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                         NUCLEAR POLICY
 
1 War Wire: Ball in US court over nuclear talks: North Korea
2 Korea Herald: 'N. Korea open to U.S. nuke deal'   
3 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Six-Nation Talks to be Postponed?   
4 CS Monitor: Volatile nuclear rivals begin to talk 
5 AU ABC: US refuses to bow to North Korean nuclear demands
6 Las Vegas SUN: S. Korea Sees N. Korea Nuke Talks Delay
7 Las Vegas SUN: New Round of N. Korean Nuke Talks in Limbo

8 US: SOTU Uranium Claim Exposed by Bush Advisory Board
9 US: Knox News: U.S. needs nuclear power
10 US: GEM: Energy bill provision would limit coverage of contractors' 
11 US: Las Vegas SUN: Growth of Federal Spending in Bush's Term

12 AU The Age: Israel eager to gag nuclear whistleblower 
13 Washington Times: Saudi nukes
14 WorldNetDaily: 9-11-type al-Qaida plot prompted groundings
15 Chicago Sun-Times: Brochure hawks Pakistan's nuclear technology 
16 Asia Times: Pakistan's nuclear dilemma 
17 Las Vegas SUN: Indian, Pakistani Officials Meet at Summit
 
                         NUCLEAR REACTORS
 
18 US: NRC: Revision of NRC Enforcement Policy; Packaging and Transport
19 US: NRC: Notice of Renewal of Certificates of Compliance, GDP-1 and 
20 US: Ithaca Journal Study: Strontium levels higher 40 miles from nucl
21 US: PC News Herald: NRC restructuring in wake of D-B errors -
22 Taipei Times Editorial: Time for US to lay out its reasoning 
23 Taipei Times: Lin takes anti-nuclear message south 
24 Taipei Times: DPP wants nuclear-plant issue put to rest 
25 Taipei Times: US opposition (to vote) expected to ease STATUS QUO
26 US: Brattleboro Reformer: Officials give assurances of nuclear plant
27 US: heraldtribune.com: Seabrook cuts 76 jobs from work force
28 NEWS.com.au: Reactor shut after fire 
29 dailyrecord: NUKE BIN BATTLE CRY
30 US: SBJ: PG&E to refit Diablo Canyon nuke 
31 US: WTOL-TV Toledo, OH: Nuclear Plant Regulations
32 US: Concord Monitor: Vermont Yankee has corrected security issues 
 
                          NUCLEAR SAFETY
 
33 Las Vegas SUN: U.S. Navy to Close Base in Puerto Rico
34 Bellona: Russian naval source: K-159 to be raised in 2005
35 AP: Official reportedly says Russia plans to raise sunken submarine
36 US: Las Vegas SUN: Nuke War Survival Expert Kearny Dies
 
                         NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
 
37 Las Vegas SUN: DOE says it's doing its best to provide answers on Yu
38 AU The Age: Nuke dump decision delayed 
39 Las Vegas SUN: Critical year for Yucca
40 Las Vegas SUN: Letter: It's not too late to stop nuclear dump at Yuc
41 US: Las Vegas SUN: More wells sought to find perchlorate
42 Las Vegas SUN: Lincoln County meeting tackles proposed rail route
43 Las Vegas SUN: NRC says Yucca issues are unresolved
44 Reuters: Sweden says its nuclear waste may be terror hazard
45 Courier Journal: Suit claiming uranium plant harm dismissed 
46 AU ABC: Radioactive waste dump a step closer
 
                         NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
47 AU SMH: Syrian president rejects calls to renounce WMD 
 
                        US DEPT. OF ENERGY
 
48 Las Vegas SUN: Nellis, other Nevada bases seen in good position
49 NRC: NRC Staff to Meet with Energy Northwest to Discuss Columbia Gen
50 Knox News: Landfill caps to prevent contamination
51 The Tennessean: K-25 scrap cleanup ordered 
52 Oak Ridger: Federal plants' missing keys spur review 							 							
53 amarillo.com: Pantex to shift focus 
 
                          OTHER NUCLEAR
 
54 More On Bush/NASA/DOE/DOD Space Nukes
55 Google News Alert - nuclear
*****************************************************************
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                         FULL NEWS STORIES
*****************************************************************
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 1 War Wire: Ball in US court over nuclear talks: North Korea

WAR.WIRE

SEOUL (AFP) Jan 05, 2004

 North Korea said Monday it was ready to resume nuclear crisis 
talks if Washington agreed ahead of time to reward it for 
re-freezing its nuclear weapons facilities.

Without a prior agreement, the talks could be delayed or even 
scrapped, Pyongyang's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong 
Sinmun said.

"The six-way talks may be resumed at an early date or may be 
delayed or scuttled depending on how preparations are made for 
their resumption," the newspaper said in a commentary carried by 
the official Korean Central News Agency. "(The) ball is in the US 
court."

Months of diplomacy attempting to set up talks in December 
collapsed after Washington and Pyongyang failed to narrow 
differences concerning the scope of the negotiations.

North Korea accused the United States of time-wasting while 
Washington, which insists that Pyongyang must verifiably scrap 
its nuclear weapons, said North Korea had set preconditions.

The newspaper called for agreement in advance on what it referred 
to as "action at the first phase" which would include a nuclear 
freeze and concessions from Washington and its allies.

"This is a starting point and a core issue of furthering the 
process of talks," it said.

The commentary reflected demands made in a North Korean foreign 
ministry statement a month ago which referred to agreement on 
"first-phase actions" including the lifting of sanctions against 
North Korea and a resumption of energy aid in return for the 
nuclear freeze.

North Korea agreed in 1994 to mothball its Yongbyon nuclear 
complex, 90 kilometeres (50 miles) north of Seoul, under a 
nuclear freeze agreement with the United States but fired up the 
facilities after the latest nuclear crisis erupted in October 
2002.

  WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
 2 Korea Herald: 'N. Korea open to U.S. nuke deal'   

 By Kim So-young

 (soyoung@heraldm.com)

2004.01.06
      
As two U.S. groups begin their rare journey today to North Korea 
that may include a tour to its nuclear complex at Yongbyon, 
attention is centering on to which extent the communist state 
will allow them to see the nuclear site, and how it will affect 
future six-way talks aimed at ending the nuclear crisis.

 North Korea has allowed the U.S. teams, one comprising 
congressional aides and the other private nuclear scientists, to 
visit its main nuclear facilities at Yongbyon during Jan. 6-10, 
South Korea's Foreign Ministry officials said last week. 

Most officials and analysts agree that the move represents 
Pyongyang's willingness to speed up negotiations with Washington 
by offering a glimpse of its nuclear capability, but that the 
country will stop short of disclosing its suspected nuclear 
weapons or plutonium that could make bombs.

 "What the North wants is to settle the issue at an early date. 
In that context, it may attempt to accelerate the diplomatic 
process by showing the U.S. delegations that nuclear reactors are 
indeed being reactivated," a government official said on 
condition of anonymity. "But it would not risk raising tensions 
further by disclosing weapons or plutonium." 

Prof. Koh Yu-hwan of Dongguk University presented a similar 
prospect. "As the United States has dismissed the North's 
repeated claims of its nuclear capability, the North will try to 
demonstrate its nuclear development. But the country is unlikely 
to uncover its entire weapons program, because it could render 
even its supporters turn their back against its regime."

 Unlike their general consensus on the issue, analysts are 
divided over whether the visit will have any major impact on 
diplomatic efforts to resolve the 14-month-old nuclear standoff.

 Some remain skeptical because none of the visitors are 
representing the U.S. administration.

 "North Korea is trying to send a message to the hawkish Bush 
administration via the visitors who are rather friendly to the 
regime, but Washington will likely remain at arms-length," 
another government official said. "They don't want people outside 
the administration to engage in diplomacy."

 Two aides from the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
Keith Luse of its Republican staff and Frank Jannuzi of the 
Democratic staff, visit Pyongyang. 

The other group includes Charles Jack Pritchard, the State 
Department's former envoy to North Korea, Sig Hecker, director of 
the national nuclear laboratory at Los Alamos, and John Wilson 
Lewis, North Korea expert at Stanford University.

 "Their impact on U.S. foreign policies is minimal. As for 
Pritchard, he is considered 'far too left' by Washington," said 
the official.

 Indeed, the Bush administration expressed uneasiness at their 
visit to the nuclear complex at the weekend, saying any diplomacy 
must be made within the framework of six-nation negotiations.

 "They are not acting on behalf of the administration. Any 
efforts that complicate prospects or undertakings to reconvene 
six-party talks aren't helpful," U.S. State Department Adam Ereli 
said Saturday.

 Nevertheless, others still hope this will work as a breakthrough 
to the ongoing nuclear dispute between Washington and Pyongyang. 

If it goes off as planned, the trip would be the first time that 
outsiders have been allowed to see the site since the North 
expelled U.N. nuclear monitors at the end of 2002.

 Since nobody outside the world's last Stalinist state knows for 
certain how much progress has since been made in its nuclear 
development, emergence of exact knowledge could accelerate 
diplomatic efforts, they say.

 "If Washington can ascertain whether Pyongyang has really been 
working on the nuclear weapons program, the six nations may agree 
on a big frame to resolve the crisis based on the fact," said 
Prof. Koh.

 More optimistic analysts interpreted the North's permission on 
the U.S. visit to Yongbyon nuclear facilities as signaling its 
intention to accept future nuclear inspections by the United 
States once a negotiated settlement to end the North's weapons 
program was struck.

 What will emerge during the trip by the American experts, and 
how it will affect six-way talks that includes the two Koreas, 
the United States, China, Japan and Russia, remain unclear, 
partly because of the unpredictable character of the North Korean 
regime.

 But the date for the second round of six-way talks is likely to 
be affected, according to experts, as negotiating countries will 
have to analyze the outcome of the Pyongyang visit before 
resuming their negotiations.

*****************************************************************
 3 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Six-Nation Talks to be Postponed?   
 
      Updated Jan.5,2004 17:23 KST   

  by Shin Jeong-nok (jrshin@chosun.com)

Six-Nation Talks to be Postponed?   

Nation Security Advisor Na Jong-il   
        
It appears that the second round of six-nation talks to solve
the North Korean nuclear crisis will not begin until February at
the earliest. 

Nation Security Advisor Na Jong-il, meeting with reporters, said
that since the Russians would be celebrating Christmas, and the
Chinese celebrating their Spring Festival, it would be difficult
to begin the next round of talks in January, hinting that talks
which were expected to open in the middle of the month may be
delayed. 

Na also said that since talks failed to open in the middle of
December, the problem has not been the difficulty in opening the
talks themselves, but finding enough harmony of opinions to make
talks productive in the event that they did happen. He said that
he was not pessimistic in the long-term view. 

The long delay in the talks, however, is evidence that finding
an understanding between the United States and North Korea is
not easy, and indicates that the road ahead may be rough. 

The North’s Rodong Shinmun newspaper ran an article Monday
saying that depending on how preparations for the resumption of
the six-nation talks go, the talks could re-open quickly, be
delayed, or even rupture. The article said that it was time to
prepare for the resumption of talks, revealing that perhaps the
North does not consider the time ripe for resuming negotiations. 

*****************************************************************
 4 CS Monitor: Volatile nuclear rivals begin to talk 

csmonitor.com

from the January 06, 2004 edition 	
 	
 The leaders of India and Pakistan met Monday, marking a
pragmatic thaw in relations between the two nations.

 By Owais Tohid and Howard LaFranchi 

ISLAMABAD AND WASHINGTON  Less than two years after skating on 
the edge of nuclear warfare, archrivals India and Pakistan are 
cautiously shaking hands once again. 

Although the issue of Kashmir remains as thorny as ever, the two 
South Asian powers appear to have decided that they have more to 
gain from easing tensions than by coming to blows.                      

A surprise 65-minute meeting Monday between Indian Prime Minister 
Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in 
the latter's capital of Islamabad symbolizes a thaw in relations 
that began almost imperceptibly last year but which diplomats 
predict will lead to further confidence-building measures. 

Coming less than a month after General Musharraf escaped two 
assassination attempts at home, the meeting suggests India may 
have decided it is better off with the existing regime next door 
than with any likely alternative in the hotbed of Islamic 
extremism. For its part, Pakistan is hoping the economic 
dividends of eased relations will help stave off the 
fundamentalists' appeal. 

Yet despite the common interest in lowered tensions, the building 
of relations is more likely to resemble a slow thaw than the kind 
of spectacular warming that proved disappointing in the past, 
analysts say. 

"This time [Prime Minister] Vajpayee and Musharraf are showing 
wisdom to adopt steady steps to achieve sustainable peace rather 
than dashing towards [the] finishing line," says Shamim Akhtar, a 
professor at the University of Karachi. "The decades-old foes 
cannot be friends overnight. There is a history of rivalry, 
mistrust, and bloodshed, and it takes time to forget and 
forgive." 

Indeed, Mr. Vajpayee may have been anxious not to demonstrate too 
much enthusiasm for renewed contact with the Pakistani 
leadership, but at the same time a scheduled visit to the 
Pakistani capital for a regional cooperation meeting left him 
little alternative, some analysts say, 

"For Vajpayee, he was going to be there anyway for a SAARC [South 
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meeting, so he faced 
a dilemma," says Selig Harrison, director of the Asia Project at 
the Center for International Policy in Washington. "If he hadn't 
met Musharraf, it would have conflicted with the role of peace 
developer he's trying to play, and it wouldn't have played well 
with a watching world." 

Beyond that, the recent attempts on Musharraf's life may have 
acted as a wakeup call for both sides, others say. 

"The assassination attempts probably left the Indians thinking 
that while [Musharraf] may not be exactly to their liking, he's 
better than chaos in Pakistan," says Stephen Cohen, a South Asian 
expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington. As for 
Musharraf, "He may have finally been convinced that what he 
thought were some of his best friends" - the extremists whose 
activities have vaulted him to a secure pedestal in the eyes of 
Washington - "are actually his worst enemies." 

When added to stepped-up regional pressures, in particular from 
China, to address tensions in the area, the stew of elements 
means conditions are improving for new tension-easing steps on 
the basic stumbling block of Kashmir. 

"The tensions always ease in the winter, when the snows in the 
mountains prevent a lot of activity, but India wants these 
efforts to carry over into the spring when things will really 
count," says Mr. Harrison. "India wants a respite from the 
attacks by the cross-border Islamic insurgency, and they will be 
watching for how much Musharraf will rely be willing to do on 
that." 

Pakistan and Indian diplomats are treading very cautiously after 
latest Musharraf and Vajpayee meeting as their last attempt of 
"friendship" in Agra in India failed miserably and the two 
countries witnessed the worst phase of their relationship, 
especially after suspected Kashmiri militants stormed the 
Parliament in Delhi in December, 2001. 

"Both leaders welcome the recent steps for normalcy of 
relationship between the two countries and express the hope that 
the process will continue," the Indian foreign minister, Yashwant 
Sinha said after the meeting. 

New Delhi and Islamabad had suspended air and rail links and 
withdrawn ambassadors, triggering fears in the international 
community that the two countries could fight another war. Since 
then, the international community has been pushing them to 
negotiate. 

Monday's handshake "is just a beginning of a peace bid and they 
have to cover the long and difficult way to find solution to the 
dispute of Kashmir. They have to cross hurdles wisely otherwise 
there is the danger of tripping ... as in the past," says a 
Western diplomat. 

Sources say there has been back-stage diplomacy going on at an 
official and unofficial level in New Delhi and Islamabad for more 
than six months to pave the way for meaningful dialogue. 

In recent months, relations improved with a resumption of air and 
railway links, reinstatement of ambassadors, and a cease-fire 
along the Line of Control that divides the Kashmir valley. 

Mr. Vajpayee started his visit to Pakistan by showing his willing 
to talk with Pakistan on all the issues, including the main issue 
of Kashmir, which in recent times India has refused to do till 
"terrorism is curbed." 

"These are negotiations about (setting up) the terms and 
conditions for a sustainable peace process between India and 
Pakistan," says C. Rajaj Mohan, professor of South Asian Studies 
at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. 

Indeed, no matter what other motivations India may have, its line 
in the sand remains stability in Kashmir, analysts say. "Yet 
India wants a stable Pakistan next door, but none of these other 
concerns are going to change their basic position on Kashmir, 
which is that there has to be a termination of Pakistani support 
for the cross-border insurgency," says Harrison. "That's the 
minimum national interest that Vajpayee will defend no matter 
what." 

Brookings's Cohen says it may turn out that the US pressured both 
sides behind the scenes to give this very public and symbolic 
show of renewed cooperation. "Both sides are probably expecting 
some reward from the US, perhaps economic, for making this 
gesture, and they should get it," he says. 

At the same time, Harrison says the meeting between the two 
rivals also fits into the Indian leader's vision, often referred 
to publicly of late, for a counterweight of cooperation in the 
region to what he sees as American unilateralist diplomacy. 

After siding with the US in its war against terrorism, Musharraf 
has angered extremists by banning Kashmiri and sectarian militant 
groups fighting in Indian-administered Kashmir as scores of the 
militants have been arrested. 

Vajpayee, the leader of hard-line ruling party, Bhartiya Janata 
Party (BJP), of India, faces opposition from the extremists on 
his peace initiative. But Delhi feels the continued losses in 
Indian-administered Kashmir, that have claimed more than 50,000 
lives since 1989. 

"By achieving a peace formula both Musharraf and Vajpayee can 
help each other," says analyst Mohan. 

"If the guns are silent in Kashmir, then Vajpayee will benefit in 
the forthcoming general elections this year. If Vajpayee is ready 
to talk on Kashmir, then Musharraf will take credit that his 
peace initiatives have brought India an agreeing to talk on 
Kashmir," he says. 

But the road to peace between the two countries is fragile. 
Vajpayee and Musharraf both face domestic pressures from the 
extremists. 

"Any solution to Kashmir without the Kashmiris is not acceptable 
to us," says a militant of the banned Kashmiri group, Harkat-ul 
Mujahideen. "If the guns are silent in Kashmir then India will 
again dodge Pakistan. Jihad is the only way to liberate Kashmir 
where its security forces have been killing innocent Muslims." 

The Pakistan-based veteran Kashmiri politician and former prime 
minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Sardar Abdul Qayyum, 
welcomes the Vajpayee-Musharraf meeting. 

"We are very hopeful. If they include Kashmiris in the 
negotiations then we (Kashmiris) will be able to facilitate the 
talks between Pakistan and India," says Mr. Qayyum. 

For that reason, the Pakistani and Indian diplomats are cautious, 
and want to proceed toward the peace process in phases. 

Diplomatic sources say that following the Musharraf-Vajpayee 
talks, there will likely be a series of confidence-building 
steps, including visa relaxations, possible opening of consulates 
in Karachi and Mumbai, and the re-opening of the Khokhrapar 
border in the southern Sindh Province, which runs along India's 
Rajhastan desert and Gujarat state, and bus service from 
Muzaffarabad (capital city of Pakistan administered Kashmir) to 
Srinagar. 

Diplomats say such confidence building measures will pave way for 
diplomatic level talks between Pakistan and India before the 
announcement of formal talks between the political leadership.   

  www.csmonitor.com | Copyright � 2003 The Christian Science
Monitor. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
 5 AU ABC: US refuses to bow to North Korean nuclear demands

06/01/2004.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

By Mark Simkin in Tokyo and agencies 

North Korea says it is willing to resume negotiations on its
nuclear ambitions, but only if the United States agrees to
concessions in advance.

 Despite months of diplomacy, Washington and its allies have yet
to organise a fresh round of six-nation talks on the nuclear
crisis. 

A commentary in Pyongyang's workers' newspaper says the ball is
in America's court. 

The article states that Pyongyang is willing to resume
negotiations at an early date but only if the United States
agrees in advance to provide rewards, if the communist country
freezes its nuclear program. 

The newspaper went on to say the negotiations could be scrapped
altogether if North Korea's demands are not met.

 But the United States has bluntly warned that Pyongyang would
get no rewards for showing up at six-nation crisis talks. 
Amid signs that the meeting, originally pencilled in for Beijing
in December, may not take place as hoped in January, Washington
refused to budge from its view that a solution to the crisis
should be discussed at talks, not before them. 

"We are continuing to state pretty categorically, that we're not
going to offer incentives for North Korea to return to the
negotiating table," said State Department deputy spokesman Adam
Ereli. 

"We are prepared to resume talks without preconditions. No other
party has set preconditions. 

"We urge the North to drop its preconditions and move to another
round of talks where all parties can seek to achieve progress on
the issues of concern." 

A senior South Korean official meanwhile said that talks that
should have taken place in Beijing in December, may now be
pushed back to next month. 

President Roh Moo-Hyun's National Security Advisor Ra Jong-Yil
said that scheduling challenges were posed by the extended
holiday season in Russia that lasts well into January and Lunar
New Year celebrations in China in late January. 

Russia and China are six-way talks participants along with the
United States, Japan and the two Koreas. 

� 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
*****************************************************************
 6 Las Vegas SUN: S. Korea Sees N. Korea Nuke Talks Delay

January 04, 2004 
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - 

A new round of six-nation talks aimed at ending the
international standoff over North Korea's nuclear programs is
unlikely to happen this month, a South Korean official said
Monday. 

The United States, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas have
been trying for months to arrange a meeting in an effort to
persuade North Korea to give up its atomic weapons buildup. 

But South Korea's National Security Adviser Ra Jong-il said
Monday that a new round of talks was unlikely to happen this
month because of scheduling conflicts with the Russian Christmas
holiday and the Chinese Lunar New Year, both of which are
celebrated in January. 

