***************************************************************** 01/23/04 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 12.19 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 US: EX-U.S. Arms Hunter Kay Says No Stockpiles in Iraq 2 US: Washington Post: Cheney: Weapons Search Needs Time 3 Las Vegas SUN: CIA Picks New Iraq Weapons Inspector 4 AU ABC: Ex-weapons inspector says no WMDs in Iraq. 5 ABS-CBN.COM: N.Korea may have nuclear weapons-- 6 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Kelly: 2nd Round of 6-Way Nuke Talks Must 7 UPI: Underground nuke supplies like a Wal-Mart 8 US: WorldNetDaily: Baghdad Bob is back! 9 US: The Democrats and Weapons of Mass Destruction 10 CANADIANS PROTEST ROLE IN U.S. STAR WARS 11 NYT: Op-Ed Contributor: Why Libya Gave Up on the Bomb 12 BBC: Musharraf admission on secrets 13 Daily Times: N-scientists debriefing illegal - Farooq 14 AFP: Court bars handing of Pakistan nuclear scientists to foreign ag 15 Guardian Unlimited: NHS gets 'dirty bomb' equipment 16 Pak News: Pakistan ReAffirms Safeguarding Nuclear Assets, Int'l Comm 17 PT: 'No Foreign Agency involved in questioning Pakistan's Nuke Scien 18 Las Vegas SUN: Libya Gives U.N. Inspectors Nuke Drawings 19 PL Nuclear Scientists: Heroes not allowed violating secret act - Fai NUCLEAR REACTORS 20 US: Sun News: Navy clears reactor shipment through Charleston 21 US: Brattleboro Reformer: Petitions pepper Brattleboro ballot 22 US: EnergyPulse: Improving our Nuclear Power Plants 23 US: [NukeNet] asbury park press- close oyster cracky; 8th town 24 US: TheOmahaChannel: Cooper Nuclear Rated 'Poorest' Facility In Nati 25 Asia Times: Diplomacy in the DPRK 26 US: APP.COM: For safety's sake, nuclear 'rust bucket' should be moth 27 US: News Press: Nuclear plant’s problems persist 28 US: NRC: Public Meeting February 5 on License Renewal Application fo 29 US: amarillo.com: Tape repair not recommended for nukes 30 US: PRNews: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Accepts License Applicatio 31 US: NRC: NRC Makes License Renewal Application Available for the Mil 32 US: NRC: Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates; Availability of NUCLEAR SAFETY 33 US: [du-list] Peer urges end to veteran pension disputes 34 US: [du-list] Analysis Shows Exposure To DU In Gulf Vets 35 US: Evening Times: Making radiation hazards fun 36 US: NRC: In the Matter of All Licensees Authorized To Manufacture or NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 37 chillicothe gazette: Initiative seeks local input on uranium plant 38 US: Uranium Mining & Navajo Nation 39 CCDR: Cotter may face deadline 40 US: TCPalm: Drill draws attention to impact of radiation spill 41 e4engineering.com UK: Watching the waste line 42 Pahrump Valley Times: Yucca Mountain good for Nevada 43 AU ABC: International experts assess proposed radioactive dump 44 AU ABC: Broken Hill still in the running for possible waste site. 45 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Heard on the hill: Arent flooded with mail ba NUCLEAR WEAPONS 46 UK WMD Storage Base Blockaded US DEPT. OF ENERGY 47 Knox News: Safety breaches cited in Y-12 fire 48 U.S. Newswire: DOE Cites Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC for Price-Anderson 49 Hawk Eye: Senator awaits DOE reply 50 Oak Ridger: Fiscal year 2005 budget looking good for DOE's local mis 51 Oak Ridger: Waste facility waiting for OK from Department of Energy 52 Las Vegas SUN: Workers Taped Together Explosive Pieces OTHER NUCLEAR 53 EnergyPulse Wind: Brawn with Balance 54 [du-list] Du in the news - 24th Jan 04 55 Google News Alert - nuclear 56 Japan Times: Japan wants ITER data center in France, reactor in Japa ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 EX-U.S. Arms Hunter Kay Says No Stockpiles in Iraq Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:16:19 -0600 (CST) I suspect he was asked to step down because he failed to find what the Washington Warlords ordered him to find. Mission Impossible !! Cheers MichaelP ============================= http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20040123_439.html Reuters Jan. 23 - David Kay, who stepped down as leader of the U.S. hunt for weapons of mass destruction, said on Friday he does not believe there were any large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq. "I don't think they existed," Kay told Reuters in a telephone interview. "What everyone was talking about is stockpiles produced after the end of the last (1991) Gulf War and I don't think there was a large-scale production program in the '90s," he said. Kay said he believes most of what is going to be found in the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has been found and that the hunt will become more difficult once America turns over governing the country to the Iraqis. The United States went to war against Baghdad last year citing a threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. No actual banned arms have been found. ============= David Kay, who stepped down as leader of the U.S. hunt for weapons of mass destruction, said on January 23, 2004 that he does not believe there were any large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq. "I