditions may be prescribed in the license, such as depth and distribution of material, to minimize the likelihood of intrusion. The prescribed burial conditions include demonstration that the buried material will be stabilized in place and not be transported away from the site and burial depth be at least four feet below the surface. The acceptability of the site for this type of disposal will depend upon topographical, geological, hydrogeological and meteorological characteristics of the site. 1.2 Review Scope In accordance with 10 CFR part 51, this EA serves to (1) present information and analysis for determining whether to issue a FONSI or to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); (2) fufill the NRC's compliance with the NEPA when no EIS is necessary; and (3) facilitate preparation of an EIS when one is necessary. Should the NRC issue a FONSI, no EIS would be prepared and the license amendment would be granted. This document serves to evaluate and document the impacts of the proposed action. Other activities on the site have previously been evaluated and documented in the 1991 EA for the Renewal of the NRC license for BWXT (Ref. 3). The 1991 document is referenced when no significant changes have occurred. Besides the proposed licensing action, operations will continue to remain limited to those authorized by the license. 1.3 Proposed Action IWL1 is approximately 240 ft long, 150 ft wide, and has a maximum depth of 3 ft. There are 8 trenches in the landfill. BWXT will remediate Trench 2 and a portion of Trench 3 of IWL1. All of Trench 2 and more than a third of Trench 3 will be excavated and the material will be properly disposed of as radioactive waste, a total volume of approximately 3750 ft\3\. A post-remediation scanning survey will be conducted for the excavation as well as any surrounding ``affected'' areas impacted by the exhumation activities. Elevated contaminated areas will be either exhumed for disposal as waste or flagged for additional sampling. Soil sampling will also be conducted within the excavation and one meter from the edge of the excavation to compare contamination levels to the guideline value. The rest of the trenches in the landfill would then remain buried and be capped with impermeable material to inhibit infiltration of surface water (precipitation). Two feet of cover has already been applied over the landfill, another 2 feet will be added for a total of 4 feet of impermeable clay. This cap would be a continuous cover over all trenches, including up to 5 feet beyond the outermost trenches in the site. The cap would then be covered with 0.5 feet of topsoil to support growth of vegetation. Preparation, excavation, sampling, analysis, and report preparation is [[Page 64667]] scheduled to be conducted in approximately 42 months (Ref. 1). BWXT's specific objectives in the FSSP and the DP are to demonstrate that: [sbull] The residual contamination in IWL1, after removal of material from Trench 2 and part of Trench 3, meets the criteria in Option 1 or Option 2 of BTP, ``Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes from Past Operations'' (SECY 81-576)(NRC 1981). [sbull] The environmental impact of any contamination above background poses no significant risk to the environment or the general public, and [sbull] The buried material will remain in place under Option 2 of the BTP criteria. BWXT has no plans at this time to release IWL1 from its NRC license. At the time of license termination for the entire BWXT site, the results of the area final status survey will be reassessed in order to include any possible dose contribution from the IWL1 in the dose assessment for the entire site and any impacts from possible recontamination of the IWL1. 1.4 Need for Proposed Action The need for this proposed action is to allow BWXT to dispose of contamination in IWL1 so as to be able to demonstrate that levels of radioactive contamination in IWL1 will satisfy NRC requirements for complying with 10 CFR 70.38. 1.5 Alternatives to the Proposed Action NRC considered two alternatives to the proposed action. These are described below. Alternative 1--No action This alternative is to leave the site in its current, contaminated condition. Leaving the site in this condition would not comply with NRC regulations that require remediation of unused outdoor areas. Therefore, this alternative is not acceptable. Alternative 2--Excavate the entire IWL1 This alternative would require the licensee to recover and dispose of all of the material in the landfill. The NRC has concluded that this alternative is not preferable for the following reasons: [sbull] This option is more disruptive to the environment due to more disturbance of the soil; and [sbull] the soil which is not contaminated (below the cleanup criteria) will have to be sent to a municipal landfill which has the same environmental impacts as leaving it in place. 2.0 Affected Environment The affected environment is the BWXT site. A full description of the site and its characteristics is given in the 1991 EA for renewal (Ref. 3). The BWXT facility is located on a 525 acre (2 km\2\) site in the northeastern corner of Campbell County, approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Lynchburg, VA. This site is located in a generally rural area, consisting primarily of rolling hills with gentle slopes, farm land, and woodlands. 3.0 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action 3.1 Radiological Impacts Excavated material from Trenches 2 and 3 will be shipped to a licensed disposal facility. The licensee's radiological protection program, which is described in SNM-42, requires use of hazardous work permits and safety procedures that will limit doses to workers to less than or equal to the limits in 10 CFR part 20. Minor spills and/or releases may occur as contaminated soil is being prepared for shipment or during transport to an offsite disposal facility. However, considering that the majority of the waste stream expected to be generated during decommissioning comprises contaminated soil, these incidents would pose only negligible impact to human health and the environment. In the event of a spill of this nature, decontamination efforts and any required notification would be performed in accordance with the BWXT procedures. Residual concentrations of radionuclides in soil will be in compliance with the approved levels in the BTP. Using the conservative resident farmer scenarios, the RESRAD computer program calculates the radiological impact from the residual contamination to be approximately 25 mrem/yr to the resident. 3.2 Non-Radiological Impacts Portions of the site, primarily the groundwater, are contaminated with solvents (PCE, TCE, etc.) from previous BWXT activities. These materials are the subject of an EPA and TDEC RCRA/HSWA Permit requiring investigation and remediation to EPA and Virginia standards in a timeframe agreed upon among EPA, Virginia Department of Health and BWXT. Therefore they are not addressed in this EA. 3.3 Historical and Archaeological Resources The only historic site on the National Register of Historic Places near the facility (within 5 miles) is the 19th century Mt. Athos Plantation, which is across the Mt. Athos Road to the east. The proposed action is not expected to adversely affect historic properties. The staff consulted the State of Virginia Liaison Officer for Historic Preservation and no comments were provided. 3.4 Biota The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is listed as a federally threatened species in Campbell County. One vascular plant, the smooth coneflower (Echinacea laevigata) is listed as a federally endangered species, and two vascular plants, the sweet pine sap (Monotropsis odorata) and the Torrey's mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum torrei), are listed as species of concern in Campbell County. Two fish, the orangefin madtom (Noturus gilberti) and the bigeye jumprock (Scartomyzon ariommus), are listed as species of concern in Campbell County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Field Office determined that the proposed action will not have adverse impacts on threatened or endangered species, or their habitat. 3.5 Water Resources Surface water is not expected to be impacted from approval of this amendment application. There will be no direct effluent discharges to surface water as a result of the proposed activity. Surface water is expected to continue to be protected from site activities through release limits and monitoring programs, as required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, which is regulated by the State. Groundwater quality is not expected to be impacted by this operation. There will be no discharges to soils or surface water that could result in groundwater contamination from the proposed activity, and no withdrawals from groundwater wells which would drawdown the water table. 3.6 Construction Impacts No building construction will occur in this action. Therefore construction impacts are not applicable. 3.7 Impacts to Aesthetic, Economic, Cultural, Social, Air Quality, and Noise Resources There will be no discernable impacts on aesthetics, socio-economics or cultural resources because the work is being done by existing staff and the physical configuration of the facility will remain the same as currently. [[Page 64668]] There may be minor, temporary impacts on air quality and noise during remediation activities. BWXT has dust control measures in place, and the use of equipment will not significantly change from that of the current industrial environment. 4.0 Environmental Monitoring A full description of the effluent monitoring program at the site is provided in the 1991 EA for renewal (Ref. 3). Monitoring programs at the BWXT facility comprise effluent monitoring of air and water and environmental monitoring of various media (air, soil, vegetation, and groundwater). This program provides a basis for evaluation of public health and safety impacts, for establishing compliance with environmental regulations, and for development of mitigation measures if necessary. The monitoring program is not expected to change as a result of the proposed action. The NRC has reviewed the location of the environmental monitoring program sampling points, the frequency of sample collection, and the trends of the sampling program results in conjunction with the environmental pathway and exposure analysis and has concluded that the monitoring program provides adequate protection of public health and safety. The area to be remediated will remain within licensee control and will be monitored according to the pertinent provisions of the license for operational and environmental monitoring. 5.0 Agencies and Individuals Consulted Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, was consulted and has no objection to the proposed action (phone call with Mark Campbell on August 26, 2003). State of Virginia Liason Officer for Historic Preservation was consulted and provided no comments on the proposed action. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Virginia Field Office was consulted and has no objection to the proposed action (phone call with Jolie Harrison on May 21, 2003). 6.0 References 1. BWX Technologies, Inc. June 11, 2002 Final Status Survey Plan and Decommissioning Plan for the Industrial Waste Landfill 1. (ADAMS accession number ML021690397). 2. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, October 5, 1981, Branch Technical Position, Disposal or Onsite Storage of Residual Thorium or Uranium (Either as Natural Ores or Without Daughters Present) From Past Operations (SECY 81-576). 3. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, August 1991, Environmental Assessment for the Renewal of Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-42. 4. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, February 26, 2001, Letter to Arne Olsen from Philip Ting, ``BWXT Amendment No. 66, Postponement of Landfill No. 1 Decommissioning''. III. Finding of No Significant Impact The Commission has prepared the above Environmental Assessment related to the amendment of Special Nuclear Material License SNM-42. On the basis of the assessment, the Commission has concluded under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended to the Commission's regulation in subpart A of 10 CFR part 51, that environmental impacts associated with the proposed action would not be significant and do not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. Accordingly, the Commission has determined that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. IV. Further Information In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,'' the documents related to this proposed action will be available electronically for public inspection from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of November, 2003. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. John Lubinski, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety And Safeguards. [FR Doc. 03-28499 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 55 Las Vegas SUN: NRC to review Yucca data during close-door meetings Today: November 14, 2003 at 9:41:30 PST By Mary Manning The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is beginning a technical review of Energy Department information gathered on a proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, but state and county officials and the public aren't invited to the review. Nevada and Clark County officials have protested the closed-door meetings, set for next week starting Monday at an undisclosed location. The NRC staff will begin to look at the volumes of technical information gathered in the past 20 years at Yucca Mountain in case the Department of Energy submits a license for building a repository in December 2004, Thomas Matula, a NRC senior engineer, said in a Nov. 4 memorandum. The NRC does not have time to revise its guidelines for public participation now, but may review them in the future, Matula said. A decision on any changes allowing observers into the meetings could be issued in early 2004, he said. Steve Frishman, technical adviser for the Nevada Agency on Nuclear Projects, said that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is ignoring its own guidelines set in 1993 by shutting observers out of the review. "It looks as if, first of all, they are ignoring the standard of openness," Frishman said Thursday. Although the NRC is doing nothing illegal, Frishman said, closing the technical review makes people less confident in the process. "It borders on malfeasance," Frishman told Matula and others in Las Vegas on Thursday. The Clark County Nuclear Waste Division also protested the closed-door meetings. ***************************************************************** 56 Las Vegas SUN: State bar might take up Yucca conflict Congressional delegation wants new look taken at DOE's hiring of law firm By Suzanne Struglinski WASHINGTON -- Nevada's congressional delegation wants another investigation into the alleged conflict of interest of the Energy Department's former attorneys for the Yucca Mountain project. This time the delegation wants the State Bar of Nevada to investigate. Chicago-based law firm Winston &Strawn had conflicts of interest that could have disqualified the firm from a $16.5 million Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage project, but there was not enough evidence from the department to show how it determined its eligibility to make a final ruling on the case, according to an Oct. 28 decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green and MacRae, a rival law firm that had bid and lost the contract, sued the Energy Department over the contract award and the conflict of interest. Because of the appeals court ruling, the U.S. District Court now will need to determine if or how the department ruled out the law firm's previous work for a contractor on the project and for the Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear lobbying group that supports the site, before it granted the contract. But the appeals court said also the district court "shall" address whether awarding the contract to Winston violated Nevada's Code of Professional Responsibility, as set out in the Energy Department's own guidelines for selecting the firm. The delegation sent the entire docket of the LeBoeuf court case to the Nevada State Bar Thursday, saying the court and the department's inspector general's conclusions on apparent conflicts-of-interest need examination. "These infractions have the potential to threaten the safety of all Nevadans and have seriously tainted the veracity of DOE's Yucca license application," said Nevada Sens. Harry Reid, a Democrat, and John Ensign, a Republican, along with Republican House members Jon Porter and Jim Gibbons and Democrat Shelley Berkley. They also included affidavits from legal ethicists Geoffrey Hazard and former Nevada Supreme Court Justice Charles Springer that each make similar claims that Winston violated state legal rules. They want the Nevada State Bar to review the law firm's work for the department and "take immedicate disciplinary actions against the law firm" if needed. A Reid aide said the relevancy of the state bar's rules have been an issue from the start of this case. The appeals court decision opened the door for a closer examination of its relevancy and delegation's letter aims to push it along. "Winston &Strawn were conflicted from the start," said Berkley said. "They are in bed with the nuclear industry, and that's not the type of law firms you want to work with the Department of Energy." She said the firm did not disclose its other ties to the nuclear industry when applying for the contract. "There is absolutely no excuse for the omission," Berkley said. Allen Kimbrough, the bar's executive director, said he has not seen the letter yet so he could not comment on anything. In October 2001, Berkley sent a letter to the District of Columbia Bar, also calling for an investigation based on the same conflict of interest charges. The letter came after the Sun uncovered the firm had been a lobbyist for NEI. A Berkley spokesman did not know yet if she or the delegation would send another letter to the D.C. Bar. Action by that bar would hold stronger consequences for the law firm, he said. Berkley said a disqualification by the bar would force the department to find legal counsel "that's appropriate." It could also lead to a disqualification of the two years of work the firm spent preparing the department's application for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, she said. The department insists it will meet its December 2004 submission deadline. Winston and Strawn withdrew as counsel in November 2001 although has not admitted any conflict existed. The project has been without a lawyer sine and the department for months would also not confirm if it has selected a new law firm to pick up work where Winston left off If a judge finds that the Energy Department didn't consider the potential conflicts with the law firm, it could award the contract to another law firm and all of Winston's work may need to be reviewed, delaying the project. Since the ruling on Oct. 28, the department has 45 days to ask that the court rehear the case and 90 days to file with the Supreme Court. After the 45 days the court will send the case back to the District Court in Washington to be heard and a court date could be set anytime after that. The department could not be reached to determine if it will appeal the case or to comment on the delegation letter. The NEI had no comment on the letter since anyone can file a complaint against a law firm, a spokesman said. ***************************************************************** 57 Scotsman: Sellafield Workers Strike over Pay Fri 14 Nov 2003 *By Alan Jones, Industrial Correspondent, PA News* Hundreds of workers at a nuclear reprocessing plant went on strike today in a dispute over pay, with the threat of escalating action to come if the row is not settled. A rally was held outside the BNFL site at Sellafield in Cumbria as the workers walked out at 2pm for an eight hour stoppage. Reprocessing work was halted by the strike and will not start to return to normal until the action ends at 10pm tonight. Members of the GMB and Amicus took action in protest at claims that the company had reneged on an agreement to close a £2,000 pay gap between manual and white collar workers. Unions complained that BNFL had agreed to harmonise pay by next April but were now saying it could not be done until 2009. Brian Strutton, national officer of the GMB, said: “We had hoped that BNFL would be reasonable and meet with us to avoid this dispute but our calls for talks have been met with silence. “It is time for the company to honour their commitments to the workforce and bring industrial shift pay in line with their white collar counterparts.†Dougie Rooney, national officer of Amicus said: “The BNFL board should urgently instruct the management team to honour the written promise they gave to our members to harmonise shift pay by April 2004. Only this will avoid an escalation of industrial action.†Further strikes are planned over the next few Fridays and the action will be stepped up if the row continues. BNFL said safety would not be compromised despite the strike, the first by the company’s employees for around 26 years. Sellafield’s Director, Brian Watson said: “We have spent a considerable amount of time over the last two weeks preparing all of the arrangements to be sure the site is in the safest possible condition that we can make it during the course of this industrial action.