"Even though the six-nation talks won't open immediately, I am
not pessimistic about the prospects of talks in the long-term,"
Ra said. 

A first round of nuclear talks, held in Beijing in August, ended
without much progress or an agreement on a date for new talks. 

North Korea says it will dismantle its nuclear programs in
exchange for a U.S. security guarantee and aid. But before
making any concessions, Washington wants North Korea to give up
its nuclear ambitions. 

North Korea is believed to have one or two atomic bombs. 

The crisis flared in October 2002 when U.S. officials accused
North Korea of running a secret nuclear weapons program in
violation of a 1994 deal obliging Pyongyang to freeze activities
at its nuclear facilities. 

Washington and its allies then halted free oil shipments, which
also were part of the 1994 accord. 

Since then, North Korea has said it restarted its frozen nuclear
facilities, kicked out U.N. nuclear inspectors and quit the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. 

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 7 Las Vegas SUN: New Round of N. Korean Nuke Talks in Limbo

January 04, 2004 

 By HANS GREIMEL ASSOCIATED PRESS 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - 

Talks on ending the North Korean nuclear standoff were in limbo
Monday with North Korea blaming the impasse on Washington's
demand for disarmament and South Korea saying it was unlikely a
new round of negotiations would get off the ground this month. 

Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese diplomats reportedly were to meet
in Moscow to discuss a compromise solution that first freezes
North Korea's atomic programs then rolls them back. 

The United States, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas have
been trying to arrange six-nation talks for months in an effort
to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programs.
Hopes for holding such talks last month were broken by
differences between the United States and North Korea. 

The sides have since aimed for talks early this year. 

But South Korea's National Security Adviser Ra Jong-il said
Monday that a new round was unlikely to happen this month
because of scheduling conflicts with the Russian Christmas
holiday and the Chinese Lunar New Year, which are both
celebrated in January. 

"Considering that China's Lunar New Year is in January, and
Russia's Christmas schedules are in January, I think it would be
difficult to hold the talks in January," Ra said. "Even though
the six-nation talks won't open immediately, I am not
pessimistic about the prospects of talks in the long-term." 

A first round of nuclear talks, held in Beijing in August, ended
without much progress. 

North Korea says it will dismantle its nuclear programs in
exchange for a U.S. security guarantee and aid. But before
making any concessions, Washington wants North Korea to give up
its nuclear ambitions. 

North Korea on Monday blamed Washington's stance for the delay
in scheduling a new round of talks and rejected as unfair U.S.
demands that it first irreversibly and verifiably disarm. 

As a first step, North Korea again offered to freeze, not
reverse, its nuclear programs. 

"The actions to be taken at the first phase are for the U.S. and
the neighboring countries to take measures in return for the
DPRK's complete freeze of its nuclear activities. This is a
starting point and a core issue of furthering the process of
talks," a commentary carried by North Korea's official KCNA news
agency reported adding that "the ball is in the U.S. court." 

DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North
Korea's official name. 

In Moscow, Chinese diplomats were to meet Monday with Deputy
Foreign Minister Alexander Losuykov and Director of the First
Asian Department Yevgeni Afanasyev, according to Itar-Tass news
agency. 

Russia and China are working on a compromise that assumes the
liquidation of the North Korean nuclear program may take more
than one year. 

The North Korean nuclear crisis flared in October 2002 when U.S.
officials accused North Korea of running a secret nuclear
weapons program in violation of a 1994 deal in which North Korea
is obliged to freeze its nuclear facilities. 

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 8 SOTU Uranium Claim Exposed by Bush Advisory Board
 
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 12:40:26 -0600 (CST)

 
===============================
THE DAILY MIS-LEAD
< http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1435098&l=13555 >
===============================

SOTU URANIUM CLAIM EXPOSED BY BUSH ADVISORY BOARD

The now famous uranium claim made by President Bush in last year's State of
the Union address has been found to be questionable, 11 months later, by the
president's own advisory board.

The President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, headed by President
George H.W. Bush's national security adviser, Admiral Brent Scowcroft,
shared its findings with the president seven months after being asked to
look into the matter. The advisory board found that while there was no
"deliberate effort" to deceive, the report faulted the White House for being
anxious to "grab onto something affirmative."

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice claimed in June that "No one knew
at the time, in our circles--maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the
agency, but no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions
that this might be a forgery."   But Bush's own CIA Director, George Tenet,
had intervened in October 2002 to have a reference to Iraq's alleged
purchase of uranium removed from a Bush speech.   Deputy National Security
Adviser Stephen Hadley, who took responsibility himself for allowing the
inclusion of the yellowcake reference, denied that the Bush administration
cherry-picked intelligence, saying, "I don't accept that that happened."

Even after conceding that the documents were false in July, presidential
spokesman Ari Fleischer said, "We see nothing that would dissuade us from
the President's broader statement,"  meaning that the White House still
stood by their assertions that yellowcake from Niger was sought by Iraq.
Claims that the Niger documents represented "only one piece of evidence in a
larger body of evidence," have yet to verified with further documentation.

The president's January 28, 2003 claim that "the British government has
learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of
uranium from Africa,"  came into question a few months later when reports
started surfacing that the CIA had long before discredited the documents
that allegedly offered proof.

Read the Mis-Lead -->
< http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1435098&l=13556 >

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*****************************************************************
 9 Knox News: U.S. needs nuclear power

By LEE MARTIN
January 5, 2004

Energy generation and the environment are inextricably linked.
Every decision made on how to generate electric power affects
the environment to some degree. 

A fundamental premise of techonomics is that, in a free market
economy, the most economical method of total production
ultimately wins. It is time to intentionally and aggressively
pursue nuclear powered electricity generation. 

 Here's why: 

First, let's review the options for fueling electricity 
generation today: coal, natural gas, gasified coal, diesel, 
garbage, wood, hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear. All of 
the methods that involve combustion (coal, natural gas, gasified 
coal, diesel, garbage and wood) result in emission of carbon 
dioxide or "greenhouse" gases, some unburned hydrocarbons 
(unburned fuel) and other trace waste products. 

Hydropower is a great source of generating capacity, providing up 
to 10 percent of the region's power. But hydro is limited by 
weather dependency and a lack of environmentally acceptable sites 
to create the dams and reservoirs needed for more capacity. 

Solar, wind and geothermal are not efficient enough to meet more 
than 2 percent of our energy needs, not to mention that they are 
unreliable. The wind stops blowing and the sun doesn't shine all 
the time. 

To meet replacement and growth needs, the clear choice is 
nuclear. It offers low operating costs and no air pollution. 

The costs of nuclear electricity generation are about half what 
they are in a coal-fired plant and even less than a gas-fired 
one. Two things stymied the nuclear industry a generation ago - 
extreme safety concerns and a design/build process that amounted 
to hitting a moving target, causing costs to expand 
exponentially. 

Society must now ask: Is clean air more important than extreme 
fears? 

I believe nuclear will make a comeback in the next decade for 
several reasons: 1) no air pollution, 2) better electronics for 
control and monitoring, 3) operational and proven repositories 
for waste products, 4) U.S. energy independence, 5) better 
economics and 6) the need to replace aging generation facilities. 
France now generates 80 percent of its power, without mishaps, 
from nuclear sources. The U.S. stands at 20 percent and TVA at 30 
percent. 

In a recent conversation with TVA Director Bill Baxter, he spoke 
with pride of the leadership role that TVA is playing and will 
continue to play in this area. 

With the restart of Browns Ferry Unit 1 in the summer of 2007, 
TVA will bring online the first new nuclear generating capacity 
of the 21st century. 

Economically, the $1.8 billion investment will provide enough 
energy for a city the size of Chattanooga and will pay for itself 
in seven years. 

The entire power generation industry will be watching this effort 
closely as TVA leads the way to the energy road map for the next 
century - clean, efficient, economical and available. For us in 
the valley, energy and the environment are both successfully 
addressed by low-cost, clean nuclear power. 

Dr. H. Lee Martin, co-founder of iPIX, is a mechanical engineer 
by training and an entrepreneur by choice. He holds 20 patents 
and is a partner in Clarity Resources, LLC, a mentor capitalist 
firm. He can be reached at LMartin@CR4U.com.  

The Knoxville News Sentinel Co. All Rights Reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 10 GEM: Energy bill provision would limit coverage of contractors' legal expenses  
                                                                         
 Government Executive Magazine - 		 	 			 	1/5/04 			 			 Energy

January 5, 2004 

Department of Energy: Contractor Litigation Costs
 (GAO-04-148R) 		   	

	 
By Amelia Gruber 
	
Language contained in the latest version of an energy policy bill 
pending on Capitol Hill would limit the Energy Department's 
practice of reimbursing contractors for costs stemming from 
whistleblower lawsuits and certain other legal cases. 

Between October 1997 and March 2003, the Energy Department spent 
$330.5 million helping contractors with a variety of legal 
wrangles, according to a new report by the General Accounting 
Office. Of that sum, $249.4 million went toward litigation fees 
and $81.1 million paid for judgments and settlements. Contractors 
paid $12 million out of their own pockets during the same period. 

Energy spent the $330.5 million on 1,895 cases brought against 
contractors running the department's nuclear weapons laboratories 
and other facilities, according to the report (GAO-04-148R). More 
than half the cases involved workers' compensation claims, but 
about 100 cases concerned allegations of retaliation against 
whistleblowers. 

Under current policy, the Energy Department reimburses 
contractors for "reasonable" expenses associated with 
whistleblower, discrimination, workers' compensation, personal 
injury and several other varieties of lawsuits, as long as there 
is no evidence that the contractor engaged in "willful 
misconduct, lack of good faith or failure to exercise prudent 
business judgment," the GAO report said. 

The Energy Department is different from most other federal 
agencies in that contractors maintain and operate a large portion 
of its laboratories and other facilities, said Daniel Semick, an 
analyst in GAO's Natural Resources and Environment division. For 
example, the University of California runs Los Alamos National 
Laboratory, a nuclear facility in New Mexico, for the Energy 
Department. 

But Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., has said that Energy's policy on 
payment of legal expenses forces taxpayers to shoulder the burden 
of some contractors' misdeeds. Markey added a provision to the 
Energy Policy Act being considered in Congress that prevents the 
department from reimbursing contractors for appealing when they 
lose whistleblower retaliation or wrongful termination cases. The 
provision would allow Energy to cover costs after-the-fact if 
contractors decide to appeal and win. 

Markey's language made it into a compromise version of the Energy 
Policy Act, but the Senate has not approved that version. The 
Senate returns from recess on Jan. 20. 

The Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group, 
praised Markey's language. Danielle Brian, the group's executive 
director, on Friday called the measure a "step in the right 
direction." 

Whistleblowers are required to pay their own legal expenses if 
they bring a wrongful termination lawsuit against a contractor, 
Brian said. At the very least, contractors should have to cover 
the expenses of appealing cases decided against them, she said. 

In the event that the Senate fails to pass the Energy Policy Act, 
Brian said she hopes that Markey's language could be incorporated 
into other legislation, or introduced on its own.

But Stan Soloway, president of the Professional Services Council, 
an Arlington, Va.-based contractors association, said Energy 
needs the flexibility to decide whether to reimburse contractors 
for legal expenses on a case-by-case basis. 

"No one is suggesting that the government should pay the costs of 
cases where there's willful misconduct," Soloway said. "But there 
are circumstances where the contractor is not in control." 

For example, there are occasions when a contractor fires an 
employee because of requirements imposed by the government, 
Soloway said. In that circumstance, the contractor is simply 
acting as an extension of a federal agency and should not be 
responsible for court expenses, even if a case is decided against 
the contractor. 

The existing policy, in which Energy denies contractors 
reimbursement only in circumstances of intentional misconduct, 
allows the department the needed flexibility, Soloway noted. 
"There's a lot of gray area" in lawsuits against contractors, he 
said, and many times contractors make honest mistakes and would 
be unfairly exposed if the government were unwilling to share 
some responsibility. 

*****************************************************************
 11 Las Vegas SUN: Growth of Federal Spending in Bush's Term

Today: January 05, 2004 at 13:40:05 PST 

 By The Associated Press ASSOCIATED PRESS 


How federal spending has grown during President Bush's first
three years. 

Figures are by federal budget years, which begin Oct. 1 of the
previous calendar year. The first budget year Bush fully
controlled was 2002, which began Oct. 1, 2001. 

Data is from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the
Treasury Department, and the White House Office of Management
and Budget. 

--- 

-Overall spending: 2001 (President Clinton's final budget year)
$1.864 trillion; 2002 $2.011 trillion; 2003 $2.157 trillion;
2004 (estimate) $2.305 trillion. 

-Overall Bush spending increase, 2002 through 2004: $441
billion, or 23.7 percent. 

-Last three-year period when overall spending growth was that
fast: 1989 through 1991, 24.3 percent. 

-Overall Clinton spending increase, 1994 through 2001: $454
billion, or 32.2 percent. 

--- 

Discretionary spending, the one-third of the budget that must be
approved annually by the president and Congress. 

Numbers are in budget authority, or new spending Congress and
the president enact. Some of the money is for long-range
projects like defense contracts and is spent over several years. 

Numbers include midyear emergency bills enacted to finance wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan and other costs, including $20 billion
for 2001 provided under Bush. They also assume enactment of a
measure combining seven 2004 spending bills into one, awaiting
Senate approval. 

-Overall discretionary spending: 2001 $664 billion; 2002 $735
billion; 2003 $846 billion; 2004 $873 billion. 

-Overall discretionary spending increase under Bush, 2002
through 2004: $209 billion, or 10.5 percent annually. 

-Overall discretionary spending increase under Clinton, 1994
through 2001: $141 billion, or 3.4 percent annually. 

--- 

A Bush administration breakdown of discretionary spending. This
uses a category the White House calls defense and homeland
security, which includes the Pentagon, the Homeland Security
Department, and other programs it considers homeland security.
Numbers are in budget authority. 

Defense/homeland security spending: 2001 $333 billion (includes
$20 billion enacted under Bush in emergency bill after Sept. 11,
2001); 2002 $384 billion; 2003 $477 billion; 2004 $492 billion. 

All other discretionary spending: 2001 $331 billion; 2002 $351
billion; 2003 $369 billion; 2004 $381 billion. 

--- 

Spending for large benefit programs. Figures for 2004 are CBO
estimates: 

Social Security: 2001 $429 billion; 2002 $448 billion; 2003 $467
billion, 2004 $491 billion. 

Medicare: 2001 $238 billion; 2002 $256 billion; 2003 $277
billion; 2004 $288 billion. 

Medicaid: 2001 $130 billion; 2002 $148 billion; 2003 $161
billion; 2004 $175 billion. 

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 12 AU The Age: Israel eager to gag nuclear whistleblower 

- www.theage.com.au

By Dan Williams Jerusalem January 6, 2004
 		 	   	   		
Mordechai Vanunu 
Picture: Reuters 		 		 		 

Israel is worried that a nuclear whistleblower winding up an 
18-year prison sentence has more secrets to tell, and it may make 
his freedom conditional on his silence, security sources said. 

They said Mordechai Vanunu, who went public in 1986 with details 
of his work at Israel's main atomic reactor, could be barred from 
leaving the country when he is released on April 21, under 
emergency laws reserved for cases of national security. 

"Vanunu dealt an enormous blow to the country and we believe he 
has more in store," an Israeli security source said. "There is no 
double-jeopardy proviso when it comes to treason." 

The Jewish state is still angry over an interview that Vanunu, 
now 49, gave Britain's Sunday Times in October 1986 on the Dimona 
reactor where he had worked as a technician for eight years. 

He was to receive an undisclosed fee but was abducted by the 
Israeli secret service organisation Mossad before payment could 
be made, the paper said. 

Vanunu's revelations, and 60 accompanying photographs, led 
independent experts to conclude that Israel has between 100 and 
200 nuclear warheads - an embarrassment given Israel's policy of 
ambiguity regarding its non-conventional capabilities. 

Absent from the expose were the names of Vanunu's former 
colleagues at Dimona. Security sources say these are among 
sensitive data he could still publish overseas after his release. 
In Israel, any public statement Vanunu makes would be subject to 
military censors. 

Vanunu's lawyer was not available for comment. 

Vanunu, who dabbled in pro-Palestinian politics and became a 
Christian after quitting Dimona in 1985, apparently feels no 
remorse. The website of the US Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu 
quotes him as saying: "The secrets collapsed without any bombs, 
without killing anyone. That was the great power of a non-violent 
act." 

Newsweek, in a report to be published this week, says Vanunu last 
year refused to sign a non-disclosure pledge offered by an 
Israeli official in exchange for early release. 

- Reuters 	 	
*****************************************************************
 13 Washington Times: Saudi nukes
 
  January 05, 2004 			   

American and international attention is focused on the
nuclear weapons programs of the recent past in Iraq and Libya
and of the present in North Korea and Iran. American officials
would be wise not to restrict their fields of vision to these
targets, lest they miss otherpotentialnuclear weapons aspirants.
One such candidate is Saudi Arabia, which is seldom mentioned as
a problem country regarding nuclear weapons. Much like the movie
Casablanca, the "usual suspects" are more readily trotted
because they are at odds with American national interests nearly
across the board, while Saudi Arabia shares many interests with
the United States. 
 
The Saudis have a pool of strategic interests that likely
put them at odds with American counterproliferation policy.
Riyadh's major regional rivals are capable, or soon will be, of
threatening the Saudi kingdom with nuclear brinkmanship; Israel
has the most formidable nuclear weapons capabilities in the
region; Iran appears bent on acquiring nuclear weapons; and Iraq
might resurrect a nuclear weapons program after the Americans
depart Baghdad. The Saudi royals might also worry that the
United States could become a threat to the kingdom. The Saudis,
for example, might consider a scenario in which relations
between Riyadh and Washington deteriorate into conflict over the
methods and means to combat al Qaeda. The Saudis realize that
their conventional military capabilitiesnotwithstanding their
modern weapons inventorieswould be hard-pressed to defend
against the larger military manpower pools in Iran or Iraq or
against the sophisticated technological capabilities of the
Israeli or the American militaries. In short, the Saudis would
be strategically sensible to look to nuclear weapons as a
potential "quick fix" to keep rivals at bay. 
 
The Saudis already have in place a foundation for building a
nuclear weapons deterrent. In the mid-1980s, they clandestinely
negotiated the purchase of about 50 to 60 Chinese CSS-2
missiles. The Chinese and Saudis were able to complete the deal
before American intelligence was wise to the relationship. The
Saudis paid handsomely, with about $3 billion to $3.5 billion
dollars for the Chinese missiles capable of reaching up to about
4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). The CSS-2s had been armed with
nuclear warheads when they were operational in the Chinese force
structure, but Riyadh and Beijing claim that the missiles
delivered to Saudi Arabia were armed with conventional warheads
and rebuffed U.S. requests to inspect the missiles. The CSS-2
missiles, however, are too inaccurate to be militarily effective
with conventional munitions, but more than accurate enough for
the delivery of nuclear weapons. It is well past time for
Washington to renew calls for independent inspection of the
Saudi missiles to ensure that they are armed as the Chinese and
Saudis claim, and that ballistic missile modernization efforts
are not underway. 
 
Even if the Chinese refrained from selling nuclear warheads
to the Saudis as part of the missile deal, Beijing and Riyadh
could look to Islamabad to work around their ostensible
commitments to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Chinese
are suspected of past provision of nuclear weapons designs to
Pakistan, and the Pakistanis might be able to tap their
Chinese-honed nuclear weapons expertise to design a warhead
suitable for the Saudi CSS-2s. Recent public exposures of
Pakistan's willingness to provide expertise to the nuclear
weapons programs in North Korea, Iran and possibly Libya show
that Islamabad's view toward nuclear weapons proliferation
equates to "show me the money." Riyadh was willing to pay the
Chinese lucratively for the CSS-2s and no doubt would be
similarly generous in subsidizing Pakistan's nuclear weapons
program in exchange for nuclear warheads. 
 
Recent high-level official travels between Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan lend some evidence of ballistic missile and nuclear
weapons cooperation. Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah traveled to
Pakistan in October 2003 and reportedly secured a secret
agreement with President Pervez Musharraf, under which Pakistan
will provide the Saudis with nuclear weapons technology in
exchange for oil. The crown prince sent one of his sons to
Pakistan in May 2002 to view a Pakistani ballistic missile test.
And earlier still, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan in May
1999 visited a Pakistani uranium enrichment facility. American
intelligence officials are dismissive of "stories" of
Saudi-Pakistani nuclear cooperation, citing the "absence of
evidence." 
 
Such a conclusion implies reasoning along these lines: If a
tree falls in the forest and doesn't land on a CIA agent's head,
the tree didn't fall. Unfortunately, the CIA's failure to detect
the Saudi-Chinese missile deal, much like its more recent
failure in 1998 to anticipate the Indian nuclear test that set
off the arms race in South Asia, shows that trees are falling
throughout the nuclear proliferation forest, but that the CIA's
agents are too few and far between not to get hit on their
heads. American intelligence has to work with a blend of
humility in the face of raw intelligence
shortcomingsespeciallyfromhuman sourcesand an analytic
toughness to push intelligence collectors to fill gaps to ensure
that Saudi nuclear weapons mounted on ballistic missiles will
not come to be just another entry on a longer list of
intelligence failures. 
 

 
Richard L. Russell is an adjunct assistant professor in the
Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. 
 