don't think they existed," Kay told Reuters in a telephone interview. "What everyone was talking about is stockpiles produced after the end of the last (1991) Gulf War and I don't think there was a large-scale production program in the '90s," he said. ***************************************************************** 2 Washington Post: Cheney: Weapons Search Needs Time (washingtonpost.com) In Interview, Vice President Also Repeats Assertion of Al Qaeda-Iraq Link By Dana Milbank and Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, January 23, 2004; Page A14 Vice President Cheney said investigators in Iraq may still find weapons of mass destruction, reviving the possibility after nine months of searches. In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Bush made no assertion that chemical, biological or nuclear weapons would be found in Iraq. Instead, he referred to "weapons-of-mass-destruction-related program activities." But Cheney, asked in an interview with National Public Radio whether the administration has given up on finding the weapons Bush has alleged over the last year that Iraq possessed, said, "No, we haven't." He added: "We still don't know the whole extent of what they did have. It's going to take some additional considerable period of time in order to look in all the cubbyholes and ammo dumps and all the places in Iraq where you'd expect to find something like that." Cheney's assertion came even though investigators failed to find such weapons during visits to the sites where the administration had said they would be found. Investigators have found Iraq's weapons program to be in a primitive state. In the NPR interview, broadcast yesterday, Cheney also repeated allegations that semi-trailers found in Iraq were part of a weapons program. He called the trailers "conclusive evidence" that Saddam Hussein "did in fact have programs for weapons of mass destruction." Others have not viewed the evidence as conclusive. A CIA report on the trucks said their "most likely use" was for biological weapons; other scientists who have studied them in Baghdad, including the late British scientist David Kelly, doubted that finding. In the NPR interview, Cheney repeated the administration's assertion that Iraq had ties to al Qaeda, but he said the contacts "would be limited to very few people handled on a very narrow track and not widely discussed or known about in his own government." In the NPR interview, Cheney nevertheless said "there's overwhelming evidence" of an Iraq-al Qaeda connection, citing "documents indicating that a guy named Abdul Rahman Yasin, who was part of the team who attacked the World Trade Center in 1993, when he arrived back in Iraq was put on the payroll and provided a house, safe harbor and sanctuary." Cheney added, "I'm very confident there was an established relationship there." It was the second time in recent days Cheney asserted such a link. In an interview with the Rocky Mountain News posted on Jan. 9, Cheney repeated an allegation that there may have been a link between one of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers and Iraq. "On the 9/11 question, we've never had confirmation one way or another," he said. "We did have reporting that was public, that came out shortly after the 9/11 attack, provided by the Czech government, suggesting there had been a meeting in Prague between Mohamed Atta, the lead hijacker, and a man named al-Ani [Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani], who was an Iraqi intelligence official in Prague, at the embassy there, in April of '01, prior to the 9/11 attacks. . . . That was the one that possibly tied the two together to 9/11." An FBI investigation concluded that Atta was apparently in Florida at the time of the alleged meeting, and the CIA has always doubted it took place. Czech authorities first mentioned the alleged meeting to U.S. officials in October 2001, but have since said they no longer are certain Atta was there. The U.S. military has captured the Iraqi intelligence officer who was supposed to have met Atta but has not obtained confirmation from him. Bush said in September that "we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th." Also in the Rocky Mountain News interview, Cheney referred those seeking a general relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda to a Weekly Standard article "based on an assessment that was done by the Department of Defense and forwarded to the Senate intelligence committee some weeks ago." The November article asserted that an Oct. 27 memo from the Pentagon said Osama bin Laden and Hussein had an operational relationship from the early 1990s to 2003. When the article was published, the Pentagon said it was "inaccurate" that the Defense Department confirmed new information to the Senate committee about an Iraq-al Qaeda link, and that the memo was "not an analysis of the substantive issue of the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, and it drew no conclusions." The Pentagon also said the leak of the document was "deplorable and may be illegal." Cheney, in the NPR interview, said intelligence pointing to stockpiles