†Up to 400 workers, out of Sellafield’s total workforce of 11,000, took part in the strike. [http://www.scotsman.com/contact.cfm] ***************************************************************** 58 Paducah Sun: Quake study to late to help with plant - Joe Walker jwalker@paducahsun.com--*270.575.8650* Friday, November 14, 2003 *Further tests are needed, but state geologists say earthquake hazards for Paducah are overstated. USEC will decide soon.* A new study reinforces state geologists' belief that comes too late to help the community's chances for a new uranium enrichment plant. Seismic conditions are a big factor in a planned December decision by USEC Inc. on where to build a $1.5 billion gas centrifuge plant. By 2010, the new plant will replace the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which enriches uranium for nuclear fuel. USEC says Piketon, Ohio, has advantages over Paducah because it already has centrifuge buildings and lacks Paducah's seismic hazards. Kentucky Geological Survey scientist John Kiefer said he hopes a disagreement with the U.S. Geological Survey over the hazards will eventually be resolved, leading to an easing of stringent building codes that affect economic development. "It makes a big difference whether the New Madrid Zone runs all the way through Kentucky or ends below Paducah," Kiefer said. "The USGS can't prove that it extends all the way up into southern Illinois, and we can't prove that it doesn't at this point. There's kind of a standoff." Kiefer's team wants another $500,000 in state money to expand ground testing in the Paducah area. Using $115,000 from the Paducah-based Kentucky Consortium for Energy and Environment, the survey team has upgraded three monitoring stations and added eight. Kiefer anticipates a meeting among state and federal geologists to try to reach a compromise. David Russ, a USGS executive in Reston, Va., said "the doors are wide open" for dialogue. A report done last month for the consortium compares seismic design assessments in 1996 for Olmsted Locks and Dam, in 1999 for the enrichment plant and in 2002 for a proposed hazardous waste landfill at the plant. The average peak ground shaking of those three studies and two general studies in the New Madrid Seismic Zone is about a third less than shown by the hazard maps. The maps suggest worst-case shaking greater than during 1811-12 when the fault produced three of the biggest earthquakes in U.S. history, causing the Mississippi River to flow backward. The studies' average is in the middle of the 1811-12 range of assumed ground motion. "It is remarkable that five separate investigations performed by different organizations at different times should yield such comparable results," said Dick Schmidt, consortium director. "The lone exception is an estimate by the U.S. Geological Survey that is half again as great as the average." Schmidt said there is no reason to adopt the federal maps when competent engineering firms conclude that lower hazards may be safely used in designing buildings. His group, part of the state New Economy initiative, is working with Kiefer's group to try to disprove the longtime USGS stance that Paducah is in the northern end of the New Madrid zone. The maps flow into tougher building codes that make it more difficult and expensive to design and erect structures — such as buildings, bridges and roads — to be earthquake-resistant. Higher seismic hazards also mean higher insurance premiums. Based on six months of data from new equipment, the state team strengthened its position that the active faults of the zone may not extend into the Purchase. Russ said he has not reviewed the consortium report. But the maps and resulting building codes were endorsed by the International Building Council, a cross section of scientists and engineers, he said. "This is not just the USGS standing alone," Russ said. "Our data would indicate the New Madrid Seismic Zone most definitely does continue into western Kentucky." He said tremors at Olmsted and elsewhere in the region are "strong indication" of the zone. Because the earth is different here than in California, shock waves tend to travel farther, causing more damage, Russ said. The consortium report was done by retired USEC Inc. engineer Allen Burnett, an expert in safety and seismic design at the plant. It says continued ground monitoring is needed to better understand the zone. Burnett recommended an approach similar to that of the National Association of Home Builders Research Center in developing "reasonable alternatives" for building codes. The research center study, completed in May for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, puts maximum ground shaking midway between the average of the various engineering studies and the USGS maps. ***************************************************************** 59 Salt Lake Tribune: Walker won't seek tax hikes [http://www.sltrib.com] November 14, 2003 By Rebecca Walsh If there were a time to raise taxes, this could be it. The pots of cash are gone. The easy cuts in state spending have been made. And Gov. Olene Walker is trying to cobble together her first budget in a slowly recovering economy. But Walker said Thursday she will not propose a tax increase to balance the state's books because legislators wouldn't go along with it while running for re-election next year. "It would be futile for me to propose tax increases in an election year," Walker said at her first news conference at KUED Channel 7, which hosts a monthly meeting between reporters and the Utah governor. Walker said economic forecasts predict a gradual turnaround in Utah's economy. But that increase in revenue might not materialize until July. Meanwhile, the governor is considering raising fees, shifting money from the Centennial Highway Fund and cutting department budgets to cover increasing Medicaid costs and $46 million in one-time funds lawmakers and former Gov. Mike Leavitt injected into the 2003-2004 budget earlier this year. "I'll have to analyze what I think I can get through the Legislature, what priorities we have and look closely at revenue sources," Walker said. "But we've had two or three years of budget cuts. We've cut the low branches. The easy things that we could cut -- they're gone. It's going to be a very difficult year." Walker's first monthly news conference was a microcosm of the weighty issues that she has faced in her first two weeks in office. The 20 rapid-fire questions made for the liveliest half-hour host Ken Verdoia said he had seen since Leavitt's "polygamy press conference" five years ago. Rather than easing in, the new governor has had to respond to reports that a member of Utah's congressional delegation had a hand in smoothing the way for Envirocare Utah to move radioactive mill tailings from Ohio and New York to Tooele County. Walker has fielded complaints from Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and rural county commissioners about a letter she and Leavitt wrote to the Bush admin- istration asking the Bureau of Land Management to abandon plans for 15 oil and gas wells in a pristine area of the Book Cliffs. At the same time Walker is trying to keep out nuclear waste, she is trying to prepare a budget from fewer revenue sources. Walker said the Bush administration's plans to drill wells and Envirocare's attempts to dump nuclear waste run counter to the image of Utah that she wants to project. In retrospect, Walker said, she and Leavitt should have talked to Shurtleff and the county leaders. But that wouldn't necessarily have changed their request. "We felt that 15 deserved a further look," she said. After all, with 423 proposed drill sites, "you've got a lot of possibil- ities." She remained skeptical of Envirocare advocates' claims the radioactive ore is safe. "We've had a lot of experiences in Utah of when they thought things were safe," Walker said, referencing the nuclear testing of the 1940s through '60s. "We've got so many remarkable areas that we want visitors to come and visit -- the red-rock wonders and the mountains and the skiing," she said. "We don't want an image that you can send your hot nuclear waste to Utah." Walker must present a budget to the Legislature by Dec. 15. Senate Majority Leader Mike Waddoups, R-Taylors- ville, agrees with Walker's assessment of the budget. But he insists lawmakers would consider a tax increase -- election year or not -- if the timing was right. "I don't think an election year has anything to do with it," he said. "The Legislature is a very responsible group. If now is the right time, they'll do it now. But they won't do it until it's the right time." Waddoups said he doesn't think this is the right time for a general tax increase. But he said lawmakers are considering a proposal by the Wasatch Front Regional Council to raise gas taxes 5 cents in 2006 to pay for road projects. Suggestions to raise income, property or sales taxes have languished. walsh@sltrib.com [walsh@sltrib.com] © Copyright 2003, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 60 UK ITV: Sellafield to switch off [http://www.itv.com] Fri Nov 14 2003 "This site is like a supertanker that takes some turning" - Sellafield director Brian Watson Sellafield to switch off 8.50AM BST, 26 Aug 2003 The end is nigh for the Sellafield nuclear power station, which will switch from reprocessing to cleanup The British Nuclear Fuels-owned plant will be converted into a waste-handling operation, the head of Sellafield said. There are two reprocessing plants at Sellafield - the Magnox reprocessing plant, for fuel from the first generation of British reactors, and Thorp, that reprocesses fuel from the latest reactors for British and overseas customers. Brian Watson, director of the site in Cumbria, said: "There is £30 billion worth of cleanup work here. We are switching from reprocessing to clean up. We hope that will be seen in a more positive light. "This site is like a supertanker that takes some turning. I have had to let people go who would not make the change, and go they have. We have changed the reprocessing mission to one of clean up." Mr Watson said that he would like to build a plutonium-burning reactor and use the MOX plant, built last year, to make the fuel. "The rest of the site could then be devoted to cleaning up the mess of the Cold War. But these are political decisions," he added. BNFL will no longer own Sellafield when the Government creates a nuclear decommissioning authority in the coming years. The company became technically bankrupt two years ago with liabilities running into tens of billions of pounds. Seventy-five tonnes of plutonium and 3,3336 tonnes of uranium is recovered from reprocessing at Sellafield. Contact Us | About ITV [http://www.itv.com/about/] | Content © ITV Network Limited. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 61 ITV: Sellafield workers strike over pay itv.com"> [http://www.itv.com] Fri Nov 14 2003 "It is time for the company to bring industrial shift pay in line with their white collar counterparts" - Brian Strutton, GMB national officer Sellafield workers strike over pay 8.18AM GMT, 14 Nov 2003 Hundreds of employees at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site in Cumbria are planning to strike this afternoon in a row over pay. The chairman of BNFL, the firm that runs Sellafield, has announced he is stepping down, just hours before workers stage their first strike in 26 years. Union leaders said they hope the resignation of Hugh Collum, 62, from his £157,500-a-year job will help break the deadlocked row. Hundreds of members of the GMB and Amicus unions are staging the first of a series of strikes after claiming that the company has reneged on an agreement to close a £2,000 pay gap between manual and white collar workers. Unions complained that BNFL had agreed to harmonise pay by next April but were now saying it could not be done until 2009. Brian Strutton, national officer of the GMB, said: "We had hoped that BNFL would be reasonable and meet with us to avoid this dispute but our calls for talks have been met with silence." He added: "It is time for the company to honour their commitments to the workforce and bring industrial shift pay in line with their white collar counterparts. "We hope that the announcement of Hugh Collum's resignation the day before the strike at Sellafield is a signal that some of the barriers for negotiation are coming down. "We continue to urge BNFL to sit down and negotiate with us but they have refused to do so for the last two months." Dougie Rooney, national officer at Amicus, said: "The BNFL board should urgently instruct the management team to honour the written promise they gave to our members to harmonise shift pay by April 2004. Only this will avoid an escalation of industrial action." The unions are planning to escalate industrial action over the next few weeks if the dispute is not resolved. BNFL said union members would continue to work in important safety roles across the site, as will the non-shift workforce, who are not involved in the action. Sellafield's Director, Brian Watson, said: "This is an excellent workforce and we are absolutely committed to delivering on our safety promises to our workers, their families and the local community. "I'm disappointed that some people felt the need to resort to industrial action. Clearly, this issue needs to be resolved." Contact Us | About ITV [http://www.itv.com/about/] | Content © ITV Network Limited. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 62 Nevada Appeal: Yucca permit rejected again [http://www.nevadaappeal.com/] [nvappeal@govmail.state.nv.us] Nevada's state engineer has again rejected the federal government's application for water permits to build the Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste dump. Former State Engineer Mike Turnipseed denied the applications for a total of 430 acre feet of water a year in February 2000, saying the applications were not in the public interest under a state law specifically making it unlawful to store high-level nuclear water in Nevada. A federal district court in Las Vegas ruled the state engineer abused his discretion in relying on the law because it amounted to a veto of the water application process. The judge said neither the federal government nor the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had preempted Nevada's existing water law and directed the state to follow those statutes in ruling on the application. He also said "mere statements and opinions by state officials will not suffice" as evidence. State Engineer Hugh Ricci held additional hearings on the application and ruled this week that water in Nevada can only be appropriated for a "beneficial use." He ruled there is "overwhelming opposition" to the Yucca Mountain project and cited the governor's opposition as well as the Legislative resolutions opposing the dump. Ricci also made it clear that, contrary to what the federal court said, he believes it is up to the governor and Legislature to decide what is in the public's interest in Nevada. "The people of the state of Nevada have spoken through their Legislature and governor that it is not in the public interest of the citizens of Nevada to use the water that belongs to that public for a purpose which is so adamantly opposed by the public," he said. He said the opposition is based on the Department of Energy's "bad science, bad law and bad public policy." And he pointed out that even the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board "found there was little doubt that the science could not presently support the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site." Marta Adams, deputy attorney general defending the state's case, said the engineer's ruling is "certainly consistent with our view of what the public interest is." Bob Loux, director of the Agency for Nuclear Projects, said he believes Ricci reached the correct conclusion. "He arrived at that conclusion based primarily on the governor's executive powers and those of the Legislature in their public capacity," Loux said. The Department of Energy needs the water to continue work preparing the Yucca Mountain site to receive 77,000 tons of radioactive waste. President George Bush approved Yucca Mountain almost immediately after receiving the recommendation, despite promises during his campaign that he would only do so after making sure the recommendation was based on "sound science." Adams and Loux both said they expect the Department of Energy to appeal to federal district court but that the appeal would be put on hold while the Appeals Court in Washington, D.C., takes up arguments on the state's constitutional challenge of the decision to force the dump on Nevada. Adams said hearings are scheduled in January on the state's constitutional challenge -- framing the issue as a violation of state's rights - and its challenge to how Department of Energy handled the entire process - changing its own rules repeatedly to make the site meet requirements despite the scientific evidence. "The reality is the site is completely unsafe and DOE has not been able comply with its own rules basically since day one," she said. Yucca Mountain is located 75 miles north of Las Vegas. *Copyright Nevada Appeal. ***************************************************************** 63 Pahrump Valley Times: COMMISSION PREVIEW YMP issues top agenda ** - Nye County's Largest Newspaper Circulation November 14, 2003 By MARK WAITE PVT A Nye County resolution opposing the two proposed rail routes from the Interstate 15 corridor to Yucca Mountain through Pahrump and Las Vegas has been put on the Nye County Commission agenda for the 8:30 a.m. Tuesday meeting at the Pahrump Community Center. The two rail routes are known as the Jean route, which would pass through Pahrump Valley, and the Valley Modified Route. It is one of three items concerning Yucca Mountain that have been placed on the agenda by Commissioner Candice Trummell. Another item would be a resolution clarifying the county's stance on Yucca Mountain that would declare the county's intent to constructively engage with the Department of Energy on the licensing. The other item would direct the Nye County Department of Natural Resources and Federal Facilities to keep county officials informed of any meetings on Yucca Mountain 10 business days in advance and post notices according to the Nevada Open Meeting Law. Public petitioner David Greber placed an item requesting the county change its position and declare total opposition to the construction of the Yucca Mountain repository. Bradshaw has the 2004 Nye County Yucca Mountain oversight work plan up for approval before submitting it to the energy department. Other items up for discussion and possible action: • Contracts are up for approval involving consultants Don Watson and Jim Williams on a destination county transportation assessment. • Nye County school officials are expected to request funding for graphing calculators for students in higher-level math courses and overhead calculators for the teachers. • Commissioners will consider a policy requiring a one-year waiting period after a request is denied at a board meeting, unless there's been a substantial change in the circumstances. • Budget Director Charlie Rodewald has requested reconsideration of the payment of over $25,000 in fees to Nevada Legal Services Inc. • Commissioners might appoint a member to the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission to replace Pam Livingston. • A $12,500 agreement with Chuck Nozicka and Joseph Donaldson to draft an Amargosa River Adaptive Management Plan is up for approval. • Commissioners will consider establishing a position of Nye County Information Officer. • Commissioner Patricia Cox could be appointed a liaison to the new Nye County Federal Impacts Advisory Board under another item. • Commissioners will consider whether to issue a request for proposals for a commission agent to monitor major construction projects. • Reports are due on a public meeting over the proposed landfill site and on the establishment of a health department or district. For comment or questions, please e-mail [webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com] Copyright © Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2003 ***************************************************************** 64 AGI: NUCLEAR WASTE: APAT, WE WILL HAVE A DECISIVE ROLE Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English Saturday November 15, 2003 h.05.55 Italy On Line Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office Catania, Italy, 14 November - A key role in the definition of all that concerns the transport and storage of nuclear waste in the future Scanzano Jonico site will be given to Apat, the agency for the protection of the environment. "We will follow every step taken in the complex procedure - said Sandro Giulianelli, head of the Nuclear Danger, Techonology and Industry Department - and we will authorise the transfer and go-ahead to the project at the chosen site." Giulianelli emphasised that nuclear waste has been transported in Italy for some time and that it is being done properly by APAT and that the use of railways is safer than the roads. As regards future disposal, he thought there would be no problems because of the ability of clay and rock salts to contain the material. (AGI) 141930 NOV 03 COPYRIGHTS 2002-2003 AGI S.p.A. [Invia questo articolo] Invia questo articolo ***************************************************************** 65 AGI: NUCLEAR WASTE:MATTEOLI,SITE WAS SUBJECT TO A 2 YEAR ASSESSMENT Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English Saturday November 15, 2003 h.05.55 Today in Italy Special service by AGI on behalf of the Italian Prime Minister's office (AGI) - Catania, 13 nov. – It wasnÂ’t a blitz, "we have been working on this issue for two years and we have finally found the appropriate site” according to Environment Minister Altero Matteoli after being accused by environmentalists ad the people of Scanzano Ionico, located in Basilicata and designated by the government as the national site for nuclear waste stocking. "We stuck to procedures. The only one we did not pursue was that of shouting out loud 2 years beforehand where we were going to locate the facility. Had we done that it would have been tantamount to impossible to carry through with". Matteoli stressed that the governmentÂ’s decision was not expedited by security issues relating to terrorism, and merely marked the end of a two scientific protocol. "I am satisfied that the government has completed a program which has witnessed no progress for 25 years", Matteoli added. "We completed the program with utmost care". The consulting company that designated the site carried out, according to the Minister, a "careful appraisal; we conducted a stratigraphic soil study and our group of scientists and engineers confirmed the initial assessment". "ItalyÂ’ was the only country to lack such a site: there are 100 such sites worldwide", said Matteoli who stressed that radioactive impact on the area "is close to nil, in that the nuclear waste is stocked underground. Of course, the site will be constantly monitored". Matteoli reassured as to the fact that "all necessary precautions will be put adopted". (AGI) 132037 NOV 03 COPYRIGHTS 2002-2003 AGI S.p.A. [Invia questo articolo] Invia questo articolo ***************************************************************** 66 Irish Examiner: Britain urged to ensure safety during Sellafield strike [Fianna Fáil TD Barry Andrews has called on the British government to ensure that safety and security are not compromised during planned strike action at the Sellafield nuclear plant today.] 