 
*****************************************************************
 14 WorldNetDaily: 9-11-type al-Qaida plot prompted groundings
 
 JANUARY 4 2004           
                            
 White House, nuclear power plants topped target list of
hijacked planes

By Joseph Farah � 2004 WorldNetDaily.com 

WASHINGTON � The discovery of a Sept. 11-style al-Qaida plot to 
hijack several planes simultaneously and crash them into U.S. 
targets is behind the recent rash of airline groundings and 
increased security during the holidays, WorldNetDaily has learned 
from U.S. intelligence sources. 

Other potential targets included the Valdez oil terminal in 
Alaska, closed last week as a precautionary measure, and New York 
and Los Angeles tourist sites. British Airways, Air France and 
Mexico's national carrier, AeroMexico, were the airlines to be 
used by the terrorists, according to the plan discovered a week 
before Christmas. 

Some of the terrorists were planning to use shoe bombs, according 
to WND sources. Briton Richard Reid in December 2001 tried to 
ignite an explosive device hidden in his shoe during a flight 
from Paris to Miami. He was overpowered and later jailed for 
life. 

The hijackers were planning to use legitimate UK, U.S. or other 
European passports in an attempt to evade stringent security 
checks. There was also a sub-plot in which a terrorist 
infiltrated the ranks of airline pilots. 

Nearly a dozen international flights to the U.S. were canceled 
during the New Year holiday weekend. The Bush administration has 
ordered sky marshals be placed on all airlines. 

The plot involved specifically British Airways Flight 223 from 
Heathrow to Washington. Several of those flights over a three-day 
period were grounded or shadowed by U.S. F-16 fighter jets. 
British Airways also grounded two flights to Riyadh, Saudi 
Arabia, due to fly on New Year's Eve and Saturday afternoon. 
Yesterday's British Airways Flight 223 to Washington was allowed 
to leave following a three-hour delay for security checks. It 
landed without incident at Dulles International Airport near 
Washington. 

British officials today warned that travelers face years of 
severe security alerts like one that forced several international 
flights to be grounded last week. Transport Secretary Alistair 
Darling said exceptional circumstances and specific information 
about a possible terror threat led British Airways to cancel its 
flights last week. 

"For many years to come, we are going to be living in an age 
where there is going to be a heightened state of alert," he told 
the BBC. "Sometimes it will be quite severe." 

Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, citing a senior British 
intelligence source, said security services were looking for two 
al-Qaida members at large in Britain who planned to detonate shoe 
bombs or similar devices in an aircraft lavatory. 

Joseph Farahis editor and chief executive officer of 
WorldNetDaily.com. 

webmaster@worldnetdaily.com
*****************************************************************
 15 Chicago Sun-Times: Brochure hawks Pakistan's nuclear technology 

January 5, 2004

BY ALEC RUSSELL 

WASHINGTON -- Pakistan faced embarrassment Sunday with the 
publication of a sales brochure from its top-secret nuclear 
facility, apparently hawking technology to would-be nuclear 
powers.

 The brochure from the A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories, the 
center of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, has an 
official-looking seal on the cover saying "Government of 
Pakistan."

 Its publication in the New York Times on Sunday undercuts 
Islamabad's claims that any transfer of its nuclear technology to 
rogue states has been the work of individuals.

 It also highlights the dilemma of President Bush's 
administration over how to tackle a country that is an ally in 
the fight against global terrorism and yet also appears to be at 
the center of the murky world of nuclear proliferation.

 Pakistan last month conceded that its technology and expertise 
may have helped the nuclear programs of "rogue" states, including 
Iran and North Korea and possibly Libya, but blamed this on 
individuals motivated by "ambition or greed."

 Sunday's leak, on the eve of important talks between India and 
Pakistan, prompted speculation in Pakistan that it was 
deliberately timed to put pressure on President Pervez Musharraf 
to make concessions over the long-running dispute over Kashmir.

 The brochure carries a photograph of the "father" of the 
Pakistani nuclear bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, and will once again 
draw attention to the shadowy international marketing role of the 
mastermind of Pakistan's three-decade-old nuclear project. 

Khan was formerly a leading figure at the Khan Research 
Laboratories in Kahuta, where Pakistan's own bomb was developed. 
This has been linked to the transfer of nuclear expertise and 
technology to Iran in the 1980s and 1990s and North Korea as 
recently as 2002.

 Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said last month that Khan was one of 
four nuclear scientists being "debriefed" after Iran told the 
United Nations nuclear watchdog that it obtained uranium 
enrichment centrifuges, a vital part of nuclear weaponry, from 
Pakistan in the late 1980s.

 Bush has made the fight against nuclear proliferation a goal of 
his presidency, but like his three predecessors, he has shrunk 
from criticizing Pakistan for fear of destabilizing an ally. He 
has never cited Pakistan's laboratories in the context of 
proliferation and publicly remains stalwart in his support for 
Musharraf.

 Daily Telegraph

*****************************************************************
 16 Asia Times: Pakistan's nuclear dilemma 

By Praful Bidwai 

NEW DELHI - Revelations that Pakistan's scientists may have 
helped Iran's and Libya's secret nuclear programs raise worrisome 
questions about nuclear threats in South Asia, which has been 
described as the world's most dangerous place. They also suggest 
that major policy changes and new arrangements for export 
controls on nuclear materials, and more generally, to prevent 
nuclear proliferation, are required. 

These revelations were made when Iran shared sensitive 
information about its uranium enrichment program with the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations 
organization, two months ago, but which have only been made 
public in the past weeks. Further disclosures came when Libya 
held clandestine talks with US and British officials just before 
declaring on December 19 that it would abandon the pursuit of 
weapons of mass destruction programs. 

The government of Pakistan has not fully denied reports that some 
of its scientists tried to sell nuclear secrets to Iran more than 
a decade ago, but it has acknowledged the interrogation - 
"debriefing" - of some scientists recently named in stories 
appearing in Pakistani and Western papers. This is a significant 
departure from Pakistan's past assertion that its record on 
nuclear non-proliferation is unblemished and "impeccable". 

Last year, credible charges were leveled about Pakistan's 
assistance to North Korea's nuclear program. Pyongyang itself 
affirmed its existence and boasted of its success. But Islamabad 
denied there had been a deal involving a trade-off between North 
Korea's missiles and Pakistan nuclear enrichment technology. It 
stated that its missiles are entirely indigenous, but independent 
experts have long been convinced that Pakistan's Ghauri missile 
is a version of North Korea's Nodong. This was confirmed in 2002 
by South Korean intelligence, and by US spy satellites that 
recorded a Pakistani cargo plane loading missile parts in North 
Korea. 

At the center of the North Korea-Pakistan transactions is the 
father of the Pakistani bomb, Abd al-Qadir Khan, who heads Khan 
Research Laboratories (KRL). Khan made a number of visits to 
Pyongyang during the mid to late 1990s, when Pakistan faced US 
sanctions and was keen to acquire missiles to match India's 
capability. 

Also at center stage today are other KRL personnel and Khan's 
close aides, Mohammed Farooq, Yassin Chowhan and Sayeed Ahmad. US 
and European officials recently questioned Khan and reportedly 
uncovered strong evidence linking the KRL with Iran's purchase of 
nuclear centrifuge designs from Pakistan 16 years ago. 
Centrifuges can produce highly enriched uranium, only 10 to 20 
kilograms of which is needed to make a Hiroshima-type atomic 
bomb. 

The Iranian centrifuge design bears a strong Pakistani impress. 
The New York Times, quoting a senior European diplomat with 
access to detailed intelligence, says that the Libyan program, 
too, had "certain common elements" with the pattern of technology 
leaks from Pakistan to Iran. 

Confronted with this evidence, the Pakistani government itself 
began interrogating KRL directors Farooq and Chowhan some five 
weeks ago. But it denies reports that "unspecified restrictions" 
have been imposed on Khan or that he has been interrogated. He 
"is too eminent a scientist to undergo a normal debriefing 
session", said Pakistan foreign office spokesman Masood Khan. 
However, a Pakistan paper reports that Khan was also questioned. 

The official Pakistani line on the issue of clandestine nuclear 
deals is a compromise between pressure exerted by the US, and the 
compulsions of maintaining that Pakistan's sovereignty is not 
compromised by Western agencies' interrogation of the KRL 
scientists. There has been some ultra-nationalist comment against 
this interrogation. Khan is something of a national hero, if not 
a demi-god, who has brought "honor" and pride to Pakistan. That 
makes it hard for Islamabad to disown him openly. 

President General Pervez Musharraf forced Khan to resign three 
years ago under US pressure, but publicly praised him for having 
"toiled and sweated, day and night, against all odds and 
obstacles - to create, literally out of nothing - the pride of 
Pakistan's nuclear capability". 

Pakistan is thus caught between a rock and a hard place. It is 
trying to make a distinction between the official nuclear weapons 
programs and "certain individual scientists" of its nuclear 
establishment, "who may have breached the strict export control 
procedures by making unauthorized and irresponsible contacts with 
foreign nationals". 

For the moment, Washington has chosen to play along with 
Islamabad. It has said that it is satisfied with Pakistan's 
denials that it gave any nuclear secrets away - despite the new 
disclosures. The pretence is that all such clandestine 
transactions took place in the past, before Musharraf came to 
power in a coup in 1999. 

This repeats the line that US Secretary of State Colin Powell 
took in October 2002, after he addressed the issue of North 
Korea-Pakistan deals with Musharraf. And Powell refused last year 
to get drawn into questions about Pakistan's past transactions, 
emphasizing that the country is a valuable ally against 
terrorism. But the US role vis-a-vis Pakistan stands redefined by 
the new disclosures, and is threefold. 

First, Washington is the gendarme of South Asia, which demands 
and appropriates the right to detain and question other states' 
nationals. 

Second, the US government acknowledges Pakistan's crucial 
position as Afghanistan's next-door neighbor and its past links 
with the Taliban. These give it a special place in the US "war 
against terror". 

Third, the US government has a global non-proliferation agenda - 
and Pakistan's clandestine transactions with North Korea, Iran 
and Libya are incompatible with it. Condoning these will draw 
hostile criticism from India, with which, too, Washington wants 
to build closer relations. 

It is not easy to reconcile all three roles. After the recent 
revelations, Washington cannot possibly maintain the pretence 
that Pakistan's shady nuclear commerce belongs to the past. It 
will try to engage Pakistan in serious talks about restricting 
its nuclear and missile scientists and engineers' movements, 
accept tight controls on exports of nuclear technologies and 
components, and make its nuclear facilities safe and 
pilfer-proof. 

Yet in negotiating this, the US government will face a 
credibility problem because it steadfastly refuses to give up its 
own nuclear weapons and set an example. Any coercive or 
heavy-handed action by it is likely to further fuel 
national-chauvinist and Islamist, anti-US sentiments, and thus 
strengthen the resolve of those who would like Pakistan and other 
Islamic states to acquire their own weapons of mass destruction. 

The larger question is how to make weapons of mass destruction 
unattractive and irrelevant to the security of all nations. The 
time has come for the United States to answer this, rather than 
continue with pretences and contradictions. 

(Inter Press Service) 													   												 												
 													      												 											
Jan 6, 2004                                                                                                                     
													   												 											
Asia Times Online may be republished in any form without written 
permission. Copyright 2003, Asia Times Online, 4305 Far East 
Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Rd, Central, Hong Kong                                                                                                                                              
*****************************************************************
 17 Las Vegas SUN: Indian, Pakistani Officials Meet at Summit

January 04, 2004 

 By PAUL HAVEN ASSOCIATED PRESS 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - 

Indian and Pakistani leaders held their first direct talks on
Sunday since nearly coming to war two years ago, infusing a
major South Asian summit with hope that a half-century of venom
between the uneasy neighbors might give way to rapprochement. 

Indian Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Pakistani
counterpart met for about 30 minutes on the sidelines of the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation gathering,
trading in nuclear bravado for smiling photo-ops and a pledge to
maintain the momentum of their nations' most promising meetings
in years. 

"We must make a transition from mistrust to trust, from discord
to concord and from tension to peace," Vajpayee said earlier in
a speech at the center where the conference is taking place. 

"Mutual suspicions and petty rivalries have continued to haunt
us," he said. "History can remind us, guide us, teach us or warn
us. It should not shackle us." 

Vajpayee was meeting separately on Monday in an even more
important face-to-face with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf,
Pakistan's main power broker, officials on both sides said. The
general hosted all seven regional leaders - including Vajpayee -
at a dinner on Sunday evening, and state television showed the
leaders of the nuclear-armed neighbors shaking hands. 

Musharraf made no mention of Kashmir or the Pakistan-India
dispute in a pre-dinner speech, but did make a general call to
put past disputes to rest: "There can be no development in the
absence of peace. There can be no peace so long as political
issues and disputes continue to fester." 

Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha characterized the talks
with Pakistani Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali as a
routine diplomatic courtesy call, distinguishing it from the
launch of a comprehensive dialogue that Pakistan seeks on
resolving long-standing disputes, especially the conflict over
the divided territory of Kashmir. 

A spokesman for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, however, said he
hoped the summit's bilateral meetings would prove the first
steps on the path to formal peace talks. Vajpayee was making his
first trip to Pakistan in nearly five years, and it is the first
time leaders of the two countries held face-to-face talks since
the middle of 2001. 

"We hope that all these confidence-building measures will
ultimately lead toward a composite dialogue and peace and
security and stability in the region," spokesman Masood Khan
told a press conference. "These high-level meetings are very
important. They create a new ambiance, they create a new
atmosphere and they can facilitate bilateral negotiations also." 

The three-day summit has already led to a framework agreement
for a long-stalled free-trade area aimed at improving the lives
of one-fifth of the world's population. The leaders signed a
social charter on human rights on Sunday and were also updating
an agreement to combat terrorism, bringing it in line with U.N.
resolutions to choke off financing for violent groups. 

But the chief focus was clearly on the region's two largest and
most powerful countries, whose decades of feuding has held the
entire region as its economic hostage. Last year's SAARC summit
was canceled after New Delhi refused to send its leaders to
Pakistan. 

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga used her opening
session speech Sunday to pass along the prayers of all the South
Asian leaders to India and Pakistan at a "historic moment" in
their relations. 

"The vision and courage demonstrated recently by the leaders of
India and Pakistan in their efforts to resolve bilateral issues
have infused this summit ... with a renewed sense of purpose and
vigor," Kumaratunga said. 

The fact that meetings between Pakistan and India are being held
at all illustrates the length the countries have gone to repair
their relations in the last nine months. They nearly went to war
two years ago when Islamic militants that India claims were
backed by Pakistan attacked the Indian Parliament on Dec. 13,
2001. Pakistan denies the allegations. 

Pakistan's state-run television showed Vajpayee and Jamali
shaking hands and smiling warmly during their talks, which
officials on both sides described as frank and cordial. Earlier,
Jamali hailed Vajpayee as a "poet" and a "visionary," in a
speech to the packed convention center 

"The two prime ministers agreed that the momentum created in
bilateral relations should be maintained," Sinha said. Sinha,
meanwhile, met separately with his Pakistani counterpart,
Khursheed Kasuri, who said that "the entire gambit of regional
and international issues were discussed." 

The summit was taking place under extraordinary security in the
Pakistani capital following two recent assassination attempts
against Musharraf. Some 10,000 police and commandos enforced a
near lockdown on the deserted streets outside the convention
center. Motorcades of armored limousines ferried the leaders of
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the
Maldives to the site. 

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 18 NRC: Revision of NRC Enforcement Policy; Packaging and Transportation 
 
                          FR Doc 04-54 
[Federal Register: January 5, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 2)] 
[Notices] [Page 385-386] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr05ja04-80]                         
 
of Radioactive Material AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
ACTION: Policy statement: revision.
 
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing a 
revision to its Enforcement Policy (NUREG-1600, ``General 
Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions'') 
to clarify that enforcement action may be taken against 
non-licensees for violations of the Commission's regulations 
governing the packaging and transportation of radioactive 
material.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2004.
 
 
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic format 
will be made available to the public in their entirety on the NRC 
rulemaking web site. Personal information will not be removed 
from your comments. Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: 
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
 
E-mail comments to: SECY@nrc.gov. If you do not receive a reply 
e- mail confirming that we have received your comments, contact 
us directly (301) 415-1966. You may also submit comments via the 
NRC's interactive rulemaking Web site at 
http://ruleforum.llnl.gov. Address questions about our rulemaking 
Web site to Carol Gallagher at (301) 415-5905 (e-mail: 
CAG@nrc.gov). Hand deliver comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, Maryland, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal 
workdays. (Telephone (301) 415-1966).
 
Fax comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at 
(301) 415-1101.
 
Publicly available documents related to this action may be viewed 
electronically on the public computers located at the NRC's 
Public Document Room (PDR), O1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The PDR reproduction 
contractor will copy documents for a fee. Selected documents, 
including comments, may be viewed and downloaded electronically 
via the NRC's interactive rulemaking Web site at 
http://ruleforum.llnl.gov. Publicly available documents created 
or received at the NRC after November 1, 1999, are available 
electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, the 
public can gain entry into the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access 
and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image 
files of NRC's public documents. If you do not have access to 
ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the document located 
in ADAMS, contact the NRC PDR Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 
301-415-4737, or e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. The NRC maintains the 
current Enforcement Policy on its Web site at http://www.nrc.gov, 
select What We Do, Enforcement, then Enforcement Policy.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank J. Congel, Director, 
Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555- 0001, (301) 415-2741, e-mail fjc@nrc.gov.
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission's Enforcement Policy 
primarily addresses violations by licensees and certain 
non-licensed persons, including certificate holders, as discussed 
further in footnote 3 to Section I, Introduction and Purpose, and 
in Section X, Enforcement Action Against Non-licensees. In 10 CFR 
Part 71, the NRC's regulations address licensing requirements for 
packaging and transport of radioactive material. For several 
years, the Commission has observed problems with the performance 
of some certificate holders and their contractors and 
subcontractors in the packaging and transport of radioactive 
material. The Commission has concluded that additional 
enforcement sanctions (e.g., issuance of Notices of Violations 
(NOVs) and Orders), are required to address the performance 
problems which have occurred in the packaging and transportation 
of radioactive material. Therefore, concurrent with publication 
of this change to the Enforcement Policy, the Commission is 
amending 10 CFR Part 71 to expand its applicability to holders 
of, and applicants for, Certificates of Compliance (CoCs). While 
CoCs are legally binding documents, certificate holders or 
applicants for a CoC had not clearly been brought within the 
scope of certain Part 71 requirements, and the NRC has not had a 
clear basis to cite these persons for violations of Part 71 
requirements in the same way it treats licensees. When the NRC 
has identified a failure to comply with Part 71 requirements by 
these persons, it has taken administrative action by issuing a 
Notice of Nonconformance (NON) or a Demand for Information rather 
than an NOV. With these changes to Part 71, the Commission will 
be in a position to issue NOVs and Orders to certificate holders 
and applicants.
 
An NOV is a written notice that sets forth one or more violations 
of a legally binding requirement. The NOV effectively conveys to 
both the person violating the requirement and the public that a 
violation of a legally binding requirement has occurred and 
permits use of graduated severity levels to convey more clearly 
the safety significance of the violation. Therefore, in addition 
to the changes to 10 CFR Part 71, the Commission is amending Part 
X of the Enforcement Policy, Enforcement Action Against 
Non-Licensees, to make clear that non-licensees who are subject 
to specific regulatory requirements (e.g., Part 71), will be 
subject to enforcement action, including NOVs and Orders. The 
final Part 71 rule does not provide authority for issuing civil 
penalties to non-licensees other than that already provided under 
the Deliberate Misconduct Rule (January 13, 1998; 63 FR 1890 ) in 
Sec.  71.8. Paperwork Reduction Act This policy statement does 
not contain a new or amended information collection requirement 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.). Existing requirements were approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), approval number 3150-0136. The 
approved information collection requirements contained in this 
policy statement appear in Section VII.C. Public Protection 
Notification The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is 
not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act In accordance 
with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 
1996, the NRC has determined that this action is not a major rule 
and has verified this
 
[[Page 386]] determination with the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs of OMB.
 
Accordingly, the NRC Enforcement Policy amended by revising the 
last paragraph of section X to read as follows: General Statement 
of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions * * * * * X. 
Enforcement Action Against Non-Licensees * * * * * When 
inspections determine that violations of NRC requirements have 
occurred, or that contractors have failed to fulfill contractual 
commitments (e.g., 10 CFR Part 50, appendix B) that could 
adversely affect the quality of a safety significant product or 
service, enforcement action will be taken. Notices of Violation 
and civil penalties will be used, as appropriate, for licensee 
failures to ensure that their contractors have programs that meet 
applicable requirements. Notices of Violation will be issued for 
contractors who violate 10 CFR Part 21. Civil penalties will be 
imposed against individual directors or responsible officers of a 
contractor organization who knowingly and consciously fail to 
provide the notice required by 10 CFR 21.21(b)(1). Notices of 
Violation or Orders will be used against non-licensees who are 
subject to the specific requirements of Parts 71 and 72.
 
Notices of Nonconformance will be used for contractors who fail 
to meet commitments related to NRC activities but are not in 
violation of specific requirements.
 
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of December, 2003.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Annette L. Vietti-Cook, Secretary for the Commission.
 