of anthrax and VX nerve agent came from the United Nations. "This isn't something we dreamed up or something that was thought about at the CIA," he said. "Everybody believed it, and had good reason to believe it." The United Nations said Iraq had not accounted for the destruction of its anthrax and VX agents but did not assert that Iraq still had such stockpiles. Iraq said it had disposed of the weapons but did not say how. © 2004 The Washington Post Company ***************************************************************** 3 Las Vegas SUN: CIA Picks New Iraq Weapons Inspector Today: January 23, 2004 at 15:20:14 PST By KATHERINE PFLEGER ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - The CIA named a new inspector to lead the search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction Friday, choosing a veteran investigator who has expressed recent skepticism that Saddam Hussein possessed banned weapons that posed an immediate threat. Charles Duelfer, the No. 2 United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq for much of the 1990s, is taking over the task of sorting out Saddam's weapons program. He said CIA Director George Tenet assured him he wanted one thing: "That is the truth, wherever that lay." The Bush administration has been frustrated in its search for convincing evidence that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, banned by the United Nations after Iraq invaded Kuwait. No such weapons have been found although the previous inspector, David Kay, said he did find evidence of programs to develop weapons. Duelfer, pronounced DULL-fer, will be taking over the U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group of roughly 1,400 scientists and other experts who are combing through documents, searching facilities and interviewing Iraqis to determine the capabilities of the fallen government. In a conference call with reporters Friday, Duelfer wouldn't offer a timetable for his investigation. "I think probably where the most sensitive judgment call will be ... is when do you think you've pursued all possible avenues to the extent that you can." Duelfer, 51, will replace Kay, who came home from Iraq for the holidays and never returned. "At a time when our WMD hunt efforts were just beginning, David provided a critical strategic framework that enabled the ISG to focus the hunt for information on Saddam's WMD programs," CIA Director George Tenet said. Kay could not be not be reached for comment. Duelfer said he sees the job as an opportunity to pursue questions unanswered during his seven years tracking Saddam's weapons program as the top American on the U.N. team enforcing the 1991 cease-fire agreement. Before last year's invasion, Duelfer took a hard line, consistently arguing that the Iraqi government posed a significant threat due to Saddam's dedication to the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. "I can only underline the view that, all other things being equal, the current leadership in Baghdad will eventually achieve a nuclear weapon, in addition to their current inventories of other weapons of mass destruction," Duelfer told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July 2002. Since Saddam's fall last spring, however, Duelfer has grown more skeptical that weapons will be found. In a column published by the Washington Post in October, he said Saddam had long differentiated between actually retaining weapons and maintaining a capability to produce them quickly. The absence of weapons stocks "does not mean Saddam did not pose a WMD threat," Duelfer wrote. "But clearly this is not the immediate threat many assumed before the war," he also said. "The WMD threat appears to have been longer term. Assuming this finding does not change, it will be very important for the Iraq Survey Group to establish when all agents and weapons were eliminated." In the conference call on Friday, Duelfer said his earlier comments were those of an outsider, and his job now is to be an investigator. "My goal is to find out what happened on the ground, what is the status on the Iraqi weapons programs, what was their game plan, what were the goals of the regime," he said. David Albright, a former weapons inspector, said Duelfer had gained respect for his work at the U.N. Special Commission on Iraq. He said there was a perception that Kay was more of an ideologue, convinced the weapons existed. "Having Duelfer go in gives me more confidence that they can wrap this up, and we can have some closure. Duelfer has much more experience as an inspector," Albright said. In earlier interviews, Duelfer has laid out the challenges he faces. He has said U.S. troops have dumped file cabinets of documents into trash bags and boxes. "Now when genuine experts and linguists look at them, you know, they are going to have to go sorting through them," he said in a National Public Radio interview. "Given the volume of this, this is going to be an enormously time-consuming task." -- ***************************************************************** 4 AU ABC: Ex-weapons inspector says no WMDs in Iraq. 24/01/2004. ABC News Online Former Iraqi weapons inspector David Kay. (Reuters) Dr David