14/11/2003 - 8:22:00 AM Fianna Fáil TD Barry Andrews has called on the British government to ensure that safety and security are not compromised during planned strike action at the Sellafield nuclear plant today. Around 300 workers at the controversial facility are due to down tools as part of a dispute over pay and conditions. [http://www3.adireland.com/adclick.php?n=ae9a600c] British Nuclear Fuels, which operates the plant, has already said that an agreement with trade unions ensures that safety will not be compromised during any strike action. © Thomas Crosbie Media 2003. ***************************************************************** 67 Deseret news: Environment takes the stage [deseretnews.com] Friday, November 14, 2003 N-waste, wilds dominate Walker news conference By Jerry Spangler Deseret Morning News Gov. Olene Walker took office last week touting the importance of education to her administration. But it was a different "E" word — environment — that dominated the discussion Thursday during Walker's first KUED-TV press conference. Nuclear waste, oil and gas drilling, even Legacy Highway were the main topics. But according to an official transcript of the news conference, the song Walker was singing sounded virtually identical to that of her former boss, Gov. Mike Leavitt. Walker expressed firm opposition to hotter radioactive wastes coming to Utah, support of Legacy Highway and commitment to make Utah an outdoor recreation Mecca, even if it means opposing some oil and gas development. "I think the question is, will the drilling (in pristine areas) affect the outdoor qualities in terms of recreation and enjoyment by the people?" she said when asked about drilling in the wild Book Cliffs area of eastern Utah. "There are some areas in the Book Cliffs where I don't think drilling would really be detrimental. But there are other areas, like Desolation Canyon, where I think it would." And, she added, "If we have recommendations, I won't hesitate to make them." Walker was referring to a letter she and Leavitt co-signed earlier this month to the Bureau of Land Management, asking they reconsider 15 oil and gas leases in the scenic White River area of northeastern Utah. That letter sparked concern among rural officials and a rebuttal letter from Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who urged the BLM to reject the Walker-Leavitt letter. On Thursday, Walker was taking the middle ground, saying natural resource development can be compatible with recreation, and she emphasized her concern for the economically depressed rural economies. She also took issue with Shurtleff's interpretation of the letter, saying it was "purely a recommendation" that the BLM take a second look at 15 drilling sites. "We were just sending a letter of recommendation rather than a dictatorial letter. And I still think they ought to look at the 15. "It doesn't hurt to take a second look when they're in an area like the White River corridor," she added. In terms of radioactive waste, Walker was less equivocal. "I don't want any hotter-radioactivity nuclear waste brought to our state than we now accept. I don't think the public wants it, I'm concerned about the image of Utah," she said. She said Utah has had a lot of experiences where residents were assured something was safe, only to find out it wasn't — like atomic testing. "I feel they probably can figure out a way to make it safe (but) it will be very costly," she said. "But I don't want any hotter waste than we now accept, and I'm going to stand by it." Walker said her biggest challenge will be the state budget and meeting state needs during a continued economic downturn. State employees haven't had a raise in three years, state health insurance programs for poor children are struggling and Walker still wants to beef up spending on education. And she said Thursday she will not propose any new tax increases. "I realize this is an election year, and it's always tough to get tax increases in an election year," she said. "We'll have to look at all alternatives, so I won't guarantee there won't be some fee increases. . . . I will look at every resource that's available to us." Unlike previous years where she worked with Leavitt to develop a budget, this year the hard choices will be hers to make and the "buck stops" with her. "It is a different feel when you realize the final decision is here." *E-MAIL: spang@desnews.com [spang@desnews.com] * © 2003 Deseret News Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 68 The Sunflower, November 2003 (No.78) Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 17:16:27 -0600 (CST) The Sunflower is a monthly e-newsletter providing educational information on nuclear weapons abolition and other issues relating to global security. View the Newsletter Online: HTML: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2003/11_sunflower.htm PDF Version: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2003/11_sunflower.pdf IN THIS ISSUE Perspective Take Action Proliferation Weapons of Mass Destruction Nuclear disarmament & Non-Proliferation Missiles & missile Defense International Law Nuclear Energy & Waste Nuclear Insanity Foundation News Resources Quotable Subscribe Support Editors *PERSPECTIVES* Is a Nuclear 9/11 in our Future? by David Krieger, 6 October 2003 -------------------------------------- Sooner or later there will be a nuclear 9/11 in an American city or that of a US ally unless a serious program is undertaken to prevent such an occurrence. A terrorist nuclear attack against an American city could take many forms. A worst case scenario would be the detonation of a nuclear device within a city. Depending upon the size and sophistication of the weapon, it could kill hundreds of thousands or even millions of people. Terrorists could obtain a nuclear device by stealing or purchasing an already created nuclear weapon or by stealing or purchasing weapons-grade nuclear materials and fashioning a crude bomb. While neither of these options would be easy, they cannot be dismissed as beyond the capabilities of a determined terrorist organization. If terrorists succeeded in obtaining a nuclear weapon, they would also have to bring it into the US, assuming they did not already obtain or create the weapon in this country. While this would not necessarily be easy, many analysts have suggested that it would be within the realm of possibility. An oft-cited example is the possibility of bringing a nuclear device into an American port hidden on a cargo ship. For full text, go to http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2003/10/06_krieger_nuclear-911.htm The Emperor Has No Clothes by Senator Robert C. Byrd, 17 October, 2003 --------------------------------------------------- Mr. President, the Emperor has no clothes. This entire adventure in Iraq has been based on propaganda and manipulation. Eighty-seven billion dollars is too much to pay for the continuation of a war based on falsehoods. [&] The single-minded obsession of this Administration to now make sense of the chaos in Iraq, and the continuing propaganda which emanates from the White House painting Iraq as the geographical center of terrorism is distracting our attention from Afghanistan and the 60 other countries in the world where terrorists hide. It is sapping resources which could be used to make us safer from terrorists on our own shores. The body armor for our own citizens still has many, many chinks. Have we forgotten that the most horrific terror attacks in history occurred right here at home!! Yet, this Administration turns back money for homeland security, while the President pours billions into security for Iraq. I am powerless to understand or explain such a policy. [&] I cannot stand by and continue to watch our grandchildren become increasingly burdened by the billions that fly out of the Treasury for a war and a policy based largely on propaganda and prevarication. We are borrowing $87 billion to finance this adventure in Iraq. The President is asking this Senate to pay for this war with increased debt, a debt that will have to be paid by our children and by those same troops that are currently fighting this war. I cannot support outlandish tax cuts that plunge our country into potentially disastrous debt while our troops are fighting and dying in a war that the White House chose to begin. I cannot support the continuation of a policy that unwisely ties down 150,000 American troops for the foreseeable future, with no end in sight. I cannot support a President who refuses to authorize the reasonable change in course that would bring traditional allies to our side in Iraq. I cannot support the politics of zeal and "might makes right" that created the new American arrogance and unilateralism which passes for foreign policy in this Administration. I cannot support this foolish manifestation of the dangerous and destabilizing doctrine of preemption that changes the image of America into that of a reckless bully. Mr. President, the emperor has no clothes. And our former allies around the world were the first to loudly observe it. For full text, go to http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2003/10/17_byrd_emperor.htm *TAKE ACTION* 100 Letters, 100 Days Letter Writing Campaign ----------------------------------------------------- On 2 October 2003, University of California (UC) President Robert Dynes began his term overseeing one of the largest public university systems in the world with $1 billion in annual donations, 1.2 million alumni, 190,000 students and two nuclear weapons laboratories. During his term, the UC Regents will decide whether or not to bid to continue managing Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the primary US nuclear weapons laboratories. On 20 October 2003, the University of California Board of Regents appointed Admiral Foley, a well-connected retired Navy admiral and former federal weapons director to serve as the UC's vice president and manage the operations of the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore nuclear weapons labs on behalf of the US Department of Energy. Foley will report directly to UC President Robert Dynes, who recommended his appointment. Foleys appointment sends the strongest message to date that UC intends to maintain the management of the weapons labs. We ask that members of the UC community, specifically students, faculty, staff and alumni, use the first 100 days of Dynes' presidency as an opportunity to voice opposition to UC's role in the development of nuclear weapons. We ask that these voices be joined by diverse stakeholders in the future of humanity, such as high school seniors applying to a UC school, former and current lab employees, parents of UC students, community residents, hibakusha (survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki), elected officials, religious leaders and entertainers. Our aim is for Dynes to receive at least one letter per day for 100 days beginning with his first day in office and lasting through 9 January 2004. The campaign has reached its second month and there are 70 remaining letters to be sent. Please contact Michael Coffey, Youth Outreach Coordinator, for details including letter content, logistics and President Dynes' address at 805.965.3443 or youth@napf.org. Here are excerpts from a few of the letters we have received so far: With the future of the labs management now at stake, UC stands at a critical juncture. Positioned as we are, we have a unique opportunity at this moment to speak out on the issue. Yet in calling the continuation of UCs contract into question, the real issue for many of us is not whether the work of the labs could be handled better; but whether it should be done at all. - Maia Ramnath, Graduate Student, UC Santa Cruz Continued work on nuclear weapons has led both to proliferation and to the violation and abrogation of international treaties. The reputation of the weapons laboratories, and indeed of the University, is being tarnished. Legal actions against the lab have furthered the impression of an enterprise engaged not in careful science, but of covering up its responsibilities for environmental health and safety. - Marc Pilisuk, Professor Emeritus, UC Davis The next concern I have is about a certain group of people with whom I have dear friends, the UC science students and alumni &. Every nuclear weapon in the US arsenal was created in part by a UC employee, and with growing dissent for weapons of mass destruction research among UC students, it will be more difficult to find replacements for the predicted 20% turnover of needed weapons researchers. I am concerned that the UC system and the labs will not be truthful in their recruitment efforts and will use ambiguous job descriptions as lures. - Brit Fenton-Olsen, UCSB Alumna Our country has a proud history of youth and student activists who have organized themselves to fight for social and economic justice and for peace. Many of those students in the past, and today, have come from the University of California system and we support their actions and energy in confronting these issues. We join the students of the UC system and community members in demanding that President Dynes hold a series of forums on each campus which will be inclusive and welcoming to students, faculty, staff, and community members to discuss the issue of the UC systems continued participation in the nuclear weapons complex. - Jessica Marschall, National Youth and Student Peace Coalition Speak Out against Enola Gay Display at Dulles Airport ------------------------------------------------------------- On 15 December 2003, the Smithsonian Institution will open an exhibit of the Enola Gay, the US B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, at its Dulles Airport Annex. General John Dailey, the Museum's director, told reporters, "We don't expect any protests. We think that is in the past. We would like to keep it there. We are proud of what we have done with this aircraft. We are displaying it in all of its glory as a magnificent technological achievement." The Enola Gay dropped a single atomic bomb that killed some 90,000 persons immediately and some 145,000 by the end of 1945. To display the Enola Gay "in all of its glory" demonstrates a level of insensitivity that suggests the possibility of the future use of nuclear weapons. For more information on planned protests, contact Peter Kuznick at Pkuznick@aol.com or pamela@atomicmirror.org *PROLIFERATION* Iran Half Way to IAEA Compliance -------------------------------------- On 23 October 2003, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) received documents from Iran clarifying the status of its nuclear activities. Iran Chief IAEA delegate Ali Akbar Saleh handed in the declaration eight days ahead of deadline in order to prove Iran is not developing nuclear weapons. In Tehran, however, thousands of hard-liners protested their country's conciliatory moves. Such commitments were made after British, French and German foreign ministers convened in Tehran to persuade Iran to dispel suspicions that its nuclear program could be used to develop nuclear weapons. The European initiative offered to recognize Irans right to a civilian nuclear energy program, give technical assistance and guarantee Irans access to imported fuel for nuclear power plants. The meeting secured Iran's agreement to accept new international inspections of some of its nuclear facilities and to suspend production of enriched uranium. The Bush administration has welcomed the Iranian move as "a very positive development," but said that Irans offer to cooperate did not mean that it had abandoned its ambitions to build an atom bomb. Under Secretary of State John Bolton said on 30 October, It still remains to be seen whether these initiatives will amount to more than mere words and even if Iran follows through with its promises, many further steps will still be required in order to prove beyond doubt that Iran is foreswearing the pursuit of nuclear weapons. Though described as comprehensive and accurate, the report requires further fine tuning and more explanation. The IAEA has yet to establish the origin of some controversial uranium enrichment technology as well as the source of nuclear materials produced by Iran over the past decade. IAEA inspectors have recently discovered other potentially hidden nuclear activities in Iran, including the development of centrifuges and laser technology to enrich uranium during inspection installations only recently opened to agency officials. Iran had until 31 October to suspend its uranium enrichment program and sign an additional protocol of its IAEA Safeguards Agreement allowing spot inspections of its facilities. Tehran was expected to comply with the demands and was reported to be working on the modalities of suspending uranium enrichment. Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Rowhani said Iran will suspend its nuclear enrichment program for an interim period though he did not state for how long. The Associated Press reported on 26 October that Iran was still enriching uranium. IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei has until 20 November to present a report on Iranian compliance to the IAEA board of governors. During early October, Israel declared its readiness to launch pre-emptive strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. Israel warned that if Iran completes its program for enriching uranium, it would be able to produce its own nuclear weapons without outside help by summer 2004. Sources: New York Times, 31 October 2003; The Times, 31 October 2003; Reuters, 31 & 20 October 2003; Financial Times, 30 October 2003; New York Times, 29 October 2003; BBC News, 29 & 22 October 2003; Mideast AFP, 28 October 2003; Global Security Newswire, 24 and 27 October 2003; Associated Press, 21 October 2003; Agence France Presse, 11 October 2003. North Korea Ready to Consider US Proposal --------------------------------------------------- North Korea signaled on 25 October 2003 that it was ready to consider the US proposed international non-aggression pact. This came after earlier statements saying that the offer was laughable and not worth considering. The concession offered by Bush on 19 October stated that the US administration would consider giving Pyongyang a written security guarantee that the US would not attack the nation in return for the dismantlement of the regimes nuclear weapons program. The assurance falls short of North Koreas demand for a formal non-aggression treaty, but, nevertheless, represented a major turnaround for an administration that had previously insisted that the dismantling of North Koreas nuclear weapons program be a precondition for negotiations. On 30 October, Pyongyang agreed in principle that it was ready to take part in a new round of six-way talks based on the principle of simultaneous actions. In the past, simultaneous actions referred to North Koreas abandonment of its nuclear weapons development program in return for foreign aid, energy assistance and diplomatic recognition. On 16 October, North Korea announced plans to display its nuclear deterrent at an appropriate time to end debate over its nuclear status should the US delay its solution to the impasse. The statement, however, did not indicate how they would do so. On 26 October, delegation leader Curt Weldon called off a rare bipartisan US congressional trip to North Korea, claiming that the trip would be inappropriate at this time. It was anticipated that Pyongyang would show the delegation its nuclear sites in order to confirm that it has a nuclear weapons program. North Korea was reported to have extracted plutonium from 8000 spent fuel rods at Yongbon, 60 miles north of Pyongyang, with the intention of building atomic bombs. Sources: International Herald Tribune, 31 October 2003; BBC, 30 October 2003; Global Security Newswire, 27 October 2003; LA Times, 27 October 2003; Associated Press, 26 October 2003; Reuters, 16 October 2003; New York Times, 2 October 2003. Pentagon Drive for Mini-Nukes ------------------------------------ The Pentagon is planning to publish a report backing the development of a new generation of low-yield nuclear weapons, otherwise known as mini-nukes. Entitled Future Strategic Strike Force, the report was written by the Defense Science Board (DSB) and is to be released by the end of 2003. Marking a dramatic shift from the Cold War doctrine of deterrence and the use of nuclear weapons as a catastrophic last resort, the document aims to transform the nations forces to meet the demands placed on them by a changing world order. The move is endorsed by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who in a recent leaked memo called for a bolder approach to national security. The report advocates a new role for nuclear weapons in US strategy, making them relevant to the threat environment in the war on terror. The concept of mini-nukes involves the development of small scale nuclear warheads whose explosive impact will be easier to control and could be aimed at smaller aggressive states. The Pentagons argument is that such weapons would also minimize collateral damage. Such moves have generated growing opposition. Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) of the House Armed Services Committee noted, we have no military vulnerability articulated that requires us to build a new nuclear capability. Building low-yield nuclear weapons would increase the likelihood of their use and undermine efforts to control nuclear proliferation and disarmament by blurring the distinction between nuclear and conventional weaponry. The US is taking the lead in provoking a global nuclear arms race and, as IAEA Director General ElBaradei has stated, developing such new weapons will encourage other countries to violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Sources: The Daily Telegraph, 26 and 27 October 2003; Jane's Defence Weekly, 22 October 2003. The NPT at Stake: Nuclear Proliferation on the Horizon? -------------------------------------------------------------- IAEA chief ElBaradei warned that between 35-40 countries possess the capability of building nuclear weapons in just a few months. Under the current regime, there is nothing illicit for a non- nuclear state to conduct uranium enriching activities & or even to possess military-grade nuclear material. Brazil announced on 7 October that it will begin a uranium enrichment program in 2004 to provide fuel for two of its nuclear plants. Brazil is currently importing enriched uranium from Europe and plans to produce 60% of its uranium needs by 2010. The Brazilian government anticipates that it will be self-sufficient by 2014, allowing enough excess for export. German daily newspaper Die Welt reported on 27 October that Egypt is taking steps to obtain nuclear weapons. With the help of Chinese technology, Egypt intends to mine uranium in the Sinai Peninsula to enrich its weapons-grade material in order to build long-range missiles. Egypt has denied such reports and the IAEA has no information pertaining to this recent development. Such developments underline the need to reinforce and update the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) beyond changes made during the 1995 NPT Review Conference. ElBaradei told reporters that the treaty has been overtaken by a world in which nuclear arms have become attractive not only to many countries but to terrorist groups, and that multilateral efforts should be imposed to limit the expansion of civilian and military programs. Sources: Agence France-Presse, 31 October 2003; Haaretz, 27 October 2003; Washington Post, 7 October 2003. Speculation of Saudi-Pakistan Nuclear Deal ------------------------------------------------ Following last months speculations on Saudi Arabias plans to acquire nuclear weapons, a top Israeli intelligence official has accused the Saudi government of concluding a secret nuclear cooperation pact with Pakistan. In exchange for discounted Saudi oil, Riyadh is reportedly planning to acquire its own nuclear deterrent by importing Pakistani nuclear warheads for use on its missiles. Both Riyadh and Islamabad promptly denied such reports and, according to Pakistan Deputy Chief of Mission Mohammed Sadiq, This is against our policy. Washington has tried to dispel international alarm and dismissed the reported deal by saying, Weve seen the allegation, but we have not seen any information to substantiate what would seem to us be rather bald assertions of a nuclear pact. Confirmation of the deal would deeply affect the balance of power in the Middle East. Riyadh would risk violating its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and President Musharraf would break his assurances of controlling the countrys nuclear arsenal. Saudi Arabias advancement of such negotiations could be motivated by the sophisticated nuclear program being undertaken by its strategic and religious rival Iran, as well as by the increasing exchange of military technology between Israel and India. The CIA suspects that Pakistan is already sharing its nuclear knowledge with North Korea in exchange for information on building a missile technology program. Sources: The Pakistan Tribune, 27 October 2003; The Times of India, 24 October 2003; The Washington Times, 22 and 23 October 2003; Information Clearing House, 21 October 2003. *WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION* Aluminum Tubes Found to be Innocuous ----------------------------------------------- The Iraq Survey Group revealed that the high strength aluminum tubes obtained by Iraq were not intended for uranium enrichment. Commander of the Joint Captured Enemy Materiel Exploitation Center, Brigadier General Stephen Meek, pronounced the tubes to be innocuous. Prior to the war, President George W. Bush said these tubes provided one of the strongest pieces of evidence that Iraq was seeking to rebuild its nuclear weapons program. The Bush administration claimed that these aluminum tubes were used as centrifuge rotors to enrich uranium for nuclear warheads. It has now been discovered that the tubes were used for rockets. As recently as September 2003, Vice President Dick Cheney asserted that there was compelling evidence that Saddam is reconstituting a uranium enrichment effort and that investigators searching for confirmation of his judgments will find in fact they are valid. Since the war, it has become increasingly clear that Iraq did not have an active program to produce key materials or obtain the technology for the construction of nuclear weapons. Sources: Global Security Newswire, 27 October 2003; Washington Post, 26 October 2003. *NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND NON-PROLIFERATION* Voting for New Agenda Resolutions --------------------------------------- In an attempt to address the increasing threat of nuclear proliferation, existing nuclear weapons and emerging nuclear doctrines, the New Agenda Coalition (NAC) sponsored two resolutions at the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security at the United Nations on 15 October 2003. The first resolution, Towards a Nuclear Weapon Free World: a New Agenda is based on the Final Document of the 2000 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference where all parties to the NPT unanimously agreed to advance the nuclear disarmament agenda by means of 13 practical steps. The resolution expresses deep concern at the limited progress to date on implementing the 13 steps. It also urges the US and Russia to make the Moscow Treaty a disarmament measure by making it verifiable and irreversible, and by addressing non-operational warheads. The second resolution, Reductions of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons, specifically addresses the issue of tactical (sub-strategic or short range) nuclear weapons. It raises concerns on the threats posed by Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNW) due to their portability, proximity to areas of conflict and probability of pre-delegation in case of military conflict. It also addresses the risk of proliferation and of early, preemptive, unauthorized or accidental use, as well as shifting security doctrines and the possible development of new types of low-yield NSNW. The resolution highlights the need for transparent and verifiable measures to ensure the elimination of NSNW in the context of commitments made in the 2000 NPT Review Conference. The resolution also warns nuclear weapons states against expanding or developing their NSNW arsenals and the rationalization of their use. The New Agenda Coalition member countries are Brazil, Sweden, Mexico, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and Egypt. Sources: Reaching Critical Will First Committee Monitor, October 2003; Middle Powers Initiative Email bulletins, 24 and 29 October; Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament Parliamentary Conference and United Nations Update, October 2003. *MISSILES AND MISSILE DEFENSE* The Next Frontier: Domination of Space -------------------------------------------- The Bush administrations endorsement of full spectrum dominance and blatant disregard for international treaties sends a clear message to the international community of its intentions to dominate space through the combination of missile defense, global surveillance policies and space-based strike capabilities. Especially threatened by the US missile defense project, China has requested agreements with the US in efforts to curb a potential space-based arms race. Washingtons refusal to enter into negotiations has led China to follow the US in developing a program for the militarization of space. Beijings recent success in sending its first man to space suggests a fast-track approach to this goal. The current Chinese deterrent force is comprised of 400-500 nuclear armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). The two dozen ICBMs capable of reaching the US fall short of being able to reliably penetrate the proposed US missile defense system. In order for China to overcome this, they have committed to modernizing and expanding its nuclear arsenal. Source: The Boston Globe, 28 October 2003 Putin to Overcome Any Missile Defense System ------------------------------------------------------- Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to reform Russias military and nuclear defense strategy. The move comes as a response to NATO policies where the creation of a rapid-reaction force and the participation of several former Soviet Bloc countries are viewed by some in the Russian government as offensive and anti-Russian in orientation. Putin explained that the replacement of the older Soviet Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) with multi-warheads (SS19 ICBMs) would enhance Russias capacity to overcome any missile defense system. A document released by the Russian defense ministry calls for a change of Russian nuclear strategy, a thorough modernization of its military planning to carry out global pre-emptive strikes and the ability to simultaneously fight two conflicts of any type. The document goes on to applaud the signing of the Moscow Treaty between Russia and the US in 2002, which allows for greater cuts in their nuclear arsenals. But although the treaty stipulates a decrease in the number of deployed strategic warheads in each country, it does not require the dismantlement of their nuclear warheads. Sources: Koinonia House E-News, 7 October 2003; The Moscow Times, 3 October 2003. *INTERNATIONAL LAW* Kyrgyzstan Ratifies Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty ---------------------------------------------------------- Kyrgyzstan has deposited its instrument of ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on 2 October, bringing the total number of ratifications to 106 countries. There are currently 13 ratifications from the Middle East and South Asia. Under the terms of the treaty, Kyrgyzstan will host an auxiliary seismic station, AS060 at Ala-Archa. This will be part of a 337-facility International Monitoring System (IMS) designed to verify compliance with the CTBT. The CTBT was opened for signature on 24 September 1996. It has so far achieved 32 of the 44 ratifications needed for it to enter into force. Source: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization Press Release, 13 October 2003. *NUCLEAR ENERGY AND WASTE* Yucca Mountain Project Again Reported Unfit for Nuclear Storage ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) recently issued yet another warning to the US Department of Energy (DoE) cautioning officials that the Yucca Mountain project does not meet its strict quality assurance standards. In a letter, the Board expressed concerns over the effectiveness of the casks designated to hold indefinitely lethal, high-level nuclear waste. Specialists cited the waste package design as susceptible to corrosion and consequently prone to leaking deadly nuclear waste into the aquifer that serves as the only source of drinking water for the people of Amargosa Valley. This alarming report, defining flaws in that Yucca Mountain Project, is nothing new for DoE officials. In January 2002, the Board declared that the science underlying the repository as weak to moderate indicating their limited confidence in the DoEs performance assessment. The problems arising from the defectiveness of the man-made casks, coupled with the inadequacies of the geological make-up of the mountain, point to an overall failure of the project. Sources: Public Citizen Newsroom, 22 October 2003; United States Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Letter to Dr. Margaret Chu, Director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, 21 October 2003; Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the DoEs Yucca Mountain Plan, by David Krieger and Marissa Zubia at NAPF, 23 August 2002. More Shipments of Plutonium Destined for Reprocessing in France ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The United States government is seeking to obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ship 300 pounds of weapons-grade plutonium to France for processing into reactor fuel. These shipments are part of a larger program of reprocessing 34 tons of excess plutonium in the US nuclear program into a mixed oxide fuel for use in commercial US reactors. Other nations are already shipping their radioactive waste, ranging from relatively harmless medical supplies to weapons-grade plutonium, to France for reprocessing. On 28 October, the Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organization reported that it had sent 344 spent fuel elements to France for reprocessing. International environmental and anti-nuclear groups such as Greenpeace have opposed the shipment and reprocessing of nuclear waste, as the use of converted plutonium would blur the boundaries between military and commercial nuclear programs. Greenpeace nuclear materials expert Tom Clements said the plan by the Department of Energy presents an unacceptable proliferation and safety risk and should be canceled. Sources: The Associated Press, 10 October, 2003; Reuters, 28 October, 2003. Tennessee Power Plant Producing Tritium for Warheads -------------------------------------------------------------- Watts Bar Nuclear Plant at Knoxville, Tennessee resumed operation on 20 October, making it the only commercial nuclear station in the US to provide isotopes for bombs. The plant will produce both electricity and tritium for nuclear warheads. The US government has not produced tritium since 1988 when the Savannah River site in South Carolina was closed due to operational and safety problems. Source: Associated Press, 22 October 2003. Expired Nuclear Submarines Pose Dilemma for UK -------------------------------------------------------- The UK Ministry of Defense is urgently investigating publicly acceptable solutions for disposing of 27 highly radioactive submarine reactors. Seven decommissioned submarines are currently docked in Fife and a further four in Devonport are awaiting disposal. The first submarine, Dreadnought, was taken out of service in 1980 and remains afloat until a national depository for nuclear waste becomes available. The 16 submarines currently in service (including four Trident submarines carrying UKs nuclear weapons) are due to come to the end of their lifetime in 2012. There is at present insufficient mooring space to accommodate these vessels. Source: The Guardian, 17 October 2003. *NUCLEAR INSANITY* India to Station Nukes in Space ----------------------------------- India announced on 6 October that it has commenced building an aerospace command station in order to position its nuclear weapons in space. Air Chief Krishnaswamy said this will provide India an edge to counter nuclear attacks. Meanwhile, nineteen computers belonging to the top secret Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have been stolen. The computers contained vital strategic data pertaining to Indias security. DRDO provided the encryption back up for protecting strategic communications for Indias nuclear arsenal. Sources: Hindustan times, 10 October 2003; The Daily Times, 7 October 2003. *FOUNDATION NEWS* Foundation President to Visit Japan --------------------------------------- Foundation President David Krieger will be attending various events in Japan during November. He will be in Tokyo from 18-21 November for a Middle Powers Initiative delegation to the Japanese government, and in Nagasaki from 21-25 November to participate in the Second Nagasaki Global Citizens' Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. On 25 November he will be giving a lecture to the Soka Gakkai Youth of Kyushu in Nagasaki. New Research and Advocacy Coordinator Joins Foundation ----------------------------------------------------------------- We are pleased to welcome Justine Wang as our new Research and Advocacy Coordinator. Justine recently served as the Information and Peace Education Officer at Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in London. Justine earned her Masters degree in International Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. Peace Poetry Winners Announced ------------------------------------- The Foundation has announced the winners of its 2003 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Contest. This year, first place in the Adult category was awarded to Jacqueline Dickey of South Bend, IN for her poem, Claribel Alegria in Exile. First place in the Youth 13-18 category was awarded to Rachel Belloma of Pittsburgh, PA for her poem entitled, Tantrum. In the Youth 12 and Under category, there was a first place tie between Daniel Amoss of Jefferson, LA for his poem entitled, Ali Ismail Abbas and Erika Lynne Tiemeier of Cherry Hills Village, CO for her poem entitled, Fire Burning in My Heart. To read the winning poems, go to: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/programs/awards-&-contests/bmk-contest/2003-winners.htm Foundation to Co-Convene Symposium on International Law ------------------------------------------------------------------- NAPF and the Simons Center for Peace and Disarmament Studies will co-convene a symposium on Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity: The Challenge of Prevention and Enforcement. Speakers will include: The Honorable Lloyd Axworthy, Director and CEO, Liu Institute for Global Studies, University of British Columbia; Former Foreign Minister of Canada 1995-2000 Richard Falk, Professor Emeritus of International Law and Practice at Princeton University; Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara; Chair of NAPF Board of Directors Felicity Hill, Program Specialist, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Victoria Holt, Senior Associate, Future of Peace Operations Project, The Henry L. Stimson Center Peter Langille, Professor, Center for Global Studies, University of Victoria Saul Mendlovitz, Co-founder, Global Action to Prevent War Bill Pace, Executive Director, World Federalist Association Topics: The Responsibility to Prevent and Protect The Politics of Prevention and Enforcement in a Time of Mega-Terrorism Options for a United Nations Prevention and Enforcement Force Next Steps in Creating a UN Prevention and Enforcement Force The event will take place on 5 December between 9:00 am -12:30 pm