[FR Doc. 04-54 Filed 1-2-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 19 NRC: Notice of Renewal of Certificates of Compliance, GDP-1 and GDP-2 
 
                          FR Doc 04-55 
[Federal Register: January 5, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 2)] 
[Notices] [Page 384-385] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr05ja04-79]                         
 
for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation, Paducah and Portsmouth 
Gaseous Diffusion Plants, Paducah, KY, and Portsmouth, OH AGENCY: 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
 
ACTION: Notice of a Director's Decision renewing the Certificates 
of Compliance for the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) 
which allows continued operation of the two Gaseous Diffusion 
Plants (GDPs), at Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Raddatz, Fuel Cycle 
Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Telephone: 
(301) 415-6334; Fax: (301) 415- 5955; and/or by e-mail: .
 
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a Director's Decision 
(Decision) renewing the Certificates of Compliance for the two 
GDPs located near Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio, for 
the USEC, which allows continued operation of these plants.
 
The renewal of these certificates for the GDPs covers a five-year 
period. Pursuant to 10 CFR 76.31, USEC submitted its renewal 
request on April 11, 2003.
 
Pursuant to 10 CFR 76.53, the NRC consulted with and requested 
written comments on the renewal application from the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA responded on June 27, 
2003, indicating that they did not have comments. The NRC staff 
has reviewed the certificate renewal applications for the GDPs 
located near Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio. USEC's 
applications for certificate renewal did not propose any changes 
to the current safety basis or requirements. However, updates to 
USEC's Depleted Uranium Management Plan and Decommissioning 
Funding Plan were provided, to reflect a revised 5-year 
projection of accumulated depleted uranium and new cost estimates 
for disposition of depleted uranium and radioactive waste. 
Previous applications, statements, and reports are incorporated 
by reference into the renewal application as provided for in 10 
CFR 76.36. These include the Technical Safety Requirements, 
Safety Analysis Report, Compliance Plan, Quality Assurance 
Program, Emergency Plan, Security and Safeguards Plans, Waste 
Management Program, and Decommissioning Funding Program, changes 
made pursuant to 10 CFR 76.68. Based on its review of the 
certificate renewal applications, the staff has concluded that in 
combination with existing certificate conditions, they provide 
reasonable assurance of adequate safety, safeguards, and 
security, and compliance with NRC requirements.
 
The NRC staff has prepared Compliance Evaluation Reports which 
provide details of the staff's evaluations. The NRC staff has 
determined that the renewals satisfy the criteria for a 
categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22 (c) (19). 
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22 (b), no environmental impact 
statement or environmental assessment needs to be prepared for 
this action.
 
As a result of the staff reviews, the Director, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), has found that the 
requirements in 10 CFR 76.60 for certification for operation of 
the GDPs have continued to be met. Accordingly, the Director has 
renewed Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2. The renewal 
of Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2 becomes effective 
immediately after being signed by the Director, NMSS.
 
II. Opportunity to File a Petition Pursuant to 10 CFR 76.62(c), 
USEC, or any person whose interest may be affected may file a 
petition requesting the Commission's review of this renewal 
decision. A petition requesting the Commission's review may not 
exceed 30 pages and must be filed within 30 days after the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Within 15 
days of filing a petition requesting the Commission's review, 
pursuant to 10 CFR 76.62(c), any other person whose interest may 
be affected may file a response, not to exceed 30 pages, to the 
petition for review. Petitions requesting the Commission's review 
or responses thereto are to be served by either: (1) Delivery to 
the Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff of the Office of the 
Secretary at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, MD 20852, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Federal 
workdays; or (2) Mail or telegram addressed to the Secretary, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, 
Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff. Because of 
continuing disruptions in the delivery of mail to United States 
Government offices, it is requested that requests for hearing 
also be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either by 
means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101, or by e-mail to 
.
 
A petition for review of the Decision and responses thereto shall 
set forth with particularity the interest of the person and how 
that interest may be affected by the results of the decision. The 
petition or responses thereto shall specifically explain the 
reasons why review of the Decision should or should not be 
permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) 
The interest of the petitioner; (2) How that interest may be 
affected by the Decision, including the reasons why the 
petitioner should be permitted a review of the Decision; and (3) 
The petitioner's areas of concern about the activity that is the 
subject matter of the Decision.
 
The filing of any petition for review or any responses thereto 
are governed by the procedural requirements set forth in 10 CFR 
76.72. III. Further Information In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 
of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,'' details with respect to this 
action, including the application for renewal 
(Portsmouth-ML031050318, Paducah-ML031050324) and the 
Commission's Compliance Evaluation Reports 
(Portsmouth-ML033440617, Paducah-ML033440612), are available 
electronically for public inspection and copying from the 
Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document 
system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at . 
These documents (except for classified and proprietary portions 
which are withheld in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790, 
``Availability of Public Records'') are also available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, at One White 
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852.
 
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of December, 2003.
 
 
[[Page 385]] For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Martin J. Virgilio, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
 
[FR Doc. 04-55 Filed 1-2-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 20 Ithaca Journal Study: Strontium levels higher 40 miles from nuclear power
plants 

- ithacajournal.com

   Health Watch - Monday, January 5, 2004   

By GARY STOLLER Gannett News Service 

A new study concludes that counties within 40 miles of six 
nuclear power plants have higher levels of radioactive 
strontium-90 than other counties in their states. 

Strontium-90, a byproduct of uranium fission, is one of the 
pollutants emitted into the air by nuclear reactors. If inhaled 
or ingested, it collects in bones and tissue and increases the 
risks of cancer and leukemia, according to the Environmental 
Protection Agency. 

The study, published this week in the journal The Science of the 
Total Environment, was done by the Radiation and Public Health 
Project, a New York-based nonprofit group that analyzes baby 
teeth for strontium-90. Baby teeth from counties near two nuclear 
plants in Florida and plants in California, New York, New Jersey 
and Pennsylvania were compared with baby teeth from other 
counties in the same states. 

Nuclear power companies denounce the RPHP study. They and some 
scientists say RPHP's findings are not based on sound science. "I 
don't question finding strontium-90 in teeth, because there 
better be strontium-90 in teeth," says Ralph Andersen, chief 
health physicist for the Nuclear Energy Institute, which 
represents power plant owners and operators. "I question how they 
compare data. I fail to see a factual basis for their 
conclusions." 

Everyone is exposed to small amounts of strontium-90, the EPA 
says, because it was widely dispersed into the environment and 
the food chain by above-ground nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s 
and 1960s. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says strontium-90 
also was released into the environment by weapons tests of the 
French and Chinese governments between 1970 and 1980 and by an 
accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine in 
1986. 

The EPA wouldn't comment on the RPHP study and referred questions 
to the NRC. NRC spokeswoman Elizabeth Hayden says the agency 
won't comment until the study is reviewed by technical staff. 

Joseph Mangano, one of five co-authors of the study, says RPHP 
takes no position on whether nuclear power plants should be 
allowed to operate. But its researchers "strongly suggest that 
the health risks of nuclear reactors should be given top priority 
in formulating policies for nuclear reactors." 

The study looked at 2,089 teeth sent to the RPHP and analyzed by 
a radiochemistry laboratory in Ontario. It found that most 
counties near nuclear plants had strontium-90 levels that were 31 
percent to 54 percent higher than counties farther away. 

The highest levels were found in three counties near the Limerick 
power plant in Pottstown, Pa., and in three counties near the 
Indian Point nuclear facility in Buchanan, N.Y. Pottstown, the 
study notes, is "within 70 miles of 11 operating and two closed 
reactors, a concentration unmatched in the U.S." 

The study says its most unexpected finding is that strontium-90 
levels have steadily risen after decades of decline. Baby teeth 
of children born in 1994 to 1997 had nearly 50 percent higher 
strontium-90 concentration than those from children born in 1986 
to 1989, the study found. 

Nuclear experts and the federal government say strontium-90 
levels should be dropping because above-ground atomic bomb tests 
stopped decades ago, below-ground tests and nuclear weapons 
production halted at least 12 years ago and nuclear fuels 
reprocessing ceased in the late 1970s. 

"The only other source of strontium-90 that can explain this 
steady and dramatic rise in the 1990s is emissions from nuclear 
power reactors," the study says. 

Robert Alvarez, an Energy Department senior policy adviser in the 
1990s, says that conclusion is "too much of a leap, because of 
the need to factor in other multiple risk factors." 

The EPA's Web site says, "People who live near or work in nuclear 
facilities may have increased exposure to strontium-90." But 
Patricia Milligan, NRC senior emergency preparedness specialist, 
says only a speck of strontium-90 is released each day from a 
nuclear plant. 

The amount of strontium-90 released at every plant is less than 
limits established by the NRC and the EPA, says Stephen 
Klementowicz, the NRC's health physicist. 

Alvarez, who is often critical of nuclear plant safety, isn't 
convinced RPHP has proved its case. But he says there may be a 
correlation between strontium-90 in baby teeth and childhood 
cancers. 

RPHP is currently studying whether children with cancer have more 
strontium-90 in their teeth than other children, funded, in part, 
by a $25,000 allocation from New Jersey. 

The highest levels were found in three counties near the Limerick 
power plant in Pottstown, Pa., and in three counties near the 
Indian Point nuclear facility in Buchanan, N.Y. Pottstown, the 
study notes, is "within 70 miles of 11 operating and two closed 
reactors, a concentration unmatched in the U.S." 

Originally published Monday, January 5, 2004
 
 Copyright �2003 The Ithaca Journal.     

*****************************************************************
 21 PC News Herald: NRC restructuring in wake of D-B errors -

portclintonnewsherald.com
 
    Monday, January 5, 2004   

By JOHN SEEWER
 Associated Press Writer 

  On the Net:

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission: http://www.nrc.gov
FirstEnergy Corp.: http://www.firstenergycorp.com
Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org
Ohio Citizen Action: http://www.ohiocitizen.org/  

CARROLL TOWNSHIP -- The nation's nuclear plants can expect to 
feel the effects of an acid leak in northern Ohio as regulators 
strengthen their watch. 

Regulators are changing the way they inspect plants and react to 
problems and are beefing up training. 

The catalyst was an acid leak almost two years ago that nearly 
ate through a 6-inch-thick steel liner at the Davis-Besse nuclear 
plant. It was the most extensive corrosion ever found at a U.S. 
nuclear reactor. 

Critics question whether the revised regulations are enough to 
prevent safety problems at other plants, saying that staffing 
cuts have stretched the NRC's resources and reduced oversight. 

The agency also has shifted staff from other plants to watch over 
the problems at Davis-Besse, leading some basic inspections at 
other plants to be performed by outside contractors. 

"Will the NRC be able to follow Davis-Besse's fixes if there's 
another problem at another plant?" said David Lochbaum, a nuclear 
safety engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a 
watchdog group. 

"It's not that they don't care," he said. "They just have limited 
resources." 

The NRC said the staffing issue is only temporary. Bill Ruland, 
NRC project director for Midwest nuclear power plants, said it 
hasn't impacted safety at the nation's 102 other nuclear plants. 

The NRC cut 79 employees from its inspection staff between 1998 
and 2002 -- a 12 percent reduction, according to a review of 
agency records by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. 

At Davis-Besse, the NRC has added a third inspector, will 
increase the number of inspections and plans to keep a review 
board in place for at least the next six months. 

"In effect it's a custom built oversight for Davis-Besse," agency 
spokesman Jan Strasma said. "That will continue for six months, a 
year, however long it takes." 

The owner, Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., hopes to reopen the 
plant soon, but regulators still have concerns about how the 
plant is being operated. 

The NRC had put in put place or expected to complete by the end 
of 2003 about half of the recommendations from a "lessons 
learned" task force that were adopted a year ago, Strasma said. 

Those include increasing inspection routines and instilling a 
more "questioning attitude" among inspectors. 

The NRC also is studying technology that identifies leaks and 
will decide whether that's needed at U.S. plants. The leak 
detection sensors are used at nuclear plants in France and 
Canada. 

Davis-Besse is the only U.S. plant to install the flexible hoses 
with sensors that monitor for increases in humidity levels, which 
is an indicator of possible leaks. 

But some high-priority items may take at least another year to 
complete. 

"A number of these are long-term actions that require us to 
change processes," Ruland said. "We want to do these pretty 
carefully. We want to make sure we do them right, but we're on 
track." 

He said the agency, which was criticized for not documenting the 
reasons behind some of its decisions, was now keeping more 
detailed records of its discussions with plant operators. 

The agency's inspector general in October said errors stopped the 
NRC from finding the leaking acid and damage at Davis-Besse much 
earlier than March 2002. Those included poor communications 
between inspectors and their supervisors and a failure to follow 
up on perceived problems. 

The agency watchdog said at least three NRC inspectors saw photos 
of large amounts of rust on the reactor cover but did not 
recognize the importance of the corrosion. 

Scott Thomas, senior inspector at Davis-Besse, said a third 
inspector has been added to help with the heavy workload expected 
once the plant restarts and to make sure that Davis-Besse 
"doesn't slip back to the performance that got them here in the 
first place." 

The inspectors will more closely watch areas that have concerned 
regulators such as worker performance and attitudes toward 
safety, Thomas said. 

The additions at the plant near Toledo haven't satisfied its 
critics. 

"If two resident inspectors were unaware of or unable to detect 
the problem, how does increasing the number of resident 
inspectors increase the protection of public health?" said Shari 
Weir, program director for Ohio Citizen Action. 

The environmental group has been critical of the plant's 
operators, but Weir said the NRC needs to face the same scrutiny 
that FirstEnergy has met at monthly public meetings. 

"We hear at meeting after meeting about the changes FirstEnergy 
is making, but we hear nothing about how the NRC would track 
problems if they emerge," Weir said. 

Nuclear watchdog groups also fear that Congress -- which monitors 
the NRC -- hasn't shown enough interest in the agency's 
performance at Davis-Besse. 

The Senate had one hearing last year on what happened at the 
plant while the House has refused to hold any hearings despite 
pleas from several lawmakers. Committee leaders haven't given 
their reasons. 

Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who chairs a subcommittee on 
nuclear safety, plans to hold follow-up hearing before next 
spring, said spokeswoman Marcie Ridgway. 

Originally published Monday, January 5, 2004
 
*****************************************************************
 22 Taipei Times Editorial: Time for US to lay out its reasoning 

taipeitimes.com/

Monday, Jan 05, 2004,Page 8 

Just what is it about the proposed defensive referendum the US 
government does not understand? The press briefing for reporters 
by US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli reported in this 
newspaper yesterday, coming as it does after Washington envoy 
Chen Chien-jen's (祘) comment last week, leaves us deeply 
puzzled.

 Let us take two basic premises on which both Taipei and 
Washington agree: The Bush administration is opposed to any 
referendum that would unilaterally change the status quo. It is 
not however opposed to the idea of referendums per se.

 Add to this the premise that the administration of US President 
George W. Bush appears opposed to the referendum proposed by 
President Chen Shui-bian (朝) and what conclusions can we 
reach? That the US sees the defensive referendum as an attempt to 
change the cross-strait status quo. Why? How?

 So far the Bush administration refuses to say. We glean from 
what various officials have said since the defensive referendum 
was announced that Washington sees a difference between 
referendums dealing with independence and unification, which it 
opposes, and referendums dealing with internal political matters 
and national security issues, which are apparently OK.

 So can we assume that the defensive referendum is seen as being 
about independence or unification? Why on earth would that be? 
The question of whether Taiwanese like China's missiles pointed 
at them or not has nothing to do with unification or independence 
whatsoever. It is plainly a security issue.

 And, let us be frank, it is not even a very serious security 
issue. Instead, "Should Taiwan have its own nuclear strike 
capability?" is a serious security issue, or perhaps a question 
about whether people are prepared to pay more tax to see the 
professionalization of the armed forces.

 So why is the Bush administration so opposed to the planned 
referendum? We think that it should say. Not only that, but it 
should say so clearly and openly -- no secret notes from secret 
visitors to Taipei -- so that its reasons for opposing Taiwan's 
exercise of popular democracy might be judged against its zeal 
for spreading democracy elsewhere.

 How can we take US reservations into account if we know not what 
they are? How can we judge how well-founded they may be?

 How might they not be well-founded?

 Well, Washington may simply be not well-informed. Since the 
world's media, profoundly ignorant of Taiwan's affairs as it 
usually is, mistakenly thinks that any referendum in Taiwan must 
be about independence, it would be no surprise to find that 
Washington bureaucrats are similarly mistaken. And we note that 
Ereli said that he thought Taipei's idea of what the referendum 
would be was in a state of flux. This is simply false.

 The government's ideas on the referendum have been fixed since 
the first week of last month. So either Ereli was being 
duplicitous -- not wanting to acknowledge what the referendum was 
so he wouldn't have to answer the harder questions about it -- 
such as what was wrong with it -- or there is still a lack of 
understanding of this issue in Washington.

 Or the Bush administration might be being deliberately 
misinformed by China and its allies -- the pan-blue camp here in 
Taiwan and the so called Red Team of pro-China foreign policy 
mavens in the US itself.

 Or it is even possible that China has issued threats to Taiwan 
-- it is, after all, desperately important to Beijing that 
Taiwan's referendum not take place and there is no knowing how 
high the stakes have -- in private -- been raised. US coyness 
might be a way to avoid the appearance of having caved in to 
China.

 So we need to know. Tell us what your reservations are. Let us 
see that they are well-founded. Until that happens it is hard to 
know what more can be expected of Taiwan. This story has been 
viewed 567 times. + Advertising [ height=] [ height=] [ height=]   

Copyright � 1999-2004 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 23 Taipei Times: Lin takes anti-nuclear message south 

RIGHT TO DECIDE: Lin Yi-hsiung, a former DPP chairman, says a 
vote on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant would raise people's 
awareness that they are masters in their country 

By Chiu Yu-Tzu
 STAFF REPORTER 
Monday, Jan 05, 2004,Page 3 

  Former DPP chairman Lin Yi-hsiung, left, and Kaohsiung Mayor 
Frank Hsieh distribute leaflets calling for a nuclear-free Taiwan 
at a market in the city's Tsoying district yesterday. Lin is 
pushing for a referendum on the fate of the Fourth Nuclear Power 
Plant, currently under construction. PHOTO: CNA
   

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman and staunch 
anti-nuclear activist Lin Yi-hsiung (狶竡动) distributed flyers 
promoting his anti-nuclear stance yesterday.

 Lin said people should express their opposition to the 
establishment of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant through a 
nationwide referendum because Taiwan already has abundant sources 
of power generation.

 Lin said people's consciousness of being the masters of this 
land should be awakened.

 "The referendum aims to awaken residents to the right to decide 
a common future on their own and to the responsibilities people 
living on this land should take," Lin said.

 He said the referendum would be the first step to prevent Taiwan 
from facing a dangerous situation.

 "The operation of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, which affects 
the safety of future generations, should be decided by the 
public," Lin said.

 He said he visited Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien 
Chan (硈驹) and stressed that his stance on supporting a 
referendum on the plant would never change.

 "I will keep my eyes on the follow-up actions to be taken by 
KMT," Lin said.

 He said the referendum shows that people have the right to make 
decisions on major public policies. This right cannot be 
manipulated by any political party or political figure, he said.

 Lin's promotion in Kaohsiung of building a nuclear-free country 
was supported by another former DPP chairman, Kaohsiung Mayor 
Frank Hsieh (谅). Hsieh helped distribute flyers to 
passengers on the street in the city's Tsoying District.

 "Reviewing all of Lin's efforts made on the promotion of a 
referendum, I truly admire his persistence," Hsieh said.

 Hsieh said he has been dedicated to the anti-nuclear movement 
since 1986 and that the ongoing referendum campaign would 
eventually leave a democratic legacy for the country.

 Last week, activists demonstrated in front of the legislature, 
saying a referendum should not be held in March without 
comprehensive preparation. This story has been viewed 261 times. 
+ Advertising [ height=] [ height=] [ height=]   

Copyright � 1999-2004 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 24 Taipei Times: DPP wants nuclear-plant issue put to rest 

www.taipeitimes.com

By Fiona Lu

 STAFF REPORTER Monday, Jan 05, 2004,Page 3 

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers plan to distribute 1 
million leaflets around the nation to promote holding referendums 
on the Fourth Nuclear Plant and legislative reforms, a DPP 
lawmaker said this week.

 "The DPP is going to mobilize party officials and legislators to 
send out 1 million leaflets nationwide this month to promote the 
goal of solving the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant construction 
controversy and pushing legislative reforms," said DPP whip Chen 
Chi-mai (朝ㄤ邻).

 DPP officials plan to distribute the leaflets in local markets 
and meeting places in various towns, cities and counties to 
educate people on the meaning and importance of the task, Chen 
said.

 The DPP announced the promotional event after their pan-blue 
opponents confirmed a lack of willingness to push ahead with a 
referendum to decide the fate of the half-finished nuclear power 
plant by this legislative session.

 Caucus members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People 
First Party (PFP) also said they would not endorse former DPP 
chairman Lin Yi-hsiung's (狶竡动) request to file a resolution to 
stop nuclear power generation in the country.

 Lin made the request last month when he visited the Legislative 
Yuan, after his meeting with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (硈驹), who 
assured him that the KMT would consider whether to side with Lin 
on the issues of abolishing the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and 
overhauling the Referendum Law (そチщ布猭).

 Lin looked for help from pan-blue lawmakers, who have a majority 
in the 223-seat legislature, to help abolish the government's 
policy on nuclear power.

 He asked the legislature to pass a resolution stating that the 
policy of nuclear energy generation should be suspended as long 
as the country is free from the threat of power shortages and the 
government is unable to settle the issue of nuclear waste.