Kay has stepped down as leader of the US hunt for banned weapons in Iraq and says he does not believe the country had any large stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons. In a direct challenge to the Bush administration, which says its invasion of Iraq was justified by the presence of illicit arms, Dr Kay has told Reuters he had concluded there were no Iraqi stockpiles to be found. Prime Minister John Howard and British PM Tony Blair joined US President George W Bush in ordering the war to oust Saddam Hussein on grounds Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and was a threat to world peace. "I don't think they existed," Dr Kay said. "What everyone was talking about is stockpiles produced after the end of the last [1991] Gulf War, and I don't think there was a large-scale production program in the '90s," he said. The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has named former United Nations weapons inspector Charles Duelfer, who had expressed his own doubts that unconventional arms would be found in Iraq, to replace Dr Kay. Dr Kay said he believes most of what was going to be uncovered in Iraq had been found and that the weapons hunt would become more difficult once America returned control of the country to the Iraqis in June. Top Democrats on the congressional intelligence committees seized on Dr Kay's comments as supporting views that there had been an intelligence failure in assessing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and raising questions about the justification for going to war. "It increasingly appears that our intelligence was wrong about Iraq's weapons and the administration compounded that mistake by exaggerating the nuclear threat and Iraq's ties to Al Qaeda, as a result, the United States is paying a very heavy price," US Senator John Rockefeller said, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. "Dr Kay's astonishing statement today cannot be ignored, it is increasingly clear that there has been a massive intelligence failure," Representative Jane Harman said, the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. No banned arms have been found in Iraq since the United States went to war against Baghdad last year. In his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, US President George W Bush insisted that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had actively pursued dangerous weapons programs right up to the start of the US attack in March. "Had we failed to act, the dictator's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day," Mr Bush said. Dr Kay said Iraq had a "rudimentary" program to develop nuclear weapons. "It really wasn't dormant because there were a few little things going on, but it had not resumed in anything meaningful," he said. Dr Kay said he planned to take a private sector job. Mr Duelfer, 51, a former deputy executive chairman of the UN Special Commission that was responsible for dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, had previously expressed doubts that unconventional weapons would be found in Iraq. After his new job was announced, Mr Duelfer, who will be based in Iraq as CIA special adviser to direct the WMD search, said he was keeping an open mind and his past comments had been made without the benefit of seeing the most current US intelligence reports. "This was a spectator sport for me," he told reporters on a conference call. "Maybe there still will be weapons - it's a big country, there's a lot of chaos there, it may well be that something turns up. "I don't want to prejudge that, that still may happen." -- Reuters In other developments: © 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ***************************************************************** 5 ABS-CBN.COM: N.Korea may have nuclear weapons-- Friday, January 23, 2004 4:16 PM WORLD U.N. LONDON - The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Thursday (Friday in Manila) North Korea may already have developed nuclear weapons and that the reclusive Stalinist state represented "the most serious threat to non-proliferation" in the world today. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told BBC television that a recent U.S. delegation's unofficial visit to the country "confirmed that North Korea possibly have nuclear weapons already developed, not only the capability, but nuclear weapons." A prominent scientist who visited North Korea as part of the unofficial U.S. delegation two weeks ago said on Wednesday that Pyongyang could probably make plutonium metal, a prerequisite for nuclear weapons, and that its nuclear program was of great concern. "Add to that that North Korea feels very insecure, feels that they need to use nuclear blackmail to achieve their strategic objectives," ElBaradei said in the BBC interview in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum. "Put all that together and that makes North Korea the most serious threat to non-proliferation as we know it today." North Korea expelled U.N. nuclear inspectors on December 31, 2002, and later withdrew from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the global pact aimed at stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. Six