and is free and open to the public. It will take place at the McCune Conference Centre at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For more information contact Chris Pizzinat at the Foundation at 805.965.3443 or cpizzinat@napf.org NAPF 20th Annual Evening for Peace ----------------------------------------- NAPF will celebrate 20 years of waging peace by hosting its 20th Annual Evening Peace on 15 November. The Foundation will present its 2003 World Citizenship Award to singer/songwriter Harry Belafonte and its 2003 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award to Pulitzer Prize-nominee writer and educator Jonathan Schell. The dinner and award ceremony will be held at the Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara, CA. Tickets are still available. For reservations and information, please contact Chris Pizzinat at 805.965.3443 or cpizzinat@napf.org WMD, the US and UC: The War on Terror and Opportunities for Student Activism ----------------------------------------------------------------- On 24 October, Foundation Youth Outreach Coordinator, Michael Coffey, and third-year UCLA political science major, Michael Cox, joined Ambassador Joseph Wilson for a panel discussion titled, "WMD: the US and UC." The panel was one in a series of workshops, screenings, and performances held at the UCLA Hammer Museum, collectively titled "Represent! Ideas. Music. Action." Cox served a key role as student-liaison in organizing Represent! Speaking on Michaels contribution, Sarah Stifler, Head of Public Programs at the Hammer, said, Michael Cox was absolutely instrumental in making the Represent! event happen and was key to our UCLA connection. His dedication and hard work are inspiring." New Foundation Research and Advocacy Coordinator Justine Wang and Foundation volunteer Brit Fenton-Olsen participated in Represent! as did former Foundation intern and current UCLA Ph.D. candidate, Maiko Yasuno. Plans are for Represent! to visit other major college campuses in the months ahead. Richard Falk Key Speaker at UN Day ----------------------------------------- NAPF Board Chair Richard Falk delivered the keynote presentation at a day-long seminar on Addressing the Unintended Consequences of War sponsored by UNA-USA, League of Women Voters and NAPF on UN Day, 25 October. The event was hosted by Peter Haslund, a NAPF Board member and Director of the International and Global Studies Program at Santa Barbara City College. Other speakers on the morning panel were John Stoessinger, Distinguished Professor at San Diego University and UC San Diego; Juan E Campo Co-Director of the UCSB Center for Middle East Studies; and Mark Juergensmeyer, Director of the Global and International Studies Program at UCSB. A two part video on the seminar is available, please contact Dennis Daneau at ddaneau@pacbell.net for more information. Foundation Advisor Receives Lannan Award ------------------------------------------------- The Santa Fe-based Lannan Foundation honored NAPF Advisor Helen Caldicott with its 2003 prize for Cultural Freedom for her dedicated and passionate advocacy. At the age of 15, Helen Caldicott read the book On the Beach about nuclear war and subsequently has spent decades fighting nuclear weapons and educating people about the medical dangers of the nuclear age. Caldicott announced that part of the $350,000 award will go to the Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI), an organization she founded in early 2003. *RESOURCES* Missiles of Empire: Americas 21st Century Global Legions ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Western States Legal Foundation (WSLF) is a non-profit, public interest organization which monitors and analyzes U.S. nuclear weapons programs and policies and related high technology energy and weapons programs. This new Information Bulletin from Western States Legal Foundation is now available on: http://www.wslfweb.org/docs/missiles03.pdf. Paper copies available on request. Here There Be Dragons: Nuclear Politics Writ Large in the Unknown Waters of the Post 9/11 World -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The report written by Janet Bloomfield and Pamela S. Meidell at the Atomic Mirror was launched on UN Day among the delegates of the UN First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. Atomic Mirror has been producing this "report card" since 1996, using the Abolition 2000 Statement and Moorea Declaration as guides. For copies email: pamela@atomicmirror.org or log onto www.earthways.org/atomicmirror. NAPF Waging Peace Newsletter Available Online ----------------------------------------------------- The Foundations Waging Peace Newsletter is published three times each year. This is now available online on: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/publications/wagingpeace/index.htm Launch of New Wagingpeace Website ----------------------------------------- NAPF has recently launched a completely revised and updated version of its website at http://www.wagingpeace.org. We invite you to explore our new site with up-to-date articles, Action Center and all the other great sections on the site. Nuclear Basics at Nuclearfiles.org ------------------------------------- Visit the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Nuclear Files website. Visitors can take a journey through the Nuclear Age and learn about key issues. The site also contains a section for educators with sample course syllabi incorporating lessons from nuclear history into the classroom. Visit Nuclear Files at http://www.nuclearfiles.org *QUOTABLE* We must continue that work of serving humanity wherever its needs are greatest. We must continue helping you, the peoples of the world, to find common solutions to common problems. And we will. - Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, on United Nations Day, 24 October 2003 He is setting an example for every nation in the world, if you dont like what is going on with your neighbor its perfectly all right to go to war with them. - Walter Cronkite, former CBS anchorman, referring to Bushs decision to attack Iraq, which he called the worst policy decision this nation has ever made, 10 October, 2003 Today we lack metrics to know if we are winning or losing the global war on terror. Are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more terrorists every day than the madrassas and the radical clerics are recruiting, training and deploying against us? - Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, from his leaked memorandum to Pentagon leaders questioning progress in the US war on terrorism, 16 October 2003 "It is time for this Administration to admit that it was wrong, and turn in a new direction. We need a genuine plan that acknowledges the realities on the ground. We need a plan that gives real authority to the United Nations, so that other nations truly will share the burden. We need to actively engage the Iraqi people in governing and rebuilding their country. Our soldiers now risking their lives in Iraq deserve no less." - U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy during Senate Floor Remarks on Bush's $87 billion supplemental request for the Iraq war, 16 October 2003. *SUBSCRIBE* To receive our free monthly e-newsletter subscribe at: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/subscribe/ *SUPPORT* We depend entirely upon the support of people who share our goals for a more peaceful and nuclear weapons-free future. Please contribute and become a member in creating a better world for ourselves and the next generation. To make a contribution, please log onto http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/donate/ or contact Michelle Myers at 805.965.3443 or development@napf.org. *EDITORS* Justine Wang David Krieger *CONTRIBUTORS* Micheal Coffey Keyvan Gheissari Kristen Morrison To Unsubscribe from this list please send an e-mail to nothanks@napf.org with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line -- Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com -- ***************************************************************** 69 SF Chronicle: Egyptian calls for nuclear inspections in Israel Same standard should be used all over Mideast, ambassador says [http://sfgate.com] [jcuriel@sfchronicle.com] Friday, November 14, 2003 If it is serious about making the Middle East a region of peace, the United States should pressure Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and require the country to undergo nuclear weapons inspections, Egypt's ambassador to the United States says. In an interview with The Chronicle, Nabil Fahmy decried what he called a double standard in U.S. foreign policy and said the Bush administration must lean on Israel to the same extent it has on Iran, which agreed this week to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "There's no way that (Egypt) can reconcile this," Fahmy said. "It's a very serious issue that Israel has a nuclear program that's not safeguarded with the International Atomic Energy Agency, that it's not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and that it has rebuffed all of Egypt's attempts to convince it to become party to a region free of nuclear weapons." American officials have said they won't prod Israel into signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and have stressed that the country is a longtime ally of the United States, unlike Iran. Experts say Israel has a highly developed program of nuclear weapons whose purpose is to deter any attempt to overrun the tiny country. While Israeli officials have never acknowledged the arsenal, they have repeatedly stressed that Israel will never "introduce" such weapons in the region. Fahmy, who is on the advisory board of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, said Egypt has "raised this issue with the American government repeatedly. If America is serious about ensuring the Middle East does not become a region where weapons of mass destruction become a threat, it should be more active, more straightforward and more aggressive. It should apply one standard for all. It can't be on a case-by-case basis." Regarding the most pressing crisis in the Middle East at present, Fahmy said that Egypt has not received "specific requests" from the United States for help in pacifying and rebuilding Iraq. "We are ready to help today -- in a nonmilitary way," he said, adding that such aid could include training for Iraq's post-Saddam Hussein police and army. Fahmy said that more countries would be contributing to Iraq's reconstruction if the requests for help had more of an "Iraqi face," rather than coming from Washington. He said that some Egyptians were in Iraq working on private contracts, primarily related to setting up a mobile phone system. He said the violence there would continue to dampen foreign aid efforts for some time. "These same Egyptians who are on the ground there, if they get killed, people are going to come back to me and ask, 'Where was the security?' " Last week, President Bush said Egypt should "show the way toward democracy in the Middle East" and called on other Muslim governments to join what he said would be a new democratic movement in the region. Fahmy defended his country's record, saying it had made recent progress in human rights, economic liberalization and other areas. Human rights groups have long criticized Egypt for its crackdowns on dissent, and President Hosni Mubarak has ruled with unchallenged authority since the assassination of Anwar Sadat in October 1981. "I support more democracy than what exists today in the Arab world, and that's my government's opinion, too,'' said Fahmy, who is in the Bay Area to address the World Affairs Council of Northern California and to meet with other board members of the center in Monterey. "That's not to say that democracy doesn't exist -- just that it's a process that goes on continuously," Fahmy said. "I argue that Egypt has made major steps over the past 25 years, including moving from a one-party system to a situation today where we have 16 parties. "We (recently) established a national council on human rights, to monitor human rights practices and to develop a culture of human rights in Egypt. We reviewed our education system. We abolished the military decrees that have been issued over the past few years, except for those on national security issues. We put all of that forward out of our own domestic requirements, not because President Bush was asking for them. "Is that enough? No. We need to do more, and we will do more." Fahmy called Egypt's earlier curbs on civil liberties "a step backward" that was taken "because we faced terrorism" from militant Islamic groups. "The United States took steps backward when you faced terrorism," he said. "Does that mean you're not a democracy?" *E-mail Jonathan Curiel at [jcuriel@sfchronicle.com] .* · ©2003 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback ***************************************************************** 70 Hacker sparks Panic at N-Weapons Lab Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 01:26:29 -0600 (CST) 62 Herald Sun: Nerd sparks N-panic [02nov03] ONE of the most secret nuclear weapons laboratories in the US was crippled for three days when a teenage "nerd" hacked into its computer system. Authorities "pressed the panic button" when they detected what they thought was a cyber assault by foreign spies or terrorists. But schoolboy Joseph McElroy, 18, told a court yesterday he had meant no harm and hacked into the system only to use its power to download films and music from the Internet. The British teenager cracked the hi-tech facility's electronic security shield with a software program he had developed called Deathserv. The intrusion triggered a full-scale alert at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, near Chicago - one of the world's leading centres for high-energy physics research. The US Department of Energy, which is responsible for the safety of the country's nuclear weapons, alerted British police and McElroy was tracked to his London home. Yesterday, the schoolboy pleaded guilty to unauthorised modification of the contents of a computer when he appeared in court in London. Prosecutor Sean Larkin told how the nuclear centre took no chances when the hacking was discovered. "The panic button was pushed due to the uncertainty," he said. "Initially, the US took this matter very seriously because of the nature of the laboratory and the fact it deals with nuclear weapons." McElroy admitted developing the program to break into 17 computers at the laboratory between June 10 and 25 last year. Mr Larkin said the teenager wanted to obtain music and films - known as "wares" - from the Internet. "In one sense, he was simply being a parasite on the laboratory computer, using its more powerful system to upload the wares," he said. The intrusion was discovered only when lab staff noticed it took longer than usual to back up their files. Mr Larkin told the court how the network was shut down for three days and that the ultimate cost for the rebuilding and repair of the computers was $50,800. McElroy claimed he had intended only to hack into university computers in the belief that they used the Internet for free. "We say an easy check would have revealed it was the Fermi Laboratory, but even then we cannot say he knew the nature of the lab or the agency," Mr Larkin said. McElroy will be sentenced on November 21. Later, Detective Sergeant Steve Santorelli of the Computer Crime Unit described McElroy as "a very pleasant boy". "He was very good with us and admitted everything," he said. ) Herald and Weekly Times ***************************************************************** 71 Tri-City Herald: Bechtel could lay off 200 by Jan. 31 *This story was published Friday, November 14th, 2003* By John Stang Herald staff writer Bechtel National expects to lay off about 200 white-collar workers by Jan. 31. The Hanford contractor said the proposed layoffs are because of a combination of factors, including that some design and engineering work for the radioactive tank waste glassification complex is done. The cuts also are to adjust to changes in construction of the complex and efficiency efforts. "We're getting further along on the engineering. The design work is about 60 percent done. Some of it is complete," said Bechtel spokesman John Britton. Those facing layoffs are workers such as engineers and technical and administrative support staff. Bechtel is in charge of designing, building and testing the waste glassification complex, which is supposed to be fully operational by 2011. Right now, the project employs about 2,400 white-collar workers and 1,000 union construction workers. Bechtel's long-range employment plans project hiring more construction workers in 2004, probably peaking at slightly more than 2,000 in 2006. Meanwhile, administrators, engineers, technicians and support people are expected to hover around 2,000 until 2007, when they will begin a gradual decline. Efforts will be made to place laid-off employees at other Bechtel and Washington Group International projects, according to a Thursday memo to the employees from Jim Henschel, Bechtel National's waste treatment plant project manager. Washington Group is a permanent Bechtel subcontractor on the project. © 2003 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 72 DOE: Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program FR Doc 03-28506 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64611-64614] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-60] AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy. ACTION: Amended Record of Decision. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) is amending its January 11, 2000 Record of Decision (ROD) (65 FR 1608) to allow for the fabrication of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel lead assemblies in France on a one-time basis. The January 2000 ROD stated that DOE would fabricate a limited number of lead assemblies at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). However, because of cost and schedule impacts and programmatic considerations, lead assembly fabrication at LANL is no longer feasible. The environmental impacts of fabricating lead assemblies in Europe were first evaluated in the Storage and Disposition of Weapons-Usable Fissile Materials Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Storage and Disposition PEIS) (DOE/EIS-0229, December 1996). In accordance with DOE National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Procedures at Title 10, Sec. 1021.314(c), DOE/NNSA has prepared a Supplement Analysis (SA) for the Fabrication of Mixed Oxide Fuel Lead Assemblies in Europe (DOE/EIS-0229-SA3). This SA updates the environmental impacts of fabricating lead assemblies in France using plutonium oxide from LANL. The SA concludes that the proposed fabrication of lead assemblies in France would not result in impacts significantly different from or significantly greater than those described in previous DOE NEPA documents. Therefore, DOE/NNSA will now pursue the fabrication of up to four lead assemblies in France at the existing Cadarache and MELOX facilities, using surplus plutonium from LANL. The lead assemblies will be returned to the United States for irradiation at Catawba Nuclear Station (Catawba)\1\ in South Carolina. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ Because the plants' refueling schedules determine the availability for lead assembly use, Duke Power Company has submitted a license amendment request to the NRC to allow irradiation of MOX lead assemblies at Catawba. The SA also analyzes the use of the McGuire Nuclear Station (McGuire) in North Carolina, which could be used in lieu of Catawba, if a license amendment request were submitted and approved. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning the fabrication of lead assemblies in France, the Supplement Analysis entitled Fabrication of Mixed Oxide Fuel Lead Assemblies in Europe, or this amended ROD, contact Hitesh Nigam, NEPA Compliance Officer, Office of Fissile Materials Disposition, National Nuclear Security Administration, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or leave a message at 800-820-5134. For further information concerning DOE's NEPA process, contact Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH- 42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., [[Page 64612]] Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202-586-4600, or leave a message at 800-472-2756. Additional information regarding the DOE NEPA process and activities is also available on the Internet through the NEPA home page at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The Storage and Disposition PEIS evaluated the potential environmental consequences of alternative strategies for the long-term storage of weapons-usable plutonium and highly enriched uranium and the disposition of weapons-usable plutonium that has been or may be declared surplus to national security needs. As part of this evaluation, the Storage and Disposition PEIS analyzed the environmental impacts of fabricating lead assemblies (and some initial MOX batch assemblies) in existing facilities in Europe in the event that it would be necessary to begin production more quickly than could be accomplished in the United States. The fabrication of lead assemblies (small quantities of nuclear fuel used by a commercial nuclear power plant to confirm that a new fuel design will perform safely and predictably) involves the same basic process as full-scale fabrication of MOX fuel and is required to support Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing activities and fuel qualification efforts. The Storage and Disposition PEIS evaluated transport of plutonium oxide from a storage facility at an existing DOE site to a U.S. port (Sunny Point, NC); port handling at the U.S. port; ocean transport to the European ports of Barrows, United Kingdom, and Cherbourg, France; ocean transport of MOX fuel back to the United States; and safe, secure trailer (SST) transport of MOX fuel from the U.S. port to either an existing commercial reactor site or a storage site in the United States. The shipping schedule projected two shipments of plutonium oxide per year and a maximum of four shipments of fresh (unirradiated) MOX fuel assemblies per year. The Storage and Disposition PEIS also discussed the potential effect of ocean transport on the global commons. Although the Storage and Disposition PEIS indicated that fabrication in Europe, if it occurred at all, would only be an interim measure, the PEIS analysis included not only the annual transportation impacts of shipments to and from Europe, but also the overall transportation impacts of performing all fuel fabrication work for the entire 50-metric-ton surplus plutonium inventory in Europe. These analyses indicate that total transportation fatalities resulting from both radiological and nonradiological risk to the public and workers for both routine and accident conditions associated with European MOX fuel fabrication for the entire inventory would range from 1.69 to 4.62 fatalities, depending on the hypothetical one-way distance to be traveled (i.e., 1,000 km to 4,000 km). Port handling impacts were also analyzed in the PEIS. The analysis determined that annual accident risks from exporting two shipments of plutonium oxide and importing four shipments of MOX fuel would not result in any latent cancer fatalities (LCFs) among workers or the general public. The analysis also indicates that the probability that these shipments would be involved in a maritime accident of sufficient severity to cause release of radioactive materials resulting in catastrophic consequences would be extremely small (on the order of 1.0 x 10-\7\ yr to 1.0 x 10-\8\ yr). The ROD for the Storage and Disposition PEIS, issued on January 21, 1997 (62 FR 3014), outlined DOE's decision to pursue a hybrid disposition strategy. This strategy allowed for both the immobilization of some (and potentially all) of the surplus plutonium and the fabrication of some of the surplus plutonium into MOX fuel to be irradiated in existing domestic, commercial reactors. The ROD made no decisions concerning lead assembly fabrication. The environmental impacts of domestic fabrication of lead assemblies were evaluated in detail as part of the MOX fuel fabrication alternatives in the Surplus Plutonium Disposition EIS (SPD EIS) (DOE/ EIS-0283, November 1999), which tiered from the Storage and Disposition PEIS. Specific facilities at five DOE sites were considered for this effort, based on site capabilities existing at that time: The Hanford Site in Washington, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory West (ANL-W) facilities in Idaho, the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, LANL in New Mexico, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The SPD EIS evaluated the environmental impacts of fabricating 10 fuel assemblies, irradiating up to 8 of them at existing commercial reactors (Catawba or McGuire), and performing post-irradiation examination at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) or ANL-W. This analysis included evaluation of transportation impacts. The SPD EIS analyses indicate that environmental impacts from modification and routine operation of lead assembly fabrication facilities would be small; no LCFs would be expected in the general population from the postulated bounding design basis accident; nor would there be any traffic fatalities or LCFs expected from the associated transportation. Among other decisions made in the ROD for the SPD EIS issued on January 11, 2000, DOE selected LANL as the site for lead assembly fabrication, to be followed by irradiation in U.S. commercial reactors and post-irradiation examination of selected fuel rods at ORNL. II. Lead Assembly Fabrication in Europe In May 2000, DOE determined that cost and schedule impacts and other programmatic considerations precluded lead assembly fabrication at LANL, and DOE discontinued related activities at LANL. DOE/NNSA is now proposing to use U.S. surplus plutonium from LANL to fabricate up to four lead assemblies in the existing Cadarache and MELOX facilities in France, and return those lead assemblies to the United States for irradiation. Consistent with decisions in the January 2000 ROD for the SPD EIS, the lead assemblies would be irradiated at Catawba, after which selected rods from lead assemblies would be transported to ORNL for post-irradiation examination. As part of this proposed action, up to 140 kg of plutonium oxide from LANL would be transported by truck (one shipment consisting of three SST/Safeguards Transport [SGTs]) \2\ to a U.S. military port. The plutonium oxide would then be transferred to Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (PNTL) ships \3\ at the port and transported [[Page 64613]] across the Atlantic Ocean to Cherbourg, France (one shipment consisting of a two-ship convoy). The plutonium oxide would then be transferred to existing fabrication facilities in France (Cadarache and MELOX). After fabrication, PNTL ships would transport the lead assemblies and remaining archive and scrap material across the Atlantic Ocean back to the same U.S. military port. The lead assemblies would be transferred from the PNTL ships to SST/SGTs, and transported from the port to Catawba (one shipment consisting of four SST/SGTs). Archive (MOX pellets meeting fuel specifications) and scrap (out-of-specification MOX fuel pellets and remains from the pellet-grinding process) material would be transported from the port to LANL for storage (one shipment consisting of two SST/SGTs). Once the MOX facility becomes operational, these archive and scrap materials would be used as feed material during pellet production for MOX fuel that would be irradiated in existing U.S. commercial nuclear reactors. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \2\ The SST/SGT is a specially designed component of an 18-wheel tractor-trailer vehicle. Although the details of the vehicle enhancements are classified, key characteristics are not, and include: Enhanced structural supports and a highly reliable tie-down system to protect cargo from impact; heightened thermal resistance to protect the cargo in case of a fire; deterrents to protect unauthorized removal of cargo; couriers who are armed Federal officers that receive rigorous training and are closely monitored through DOE's Personnel Assurance Program; an armored tractor to protect the crew from attack, equipped with advanced communications equipment; specially designed escort vehicles containing advanced communications and additional couriers; 24-hour-a-day real-time monitoring of the location and status of the vehicle; and stringent maintenance standards. \3\ The PNTL ships are vessels specially designed to carry radioactive materials. Special safety features include: Double hulls to withstand damage from a severe collision and remain afloat; enhanced buoyancy to ensure the ship stays afloat and maintains a stable attitude even in the most extreme circumstances; duplicate navigation, communications, electrical and cooling systems; dual propulsion systems; specialized fire fighting equipment; satellite navigation and tracking; and highly experienced crew members. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- DOE would obtain an export license from the NRC to transport plutonium oxide from the United States to France and would require a Certificate of Competent Authority from the Department of Transportation (based on the NRC review) for the two shipping containers (FS47 and FS65) required for this project. DOE submitted the export license application to the NRC in October 2003, which is currently under review. The application for certification of the FS47 was submitted on August 2003 and the FS65 is scheduled to be filed in December 2003. III. NEPA Process for Amending ROD The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA at 40 CFR 1502.9(c) require Federal agencies to prepare a supplement to an EIS when an agency makes substantial changes in the proposed action that are relevant to environmental concerns or when there are significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action or its impacts. DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures at 10 CFR 1021.314(c) direct that when it is unclear whether a supplement to an EIS is required, an SA be prepared to assist in making that determination. DOE/NNSA has recently prepared the Supplement Analysis for the Fabrication of Mixed Oxide Fuel Lead Assemblies in Europe (DOE/EIS-0229-SA3) in accordance with these CEQ and DOE Procedures. The conclusions of the SA are summarized in Section IV of this amended ROD. IV. Summary of Impacts The SA focuses on the potential impacts (from both routine operations and postulated accidents) of transportation of materials, including cargo-handling activities at three alternative U.S. military ports, and the effects on the global commons of ocean transport. This is because the domestic activities proposed, other than those associated with transportation, remain essentially unchanged compared to the manner in which they were analyzed in the Storage and Disposition PEIS and the SPD EIS.\4\ The ports evaluated in the SA are Charleston Naval Weapons Station in South Carolina, and Yorktown Naval Weapons Station and Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \4\ The only additional action needed for lead assembly fabrication in France, beyond those evaluated in previous NEPA documents, is the transport of archive and scrap materials to LANL for storage. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Based on the analyses in the SA, the proposed fabrication of lead assemblies in France, specifically, overland transportation of plutonium oxide from LANL to any of the three ports, ocean transport to France, the return shipment of fresh MOX fuel lead assemblies to the United States, and subsequent transport of the lead assemblies to Catawba and archive and scrap materials to LANL, would not result in impacts significantly different from or greater than those described in either the Storage and Disposition PEIS or the SPD EIS. Where there are differences in impacts, they are small changes to impacts that are themselves small. Therefore, the activities evaluated do not represent substantial changes in any proposed actions or result in any new circumstances relevant to environmental concerns. Impacts additional to or different from those previously evaluated would result from transportation of materials to implement this activity, such as movement of archive and scrap materials from the port to LANL. Some of the origins and destinations, and hence the routes, would be different than previously evaluated, and the shipping containers, although also approved Type B packages, would be different. However, there would be fewer shipments of material than previously anticipated. The risk to the maximally exposed individual from the postulated severe truck accident involving shipment of plutonium oxide powder is extremely low. The risk estimated in the SA, 1 x 10-8 latent cancer fatality, is less than the risk estimated in the SPD EIS, 3.5 x 10-8 latent cancer fatality. Although more plutonium oxide powder would be available for release from the accident in the SA in the extremely unlikely event of a transportation accident involving a breach of the Type B package, there are fewer shipments, so the frequency of occurrence, hence overall risk, is lower. Implementation of the proposed action would involve a very small increase in the use of the port facilities, with no construction at or modification of these facilities. Only three trucks (SST/SGTs) would arrive at the port to deliver the plutonium oxide to the dock where two PNTL ships, traveling in a two-ship convoy, would receive the cargo. The lead assemblies, archive, and scrap material would be transported back to the United States, also in a two-ship convoy, and would leave the port in a total of six trucks. It is not expected that the minimal additional transportation and cargo handling activities would result in any impacts to the local environment. The SA analyzes a severe accident that involves a collision between the PNTL ship and another ship with an ensuing fire, resulting in the release of plutonium oxide powder. The SA analyzed the identical accident scenario for each of the three proposed U.S. ports, which would result in a population accident risk of 1.2 x 10-7 LCF for Charleston NWS, 1.1 x 10-7 LCF for Naval Station Norfolk, and 3.5 x 10-8 LCF for Yorktown NWS. The resulting individual LCF risk to the maximally exposed individual is 3.5 x 10-11 for Charleston NWS, 4.3 x 10-11 for NS Norfolk, and 2.0 x 10-11 for Yorktown NWS. By way of comparison, the Storage and Disposition PEIS reported an earlier DOE study that estimated the likelihood of a maritime accident of sufficient severity to cause significant release of radioactive material to be in the range of 1.0 x 10-8 to 1.0 x 10-9 per port call. The probability of an accident at sea involving the PNTL is very unlikely because of the limited number of shipments (one two-ship convoy each way) as well as the redundant modern navigation systems on the ship. The probability of a significant release is further reduced because of the ruggedness of the PNTL design and the Type B packages. If plutonium oxide were released to waters of the global commons, the Storage and Disposition PEIS reports that plutonium oxide would dissolve very slowly, and would [[Page 64614]] combine with sediments rather than remaining dissolved in the ocean water. Archive and scrap materials meeting the stabilization criteria of DOE Standard DOE-3013-2000 would be stored in two Type B shipping packages. There is very little risk of either an inadvertent criticality, or dispersion of plutonium in the event of an accident, because the plutonium would be incorporated in a non-dispersible ceramic material. The dose rate at 1 m from the packages would not exceed 0.1 mrem/hr, which would result in only minimal personnel exposure, and would not exceed the dose rate from storage of archive and scrap materials as anticipated in the SPD EIS, which is estimated to be 0.15 mrem/hr at 1 m. Both the Storage & Disposition PEIS (at Section G.1.2.6) and the SPD EIS (at Section L.6.5) acknowledged that a threat could be presented by sabotage or terrorism, and concluded that adequate safeguards are in place to meet such a threat. Although the likelihood of an attempted act of sabotage or terrorism occurring is not precisely knowable, the chance of success of any such attempt was judged to be very low, particularly in light of the transport methods to be employed by DOE in these shipments, which are designed specifically to afford security against sabotage or terrorism, as well as safety in the event of an accident. In preparing the SA, DOE again considered sabotage or terrorism and determined that adequate safeguards remain in place to meet such threats. Based on these analyses, DOE/NNSA has determined that the potential environmental impacts associated with lead assembly fabrication in France are within the impacts evaluated in the Storage and Disposition PEIS and the SPD EIS. Fabricating lead assemblies at existing MOX fuel fabrication facilities in France would not constitute significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns and bearing on the previously analyzed action or its impacts either in the United States or affecting the global commons. Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 1021.314(c), no additional NEPA analysis is required by DOE/NNSA in order to fabricate MOX fuel lead assemblies in France. V. Response to Public Comments DOE has received letters requesting that it prepare a supplemental EIS on the fabrication of lead assemblies in Europe. These requests convey concerns that public safety is put at risk by the proposal to fabricate MOX fuel lead assemblies in Europe. In particular, concerns have been expressed about the transportation of plutonium to and from Europe and the safety of the facilities in France. One letter received by DOE alleges that the proposal to fabricate lead assemblies in Europe has not been analyzed in an EIS, and therefore that an SA is not an appropriate document in which to analyze the proposal. DOE disagrees with the last assertion. Fabrication of MOX fuel assemblies in Europe was specifically analyzed in the Storage and Disposition PEIS. In that evaluation, the transportation impacts of fabricating the entire 50 metric tons of surplus plutonium in Europe (as opposed to the current proposal to use up to 0.14 metric tons to fabricate four lead assemblies) was analyzed. The Storage and Disposition PEIS was issued for public review and comment in accordance with NEPA requirements. DOE/NNSA believes that this afforded the public ample opportunity to comment on fabrication of MOX fuel in Europe. As the analysis presented in the SA makes clear, the potential environmental impacts associated with lead assembly fabrication in Europe are within the impacts evaluated in the Storage and Disposition PEIS and the SPD EIS. In this analysis, particular attention has been given to the impacts of transportation. As part of this analysis, the SA evaluates impacts of activities that affect the global commons outside the jurisdiction of any one nation. The SA does not address the impacts of the proposal in France, however, because DOE believes that it is neither required nor appropriate under NEPA to evaluate the safety or environmental impacts of an activity within and under the jurisdiction and control of another sovereign nation. Nevertheless, DOE wishes to emphasize that the transportation activities and facilities in France will be government-licensed and conducted and operated under strict standards. Accordingly, DOE/NNSA has concluded that preparation of a supplemental EIS is not needed. VI. Amended Decision DOE/NNSA will use U.S. surplus plutonium from LANL to fabricate up to four mixed oxide fuel lead assemblies in France on a one-time basis. The plutonium oxide will be transported overland from LANL to Charleston NWS,\5\ and then shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to Cherbourg, France. The plutonium oxide will be fabricated at existing facilities in France (Cadarache and MELOX). After fabrication, lead assemblies and archive and scrap materials will be returned to the United States through Charleston NWS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \5\ However, if Charleston Naval Weapons Station is not available to support the schedule, either Yorktown Naval Weapons station or Naval Station Norfolk could be used for both the outbound and return shipments, after appropriate notifications and agreements have been made. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Consistent with decisions in the January 2000 ROD for the SPD EIS, these lead assemblies will be transported to Catawba \6\ for irradiation, and selected rods from the irradiated lead assemblies will be transported to ORNL for post-irradiation examination. Archive and scrap materials will be stored at LANL. This decision will allow DOE to fabricate lead assemblies on a schedule compatible with DOE's MOX fuel fabrication schedule. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \6\ The plants' refueling schedules determine availability for lead assembly use. Duke Power Company submitted a license amendment request to the NRC for Catawba. However, if needed, McGuire could also be used, provided a license amendment request was submitted and approved. Issued in Washington, DC, this 7th day of November, 2003. Charles S. Przybylek, Chief Operating Officer, National Nuclear Security Administration. [FR Doc. 03-28506 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 73 DOE: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact FR Doc 03-28508 [Federal Register: November 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 220)] [Notices] [Page 64620-64621] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14no03-70] Statement for the Proposed Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building Replacement Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Building Replacement Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (the Final CMRR EIS). The present Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) Building at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) houses mission critical analytical chemistry, material characterization and research and development capabilities involving actinides (actinides are any of a series of elements with atomic numbers ranging from actinium-89 through lawrencium-103). The Final CMRR EIS considers the potential environmental impacts that could result due to the consolidation and relocation of these CMR capabilities from the existing aged CMR Building to a new facility such that these capabilities would be available on a long-term basis to successfully accomplish LANL mission support activities or programs. Two locations at LANL were evaluated for locating a new CMRR Facility: A location within Technical Area (TA) -55 and a location within TA-6. The Final CMRR EIS also considers the no-action alternative of maintaining the CMR capabilities at the existing CMR Building. DATES: The NNSA intends to issue a Record of Decision on the CMRR EIS no sooner than 30 days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a notice of filing of the Final CMRR EIS in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: A copy of the Final CMRR EIS and its Summary may be obtained upon request by writing to: U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Site Office, Attn: Ms. Elizabeth Withers, Office of Facility Operations, 528 35th Street, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544; by facsimile ((505) 667-9998); or by e-mail (CMRR [EIS@doeal.gov] ). Copies of the Final CMRR EIS are also available for review at: the Los Alamos Outreach Center, 1619 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544; and the Zimmerman Library, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on NNSA NEPA process, please contact: Mr. James Mangeno (NA 1), NEPA Compliance Officer for Defense Programs, U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874-1290, or telephone 1-800-832-0885. For general information about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586- 4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756. [[Page 64621]] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Mission critical CMR capabilities at LANL support NNSA's stockpile stewardship and management strategic objectives. The CMR Building's analytical chemistry, materials characterization, and actinide research and development capabilities are necessary to support the current and future directed stockpile work and campaign activities conducted at LANL. The CMR Building is over 50 years old and approaching end of design life. Studies conducted in the late 1990s identified a seismic fault trace located beneath the CMR Building, which greatly enhances the level of structural upgrades needed for the building to meet current structural seismic code requirements for a Hazard Category 2 nuclear facility. The CMR Building has been upgraded such that operations can continue, on a restricted basis, in support of national security missions. The CMR Upgrades project was designed to extend the life of the CMR Building through approximately 2010. It would be cost prohibitive to perform the needed repairs, upgrades, and systems retrofitting for a long-term (beyond 2010), unrestricted use of the CMR Building. NNSA cannot continue to perform the assigned LANL mission critical CMR capabilities in the existing CMR Building at an acceptable level of risk to public and worker health and safety without operational restrictions. These operational restrictions would preclude the full implementation of the level of operation DOE decided upon through its Record of Decision for the 1999 LANL Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Continued Operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (DOE/EIS-0238). CMR capabilities are necessary to support the current and directed stockpile work and campaign activities at LANL. By 2010, operations will have been conducted in the existing CMR Building for 60 years; this is the estimated operational life span for nuclear operations at the existing CMR Building. Given that the CMR Building is near the end of its useful life, action is now required by NNSA to assess alternatives for continuing these activities for the succeeding 50 years. The Final CMRR EIS evaluates the environmental impacts associated with relocating the CMR capabilities at LANL to new buildings sited at the following alternative locations: (1) Next to the Plutonium Facility at TA-55 at LANL (the Proposed Action), and (2) a ``greenfield'' site within TA-6. The NNSA also evaluated performing minimal necessary structural and systems upgrades and repairs to portions of the existing CMR Building and continuing the use of these upgraded portions of the structure for administrative offices and support function purposes, as well as evaluating the potential decontamination and demolition of the existing CMR Building as disposition options coupled with the alternatives for construction and operation of new nuclear laboratory facilities at the two previously identified locations. The Final CMRR EIS considers the performance of minimal necessary structural and systems upgrades and repairs to the existing CMR Building as a no- action alternative with continued maintenance of limited mission critical CMR capabilities at the CMR Building. In the Final CMRR EIS, the Administrator of the NNSA designated Alternative 1, the Proposed Action of constructing and operating a new CMRR Facility at TA-55, as its preferred alternative. Additionally, the designated preferred construction option is the construction of a single consolidated SNM-capable Hazard Category laboratory above ground with a separate administrative offices support functions building (Option 3); NNSA's preferred option for the disposition of the CMR Building is to decontaminate, decommission, and demolish that entire structure (Option 3). Signed in Washington, DC, this 21 day of October, 2003. Everet H. Beckner, Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration. [FR Doc. 03-28508 Filed 11-13-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 74 Tri-City Herald: Hanford downwinders claims have fallen to 1,816 *This story was published Friday, November 14th, 2003* By Annette Cary Herald staff writer SPOKANE -- The number of people suing because they believe Hanford radiation emissions damaged their health continues to drop. On Thursday, defense attorneys told Judge William Fremming Nielsen in federal court in Spokane that what they initially believed would be 5,500 claims has dropped to 1,816. That's a decrease of about 300 claims from the last status conference before the judge in September. However, plaintiff attorneys said after the court proceedings that the 5,500 estimate was inflated and the claims never have totaled more than about 3,500. Plaintiff attorneys are now interviewing individual clients to assess their claims, some of which were filed 12 years ago. Many clients have been moved to an inactive list because the science doesn't exist to show that radiation from Hanford could have caused their illness, or because they received too little radiation for a strong case to be made. At least half of the people still in the suit are seeking compensation for hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroids, which they believe was caused by radiation released from the Hanford nuclear reservation. During World War II and part of the Cold War, radioactive iodine was released into the air as plutonium was made at Hanford. It drifted downwind to contaminate food and the milk of cows that grazed on contaminated grass. In humans, radioactive iodine concentrates in the thyroid. Some other claims are tied to eating fish from the Columbia River that may have been contaminated by Hanford releases into the water. Difficulty in sorting out the claims also is affecting attorneys' efforts to come up with 15 claims each that would be narrowed to 12 total for a bellwether trial. Nielsen is hoping that by taking a few of the claims to trial in March 2005, the two sides would have enough information to settle other claims. The plaintiff attorneys withdrew one of their bellwether claims Thursday, saying it appeared their client was not willing to cooperate. The defense said it would have to replace several claims because the downwinders have died as the case has dragged on and apparently have no relative continuing the claim. As work toward a bellwether trial continues, Nielsen also has ordered mediation to start in early 2004. Defense attorney Kevin Van Wart of Chicago said mediation would be premature before the defense knows what claims will be included in the case. Not only are some claims being withdrawn, but new claims also continue to be added. However, Nielsen said the case has dragged on so long that mediation will start without delay. Although past Hanford contractors are the focus of the suit, under the Price-Anderson Act that indemnifies nuclear contractors, the federal government is expected to be responsible for any judgments and is paying defense costs. © 2003 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 75 Oak Ridger: Sick worker plan still has problems Story last updated at 1:07 p.m. on November 14, 2003 PARTIES AGREE: The significant number of cases before the physician's panel is an issue that needs to be addressed. By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff paul.parson@oakridger.com [paul.parson@oakridger.com] While the Department of Energy maintains that it has made "improvements" to a compensation plan for job-sickened nuclear workers, the jury is still out on the effectiveness of the program. According to DOE, the plan is processing more than 100 worker compensation claims per week through the initial phase of the program, compared to about 40 cases per week in recent months. Officials said the rate jumped following congressional approval of DOE's request for $9.7 million in additional funding for what is officially known as the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. "DOE has made some progress in the number of claims that it has processed, and I applaud the fact that they have reached the goal of processing 100 cases per week," said U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-3rd District. "I hope that with the additional funding of the $9.7 million, DOE will be able to exceed that number because time is running out for many sick workers." However, Vikki Hatfield, a Kingston resident who helped her father, Leon Meade, collect benefits before he died in 2002, is concerned that the increased number of processed claims is not a sustainable figure. "It is important to note that at this rate it will still take DOE at least four years to get through its current backlog of 20,000 claims to the doorstep of the physician's panel," said Hatfield. The physician's panel in question is an endpoint in the review process for sick worker claims. Developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the panel consists of experts who review available evidence and determine if workplace exposures likely caused a worker's cancer. In addition, the General Accounting Office - an investigative arm of Congress - recently criticized the compensation program, saying it faced a seven-year backlog. "The jury is very much out on the capacity of DOE to effectively process claims, which are running about $20,000 each in administration costs based on an analysis of DOE data," said Hatfield. "I believe that we are seeing DOE try and put a positive spin on the process. I know many people who are still waiting on and have not received any notice about where their claims are." Glenn Bell, who suffers from chronic beryllium disease, said, "Sometimes you don't hear the success stories. But, from my contacts, I'm not hearing solutions. If a logjam has broken, I don't know anybody who has been set free by it." Bell has been very outspoken about the inadequacy of the compensation plan, and other issues in Oak Ridge. His "high profile" has made him a sounding board and/or resource to many sick workers. In fact, Bell, who works at the Y-12 National Security Complex, pointed out that he had three people call him Wednesday night expressing concern about the claims they filed. What's worse, according to Hatfield, is that "only seven claims from Oak Ridge have gone through the physician's panel out of 3,704, which is 0.2 percent of the claims" filed locally. "Seven claims out of 3,704 does not speak well for the work being done by our congressmen, senators or DOE for the workers and their families in the Oak Ridge Area," Hatfield said. "What are the other 3,697 to do?" Regarding the small number of cases that have gone before the physician's panel, Bell said, "I haven't heard that statistic, but that does sound about right." Congressman Wamp agrees that the "bottleneck of cases" before the physician's panel is an issue that needs to be addressed. The compensation program provides medical care and a payment of $150,000 to sick workers or their survivors, if the workers were exposed to cancer-causing radiation or to silica or beryllium, which are linked to lung diseases. ***************************************************************** 76 Oak Ridger: DOE: More funds needed to assist workers Story last updated at 1:09 p.m. on November 14, 2003 By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff paul.parson@oakridger.com [paul.parson@oakridger.com] To accelerate the processing of compensation claims for sick nuclear weapons workers, the Department of Energy has informed Congress that it will need at least $33 million in additional funds for fiscal year 2004, on top of the actual appropriation request of $16 million. And, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-3rd District, said he will "work hard" on behalf of the sick workers to get the additional funding. "This is a life and death issue for many of my constituents and we are all struggling to get fair compensation to these American patriots as quickly as possible," Wamp said. The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act provides lump sum payments for illness related to exposure to radiation, beryllium and silica. When the legislation was enacted in 2000, the previous administration estimated that there would be a total of 3,000 claims paid, and the cost associated with those claims would be $360 million for both the Department of Labor's and DOE's portions of the program. However, figures released by DOE show that applications for the two programs have reached nearly 70,000, and the cost to this point in the program has exceeded $1 billion, with tens of thousands of claims left to be processed. "The original estimates on the number of claims and the expectations it set for handling these cases was inaccurate," said Robert Card, a DOE undersecretary who now supervises the program. "To thoroughly and comprehensively process these claims Š we must receive the support of Congress and the necessary funding." Vikki Hatfield, whose father, Leon Meade, worked at federal facilities in Oak Ridge and died in 2002 after battling illness attributed to his work, has some concerns about the funding issue. "DOE is continuing to mismanage the taxpayers funds by asking for a 368 percent budget increase before they can assure that the compensation program is capable of meeting its goals of timely and adequate compensation," she said. Hatfield was chosen by former President Bill Clinton to serve on the nationwide Workers Advocacy Advisory Committee, which advised DOE on the sick worker issue. She said the council was disbanded by the current administration because "they did not want our help in fixing the problems." In addition to Hatfield's concerns, an independent review of the administration of the compensation program identified several areas for improvement in processing workers' claims. "It is taking entirely too long for the veterans of the Cold War and World War II who have developed illnesses from working in our nuclear facilities to have their claims filed through the current system established under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act," Wamp said. "My staff and I have been pressing Department of Labor, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Department of Energy officials about these delays in an effort to speed up the process." On Oct. 30, after significant pressure and lobbying by Wamp, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing to discuss many of the issues pertaining to how the claims of sick workers are handled. At the hearing, Wamp testified that more than $170 million has been paid to Tennesseans to date. However, these payments pertained to more than 1,500 claims that were considered "special cohort" cases, which involved cancer victims who worked at the Oak Ridge K-25 site - a gaseous diffusion plant - or people diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease. The claimants were exempt from qualifying rules by the legislation passed in 2000. "There are more than 3,000 additional cases that have been referred to NIOSH and are awaiting a decision," Wamp testified. "There have at times been breakdowns in communication between NIOSH, DOE and the various contractors at the former DOE facilities about what information is needed from the DOE sites to make a determination to award or deny a claim. "It would greatly benefit the claimants for the agencies to look at ways to improve this communication and establish, or modify specific and uniform guidelines for each group and site about exactly what dosage and environmental records are needed to process each claim. With a program of this magnitude and this many government agencies involved, we need to be very careful that nothing slips through the cracks, and delays compensation to those who really need and deserve it." The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to hold a hearing Friday to examine the compensation program's shortcomings. In addition, U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have introduced an amendment in the Energy and Water bill that would shift some compensation program responsibilities from DOE to the Labor Department. ***************************************************************** 77 GJSentinel: Lawmakers asking why on energy lab closure 11.14.03 [info@cim.gjsentinel.com] *By GARY HARMON* Colorado's congressional delegation is pressing for an answer why the U.S. Department of Energy is planning to shut down a laboratory in Grand Junction, dissolving 18 jobs. Representatives of U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis and Sens. Wayne Allard and Ben Nighthorse Campbell, all Republicans, said their offices hadn't been contacted about saving the lab. The chairman of the Riverview Technology Corp., Bernie Buescher, said he was working with Campbell's office "from the beginning." Campbell will take the "first opportunity" before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to ask Energy Department officials about the pending closure, said Alton Dillard of the senator's Washington, D.C., office. It appeared, however, that the Energy Department was within its power to close the lab, he said. "This kind of came out of nowhere," said Dick Wadhams of Allard's office. "I'm sure we'll be finding out more." McInnis had asked for a "full explanation," said Blair Jones of his office. Buescher said Thursday that legislation in Congress included about $4.5 million for cleanup of uranium mill tailings in Moab, Utah  an amount that wouldn't salvage the laboratory, but which would "give everybody a bit of flexibility." Negotiations among Grand Valley officials and the Energy Department had yet to bear fruit, but it did appear federal officials did want to save the jobs, Buescher said. The Energy Department announced Wednesday the pending closure of the lab, which is used to analyze environmental samples collected for use by the Grand Junction office as well as for other offices of the Energy Department. The number of samples being sent to the office is declining, however, and officials said they expected to close the lab in January after completing analysis on the last samples sent in during December. Eighteen jobs will disappear with closure of the lab. Officials with the Energy Department and its prime contractor, S.M. Stoller Corp., said it's possible two employees could remain at the Grand Junction office, but no more than that. Stoller has openings in Alabama, Tennessee, Las Vegas and other locales, but, "unfortunately, no local positions," said Jim Archibald, general manager for Stoller in Grand Junction. The lab employees actually are employed by Teledyne Brown Engineering Corp., meaning the number of Stoller employees in Grand Junction will remain stable with about 140, he said. "If anything, we see growth through the rest of the contract," he said. The laboratory employees earn in the range of $50,000 a year, and most have families and had hoped to remain in Grand Junction, Archibald said. The Mesa County Commission was tentatively scheduled Nov. 24 to consider a resolution asking the Energy Department to work with area officials to preserve the lab. The Grand Junction City Council approved a similar measure Wednesday. © 2003 Cox Newspapers, Inc. - The Daily Sentinel ***************************************************************** 78 Google News Alert - nuclear Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 14:00:09 -0800 EGYPTIAN calls for nuclear inspections in Israel San Francisco Chronicle, CA If it is serious about making the Middle East a region of peace, the United States should pressure Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and ... US sees dollars in Russian nuclear technology Asia Times Online, Hong Kong PHILADELPHIA - At a time of growing alarm about terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and nuclear proliferation, United States officials are looking to enlist ... US: Rich In Technology, Entities From Former Soviet Union Seek ... GERMANY shuts first nuclear plant BBC News, UK Germany has shut the first of its 19 nuclear plants in an initial step towards phasing out using atomic power. The 32-year-old Stade ... Germany pulls nuclear plant plug - MSNBC German nuclear energy phase-out begins with first plant closure - SpaceDaily Germany starts historic nuclear-power shutdown as first plant ... PAKISTAN insists it gave no nuclear aid to Iran Reuters AlertNet, UK ... The United States accuses Iran of using its nuclear energy programme as a front to build a bomb, a charge Tehran rejects. The Times ... Pakistan denies report of providing assistance to Iran's nuclear ... STRIKE at nuclear plant Human Resources-Centre, UK Workers at Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant are to stage an eight-hour strike today in a row over a £2000 pay gap between industrial and other staff. ... US pressing nuclear talks International Herald Tribune, France ... of the United States will hold talks with senior South Korean officials next week to prepare for a fresh round of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear ... WITH a grain of salt: The logic of nuclear weapons acquisition Hindustan Times, India There are quite a lot of discussions going on in the press, diplomatic quarters, intelligence agencies and the capitals of the world about the Iranian nuclear ... EFFORTS to contain nuclear threat 'fall short' Straits Times, Singapore WASHINGTON - The nightmare scenario of terrorists unleashing a nuclear weapon on a major city is real and growing - yet world efforts to meet the threat are ... WRAPUP 1-EU Big 3 draft tough UN nuclear resolution on Iran Forbes VIENNA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - France, Germany and Britain are preparing a toughly-worded resolution criticising Iran for concealing sensitive nuclear technology ... IRAN vows "total transparency" on nuclear programme Reuters, UK TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran has expressed determination to adhere to total transparency in its dealings with the UN nuclear watchdog and says it has cooperated ... This once-a-day News Alert is brought to you by Google News (BETA)... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remove this News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts/remove?s=682e52ddd0720101 Create another News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts Try Google News: http://news.google.com/ ***************************************************************** 79 Guardian Unlimited: How first atom spy was uncovered Soviet clerk's story 'too hot to handle' Richard Norton-Taylor Friday November 14, 2003 The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk] A dramatic account of the uncovering of Britain's first "atom spy", Alan Nunn May, is contained in MI5 documents released today at the National Archives. The file has the added frisson of telegrams and letters from Kim Philby, the MI6 officer who was also a Soviet spy, in the separate Cambridge ring. Nunn May might never have been discovered had a cypher clerk at the Soviet embassy in Canada not been summoned back to Moscow in 1945. "Without question afraid of being liquidated should he return," according to a later interrogation, Igor Gouzenko decided "salvation lay in publicity". There followed a tortuous process whereby the clerk took his story to various newspapers and government ministries, and even the Mounties - to be told it was "too hot to handle" and be sent elsewhere. Finally he went home and, fearing he was tailed, took refuge with neighbours. It was only when Soviet agents broke into his flat, and the neighbours called police, that Gouzenko was believed and taken to a safe house. He described the Soviet network in Canada - including Nunn May, a physicist working on Britain's atom bomb project in Canada. Nunn May had passed to the Soviet Union a small amount of uranium 233. Codenamed Alec by the Russians, and now Primrose by MI5, Nunn May was due to visit London. Gouzenko told interrogators (among them Roger Hollis, later to head MI5 and at one stage accused of being a Soviet agent himself) that Nunn May's Soviet handler would meet him outside the British Museum with a copy of the Times under his left arm. "What's the shortest way to the Strand?" the handler would ask. Alec would reply: "Well, come along, I'm going that way." Nunn May never showed up. In a taped confession before his death in January, he said: "As it so happens, I was warned." MI5 then summoned him to a meeting, where he denied all. "From that moment I was followed by MI5's agents. This all made things rather difficult for me." He decided to admit betraying atom secrets in the hope of resurrecting his science career afterwards: "I decided to make a partial confession, and did so without incriminating any others." He was sentenced to 10 years' hard labour in 1946. On Guardian Unlimited Scottish parliament Welsh Assembly Northern Ireland Assembly Useful links British Council [http://www.britishcouncil.org/] Office for National Statistics [http://www.ons.gov.uk] British Museum [http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/] British Library [http://www.bl.uk/] English Heritage [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/] Scottish Natural Heritage [http://www.snh.org.uk/] Welsh Tourist Board [http://www.visitwales.com/] Irish Tourist Board [http://www.ireland.travel.ie/] English Nature [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/] [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 ***************************************************************** 80 Las Vegas SUN: Opposition to USA Patriot Act swells in Nevada By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS (AP) - Rebecca Foster couldn't believe it when a bank cited the USA Patriot Act and asked her and fellow homeowners association board members for their Social Security and driver's license numbers and dates of birth. "They said they had to check us against a terrorist list," said Foster, a grandmother who heads a five-member board that oversees a Las Vegas community. "That seemed kind of preposterous. None of us are terrorists." A week earlier, the FBI in Las Vegas acknowledged agents used Patriot Act authorization instead of the grand jury to investigate a striptease club owner and several elected officials. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada calls both uses excessive and warns that Congress in its haste to give the Bush administration tools to fight terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks handed over cherished American rights. Calls for repeal of the act have found fertile ground Nevada - an old cowboy state where state vs. federal issues are still fought on riverbeds, at nuclear sites and in the courts. A broad spectrum including liberals, conservatives, Libertarians, gay and Hispanic activists rallied in three corners of the state this week, calling for Nevada to join Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont and 210 U.S. communities that have passed resolutions urging curbs on the Patriot Act. "The fact that this issue crosses the political spectrum really lends credibility to the concern," said Janine Hansen of Sparks, president of the conservative Nevada Eagle Forum. A Justice Department official denied the Patriot Act infringes on Constitutional rights and called the act necessary to fight terrorism. "It protects the lives and liberties of Americans, rather than detracting from them," said spokeswoman Monica Goodling from Washington, D.C. "It is simply an update of the laws that was needed to help close gaping loopholes in our ability to fight modern-day terror." Officially called the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, it granted the government broad powers for searches, wiretaps and electronic and computer eavesdropping. Authorities can search people's homes and delay notifying them and track multiple phones with "roving wiretaps." "The act was intended to be used against terrorists, and we're using it against American citizens without constitutional protections," said Lana Noland of Elko. A former Libertarian Party chairwoman, Noland has been active in a long-running dispute with the U.S. Forest Service over jurisdiction of a remote gravel road running along the Jarbidge River. On Thursday, she joined one of three Nevada rallies against the Patriot Act. "Do you really want somebody looking through your financial records so you can serve on a homeowners association board?" she asked. "I don't think so." Natsu Taylor Saito, a professor of law at Georgia State University in Atlanta and author of a recent Oregon Law Review article about uses of the Patriot Act, said she expects that as elements of the measure touch more people, more people will oppose it. "What we see in the Patriot Act is an attempt to legalize and make more easily available to intelligence agencies tools that were used illegally and unconstitutionally to fight attempts to bring about social and political change," Saito said. "I think people are seeing enough instances in which lawful and constitutionally protected activities are being targeted to realize they don't want this unbridled power given to law enforcement agencies," she said. Peggy Maze Johnson of Las Vegas heads Citizen Alert, a statewide activist organization that added opposition to the Patriot Act to its battle to stop the federal government from building a national nuclear waste dump in the southern Nevada desert. "We've had to fight the government for 28 years over the Nevada Test Site and Yucca Mountain," Johnson said. "And I don't want to be in their system any more than I already am," Johnson said. The Justice Department's Goodling said law enforcers have a responsibility to use laws that Congress provides to fight crime. "Americans expect us to use every legal tool available to do our jobs in enforcing the law," she said. But in recent weeks, two members of Nevada's five-person congressional delegation expressed concern that the government might be going too far. After the FBI acknowledged using the Patriot Act in the political corruption case, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., sent a letter asking Attorney General John Ashcroft for an explanation. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., also expressed second-thoughts about approving the measure in late 2001. "There are concerns that misuse of the Patriot Act could lead to a widespread invasion of privacy," Reid said in a statement. "We have to be tough on terrorists, but we also have to guard the privacy of American citizens." Gary Peck, executive director of the ACLU in Las Vegas, called the act "a seamless web of arcane provisions that fit together in ways that are still unclear to many of us." "Last week, we found out how they could easily dig deeply into all of your private financial records without any meaningful checks, and without you knowing it," he said. "We're just now beginning to grasp how far-reaching the Patriot Act's tentacles are, and how profound its implications are for ordinary people who have nothing to do with terrorism." --- On the Net: Nevada Campaign to Defeat the Patriot Act: http://www.ncdpa.org [http://www.ncdpa.org] -- ***************************************************************** 81 PhysicsWeb: New particle turns up in Japan [http://physicsweb.org 14 November 2003 The Belle collaboration at the KEK laboratory in Japan has discovered a new sub-atomic particle which it is calling the "X(3872)". The particle does not fit into any known particle scheme and theorists are speculating that it might be a hitherto unseen type of meson that contains four quarks (arxiv.org/abs/hep-ex/0309032; *Phys. Rev. Lett.* to be published). The discovery has been confirmed by the CDF collaboration at Fermilab in the US, where the new particle is being called the "mystery meson". Mesons are particles that contain a quark and an antiquark that are held together by the strong nuclear force. Since there are six different "flavours" of quark - up, down, strange, charm, bottom and top - it is possible to form a large number of different mesons. The Belle team measured the decay of B-mesons - mesons that contain a bottom quark - produced in electron-positron collisions at the KEK B-factory in Japan. The team plotted the number of candidate events for B mesons against mass and observed a significant spike in the distribution at 0.775 GeV. This corresponds to a mass of nearly 3872 MeV. The particle decayed almost immediately into other, longer lived particles. The KEK team says that the mass of this new meson is higher than theoretical predictions. Moreover, the way in which it decays also differs from theory. One possibility is that current models of the strong force need to be modified. Alternatively it could be that X(3872) is the first example of a "molecular state" meson that contains two quarks and two antiquarks. Until recently particle physicists had only ever detected particles that contain two or three quarks. However, in the past year evidence has emerged for another four-quark particle known as the Ds(2317) and a five-quark particle known as the pentaquark. Author Belle Dumé is Science Writer at *PhysicsWeb* ***[ src=] Tel +44 (0)117 929 7481 | Fax +44 (0)117 925 1942 | E-mail info@physicsweb.org Copyright [http://www.iop.org/copyrt.html] © IOP Publishing Ltd [http://www.iop.org] 1996-2003. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 82 Asia Times: An energy source that's out of this world [http://www.atimes.com/ By Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri With the oil age starting to appear alarmingly finite, and with governments all over the planet searching for new energy sources, space scientists are looking at yet another fuel source, this one distributed on the moon over billions of years as birds distributed guano on the island of Nauru. The energy source is Helium 3, which exists in minute quantities on earth but which has been deposited on the moon by solar winds, a rapid stream of charged particles from the sun, from the dawn of time. Helium-3, or Astrofuel, as scientists have dubbed it, sounds, well, almost too good to be true. All they have to do is figure out a way to go get it, and then to build a plant to transform it to energy once they get it back here. Estimates of world energy use and recoverable reserves vary widely. Average energy consumption, measured in crude oil, is 71,530, barrels per day against a total known world reserve of about 1.0 trillion barrels. Thus a conservative estimate indicates that commercially viable oil supply could be exhausted in 40 to 50 years although by another estimate there is enough coal in the United States to last another 275 years at current consumption rates. Coal, however, is a dirty fuel that is costly to clean up through filters and scrubbers. At present rates of consumption, which are unlikely to hold steady forever as alternative fuels come on stream, when the population reaches the 10 billion mark consumption is projected at about 100 to 150 billion barrels of oil per year. Mankind is already looking for energy sources based on solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass and certainly some will continue towards playing a major role in energy production. Nuclear fusion is the other source of energy, but faces lots of political problems because of the radioactive waste it produces and because it produces a great number of neurons, which damage reactors, cutting their life. On the other hand, a fusion reaction carried through Helium3 releases only one percent of its energy in the form of neutrons. As a result, this type of reactor becomes easy and reduces radioactivity to a very low level, scientists working on the subject say. Enter Astrofuel, as Helium-3 or He3 has come to be known, which was discovered on the moon in 1969 when American astronauts first arrived, although the link between the isotope and lunar resources was not made until 1986. Scientists describe it as the most efficient known source of power, because 99 percent of the energy can be released as charged particles and thus be converted into electricity with greater efficiency. The level of radioactivity is so low that a complete reactor meltdown would not spread radioactive particles. And the reactor could be dismantled at the end of its useful life to be disposed of like any other ordinary median instruments. The Center for Space Automation and Robotics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison first conceived the idea of mining Astrofuel from the Moon in 1986. The center, one of 16 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-funded facilities for the commercial development of space, is positioned to manage the project because of the university's already existing fusion, space and life support research program. Researchers at Madison say they are certain that He3, an isotope of helium with one less neutron than helium itself, could replace fossil fuels. While it is rare on earth, it is available in large quantities on the moon. One tonne, they say, could supply the energy needs of a city of 10 million people when combined in a fusion reactor with a form of hydrogen extracted from water. It is hardly difficult to thus imagine the impact that Astrofuel could have on world energy supplies. The extremely high power density means that only 28 tonnes of Astrofuel, approximately the payload of the current US Space Shuttle, could supply the entire electrical demand of the US for a year. Even at a selling price of US$1 billion per tonne, the energy cost would be equivalent to oil at $7 a barrel. Unfortunately, the space shuttle is not at this time configured to fly to the moon, and a new space vehicle would have to be developed. The nation that develops the technology to retrieve Astrofuel could thus find itself in a commanding economic and strategy position in this century. The US already has the research and resource lead for recovery. While some He3 is available on earth, the quantity is not sufficient to be exploited commercially. The US strategic reserve amounts to only 29 kg, with another 187 kg mixed up with natural gas. By contrast, the moon has an estimated reserve of 1.1 billion tonnes of He3 that has been deposited by the solar wind. The commercial viability of Astrofuel was determined by the Wisconsin’s University Research Center in 1987, a year after its discovery. In 1987 prices, it was found that the US spends $40 billion annually to buy coal, oil, natural gas and uranium to produce electricity. For the megawatt volume of electricity for one year, the US might need to import one spacecraft load of fuel at a cost of $25 billion - about a fourth of the price of crude today at the aforementioned $7 per barrel. Obviously, billions of dollars would be required or research and development by participating countries and would involve the development of many technologies that currently remain to be created. Foremost among them are superconducting magnets, plasma control and diagnostics, robotically controlled mining equipment, life support facilities, rocket launch vehicles, telecommunications, power electronics, etc. Though the investment seems astronomical, compared to the benefit derived, the justification seems more than adequate. For one thing, the developed world would no longer be held hostage to the Middle East, where the preponderance of the world’s fossil fuel reserves are located. American scientists have already declared that the moon could be the Persian Gulf of the present century. Two liters of He3 would do the work of more than 1,000 tons of coal. And who would own this real estate? No doubt, the only affordable source of energy would be completely dominated by American industries. With the collapse of the USSR, Russia’s space program has largely disappeared. The Chinese, who only launched their first man into space last month, are well behind in the race. India, with its fledgling space program even less-developed, is even further behind. The Euroland space program is hardly oriented towards anything beyond launching commercial earth satellites. It is thus possible that every member of the United Nations could be forced to stand in a queue to receive a quota of fuel fixed by Uncle Sam. All discussion about energy security would take a back seat. The UN will discuss everything, but its members would go on waiting for their quota to arrive. Astrofuel would decide politics, economics and the world order. The technology to harness He3 as an energy source is a continuing process in the laboratories of the US universities. Miniaturization of He3-driven reactors would take an immense role in the new world order. *Dr Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri is a former professor of international relations at Oxford College in the UK and a guest professor of international relations at the London School of Economics & Political Science. * (Copyright 2003 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright 2003, Asia Times Online, 4305 Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Rd, Central, Hong Kong [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/policies.html] ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************