 But KMT Legislator Wu Den-yih (窗竡) said the KMT-PFP alliance 
could not approve Lin's request.

 The blue camp decided the resolution would conflict with the 
fact that the legislature had already given its go-ahead to the 
construction.

 Wu suggested Lin press President Chen Shui-bian (朝) on the 
issue.

 The PFP was also against a referendum on the nuclear plant, 
despite PFP Legislator Chou Yi's (驾) effort to gather 
signatures for a petition demanding such a referendum.

 "We are opposed to any referendum proposal based on election 
motives, no matter whether they are about the nuclear plant issue 
or the defensive referendum," PFP whip Chou Hsi-wei (㏄奎蕹) 
said.

 Chou Yi said he started the petition to press the DPP on the 
issue. The petition has 33 pan-blue lawmakers' signatures, 
already passing the threshold needed to put it on the legislative 
agenda.

 The DPP does not support pan-blue members since "the opposition 
parties obviously exploit the nuclear-power dispute for campaign 
purposes," the DPP whip said.

 "It is illogical for a pan-blue member, whose parties uphold the 
nuclear policy, to initiate a referendum on halting the plant. 
The opposition parties' manipulation of the nuclear plant dispute 
was playing with the fire that would finally destroy them," Chen 
said.

 The KMT and PFP caucus members will decide today on whether they 
are going to file during this session a referendum on the number 
of legislators. The session is set to end next week. This story 
has been viewed 320 times. 

Copyright � 1999-2004 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 25 Taipei Times: US opposition (to vote) expected to ease STATUS QUO

taipeitimes.com

A source at the Presidential Office believes the US will warm to 
the `defensive referendum' once it knows the the exact wording of 
the question 

By Lin Chieh-yu STAFF REPORTER Monday, Jan 05, 2004,Page 3 
  
"As US President [George W.] Bush is set to bid for a second term 
of office, Taiwan cannot become an unstable element."   
  
An anonymous Presidential Office official   

The US is expected to drop its opposition to President Chen 
Shui-bian's (朝) plan for a "defensive referendum" once the 
question has been finalized, a source from the Presidential 
Office told the Taipei Times.

 "It is the uncertainty of what President Chen is going to do 
next, not Taiwan's democratic progress, that is not accepted by 
the US government," the source said.

 "It means that what the US government is really concerned about 
is whether Chen plans a second step following the referendum," he 
said.

 Noting that Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen 
(竡く) has said that "the next three to five months will be the 
key phase in the relationship between Taiwan and the US," the 
source said both countries will have presidential elections this 
year and that the two governments must trust each other.

 Chen has said that one of his achievements as president has been 
progress in relations with the US. But Chen's style has also 
caused frictions.

 Chen has made several influential statements since he brought up 
his proposal of "one country on each side" of the Taiwan Strait. 

In June last year, Chen said he would hold a referendum on 
construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and on entry to 
the World Health Organization (WHO). The elections were to 
coincide with the presidential election. 

In September, Chen announced plans to push for a new 
constitution.

 He also announced his plan for a "defensive referendum," which 
Beijing believes will be a step toward Taiwan's independence.

 A high-ranking official at the Presidential Office admitted that 
none of the plans had gone through a complete discussion with 
Chen's aides, nor had they been explained to the US government.

 He said Chen made his political commitments by his personal 
volition amid the considerable stress of the presidential 
election. 

"President Chen certainly will have to pay for it, as to the US 
government's viewpoint and interest," the aide said. "But given 
the mainstream public opinion and the democratic progress of 
Taiwan, Chen's proposals are unavoidable issues."

 "As Taiwan's leader, Chen must point out a direction without 
fear and pledge to take responsibility for his people," he said.

 After making the announcements, Chen sent delegations of senior 
government officials -- including heads of the National Security 
Council, the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs -- to the US to explain Taiwan's status and to reassure 
Washington of Chen's commitment to the "five noes" pledge. 

"Basically, communications between Taiwan and the US remain 
stable and unimpeded," the official said. "We fully understand 
the US concerns about Taiwan. The key point is that Taiwan needs 
to bring up its concrete promises, such as the topic and content 
of a `defensive referendum,' what Chen will do after March 20 as 
well as the government's commitment for the following four years.

 "In short, as US President [George W.] Bush is set to bid for a 
second term of office, Taiwan cannot become an unstable element," 
the senior official said.

 Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Joseph Wu (皒黎) 
said the international community always stresses its own 
interests. Wu said Taiwanese will be increasingly incapable of 
enduring the world's unfair treatment of restraining Taiwan and 
ignoring China's rudeness.

 "Since Chen took office, he has declared his commitment of the 
`five noes,' ... brought up his plan of building a new structure 
for the peace and integration of the two sides of the Strait, 
invited the leaders on the other side of the Taiwan Strait for 
talks and opened the `small three links,'" Wu said. 

"These good-will efforts have largely transcended the DPP's 
traditional ideology and shown that Chen is trying to lead his 
supporters to the middle way," he said.

 "But what has China done? Beijing has completely ignored 
Taiwan's good intentions," he said, taking Taiwan's failure to 
join the World Health Organization as an example.

 Political columnist Hu Wen-huei (璊ゅ谨) said Chen's government 
believes in reform and breakthroughs, and that it is at odds with 
the obedient and stability-oriented nature of civil servants 
under KMT authoritarianism.

 "There are three possibilities for the March election: One is 
that Chen renews his term of office and successfully launches a 
referendum; the second is that Chen loses the election but holds 
a referendum; and the third is that Chen loses his bid and also 
fails to hold a referendum," Hu said.

 He said Chen's proposals have forced the blue camp to reverse 
its ideology and move closer to a pro-Taiwan platform. According 
to Hu, self-determination, human rights and legislative reform -- 
heavily promoted by Chen -- have become part of people's 
consciousness and fundamental beliefs.

 "Officials in Beijing and Washington may be able to pressure the 
Taiwan government, and pro-unification media and politicians may 
also threaten our people," Hu said. "However, once Taiwan breaks 
through the barrier, a fully independent, united and fearless 
Taiwan will be born. In the coming four to eight years, Taiwanese 
people will have the strength to resist China anytime they want.

 "This [election] is going to be a historic battle," Hu said. 
This story has been viewed 586 times. + Advertising [ height=] [ 

Copyright � 1999-2004 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 26 Brattleboro Reformer: Officials give assurances of nuclear plant's safety

January 05, 2004 Brattleboro, VT                                                                                                         
			 					 						 						 			
By JUSTIN MASON 
Reformer Staff

BRATTLEBORO -- The Vermont State Police Homeland Security Unit 
and Vermont Yankee officials want to reassure residents that the 
nuclear plant is safe, despite recent publicity over a 2002 state 
auditor's report about security lapses.

 The Associated Press, in today's Reformer, highlights nearly a 
decade of security woes at the Vernon plant during Gov. Howard 
Dean's administration. The article states that an audit conducted 
in 2002 by Auditor Elizabeth Ready warned of poor safety 
conditions at Vermont Yankee and concluded that Dean's 
administration was poorly prepared for a nuclear disaster.

 "Most of the things mentioned in the article are 10 to 12 years 
old," plant spokesman Rob Williams said Sunday. "As far as 
Vermont Yankee is concerned, we've spent $8 million in upgrades 
since then." 

Williams said the plant has since instituted new security 
measures that include additional perimeter fencing, a 
state-of-the-art intrusion detection system, closed-circuit video 
surveillance, reinforced guard towers, concrete vehicle barriers, 
explosive detection devices and enhanced guard weaponry.

 "We're also more integrated with the Office of Homeland Security 
and all levels of law enforcement," he said. "With those 
improvements, we have the most highly protected facility in that 
part of the nation's infrastructure."

 Yankee meets all the requirements set by the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission and is continuing to make improvements to 
ensure the plant's safety from potential attacks, Williams said. 
The article is drumming up old fears that were allayed years ago, 
he said.

 "Ninety percent of it is a rehash of issues that have been fully 
addressed over the past decade," he said.

 Capt. William Sheets of the state's Homeland Security Unit 
issued a statement Sunday afternoon defending the security and 
safety of the plant.

 "It is critically important that all Vermonters be aware of the 
robust security program currently in place at Vermont Yankee," he 
stated. "Those considering even the slightest breach of security 
will be subjected to immediate arrest and federal prosecution."

*****************************************************************
 27 heraldtribune.com: Seabrook cuts 76 jobs from work force

  Monday, January 5
  
The Associated Press
 
SEABROOK, N.H. -- The owners of the Seabrook nuclear power plant 
are cutting the work force by 76 jobs as part of a restructuring.

Company spokesman Alan Griffith said Monday that 10 of those 
employees are union members who elected to leave under their 
contract. The rest of the cuts were involuntary.

About 650 staffers would remain at the plant.

The affected workers are eligible for severance pay and can apply 
for other jobs in the corporation, which has offices in 28 
states. The plant is owned by FPL Energy of Juno Beach, Fla., and 
a consortium of Massachusetts-based municipal electric companies.

FPL doesn't have plans for more layoffs in the foreseeable 
future, he said.

Seabrook said it was overstaffed and employees were told about 
the planned cuts last year.

"We're confident that we'll operate safely and successfully with 
the new numbers," Griffith said.

FPL Energy, a unit of FPL Group Inc., didn't reduce the number of 
employees in the control room or the number of workers who focus 
on plant safety, he said. Security officers weren't affected by 
the restructuring either, and FPL plans to increase their numbers 
at the plant.

FPL acquired a majority stake in the Seabrook reactor in 2002. 
The Massachusetts consortium owns the remaining portion. Last 
modified: January 05. 2004 5:39PM 

heraldtribune.com 
Serving the Herald-Tribune newspaper and SNN Channel 6
 � Sarasota Herald-Tribune. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 28 NEWS.com.au: Reactor shut after fire 

(January 6, 2004)

From correspondents in Kiev, Ukraine
 				 				 
A SHORT circuit sparked a transformer fire at a nuclear power 
plant in Ukraine, prompting the shutdown of a reactor, news 
reports said today.

The fire late yesterday caused one of the reactors at the Rivne 
plant in western Ukraine to be shut down, the ITAR-Tass new 
agency reported, citing an unnamed spokesman at the state nuclear 
energy company Energoatom.

 ITAR-Tass said the fire burned for more than 30 minutes before 
it was extinguished.

 Officials said the accident did not increase radiation levels at 
the plant, according to ITAR-Tass. Plant and Energoatom officials 
could not be reached for comment today.

 The reactor is expected to be off-line until January 10, 
ITAR-Tass said. Four of Ukraine's 13 functioning nuclear power 
reactors are currently undergoing maintenance. 

Ukraine was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in 
April 1986, when a reactor at the Chernobyl plant exploded. The 
plant was closed in 2000.

 Minor malfunctions occur frequently at the former Soviet 
republic's four operating nuclear power plants.                                                                         

The Associated Press
 				 							 				 					 						 						
Copyright 2003 News Limited. All times AEDT (GMT+11).                            
<img src="http://www.news.com.au/
*****************************************************************
 29 dailyrecord: NUKE BIN BATTLE CRY
            
dailyrecord.com

Jan 5 2004

A SITE once named as a possible nuclear dump could be in the
firing line again, an MSP warned yesterday. 

Alasdair Morgan, SNP member for South Scotland, urged campaign
groups to be prepared to fight a second Battle of Mullwaharchar. 
The 2270 ft hill on the Dumfriesshire-Ayrshire border was
earmarked as a nuclear dump in the 1970s. 

But the plan was rejected in the face of fierce protests. 
There are 25 possible nuke dumps in Scotland, including
Mullwharachar, but Morgan warned it could be the first choice. 







*****************************************************************
 30 SBJ: PG&E to refit Diablo Canyon nuke 

- 2004-01-05 - Sacramento Business Journal
 
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which provides power and fuel in much 
of Greater Sacramento, will ask state regulators this month to OK 
a $706 million replacement of the steam generators at its 1,100 
megawatt Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, Reuters reported Monday. 

The report said a spokesman for the utility arm of San 
Francisco-based PG&E Corp. laid out a schedule that would replace 
the four steam generators in Unit 2 at Diablo Canyon during 2008 
and those in Unit 1 in 2009. The work would be done when the 
units are scheduled to be down for refueling. 

Similar work at an Arizona plant last year took about two and a 
half months, Reuters said. 

� 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.


  Recent Company News Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Co.� PG&amp;E
to refit Diablo Canyon nuke
� PG&amp;E wants smaller firms to save energy
� Report: PG&amp;E execs, bankers stand to reap windfall
PG&amp;E Corp.   � stock info � PG&amp;E to refit Diablo Canyon
nuke
� Report: PG&amp;E execs, bankers stand to reap windfall
� Report: Financial windfall awaits PG&amp;E execs

�2004 American City Business Journals, Inc. and its licensors.
*****************************************************************
 31 WTOL-TV Toledo, OH: Nuclear Plant Regulations

   January 5, 2004       

OAK HARBOR -- The nation's nuclear plants can expect to feel the 
effects of an acid leak in northern Ohio as regulators strengthen 
their watch. Regulators are changing the way they inspect plants 
and react to problems. They're also beefing up training. 

An acid leak two years ago nearly ate through a six-inch thick 
steel liner at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant along Lake Erie. It 
was the most extensive corrosion ever found at a U-S nuclear 
reactor. Critics question whether the revised regulations are 
enough to prevent safety problems at other plants. 

They say staffing cuts have stretched the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission's resources and reduced oversight. The agency has also 
shifted staff from other plants to watch over the problems at 
Davis-Besse. 

Posted 9:59 p.m. Sunday, December 4th Associated Press 
vfiorello@wtol.com   

      All content � Copyright 2000 - 2004 WorldNow and WTOL. All
*****************************************************************
 32 Concord Monitor: Vermont Yankee has corrected security issues 
                                
Monday, January 5, 2004

AP

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. - Vermont Yankee officials and members of the 
state police Homeland Security Unit say a series of security 
lapses reported in a 2002 audit have been corrected. 

        The unusual statement comes in the wake of an Associated 
Press report highlighting nearly a decade of security woes at the 
Vernon plant during former Gov. Howard Dean's administration. 

        An audit conducted in 2002 by Auditor Elizabeth Ready 
warned of poor safety conditions at Vermont Yankee and concluded 
that Dean's administration was poorly prepared for a nuclear 
disaster. 

        "Most of the things mentioned in the article are 10 to 12 
years old," plant spokesman Rob Williams said Sunday. "As far as 
Vermont Yankee is concerned, we've spent $8 million in upgrades 
since then." 

        Williams said the plant has since instituted new security 
measures that include additional perimeter fencing, a 
state-of-the-art intrusion detection system, closed-circuit video 
surveillance, reinforced guard towers, concrete vehicle barriers, 
explosive detection devices and enhanced guard weaponry. 

        "We're also more integrated with the Office of Homeland 
Security and all levels of law enforcement," he said. "With those 
improvements, we have the most highly protected facility in that 
part of the nation's infrastructure." 

        Yankee meets all the requirements set by the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission and is continuing to make improvements to 
ensure the plant's safety from potential attacks, Williams said. 

        Capt. William Sheets of the state's Homeland Security 
Unit issued a statement Sunday afternoon defending the security 
and safety of the plant. 

        "It is critically important that all Vermonters be aware 
of the robust security program currently in place at Vermont 
Yankee," he stated. "Those considering even the slightest breach 
of security will be subjected to immediate arrest and federal 
prosecution." 

Monday, January 5, 2004

� Concord Monitorand New Hampshire Patriot
P.O. Box 1177, Concord NH 03302
603-224-5301 
        
*****************************************************************
 33 Las Vegas SUN: U.S. Navy to Close Base in Puerto Rico

Today: January 05, 2004 at 13:20:04 PST 

 By IAN JAMES ASSOCIATED PRESS 

CEIBA, Puerto Rico (AP) - 

Navy ships are vanishing from Roosevelt Roads Naval Station,
ending an era when defense spending boosted Puerto Rico's
economy and the U.S. territory was seen as a strategic asset. 

The military has used the base for six decades to keep watch
over the Caribbean, and as the outpost closes, with thousands of
troops and civilians to leave by March 31, Puerto Rico is losing
an economic powerhouse that employed more than 6,000 people and
brought an estimated $300 million a year to the island. 

Puerto Rican leaders are proposing to turn the base's airstrip
into a civilian airport, open its port to cruise ships and
attract tourists to its beaches. 

Some islanders who see the base as a relic of colonialism are
applauding its demise, but others fear for the future now that
the United States needs Puerto Rico less for military purposes. 

"Everybody is thinking, 'What's going to happen?'" said
Jeannette Martes, 46, a base employee whose office job will
disappear. "I don't see Puerto Rico progressing. I see Puerto
Rico going backward." 

When Roosevelt Roads closes, Guantanamo Bay in Cuba will be the
only U.S. naval base left in the Caribbean. 

Change is already visible in Ceiba, a town of 18,000 outside the
base gates in eastern Puerto Rico. 

Lunch counters are losing business, and only a few sailors
frequent Don's Lighthouse, a once-popular bar where cigarette
lighters engraved with ships' names cover a wall. 

"A year ago, this bar would have been packed right now," said
bartender Lesley Lynch, 28, serving a beer to a lone veteran at
happy hour. 

The base is named after former President Franklin D. Roosevelt,
who ordered its construction in 1940, and after the roads that
crisscross its 8,600 acres. In the following decades thousands
of U.S. sailors came to train for conflicts from Vietnam to
Afghanistan on the small island of Vieques just off the base. 

No ships had their home port at Roosevelt Roads, but destroyers,
cruisers and aircraft carriers passed through constantly for
maneuvers or refueling. It was a support base for U.S. invasions
of the Dominican Republic in 1965, Grenada in 1983 and Haiti in
1994. 

But its main purpose was to oversee bombing exercises on
Vieques, and tensions heightened there in 1999 when two errant
bombs killed a civilian guard. A surge in protests followed,
with opponents saying the bombing harmed the environment and the
health of Vieques' 9,100 residents. 

The Navy denied it, but facing sustained protests the military
decided to close the range last year and move training to spots
in the mainland United States. 

Some Puerto Ricans say the departure could mark a realignment in
U.S. relations with the territory, which was seized from Spain
in 1898. 

President Bush recently named a 16-member panel to re-evaluate
Puerto Rico's status, under which islanders pay no U.S. income
taxes but receive $14 billion yearly in federal funds. 

Martes said she fears the U.S. government has decided "if they
don't want us, then we don't need them." 

Supporters of the small independence movement, meanwhile, say
the Navy's departure is a death knell for what they call U.S.
colonialism. 

Other politicians who support statehood or the status quo
disagree, saying the territory of 4 million people retains close
ties to the United States. 

The Army still has Fort Buchanan near San Juan, and officials
say more than 1,000 troops from Puerto Rico are in the Middle
East. 

Gov. Sila Calderon, who favors the current commonwealth status,
initially sought to persuade the Navy to stay. But her delegate
to Congress, Anibal Acevedo Vila, says he helped negotiate a
"good deal" for Puerto Rico to get lands unclaimed by the U.S.
government. 

"There are going to be a lot of companies interested in
investing," said Acevedo Vila, a gubernatorial candidate who
cites building a theme park among possibilities. 

A decade ago, Roosevelt Roads was the biggest American naval
installation in land area outside the U.S. mainland, with more
than 30,000 acres including Vieques lands. 

As it closes, Puerto Rico faces 12 percent unemployment
island-wide, with higher jobless rates near the base. 

Units of Navy SEALS and others have left for mainland bases,
saying goodbye to the outpost known as "Roosey Roads." Its
hospital will close soon, while schools will stay open until
June. 

The Navy hasn't allowed journalists to visit, but employees say
the airstrip and port are vacant, and housing complexes are
clearing out. One officer called it a "ghost town." 

The number of troops and civilians is down to 2,200, and some
1,200 contractors are to lose base jobs. Others already have. 

"It's sad," said Hipolito Robles, 44, a Navy veteran who lost
his contract job as a maintenance supervisor a year ago. "People
in Puerto Rico still don't realize the impact it's going to
have." 

--- 

On the Net: 

http://www.navstarr.navy.mil/

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 34 Bellona: Russian naval source: K-159 to be raised in 2005
 
The ill-fated retired Russian nuclear submarine K-159, which sank 
in 204 metres during a towing operation last fall will be lifted 
in 2005, says a source in the Russian Navy, according to the 
Russian newspaper The Barents Observer.

2004-01-05 17:32

Previous reports from the Russian Navy had indicated salvage 
operations would begin as early as summer, 2004, but the Barents 
Observer account did not address those initial plans. 

Planning of the operation has started, the paper reported, citing 
an unidentified Naval source. The lifting will be complicated by 
the fact that the vessel sank in a location of high shipping 
traffic. Costs are estimated to $60m, the same as it cost to lift 
the Kursk submarine from 108 metres of water, which sank in 2000, 
killing all crew members aboard, the paper reported. 

Nine of the 10 crew members aboard the K-159 died when the boat 
sank 條oaded with 800 kilograms of spent uranium fuel梬hile being 
towed from the Gremikha Naval Base to the Polyarny Shipyard on 
the northern Kola Peninsula for full dismantlement. The Russian 
Navy blamed the K-159 incident on poor operational preparation 
and human error. 

The cost figures for raising the K-159 reported in The Barents 
Observer are dubious given that the depth at which the K-159 lies 
is nearly twice that from which the Kursk was salvaged.