nations -- the United States, China, the two Koreas, Russia and Japan -- have tried for months to arrange a further round of diplomatic negotiations on curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, after a first round ended inconclusively in August. ElBaradei acknowledged the ambiguity surrounding secretive North Korea's nuclear program. "That's why we need to go back as inspectors on the ground to understand fully what is happening," he told the BBC. The IAEA chief said he hoped Pyongyang would follow up the unofficial U.S. visit with an official visit by the Americans and would send its own representatives to the IAEA for talks. "They would gain a good deal if they start opening up to the international community," he said. The current situation with North Korea's weapons program "is no good to anybody...We need to defuse the situation." Please send your comments or feedback newsfeedback@abs-cbn.com /Reuters/abs-cbnNEWS.com/ A joint venture of TODAY newspaper and ABS-CBN Interactive Editorials *Negative campaigning* You'd ***************************************************************** 6 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Kelly: 2nd Round of 6-Way Nuke Talks Must Resume Updated Jan.23,2004 14:41 KST Washington's point man on North Korea is reiterating the importance of moving ahead with efforts aimed at dissolving nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula. The remarks were made in light of recent revelations of doubt over the reclusive state's nuclear abilities by U.S. scientist Sieg Hecker following his trip to the North's main nuclear power plant earlier this month. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday after an informal meeting with delegates from South Korea and Japan, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly stressed that HIS trip to North Korea in 2002 confirmed the communist state's uranium program. Arirang TV ***************************************************************** 7 UPI: Underground nuke supplies like a Wal-Mart - (United Press International) January 23, 2004 DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The top U.N. nuclear weapons inspector told a Swiss meeting the global black market for nuclear-related material and equipment reminds him of Wal-Mart. Mohamed M. ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he was taken aback during a recent trip to Libya by the scale and complexity of the illicit trafficking through which it obtained material and blueprints for nuclear weapons designs, the New York Times reported Friday. "All of that was obtained abroad," he said while attending the World Economic Forum meeting. "All of what we saw was a result of the Wal-Mart of private-sector proliferation." Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is noted for offering customers a vast array of choices at a low cost. "The sophistication of the process, frankly, has surpassed my expectations," he said. For many experts who have gathered in Davos, nuclear proliferation is looming as the next big security threat. Much of the focus has centered on the suspected trail of nuclear material and know-how from countries like Pakistan and North Korea to striving nuclear powers like Iran and Libya. [UPI Perspectives] ***************************************************************** 8 WorldNetDaily: Baghdad Bob is back! JANUARY 23 2004 "We have defeated them. In fact, we have crushed them." Remember? So said Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf, Iraq's minister of information, as U.S. forces rolled unopposed toward Baghdad. And those bombs we saw on television raining destruction on the Iraqi capitol? Nothing but Hollywood trickery, insisted the man we came to know and love as Baghdad Bob. I thought about Baghdad Bob, watching President Bush's State of the Union speech. In fact, when I shut my eyes, I actually thought he was back, standing in front of the U.S. Congress. Like with Baghdad Bob, you had to laugh out loud at the difference between the phony world painted by George Bush and the real world most Americans live in. There are, indeed, two Americas: George Bush's America and the real America. And, as we learned in the State of the Union, the two are worlds apart. On jobs. President Bush said: "Jobs are on the rise." The real America: Unemployment still hovers at close to 6 percent; 2.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since George Bush took office; in the month of December, only 1,000 new jobs were created and 255,000 jobless stopped looking for new work. On schools. President Bush said: "The No Child Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America's children." The real America: The president's budget for 2004 falls $7.5 billion short of what he promised – which means 4.6 million of the nation's poorest children are left behind. On the deficit. President Bush said: "We can cut the deficit in half over the next five years." The real America: The president's agenda will actually make the deficit worse. On top of an existing $350 billion deficit, already the biggest in history, he proposed eight new spending programs and no spending