Publisher: Bellona Foundation, President: 
Frederic Hauge Information: info@bellona.no, Technical contact: 
webmaster@bellona.no Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 
38 38 62  * P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway Menu 
*****************************************************************
 35 AP: Official reportedly says Russia plans to raise sunken submarine
in 2005

 10:08 PM EST Jan 05 

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian authorities plan to raise a mothballed 
nuclear submarine that sank as it was being towed to a scrap yard 
last summer, but the operation may not be attempted until next 
year, a report said Monday. 

The Navy has decided to raise the K-159 submarine, whose 
accidental sinking in the Barents Sea on Aug. 30 killed nine of 
the 10 crewmen aboard, the Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed 
Navy official as saying. The official said the retrieval 
operation might be conducted in 2005, according to Interfax. A 
navy spokesman said he could not confirm the report. 

The navy chief, Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov, had said in September 
that the navy was tentatively planning to raise the submarine in 
August 2004. Kuroyedov said at the time that the stricken 
submarine posed no immediate radiation hazard, but that there was 
a danger the radiation level could increase. 

Russian officials have said radiation levels remained normal in 
the sinking area near the entrance to Kola Bay, some 350 
kilometres north of the Arctic Circle where Finland and Norway 
abut Russia. 

But environmentalists have warned that the submarine's twin 
nuclear reactors could eventually leak deadly radiation, posing 
high risks of contamination in the area, which is located amid 
busy shipping routes and rich fishing grounds. 

                   � The Canadian Press, 2004
*****************************************************************
 36 Las Vegas SUN: Nuke War Survival Expert Kearny Dies

Today: January 05, 2004 at 12:10:09 PST 
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS 

MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) - Cresson Kearny, an expert on jungle
warfare and the author of a best-selling manual on how to
survive nuclear war, has died after several years of declining
health. He was 89. 

Kearny died Dec. 18 in this southwest Colorado town, where he
has lived since 1954, daughter Stephanie Kearny said Monday. 

His book, "Nuclear War Survival Skills," includes instructions
on how to build a fallout shelter and a radiation meter. The
book, first published in 1979, had sold more than 600,000 copies
by the mid-1990s. 

Stephanie Kearny said her father's copyright ensures that anyone
can publish the book, and he refused to receive royalties. 

Kearny was born Jan. 7, 1914, in San Antonio. He went on to
study at Princeton University and Oxford University as a Rhodes
Scholar. 

Before the United States entered World War II, Kearny developed
specialized jungle equipment, training and tactics for American
soldiers, and units of the Special Forces still use a book he
wrote in 1996 as part of their training, Stephanie Kearny said. 

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 37 Las Vegas SUN: DOE says it's doing its best to provide answers on Yucca plan
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS 

LAS VEGAS (AP) - An Energy Department official on Monday
defended his agency's response to a Nuclear Regulatory
Commission request for answers to questions about building a
national nuclear waste dump in the Nevada desert. 

"Every time we have been asked, we've provided the information,"
said Allen Benson, an Energy Department and Yucca Mountain
spokesman in Las Vegas. 

Benson was responding to a letter last month from Janet
Schlueter, head of the NRC's high-level waste branch. Schlueter
told the Energy Department that she could not determine whether
it had answered some questions fully, leaving unresolved
questions about Yucca Mountain project safety. 

A Dec. 23 letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from
Joseph Ziegler, director the Energy Department office of license
application and strategy, crossed in the mail with Schlueter's
letter, Benson said. 

Ziegler's letter said the Energy Department would make documents
available to the commission at the Las Vegas office or on the
Internet. 

"The NRC (also) wanted a more widely available medium, so we're
putting all of this documentation on the Web," Benson added. 

Beginning in 2010, the department plans to store 77,000 tons of
spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las
Vegas. 

The Energy Department has been working since September 2001 to
answer 293 scientific questions, or "key technical issues,"
about whether the repository can keep radiation from
contaminating the surrounding environment. So far, answers to 83
questions have been completed and accepted by the commission. 

Since September, the Energy Department has submitted 53 more
responses as it tries to finish the remaining questions by this
summer and submit its license application to the commission by
the end of this year. 

Of those responses, 14 "appear to have adequately addressed" the
original question, Schlueter said, while 39 responses "do not
appear to fully satisfy the agreements." 

Schlueter's Dec. 23 letter lists about 50 documents needed from
the Energy Department to move ahead with a review of how water
could seep into the tunnels holding the waste, how water moves
through the mountain, and possible volcanic activity. 

The commission also is looking at other issues related to the
Yucca Mountain safety. 

Water could hurt the Energy Department's plan, since it could
corrode waste containers holding spent nuclear fuel and allow
radiation to seep into the environment faster than expected. 

Schlueter told the Las Vegas Sun that the Energy Department was
not providing all the documentation it cited in its answers,
leaving her staff digging for information. 

"DOE has not routinely provided supporting information, most of
which is also not publicly available," Schlueter wrote. 

Schlueter said her staff was evaluating Ziegler's plan to
provide access to the proper documents. 

Nevada elected officials are fighting the Yucca Mountain plan,
and some members of the state's congressional delegation were
critical of the Energy Department's answers. 

"This letter only serves to show that the DOE continues to not
do their homework and fails to provide critical information to
the public," said Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev. 

Amy Spanbauer, spokeswoman for Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said
the Energy Department was "trying to skate by on a shoestring in
order to get this repository approved." 

--- 

On the Net: Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management:
http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov

Yucca Mountain project: http://www.ymp.gov

Nevada opposition: http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 38 AU The Age: Nuke dump decision delayed 

- http://www.theage.com.au

January 5, 2004 - 2:06PM
 		 	   	   		
The head of the independent federal radiation agency ARPANSA is 
refusing to say whether Australia's first radioactive dump will 
go ahead this year.

ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety 
Agency, has received more than 1,000 submissions on the 
application to construct and operate the repository in the South 
Australian outback.

The SA government has enacted legislation making the repository 
illegal in that state but the federal government has compulsorily 
acquired land at Arkoona station near Woomera.

ARPANSA chief executive John Lloyd said he had not made any 
decision yet and that he would draw all available information 
together and make his decision later this year.

Mr Lloyd declined to comment on Science Minister Peter McGauran's 
stated hope that the repository would be completed by the end of 
2004.

"Once I feel I have the information needed to make a decision, 
I'll make that decision," he told ABC radio.

"Whether that leads to a repository being in existence at the end 
of 2004 or doesn't, it's really not a matter I've decided at this 
point." 

He said it was an open and transparent process.

"We've put the information we've received on the website, we've 
put the public submissions on the website, we've put this new 
information on the website.

"So there's certainly a lot of information there and a lot of 
opportunities for public input."

Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Dave Sweeney said 
the process was a sham.

"ARPANSA has been close to industry, the Australian nuclear 
industry, both those who regulate it, those who are involved in 
it, those who write about it. It's a small field of people," he 
said.

"There have been deep concerns raised about the independence and 
the rigour of ARPANSA's oversight of the continuing and flawed 
clean-up of the Maralinga former nuclear test site in SA.

"But we urge ARPANSA to take the responsible way, which is to act 
to protect people and the environment of Australia from exposure 
to radioactive material."                      �2003 AAP
 		
Copyright  � 2004. The Age Company Ltd.     | contact us    
*****************************************************************
 39 Las Vegas SUN: Critical year for Yucca

Court challenges considered pivotal in long battle over nuclear
dumpsite

 By Suzanne Struglinski 
<suzanne@lasvegassun.com>

 WEEKEND EDITION

 January 3 - 4, 2004

 WASHINGTON -- After a 21-year struggle, Nevada may finally know
by the end of 2004 whether it can stop the nation's nuclear
waste from being stored at Yucca Mountain.

 Since the state lost its battle to block the project in
Congress in 2002, Gov. Kenny Guinn and other state officials
have put their faith in the ability of the state's army of
lawyers and technical experts to defeat the plan to put 77,000
tons of highly radioactive waste into the mountain, 90 miles
northwest of Las Vegas.

 This year will bring a confluence of court challenges and
regulatory filings that could either scuttle the project or push
it forward.

 "It's going to be a real pivotal year for the project," said
Bob Loux, executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear
Projects. "I think we're really going to find out if it is going
to go forward or not."

 Brian O'Connell, nuclear waste program office director for the
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, a
pro-Yucca group, calls 2004 a year of "big milestones."

 The two biggest:

 
+ A series of lawsuits filed by Nevada to stop the project go in
front of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on Jan. 14, and
the court, which has had no problem challenging the Energy
Department in the past, is expected to rule as soon as June.

 
+ The Energy Department plans to file its application to build
the repository with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end
of the year.

 In both instances, the arguments for and against the repository
will get their first head-to-head hearings before the court and
the NRC, which both have the power to modify or stop the project.

 So far Nevada's arguments have failed to sway Congress, the
Energy Department and President Bush, and it's unclear how the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission will respond. Nevada officials
have been critical of some of the NRC's work so far on Yucca
Mountain, and the NRC would be more likely to modify a plan or
send it back to the Energy Department than kill it outright.

 "The court actions are in a whole separate category," O'Connell
said. "If there is a defeat in the court we go back to square
one," he said. "There is no Plan B, so DOE has to go back to
Congress and it's 'What now coach?' "

 In court Nevada will have a chance to argue that the logic and
scientific studies used to garner the congressional and
presidential approval of the site are faulty.

 The Energy Department has studied the site since 1982, when the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which regulates the Yucca Mountain
Project, passed.

 The state has taken issue with the way the studies have been
conducted, despite assurances from the Energy Department that
Yucca Mountain is safe.

 Nevada officials say the department reached this conclusion
through a process riddled with violations of federal law and
rule-bending in favor of a department "hell-bent" on getting the
site approved for an increasingly impatient nuclear industry.

 "So far DOE has ignored the feelings of Nevadans," Rep. Jim
Gibbons, R-Nev., said. "They have had this see no evil, speak no
evil, hear no evil attitude on the project. ... There's a
zillion things out there we don't know.' "

 Legal fight

 On Jan. 14 the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., will
take up a series of legal challenges filed by Nevada against the
project. This will be the first time a federal court will look
at the legal aspects of the project, said Joe Egan, the
Washington attorney who will represent the state in court.

 "2004 will be the year that will test if politics alone is
enough to make the Yucca Mountain project go forward," Egan
said. "Up until now it has only been about politics, but now it
has to answer questions on law and science."

 Surprisingly Nevada and the nuclear industry want the same
thing -- for the government to follow the law. Nevada and the
nuclear industry, however, see the law in entirely different
ways.

 The nuclear industry wants the department to fulfill the
promise of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to remove spent
fuel and store it in one place.

 The law says that a geological repository should hold in the
radiation from the 77,000 tons of nuclear waste for 10,000 years.

 The Energy Department is pressing forward with its belief that
Yucca Mountain is a good, safe site. "For 50 years the
scientific consensus is that deep geologic burial is the best
solution for spent nuclear fuel and 20 years of exhaustive
scientific study and analysis has concluded that Yucca Mountain
is the most appropriate site for a permanent repository," said
Mitch Singer, spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute, the
industry trade group that has supported the project.

 "The construction and opening of Yucca Mountain will fulfill
the U.S. government's contractual obligation to take possession
of the spent fuel and defense waste scattered throughout the
country."

 Nevada has argued that the problem with Yucca Mountain is that
it won't be a geological burial ground, as determined by the
law, because the mountain itself can't hold back the radiation
from 77,000 tons of nuclear waste as required by law.

 The Energy Department has devised a number of "man-made"
barriers, such as metal shields, to stop or slow radiation. That
violates the law, Nevada officials say.

 The state is also challenging the project on several other
grounds, from scientific to procedural.

 The lawsuits include a constitutional challenge claiming the
Nuclear Waste Policy Act illegally pits the 49 states against
Nevada.

 The state's attorneys are also targeting a law that requires
more scientific study of Yucca Mountain than has been done.
State officials say that proper study of Yucca Mountain,
following the original criteria outlined in the law, would prove
it is incapable of safely storing the waste and should
disqualify the project.

 They also say that because the scientific study has not been
finished up to the requirement in the law, the government should
not have approved the project to go forward.

 The state is also targeting the environmental analysis
completed by the Energy Department, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's licensing rules and the radiation standard set by
the Environmental Protection Agency, which will be used by the
Energy Department to show the safety of Yucca Mountain.

 Energy Department officials believe the work they have done is
sufficient to show the project's safety.

 "We are confident in our case because we followed the law
passed by Congress and our science proves that Yucca Mountain is
safe," Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis said.

 But Egan, who will argue three of Nevada's cases in the
three-hour proceeding before the federal appeals court, said he
was confident Nevada will succeed. Regardless of the outcome, he
expects the cases to be appealed to the Supreme Court.

 In spite of the possible long-term legal challenges, "right now
the best thing is that it is in the court," Rep. Jon Porter,
R-Nev., said.

 Egan said it would be uncharacteristic of the court to wait
until next year to issue a decision. He said it should come well
before the department plans to file its construction license
application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December.

 Legal tangles

 Meanwhile, a separate but related court case coming up this
year could also hold up the project.

 The Energy Department agreed to a $16.5 million contract with
the law firm of Winston &Strawn to review the project, but the
firm quit in 2001 after conflict-of-interest allegations
surfaced.

 A Las Vegas Sun investigation uncovered that the firm had also
done lobbying for the Nuclear Energy Institute. Federal law
requires an unbiased review.

 The law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae filed a
lawsuit in 2002 that could result in a federal court saying all
of Winston &Strawn's work must be reviewed, which would delay
the application and put a kink in the overall schedule.

 The LeBoeuf law firm had bid for the Energy Department contract
originally but lost. The firm filed suit after it did not get
the contract after Winston &Strawn withdrew. The Energy
Department has yet to replace Winston &Strawn in the two years
since the law firm stepped down.

 "The department will continue to rely upon in-house attorneys
during the development of the license application, until an
outside firm is selected," Davis, the Energy Department
spokesman, said.

 The federal district court in Washington is expected to take up
LeBoeuf's case this year.

 "It is inconceivable to me that DOE would file it without
having a law firm on board," Loux said. "DOE's not pursuing the
smart thing in my judgment. It could be a major problem for
them."

 Licensing

 The question of licensing could also be a problem.

 The Energy Department has pledged to file its application to
start building Yucca Mountain with the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission by the end of the year.

 The department is expected to start filing backup material to
the commission, to be put on a computer system that will be
available to the public, by June.

 The documents will outline plans for the construction of the
site along with safety studies and other scientific material.

 "(In the application) they need to describe their understanding
of the scientific properties and aspects of that repository, how
once-spent fuel is permanently stored there, (and how) they can
meet the protection standards," said Janet Schlueter, head of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's high-level waste branch.

 Once the commission accepts the application, it has up to four
years to decide to allow the Energy Department to start
construction of the Yucca project.

 The NRC regulates nuclear facilities to protect human health
and safety, so any technical problems showing anything that
could endanger people are supposed to disqualify the project.

 Schlueter said the Energy Department's prediction that it would
finish building the site, receive approval to open the
repository and start accepting waste by 2010 was "pretty
optimistic" because there is so much involved.

 The Energy Department insists it will submit the license
application on time and will answer all questions regarding the
project this year.

 "The license application will address all issues with
sufficient information and detail to enable the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission to grant construction authorization,"
Davis said.

 All along the Energy Department has insisted the site is safe
and suitable, but critics, both the state and environmentalists,
point to problems in the plan found by the department's own paid
consultants, independent reviewers and advisory boards.

 "The more we learn about Yucca Mountain, the more (the
application) will appear to be like a piece of Swiss cheese,"
Gibbons said, adding that there are holes in the scientific
analysis, holes in the national security aspects and holes in
the overall plans for the project.

 Gibbons said issues brought up by the Nuclear Waste Technical
Review Board in October and again in November are prime examples
of the problems the project faces. The board is an independent
government body that was created in 1987 to review the Energy
Department's work on Yucca Mountain. The board was created at
the same time Congress decided to narrow its search for a
repository to Yucca Mountain.

 The board sent a letter to the Energy Department saying nuclear
waste storage containers inside the mountain could corrode and
break, leaking more radiation than anticipated. The board
followed up with a detailed analysis drawing the same conclusion.

 "These discoveries have been made this late in the game,"
Gibbons said. "What else could be discovered in the next year,
the next 10 years, the next 10,000 years?

 "There are so many issues and so many questions, I don't
believe DOE can reasonably and responsibly make an application.
I don't think they can reasonably and responsibly tell the
public it is safe."

 The advisory board's concerns about corrosion are tied to the
Energy Department's lack of a final repository design. The way
the repository is designed is expected to affect the rate of
corrosion of the casks. The department will finalize the design
before it submits the application.

 Key Questions

 The Energy Department has to resolve several so-called "key
technical issues" the NRC has raised before it will receive a
license. Those questions revolve around the site's ability to
keep radiation from contaminating the surrounding environment
and must be answered satisfactorily for the site to be licensed.

 The department plans to resolve most of those questions in the
spring and summer, just before the application documentation is
due in June. So far the commission has deemed only 83 answers to
be complete.

 When the Energy Department submitted its recommendation to
President Bush, 293 scientific questions remained unresolved.

 As of Dec. 18 "DOE has submitted responses that fully or
partially address 214 of the 293 key technical issue
agreements," Davis said. "We intend to address all of the
remaining agreements prior to the submission of the license
application."

 The remaining technical questions have been a point of
contention for Nevada officials and other critics of the site,
since the president and Congress approved the project despite
the long list of unresolved issues. But even a completed list
may not change some minds.

 "There is nothing the DOE can do or say that can impress me
because of their lack of credibility," Rep. Shelley Berkley,
D-Nev., said. "I don't believe or trust them."

 During the above-ground atomic testing during the 1950s at the
Nevada Test Site, the government assured workers they were safe
and told them just to go home and take a shower to rinse off
nuclear fallout from explosions, she said.

 "All of those Nevada Test Site workers are dying or very sick
with cancers that can only be caused by radiation," Berkley
said. "This is the same department that tells us Yucca Mountain
will be safe. They could put together whatever sham application
they want, but it will impress me none."

 Berkley said if the site gets approved and radiation leaked out
of the site or an accident were to occur in the state, Nevada
could never recover.

 "We're not going to get many tourists here," Berkley said. "It
will happen and then what will we do?"

 Berkley said billions of dollars would be lost in revenue and
jobs for the state, not to mention the lives of people affected
by the radiation.

 "How much can the federal government give Nevada to compensate
for that?" Berkley said.

 As time runs out on the Energy Department's schedule, critics
have voiced concerns on what may fall through the cracks.

 "I'm very skeptical they are doing careful science, especially
in such a hurry," said Kevin Kamps, nuclear waste specialist for
the Nuclear Information Resource Service in Washington, which
opposes the project.

 "A lot of mistakes will be made and it's people's health and
safety that are on the line," Kamps said. "It is too much work
for them to do it well. ... They are going to do a lot of
half-baked work." 



*****************************************************************
 40 Las Vegas SUN: Letter: It's not too late to stop nuclear dump at Yucca
 
WEEKEND EDITION

 January 3 - 4, 2004

 Thank you for the Dec. 26 editorial on the Department of
Energy's transportation plan for shipping high-level radioactive
waste to Yucca Mountain. Having just moved here, it is
refreshing to see that the Las Vegas Sun is taking a very
pessimistic view of the DOE's so-called scientific findings on
this most dangerous proposal.

 As a former resident of New Mexico, I know all too well to what
lengths the DOE will go to to shove radioactive wastes down the
throats of states they consider "nuclear sacrifice zones." The
Waste Isolation Pilot Program in southern New Mexico has been
accepting low-level radioactive waste for several years now,
despite an outpouring of protest over the safety of the site and
of the transportation issues. It seems no matter what the
citizens who live there want, what DOE wants, DOE gets.

 It is still not too late to stop Yucca Mountain, but the forces
behind it are formidable. We don't know how much damage has
already been done from radiation at the Nevada Test Site, but we
can be sure that Yucca Mountain will only add to the problem.
Citizens of this state need to join together like never before
to stop this deadly poison from coming here. At risk is our
health, our air, our water and our future. 

DON KIMBALL JR. 
 
*****************************************************************
 41 Las Vegas SUN: More wells sought to find perchlorate

Today: January 05, 2004 at 9:32:56 PST 

By Dan Kulin 
<dan@lasvegassun.com>

 Additional perchlorate monitoring wells may be installed around
the former PEPCON plant in Henderson, where the toxic rocket
fuel component was manufactured until a deadly explosion at the
plant in 1988.

 American Pacific Corp., the new name for PEPCON, still has
administrative offices in Henderson and has about 80 wells
monitoring groundwater within 2 1/2 miles of the former plant
off American Pacific Drive and Gibson Road. The City Council is
scheduled to vote Tuesday on a request for permission to dig 24
new wells in public rights-of-way.

 Perchlorate leaked from the plant and into the surrounding
groundwater at some point during the plant's 30-year run. The
chemical was also produced at Kerr-McGee's Henderson plant until
1998.

 Perchlorate from the plants has been found in Lake Mead, the
primary drinking water source for Southern Nevada, migrating
there through the Las Vegas Wash.

 Some scientists believe perchlorate is linked to thyroid
disorders and possibly other ailments.

 Kerr-McGee, which has about 200 of its own monitoring wells,
has already begun the process of trying to clean up the
perchlorate.

 Jeff Gibson, director of environmental services of Nevada
operations for American Pacific Corp., said his company's wells
will help determine where to install its perchlorate clean-up
system.

 "This is about understanding where the perchlorate is," Gibson
said. "To fully characterize where it is and where it is not and
design a system to clean it out."

 Gibson said he didn't know when the clean-up system may be
installed.

 Gibson said that while the plant did let perchlorate into the
groundwater, the perchlorate from the former PEPCON plant has
not made its way into drinking water.

 On May 4, 1988, and explosion at the PEPCON plant killed two
employees, injured more than 350, and damaged more than half of
the buildings in Henderson.

 
 
*****************************************************************
 42 Las Vegas SUN: Lincoln County meeting tackles proposed rail route

Today: January 05, 2004 at 11:19:16 PST 

By Mary Manning 
<manning@lasvegassun.com> and Heather Rawlyk

Lincoln County commissioners were expecting a lively meeting
this morning as residents got their first opportunity to speak
out on the proposed rail line that would bring highly
radioactive waste through the county on the way to Yucca
Mountain.

 The Energy Department on Dec. 23 announced it would recommend
that nuclear waste headed to Yucca Mountain be shipped by rail
through Caliente, across Lincoln County, north of the Nevada
Test Site and west of the Nellis Air Force Base Bombing Range to
its destination 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

 The plan appears on the Lincoln County Commission's agenda
today for discussion.

 Lincoln County Commissioner Hal Keaton said the timing, just
two days before Christmas, was suspect. "It doesn't give anyone
the chance to respond," Heaton said. "Good for them to get the
word out with no immediate reaction."

 As a result, he said, many Lincoln County residents hadn't
heard the news as late as last week.

 "I was at a social function New Year's and didn't hear anything
from anyone," he said. "I don't think anyone found out until
(Friday). The local newspaper just published the news on the
front page (Friday). I think people may read it today and
certainly have something to say about it."

 Lincoln County Clerk Corrine Hogan said she had not heard much
feedback yet, but "I'm sure there are probably a lot of
concerns."

 A couple of residents said they planned to make their voices
heard.

 Lincoln County resident Louis Benezet, a longtime opponent of
the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, said he is asking Keaton
to ask for hearings by the Bureau of Land Management in Lincoln
County.

 The Energy Department has asked the BLM to stop mining claims
and other uses of the property along the proposed rail corridor.

 "I really don't know what's going to come out of the meeting,"
Benezet said. "We don't know what impacts from a rail route
would be. We don't even know where the rail route would be."

 Benezet said he suspects that Congress will agree to ship
nuclear waste by truck in five years or so, when the option of a
railroad track becomes to expensive to build.

 "If they (DOE) selected Lincoln County, why? It's because
Lincoln County officials lobbied for it," Benezet said.
"Officials never tell Lincoln County residents what they say
back in Washington, D.C.

 "I think the public is just as concerned in Lincoln County as
they are in any other county."

 Lincoln County resident Marge Detraz, another longtime opponent
of the nuclear waste dump, said she would demand that Lincoln
County commissioners stop attending secret meetings with the
Energy Department. Lincoln County Commissioners Tommy Rowe and
Commission Chairman Spencer Hafen attended meetings with
Margaret Chu, the Energy Department's top official overseeing
Yucca Mountain, and other department officials, Detraz said.

 "I'm going to demand those two commissioners no longer attend
those secret meetings," Detraz said.

 Late last year the commissioners met with Chu in Amargosa
Valley in Nye County and at McCarran International Airport as
late as Dec. 7.

 
 
*****************************************************************
 43 Las Vegas SUN: NRC says Yucca issues are unresolved

Today: January 05, 2004 at 11:19:16 PST 

By Suzanne Struglinski 
<suzanne@lasvegassun.com>

 WASHINGTON -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the Energy
Department has not provided enough information to support its
answers to questions the commission posed regarding Yucca
Mountain.

 In a letter sent late last month, a commission staff member
reviewing the documents said she could not determine whether the
department has answered the questions fully, leaving many issues
still unresolved about the proposed nuclear waste dump's safety.

 The Energy Department has been working since September 2001 on
answering 293 scientific questions, or "key technical issues,"
that revolve around Yucca Mountain's ability to keep radiation
from contaminating the surrounding environment once nuclear
waste is stored there.

 The department plans to store 77,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel
at Yucca, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. So far, answers to 83
questions have been completed and accepted by the commission.

 Since September the Energy Department has submitted 53
responses to the commission as it tries to finish the remaining
questions by this summer. It wants to submit its license
application to the NRC by the end of this year. Of those
responses only 14 "appear to have adequately addressed" the
original question, said Janet Schlueter, head of the
commission's high-level waste branch, while 39 of the responses
review "do not appear to fully satisfy the agreements."

 Schlueter's Dec. 23 letter lists about 50 documents it still
needs from the Energy Department to move ahead with its review
of how water could seep into the tunnels holding the waste, how
water moves through the mountain and possible volcanic activity.
The NRC is also looking at other issues related to the safety of
Yucca Mountain.

 Water is detrimental to the Energy Department's plan since it
could not only transport radiation faster than expected, but
also could lead to corrosion of the waste containers holding the
spent fuel, which could lead to leaks.

 Schlueter said this morning that the Energy Department is not
providing all of the documentation it refers to in its answers,
leaving her staff "digging" for information. She said the
answers will refer to a specific technical document the
department may have but did not submit with its answer.

 "DOE has not routinely provided supporting information, most of
which is also not publicly available," Schlueter wrote. "NRC
expects DOE to provide NRC with all information requested in the
original agreements. To date the summary explanation contained
within the various technical basis documents has not been
sufficient."

 Joseph Ziegler, director of the Energy Department's office of
License Application and Strategy on the project, wrote the
commission on Dec. 23 with a new plan on how to provide access
to the right documents.

 Schlueter said the letters "crossed in the mail" and her staff
is still in the middle of evaluating Ziegler's plan.

 Nevada's congressional members were unhappy with what they
heard about the Energy Department's responses.

 "DOE is trying to skate by on a shoestring in order to get this
repository approved," said Amy Spanbauer, spokeswoman for Rep.
Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. "They are trying to do the least amount of
work, and that's not good enough for the people of Nevda."

 Spanbauer said Nevada residents have a right to have full
documentation of the process and have the answers regarding the
site's safety answered fully.

 Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said, "This letter only serves to show
that the DOE continues to not do their homework and fails to
provide critical information to the public."

 Public Citizen, a nonprofit that strongly opposes the project,
said it's par for the course for the DOE.

 "Every time I think I have a good idea of how incompetent the
Energy Department is, something like this comes up. They never
let me down," said Brendan Hoffman a Public Citizen organizer.

 "How can this inspire any confidence in DOE's ability to design
a safe repository?"

 


 
*****************************************************************
 44 Reuters: Sweden says its nuclear waste may be terror hazard
 
  05 Jan 2004 15:05:33 GMT

STOCKHOLM, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Sweden, home to 11 nuclear power 
reactors, should tighten security measures to prevent nuclear 
waste being stolen for terror purposes, a government research 
agency said on Monday.

 After the September 11 attacks in the United States, the risk of 
guerrillas getting hold of material to make a "dirty bomb" has 
increased, the Swedish Defence Research Agency said in a report 
commissioned by the national Nuclear Power Inspectorate.

 A dirty bomb is an explosive device to which radioactive 
material has been attached to increase destruction.

 Sweden's current safety rules, aimed at protecting people from 
radiation, were not were tight enough to stop the theft of 
radioactive materials, a team of researchers at the agency said.

 "Sweden should introduce stricter requirements for the physical 
protection of...radioactive materials," the researchers said in a 
summary of their report published in the inspectorate's quarterly 
publication Nucleus.

The September 11 and subsequent terror attacks showed that risk 
of exposure to radiation was no longer a sufficient deterrent to 
guerrillas trying to acquire radioactive materials, the agency 
said.

 Spent nuclear fuel and other atomic waste are currently stored 
at two separate sites in Sweden. The country's border controls 
lack equipment for the detection of hazardous radioactive 
materials, the agency said. 

*****************************************************************
 45 Courier Journal: Suit claiming uranium plant harm dismissed 

Monday, January 05, 2004     
  
 McKinley: There was no evidence that uranium output posed
hazard 

From AP and C-J Dispatches 

PADUCAH, Ky.  A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against 
former operators of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant by nearby 
residents who claimed their land was contaminated. 

The plaintiffs claimed decades of pollution from the 
uranium-enrichment plant devalued their property and harmed 
plants, crops, livestock and wildlife on their land. 

U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley on Friday granted a motion 
for dismissal by attorneys for former plant operators Union 
Carbide and Lockheed Martin, which have denied the allegations. 

In his ruling, McKinley said there was no evidence that the 
levels of contamination were sufficient to pose a health hazard. 

The plaintiffs plan to appeal, attorney Jim Owens said yesterday. 

The lawsuit, filed in 1997 by four residents on behalf of about 
135 people who own land within 10 miles of the plant, claimed the 
operators were negligent in allowing contaminants to spread 
beyond the plant and, in doing so, trespassed on the plaintiffs' 
property. The lawsuit sought damages of more than $75,000. 

The plaintiffs also alleged in their original complaint that the 
government had sampled groundwater monitoring wells on their 
property but had not provided them with the results. 

A plume of groundwater containing trichloroethylene, a hazardous 
solvent, flows under their land, making the water unusable, they 
claimed. 

In the mid-1990s, the federal government paid to extend municipal 
waterlines to homes around the plant. Government officials have 
said that was a precautionary measure. 

Other lawsuits against the plant have alleged that contamination 
was responsible for illnesses or, in an ongoing whistle-blower 
lawsuit, that the plant defrauded the government by hiding 
contamination.

Copyright 2003 The Courier-Journal. Use of this 
*****************************************************************
 46 AU ABC: Radioactive waste dump a step closer
 
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

AM - Monday, 5 January , 2004  08:08:19
 
Reporter: Nance Haxton

 DAVID HARDAKER: Staying in South Australia, the establishment of 
Australia's first radioactive waste dump, in the State's north, 
is a step closer with the Federal Government having now responded 
to questions from the independent Federal radiation agency, 
ARPANSA. 

But Green groups are saying that the timing of the Federal 
Government's response, coming as it does during the holiday 
season, takes away the chance for interest groups to analyse the 
new information.

Nance Haxton reports.

NANCE HAXTON: ARPANSA has received more than 1,000 submissions on 
the application to construct and operate Australia's first 
radioactive waste repository, from groups including the ACTU, the 
South Australian Government, and the traditional owners, however, 
it is the Federal Government's response to the radiation 
protection agency's concerns that has been most eagerly awaited. 

The South Australian Government has enacted legislation making 
the repository illegal in the State, however the Federal 
Government pushed ahead and compulsorily acquired land at Arcoona 
Station, near Woomera, for the dump. 

The CEO of ARPANSA, Dr John Loy, put a number of questions to the 
Federal Science Department in October, asking for more 
information on how the final site was chosen and protection 
measures. 

Dr Loy says ARPANSA will now assess the Federal Government's 
response, and the establishment of the dump is far from a fait 
accompli. 

JOHN LOY: I haven't made any decision at this point and all that 
information I will draw together and make my decision later in 
2004. 

NANCE HAXTON: The Science Minister, Mr McGauran, is on the record 
as saying he hopes that this repository will be completed by the 
end of the 2004. Is he being optimistic? 

JOHN LOY: Once I feel I have the information needed to make a 
decision, I'll make that decision. Whether than leads to a 
repository being in existence at the end of 2004 or doesn't, you 
know, it's really not a matter I've decided at this point. 

NANCE HAXTON: You would certainly argue it is an open and 
transparent process? 

JOHN LOY: Oh very much so. We put the information that we've 
received on the website. We put the public submissions on the 
website. We put this new information on the website. 

So there's certainly a lot of information there and a lot of 
opportunities for public input. 

NANCE HAXTON: However the Australian Conservation Foundation's 
Dave Sweeney says the assessment process is a sham. 

DAVE SWEENEY: ARPANSA has been close to industry - the Australian 
nuclear industry, both those who regulate it, those who are 
involved in it, those who write about it, it's a small field of 
people. 

Many of ARPANSA's regulatory staff have been previously involved 
or actively employed with the Australian Nuclear Science and 
Technology Organisation, for example, Australia's biggest 
generator of radioactive waste. 

There have been deep concerns raised about the independence and 
the rigour of ARPANSA's oversight of the continuing and flawed 
clean-up of the Maralinga former nuclear test site in South 
Australia. 

But ARPANSA,we urge to take the responsible way, which is to act 
to protect the people and environment of Australia from exposure 
to radioactive material. 

DAVID HARDAKER: Nuclear campaigner with the Australian 
Conservation Foundation, Dave Sweeney, speaking there to Nance 
Haxton. 
*****************************************************************
 47 AU SMH: Syrian president rejects calls to renounce WMD 

- www.smh.com.au

  [Sydney Morning Herald Online] 

January 6, 2004 - 12:45PM
 		 	   	   		
Syrian President Bashar Assad rejected British and US calls to 
renounce weapons of mass destruction and indicated he would not 
abandon his country's suspected chemical and biological programs 
unless Israel gave up its undeclared nuclear arsenal. 

"We are a country which is [partly] occupied and from time to 
time we are exposed to Israeli aggression," Assad told The Daily 
Telegraph, referring to Israel's attacks on alleged Palestinian 
bases in Syria and its occupation of the Golan Heights. 

"It is natural for us to look for means to defend ourselves," he 
said. 

"It is not difficult to get most of these weapons anywhere in the 
world and they can be obtained at any time," he added. 

Assad called on the international community to support the 
proposal that Syria presented to the United Nations last year for 
removing all WMD (weapons of mass destruction) from the Middle 
East, including Israel. 

"Unless this applies to all countries, we are wasting our time," 
he told the newspaper. 

But Assad praised the decision last month by Libyan leader 
Muammar Gaddafi to allow international inspectors to supervise 
the dismantling of his weapons programs as a "correct step". 

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Assad had warned neighbouring 
Iraq against creating any Kurdish or other ethnic entity. 

"This is a red line and should be [seen as such] by all countries 
in the region, especially Iraq's neighbours," he said in an 
interview with CNN Turk television reported by the official 
Syrian news agency. 

Assad, whose country like Iraq and Turkey has a Kurdish minority, 
was answering a question about Syria's stance towards the 
creation of any form of Kurdish entity in Iraq - an issue US 
authorities say is up to Iraqis alone. 

"Any division of Iraq will not affect Iraq or Turkey alone as 
some do believe. This would have an impact on all [of Iraq's] 
neighbours," said Assad, who starts a state visit to Turkey 
today, the first there by a Syrian head of state. 

Analysts say Turkey and Syria share the concern that the creation 
of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq could ignite secessionist 
aspirations among their Kurdish minorities. 

Syria has traditionally sought to blend its minorities, both 
ethnic and religious, under a national unity umbrella. The 
official position of Syrian Kurdish groupings is not to pursue 
sectarian goals, but to safeguard their cultural identity. 

"If Iraq is not united, the occupation will not end and without 
Iraq's unity there will not be stability for Iraq or our 
countries," Assad said. 

US-backed Iraqi Kurds deny statehood is their aim. 

Syria has angered the United States through its stern opposition 
to the US-led war that toppled former Iraqi president Saddam 
Hussein. 

AFP/Reuters 	 	

Copyright  � 2004. The Sydney Morning Herald.   
*****************************************************************
 48 Las Vegas SUN: Nellis, other Nevada bases seen in good position
to survive cuts
 
ASSOCIATED PRESS 

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada military bases appear to be in a strong
position as the Pentagon readies for a new round of base
closings, but Las Vegas sprawl could cause problems at Nellis
Air Force Base, experts said. 

Because urban growth is closing in on Nellis, 8 miles northeast
of Las Vegas, it might come under closer scrutiny by Pentagon
leaders seeking to reduce the military's infrastructure capacity
by as much as 25 percent nationwide. 

"Every base will get looked at," Nellis spokesman Michael
Estrada said. 

In addition to Nellis, the Air Force operates an auxiliary base
at Indian Springs, the Navy operates the Fallon Naval Air
Station and the Army has a depot at Hawthorne. 

Barry Steinberg, an attorney who represents communities facing
base closings, said encroachment is a problem for Nellis. 

"Can you train at this base like you want to? The more
accommodations you have to make in the training mission, the
weaker it is," said Steinberg, a retired Army colonel. 

Nevada leaders say Nellis is sufficiently buffered from growth
and predict it will survive intact. 

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., declared Nellis "in absolutely good
shape." 

By some estimates, the Defense Department could propose that 100
bases be shut down or realigned in the fifth round of
reorganizations dating back to 1988. The proposals would be
studied by an independent base closing commission, whose
subsequent recommendations would need to be approved by
Congress. 

In December, the Defense Department announced the criteria that
will be used to weigh military installations for base closings
and realignments. 

Among recent developments that cause optimism in Nevada are
projections that the Predator spy plane program at Indian
Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field will expand and the Army has
been pumping new technology into the Hawthorne Army Depot, said
a Reid aide. 

But the fact that Nellis sits in the path of sprawl raises some
concern among analysts. 

"You want a base that is well-configured to perform its current
mission, doesn't have to adjust for encroachment and performs
efficiently," Steinberg said. 

Sprawl has affected operations at the Las Vegas base. Since the
mid-1980s, Nellis pilots carrying live ordnance have been
restricted to takeoffs on the north runway, avoiding homes along
the preferred southerly path. 

High winds sometimes cause problems for pilots flying north. On
average, 100 flights are canceled each year, a small fraction of
the 55,000 missions, Estrada said. 

Aborted flights are a concern for base managers who host pilots
for only limited training periods, Estrada said. He said
rescheduling a canceled mission "is a nightmare in juggling
aircraft availability and the class schedules." 

Pentagon leaders will likely look at population growth when
weighing two of the eight criteria that will decide which bases
to retain, said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer at the
Lexington Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank that studies
national security. 

"Encroachment is a significant factor when it comes to
availability and future potential," Thompson said. 

In recent years, Nevada's federal lawmakers have earmarked $30
million to buy buffer land around the 14,000-acre base. Also,
Clark County has agreed to allow only limited development to the
north of Nellis to preserve the northern runway, Estrada said. 

Despite growing population, military observers said Nellis still
is well positioned compared with other installations. It is home
to the Air Force's Red Flag combat training squad, air warfare
center, weapons school, ground operations school, threat
training facility and the popular Thunderbirds aerial
demonstration team. 

It has an adjacent test and training area, the military's
largest, of about 5,000 square miles of Nevada mountain and
desert range and another 7,700 square miles of restricted
airspace. 

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said he believes Nellis has room to
grow. He dismissed suggestions that some missions could be
transferred to other bases. 

"At Nellis we can create an environment that is much like the
kind of war you'll find in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Gibbons,
a member of the House Armed Services Committee. "If you have to
split it up you'll not get the all-in-one realistic training
scenario. This is why Nellis is a national treasure." 

Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal 

-- 


 
*****************************************************************
 49 NRC: NRC Staff to Meet with Energy Northwest to Discuss Columbia Generating Station
                             Issues
News Release - Region IV - 2004-00
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region IV
  No. IV-04-001           January 5, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Victor Dricks
Phone: 817-860-8128
     E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov  
  

with Energy Northwest management on January 8, in Richland,
Washington, to discuss general engineering issues and licensee
improvement initiatives for Columbia Generating Station. Energy
Northwest operates the nuclear power plant, located near
Richland. 

The meeting, which is open to public observation, will be held
at the Energy Northwest Office Complex, Walkley Room, 3000
George Washington Way from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The public is
invited to observe the meeting and NRC staff will be available
for comments and questions from the public before the meeting
adjourns.   



  


 	Last revised Monday, January 05, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 50 Knox News: Landfill caps to prevent contamination

By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com
January 5, 2004

OAK RIDGE - The federal government and its Oak Ridge contractors
have devised a grand "cover-up" scheme. 

By capping acres and acres of old nuclear landfills,
environmental managers plan to divert rainwater and eliminate
the flushing of radioactive contamination into nearby creeks and
downstream reservoirs. 

 "This project is designed to keep water out of the waste," said 
Robert Spurling of Bechtel Jacobs Co., which manages the Oak 
Ridge cleanup program for the U.S. Department of Energy. 

The first phase of the ambitious effort is under way at Solid 
Waste Storage Area No. 4, which Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
used from 1951 to 1959 for disposal of liquid and solid 
radioactive waste. Back then, workers dumped truckloads of 
radioactive trash into unlined trenches and poured liquid waste 
directly into auger holes. Unfortunately, the nuclear gunk merged 
with the area's groundwater and migrated accordingly. 

While those disposal techniques would be considered outrageous 
today, they were acceptable in the early nuclear era. There were 
few environmental standards at the time, and nobody regulated the 
government's nuclear operations but the government itself. 

Fixing the problem, decades later, is expensive. 

The multilayer cap being installed at SWSA-4 is expected to cost 
about $27 million, and that's just the beginning. Over the next 
two years, contractors will complete the "hydrologic isolation" 
of several old burial sites totaling 120 acres. The cost is 
likely to exceed $75 million. 

Bob Sleeman, an environmental manager with DOE's Oak Ridge 
office, said the landfill caps should eliminate about 90 percent 
of the radioactive discharges associated with the buried wastes 
at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

Some discharge improvements already have been noted as a result 
of earlier nuclear cleanups in the area, including the excavation 
of an old waste pond. 

About 24,300 tons of contaminated soil were removed from the 
Intermediate Holding Pond at ORNL and transported to a new 
disposal facility near the Y-12 National Security Complex. 

However, the outfall at White Oak Dam, where water exits the 
federal reservation, still exceeds drinking-water standards for 
radioactivity, Sleeman said. 

"The hydrologic isolation will significantly reduce those levels 
of radioactivity leaving the site, and that's really the main 
benefit,'' he said. 

MACTEC Inc. is the lead subcontractor on the project at Solid 
Waste Storage Area No. 4. Workers have installed about 10 percent 
of the cap so far, and the work is supposed to be complete this 
summer. 

"This work is extremely weather-dependent,'' Spurling said, 
noting that heavy rains in 2003 made things difficult. 

The landfill cap includes layers of clay, rock and synthetic 
materials. Ventilation pipes are installed about one per acre to 
prevent the buildup of methane or other gases in buried wastes. 

Before applying the synthetic covers, workers relocated a road, 
moved mountains of topsoil and contoured the area to better 
control the water flow. About 50 workers have been employed on 
the project. 

The system will divert water from the radioactive areas. Trenches 
upgrade from the landfill will collect and reroute the rainwater, 
and trenches downgrade will collect whatever groundwater flows 
through the burial grounds. A wastewater treatment plant is being 
constructed nearby to cleanse the captured water before it is 
released back into the environment. 

Solid Waste Storage Area No. 4 contains an estimated 20,000 
curies of radioactivity, and officials believe it is responsible 
for about a quarter of the nuclear material leaking into nearby 
waterways. 

But there is uncertainty about what's buried in SWSA-4, even more 
than at other burial sites at ORNL. 

Besides receiving wastes from the lab's nuclear operations in the 
1950s, the landfill was designated as a regional disposal 
facility for a few years, Sleeman said. Wastes were brought to 
Oak Ridge from test reactors in the Southeast and other 
facilities that produced low-level nuclear trash. 

Also, a fire at ORNL in the 1970s destroyed many of the records 
associated with the waste activities at the burial site, and the 
contents of some trenches are unknown. 

Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329.                              

2004, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
*****************************************************************
 51 The Tennessean: K-25 scrap cleanup ordered 

- Monday, 01/05/04
 
Associated Press

OAK RIDGE � Ten-foot trees wind through the innards of old 
bulldozers on a dump site where federal workers discarded 
thousands of tons of surplus � and radioactive � equipment from 
its K-25 uranium processing plant several decades ago. 

Now the U.S. Department of Energy has told its contractors to 
remove the scrap and dispose of the radioactive material 
properly. 

That will be a tough and potentially hazardous task for the 
company that gets the cleanup contract. Bechtel Jacobs Co., DOE's 
environmental manager in Oak Ridge, will choose a company early 
this year. 

''I'm sure the copperheads have a condo association in here,'' 
John Lea, the project manager for Bechtel Jacobs, told the 
Knoxville News Sentinel during a recent tour of the site. ''Once 
we start moving this stuff around, there's going to be an urban 
relocation for a bunch of critters.'' 

Four companies have pre-qualified for the project and are 
expected to bid. Besides removing the piles of scrap metal, 
contractors will be asked to demolish a couple of buildings at 
the site. 

The timetable calls for all of the material to be gone by 
February 2006. Much of it will be transported to a nuclear 
landfill near the Y-12 National Security Complex nearby. 

The biggest difficulty will be characterizing the scrap and 
determining the type and level of radioactivity, he said. That 
information is necessary to the meet the waste-acceptance rules 
at landfills. 

Most of the material came from the uranium-enrichment operations 
at K-25, an old government plant that is being converted to 
private uses. As such, the primary contaminant is uranium. 

At least a small share of the scrap, however, came from Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site in South 
Carolina, Lea said. Those pieces could be contaminated with a 
range of radioactive elements, Lea said.  

� Copyright 2003 The Tennessean A Gannett Co. 
*****************************************************************
 52 Oak Ridger: Federal plants' missing keys spur review 							 							 							
 
Story last updated at 11:40 a.m. on January 5, 2004

OFFICIAL: 'We take our security responsibilities very
seriously.' 

By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff
paul.parson@oakridger.com

There are literally thousands of keys associated with Oak
Ridge's nuclear weapons plant.

So, how did between 200 to 250 of those turn up missing from
the Y-12 National Security Complex - a facility that includes
576 buildings and employs around 4,750 people?

Officials said they hope that question will be answered
following a review by the National Nuclear Security
Administration - the quasi-independent agency within the
Department of Energy that oversees the nuclear weapons complex.

"We take our security responsibilities very seriously," said
Bill Wilburn, a spokesman for BWXT Y-12, which manages Y-12 for
the federal government. "We will work closely with NNSA to
support their review."

Beginning in February, the NNSA will review "key management
practices" at all of its weapons facilities. Y-12's missing keys
follow similar problems at Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New
Mexico.

Steven Wyatt, a spokesman for DOE's Oak Ridge Operations
office, said Y-12's missing keys fall into two categories of
uses, with the largest number pertaining to "administrative,
non-sensitive functions" like filing cabinets and closets. The
smaller lot of missing keys - under 40 - are associated with two
so-called minimum security buildings; "neither contained nuclear
materials nor nuclear operations," Wyatt said.

"We're confident that classified information and nuclear
materials were not compromised," said Wyatt, who could not
disclose the names of the two buildings in question. However, he
added those buildings have been "rekeyed."

Officials could not specify if the items missing from Y-12 were
actual keys or what's called a "Tesa card," which is a plastic
card-like key with a magnetic strip.

"I've just heard the term 'keys'," said Wyatt.

DOE and Y-12 officials this morning could not specify who would
have access to over 200 keys or comment on any policies
pertaining to keys, including the assignment of them. It is
known that most government-related keys are branded with the
warning: "Do not duplicate."

Initially, some media outlets erroneously reported that the
local missing keys were from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Billy Stair confirmed this morning that there are no keys
missing from ORNL - a federal research facility.

Wyatt said he was unaware of any prior missing key problems in
Oak Ridge. However, Y-12's current problem is one that has faced
other DOE-related facilities.

In November, DOE's Inspector General Office criticized Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory for losing and belatedly reporting
the lost keys, including "Tesa cards" - in April. An official
with Sandia National Laboratory admitted in early 2003 that a
set of keys went missing there for several days. 

*****************************************************************
 53 amarillo.com: Pantex to shift focus 

01/05/04
	
[Amarillo Globe News] 
 		   		 			 				 
010504 news 3 amarillo.com The Pantex Plant dismantled more than 
11,000 nuclear weapons during the last decade, but its focus now 
will shift to modernizing warheads and bombs in the U.S. 
stockpile, according to an article in this month's Bulletin of 
the Atomic Scientists.--> 

By Jim McBride jim.mcbride@amarillo.com

[Forums] "it was a shame that that people had to work the 
holidays. everybody seems to pity the poor employees at 
albertsons.well let us not forget the police that had to patrol 
the streets to keep your homes safe....or the firefighters that 
stood guard in case some drunk idiot set their christmas tree,or 
turkey fryer ablaze.or even the toot n' totum employees that made 
sure you had cold beer for the games." - From tjaybob43 [Join 
this discussion]

The Pantex Plant dismantled more than 11,000 nuclear weapons 
during the last decade, but its focus now will shift to 
modernizing warheads and bombs in the U.S. stockpile, according 
to an article in this month's Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

 A January segment of the Bulletin, famous for its nuclear clock 
highlighting the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, focuses on the 
Pantex Plant.

 The Bulletin's Nuclear Notebook is produced by Robert S. Norris 
and Hans M. Kristensen of the Natural Resources Defense Council, 
a group that has criticized U.S. nuclear weapons policies.

 "We estimate that from 1945 to 1990, the United States produced 
at several sites approximately 70,000 nuclear weapons of 
approximately 70 types for more than 120 weapons systems," the 
article says.

 The article estimates that in 1959 and 1960, the United States 
churned out 28 warheads each work day.

 "By 1967, the stockpile reached a historic high with 
approximately 32,000 warheads of 30 different types, from 
sub-kiloton land mines (atomic munitions) to multi-megaton 
strategic bombs," the article states.

 The authors estimate the United States has dismantled 
approximately 60,000 weapons and that about 21,500 weapons 
remained in the U.S. stockpile at the end of the Cold War.

 "More than 11,000 nuclear warheads were disassembled and 
disposed of during the 1990s, leaving about 10,400 in the current 
stockpile. Only a few hundred more are slated for dismantlement," 
the article says.

 The Globe-News was unable to reach Pantex officials for comment, 
but Pantex Site Office Director Dan Glenn said in a recent 
interview that the National Nuclear Security Administration does 
not publicly discuss the numbers of weapons dismantled at Pantex.

 More than 12,000 plutonium cores from weapons, dubbed pits, now 
are stored at Pantex. 

About 7,000 pits are slated for conversion into reactor fuel 
under a fledgling U.S. program, and another 5,000 will be kept at 
Pantex as a strategic reserve, according to Nuclear Notebook.

 The authors noted Pantex recently reached some milestones in its 
weapons work and wanted to review Pantex's weapons work, 
Kristensen said. 

Earlier this year, Pantex officials announced they had repackaged 
8,000 plutonium pits into new, safer storage drums and completed 
dismantlement of the final nuclear artillery shell in the U.S. 
arsenal.

 Kristensen said Pantex has played a large role in nuclear 
weapons dismantlement but will continue to store large amounts of 
plutonium and modernize older weapons in the next decade.

 "On one hand, Pantex has had, in the '90s, this aura of 
dismantlement; on the other hand, it's now shifting more toward 
focusing on upgrading the remaining nuclear weapons that are in 
the arsenal," he said, noting Pantex is a possible candidate for 
plutonium processing work.

 The authors of the Nuclear Notebook reviewed numerous government 
reports and documents to prepare their review.

 "It's a long archaeological work, if you will, of several 
decades of going through congressional testimonies, budget 
hearings, all that stuff, basically getting pieces of information 
out about what has been produced in the past and what has been 
dismantled in the past, and basically adding up the numbers," 
Kristensen said. "That brings us to that estimate of the current 
stockpile."

//www.amarillo.com
*****************************************************************
 54 More On Bush/NASA/DOE/DOD Space Nukes
 
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 16:11:48 -0500

 



The Bush administration a year ago announced the
Nuclear Systems Initiative, a $3 billion research
and development effort to expand the number of
launches of deadly nuclear powered systems into
space.


   ----- Original Message -----
From: Global Network
To: Global Network Against Weapons
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 12:14 PM
Subject: [abolition-caucus] BUSH PLAYS WITH FIRE:
LAUNCHING A DANGEROUS SPACE POLICY


Bush Plays with Fire:  Launching a
Dangerous Space Policy


George W. Bush is playing with fire.  He is
expected to soon make a major space policy
announcement that could include a return mission
to the moon, the establishment of permanent bases
on the moon, and an aggressive program to take
humans to Mars.  Estimates for these space
projects range from $50 - $150 billion.  That is
of course before cost overruns set in.



In order to make the trip to Mars feasible (the
normal year-long trip would take a toll on any
human being because of space radiation) Bush is
expected to commit to using a nuclear rocket -
what is now known as "Project Prometheus,"  named
after the God of Fire. The nuclear rocket would
cut in half the amount of time it would take to
get to Mars, and would have military applications
as well.  The Bush administration a year ago
announced the Nuclear Systems Initiative, a $3
billion research and development effort to expand
the number of launches of deadly nuclear powered
systems into space.



NUCLEAR DANGERS


One scientist who has publicly expressed grave
concern about the Nuclear Systems Initiative is
Dr. Michio Kaku, Henry Semat Professor of
Theoretical Physics at the CUNY Graduate Center.
According to Dr. Kaku, "The exploration of outer
space is indeed one of humanity's great
adventures.  Perhaps one of the greatest risks
facing this ambitious program is the use of
dangerous, unproven technologies which could
backfire, eroding public confidence in the space
program."



"One such dangerous technology is the nuclear
rocket, which is now seriously being reconsidered
after being rightly rejected for the past several
decades.  The recent disaster involving the
Columbia shuttle crew was bad enough.  If it had
contained a nuclear rocket, it would have been the
death blow to the space program.  Having
radioactive uranium reactor parts sprayed over
Texas and much of the southwest would have doomed
the entire space program.  The nuclear booster
rocket has gone through many stages of development
in the past, and all of them have been cancelled
with good cause."



WHY THE MOON?



The U.S. never signed the 1979 Moon Treaty that
was created at the United Nations to prevent a
rush of land claims and military bases on the
planetary body.  In fact, in a 1959 U.S. Army
study entitled "The Establishment of a Lunar
Outpost" the once secret plan stated that "The
lunar outpost is required to develop and protect
potential U.S. interests on the moon; to develop
techniques in moon-based surveillance of the earth
and space.to serve as a base for exploration of
the moon, for further exploration into space and
for military operations on the moon if required."
The Army study went on to conclude that with U.S.
bases on the moon the U.S. could "extend and
improve space reconnaissance and surveillance
capabilities and control of space."



Scientists have discovered valuable resources on
the moon including helium 3, a fuel that is seen
as a replacement for the dwindling supply of
fossil fuels back here on Earth.  In a New York
Times op-ed, written by science writer Lawrence
Joseph in 1995, he says that "If we ignore the
potential of this remarkable fuel; the nation
could slip behind in the race for control of the
global economy, and our destiny beyond."  In the
piece Joseph asks, "Will the moon become the
Persian Gulf of the 21st Century?"



Again in a New York Times op-ed piece called "A
New Pathway to the Stars," space writer Timothy
Ferris wrote on December 21, 2003 that "Another
possible energy source of the future - nuclear
fusion reactors burning clean, safe helium 3 - has
its own lunar connection.  Helium 3, rare on
Earth, is abundant on the moon.  When fusion
reactors start coming on line, lunar entrepreneurs
may stand to make the kind of money their
predecessors raked in during the gold rush and the
oil boom."



Harrison Schmitt, the former Apollo astronaut who
also served a term as U.S. Senator from New
Mexico, is not ignoring the issue.  In an op-ed
published in the aerospace industry publication
Space News entitled, "The Moon Treaty: Not a Wise
Idea," Schmitt stated "The mandate of an
international treaty regime would complicate
private commercial efforts and give other
countries political control over the
permissibility, timing and management of all
private commercial activities.The strong
prohibition on ownership of 'natural resources'
also causes worry."



The ideas of U.S. control of the moon have
interesting origins.  In the book Arming the
Heavens: The Hidden Military Agenda for Space,
author Jack Manno told the story of former Nazi
Maj. Gen. Walter Dornberger (the man who recruited
Werner Von Braun to come to work for Hitler to
build the V-1 and V-2 rockets.)



After the end of World War II the U.S. military
recruited Von Braun and 1,500 other Nazi
scientists to come to the U.S. under the top
secret Operation Paper Clip.  Von Braun, along
with Dornberger and 100 others from the German
rocket team, were brought to create the U.S. space
program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Alabama.  Dornberger eventually became
a Bell Aviation Corporation Vice-President and
helped the company make enormous profit building
helicopters for the war effort in Vietnam.



Before a congressional hearing in 1958, Dornberger
insisted that America's top space priority out to
be to "conquer, occupy, keep and utilize space
between the Earth and the moon."



Interestingly enough this same theme reemerged in
a 1989 study written for the U.S. Congress by John
Collins.  The study, published in book form was
called Military Space Forces: The Next 50 Years
and the forward to the book was signed by seven
leading political leaders at the time including
Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) and Sen. Bill Nelson
(D-FL).



Congressional staffer Collins reported that the
U.S. would need to have military bases on the moon
in order to control the pathway, or "gravity
 well," between the Earth and moon.  "Military
space forces at the bottom of Earth's so-called
gravity well are poorly positioned to accomplish
offensive/defensive/deterrent missions, because
great energy is needed to overcome gravity during
launch.  Forces at the top, on a space counterpart
of 'high ground,' could initiate action and
detect, identify, track, intercept, or otherwise
respond more rapidly to attacks."  Collins went on
to conclude that with U.S. bases on the moon,
"Armed forces might lie in wait at that location
to hijack rival shipments on return."  Obviously
the author was envisioning the day when aerospace
corporations would be hard at work "mining the
 sky" for profit.



NO COMEPTITORS IN SPACE


The Bush administration and his aerospace allies
have been in a state of despair ever since China
launched her first man into space in 2003.  China
has also publicly proclaimed that they hope to
send a man to the moon in the near future.
Imagine if some other nation, besides the U.S.,
was able to set up bases and mining colonies on
the moon or began mining gold from asteroids.
This would never be allowed.



Within hours after Chinese "taikonaut" Yang Liwei
made his historic venture into space, the U.S.
military was warning of severe consequences.
Speaking at a space conference, Lt. Gen. Edward
Anderson, deputy Commander of U.S. Northern
Command, told the assembled that, "In my view it
will not be long before space becomes a
battleground."



Speaking at the same conference, Rich Haver,
Vice-President for intelligence strategy at
Northrup Grumman Corporation, responding to a
question about the implications of China's space
voyage said, "I think the Chinese are telling us
they're there, and I think if we ever wind up in a
confrontation again with any one of the major
powers who has a space capability we will find
space is a battleground."



STAKES ARE TOO HIGH


The prospects for eventual profit and control of
the new space frontier are too high to be left to
chance.  Clearly, since the end of World War II,
the U.S. military has been planning and is now
vigorously developing space technologies that will
give them control of the pathways on and off the
planet Earth.



Just as the Spanish Armada and British Navy were
created to protect the "interests and investments"
in the new world, space is viewed today as open
territory to be seized for eventual corporate
profit.



The United Nations, to their credit, created the
Moon Treaty and the Outer Space Treaty as ways to
circumvent the warlike tendencies of humankind as
we step out into the cosmos.  These treaties hoped
to ensure that conflict over "national
appropriation" of the planetary bodies could be
avoided.  Maybe for once earthlings could join
hands as we launched into space and explored the
heavens for the good of all humankind.



The U.S. appears to be heading in the direction of
creating enormous danger and conflict with the
current Nuclear Systems Initiative that will
expand nuclear power and weapons into space - all
disguised as the noble effort to hunt for the
"origins of life" in space.  Only a lively and
growing global debate about the ethics and
morality of current space policy will save us from
lighting the harsh fires of Prometheus in the
heavens.





Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in
Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 729-0517
(207) 319-2017 (Cell phone)
http://www.space4peace.org
globalnet@mindspring.com


*****************************************************************
 55 Google News Alert - nuclear
 
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 14:26:51 -0800

 
DPP wants nuclear-plant issue put to rest
Taipei Times, Taiwan
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers plan to distribute 1 million
leaflets around the nation to promote holding referendums on the Fourth
Nuclear Plant ...
<http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/05/2003086433>

OFFICIALS give assurances of nuclear plant's safety
Brattleboro Reformer, VT
BRATTLEBORO -- The Vermont State Police Homeland Security Unit and Vermont
Yankee officials want to reassure residents that the nuclear plant is
safe, despite ...
<http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0,1413,102~8860~1871341,00.html>

PAKISTAN'S nuclear dilemma
Asia Times Online, Hong Kong
NEW DELHI - Revelations that Pakistan's scientists may have helped Iran's
and Libya's secret nuclear programs raise worrisome questions about nuclear
threats ...         Nuclear weapon 'brochure' adds to US dilemma over
Musharraf - Telegraph.co.uk       Rogue nuclear projects: Tangle of global
clues has Pakistan at ...
<http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/FA06Df05.html>

SWEDEN says its nuclear waste may be terror hazard
Reuters AlertNet, UK
STOCKHOLM, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Sweden, home to 11 nuclear power reactors,
should tighten security measures to prevent nuclear waste being stolen
for terror ...
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L05601064.htm>

FURTHER six-party talks on DPRK nuclear issue probably not ... 
Xinhua, China
5 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said
Monday that the final date for a second round of six-party talks on the
nuclear issue ...
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/06/content_1261564.htm>

LIBYA nuclear report unsubstantiated - Pakistan
Reuters, India
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Monday a British newspaper report
that said Pakistani scientists sold plans to make nuclear bombs to Libya
appeared ...
<http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4073519>

NUCLEAR Talks with N. Korea Not Likely in January
Voice of America
South Korea is expressing doubt that a second round of multilateral talks
on North Korea's nuclear weapons programs will be held this month. ...
        South Korea: New round of North Korean nuclear talks unlikely
...
<http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=07BA065C-605E-4598-B117DE7BF778B268>

NORTH Korea May Lift Lid on Nuclear Program
Cybercast News Service
Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - Americans this week may get the first
outside glimpse in a year into Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, after
North Korea ...         N KOREA INVITES US NUCLEAR VISIT - Special Broadcasting
Service       North Korea authorizes US delegation to visit nuclear complex:
...  - Channel News Asia       North Korea authorizes US delegation to
visit nuclear complex: ...
<http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200401%5CFOR20040105b.html>

NEW round of North Korean nuclear talks remains in limbo
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
Talks on ending the North Korean nuclear standoff were in limbo Monday
with North Korea blaming the impasse on Washington's demand for disarmament
and South ...         South Korea says new round of North Korean nuclear
talks unlikely ...  - KFOR-TV       N. Korea nuclear talks remain in limbo
- USA Today       China and Russia plan compromise on Koreas nuclear standoff,
...
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/04/international2342EST0636.DTL>

NATIONAL Nuclear Security Administration to Inspect Y-12
WVLT, TN
After recent reports of security problems in Oak Ridge, the National Nuclear
Security Administration plans to inspect Y-12. Department ...
<http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1586722&nav=4QcHJz4M>

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