cuts – pushing next year's deficit to over $500 billion. George Bush has yet to see a spending proposal he didn't like. On prescription drugs. President Bush said: Under his new Medicare plan, "seniors can choose to receive a drug discount card, saving them 10 to 25 percent off the retail price of most prescription drugs." The real America: Seniors get screwed. Under Bush's plan, sponsors of so-called "drug discount" cards are allowed to change their prices – that means raise their prices – "on a weekly basis." On the War in Iraq. President Bush said: Chief Weapons Inspector David Kay found "dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities," whatever that means. Al Franken suggests it includes coloring books. The real America: Making the case for war in last year's State of the Union, the president didn't talk about "programs." He was very specific. He claimed Iraq possessed 15,000 liters of anthrax; 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin; and 500 tons of sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agent. Plus yellowcake from Niger. What the president refuses to admit now is that David Kay's inspectors found zero unconventional weapons, zero evidence of a nuclear weapons program, zero chemical or biological weapons – and zero reason to go to war. On America's standing in the world, President Bush said defiantly: "No one can now doubt the word of America." The real America: Sadly, as demonstrated above, the exact opposite is true. With no evidence to support his claim that Saddam Hussein was a direct threat to the United States, no one can believe the word of America anymore – as long as George Bush is president. President Bush's speech was not a State of the Union speech at all. It was a pure political stump speech, intended to kick off his 2004 re-election campaign. Clearly, the president has been closely monitoring the Democratic primary. He knows that, whoever turns out to be the nominee, Democrats are going to go after him on jobs, the economy, deficit spending, schools, prescription drugs, the war in Iraq and America's standing in the world – so he launched a pre-emptive strike on each charge. The problem is, in so doing, he lied or twisted the truth on each and every issue. Which may be OK for Baghdad Bob, but not for George W. Bush. Baghdad Bob was a clown. George W. Bush is president of the United States. We expected the lies from Baghdad Bob. We expect the truth from our president. © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com, Inc. webmaster@worldnetdaily.com ***************************************************************** 9 The Democrats and Weapons of Mass Destruction Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 00:58:14 -0600 (CST) Institute for Public Accuracy 915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org ___________________________________________________ Friday, January 23, 2004 The Democrats and Weapons of Mass Destruction While many have called on President Bush to offer an explanation for his false claims about Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction, several Democratic presidential candidates have made similar claims. Here are candidate statements made before the occupation of Iraq: JOHN KERRY: "Why is Saddam Hussein attempting to develop nuclear weapons when most nations don't even try? & According to intelligence, Iraq has chemical and biological weapons ... Iraq is developing unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering chemical and biological warfare agents..." (Oct. 9, 2002) [See: ] WESLEY CLARK: "He [Hussein] does have weapons of mass destruction." When asked, "And you could say that categorically?" Clark responded: "Absolutely." (on CNN, Jan. 18, 2003). On finding the alleged weapons Clark said: "I think they will be found. There's so much intelligence on this." (on CNN, April 2, 2003) [See: , , ] HOWARD DEAN: "[He and others] have never been in doubt about the evil of Saddam Hussein or the necessity of removing his weapons of mass destruction." (March 17, 2003) [See: ] JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: "Every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons, and the development of nuclear weapons is a day of danger for the United States." (August 4, 2002) [See: , ] JOHN EDWARDS: "We know that he [Hussein] has chemical and biological weapons." (Oct. 10, 2002) [See: ] In contrast: DENNIS KUCINICH: "Since 1998 no credible intelligence has been brought forward which suggests that Iraq is manufacturing weapons of mass destruction..." (Sept. 12, 2002) [See: , ] AL SHARPTON: "I think that the present administration is bent on war. There has been no, in my judgment, evidence presented there has been any weapons of mass destruction." (on NPR, Jan. 31, 2003) Interviews are available with the following: STEPHEN ZUNES, stephen@coho.org, http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0826-03.htm Zunes, associate professor of politics at the University of San Francisco, wrote the articles "Kerry's Deceptions on Iraq Threaten His Presidential Hopes" and "Howard Dean: Hawk in Dove's Clothing?" PETER HART, phart@fair.org, http://www.fair.org/press-releases/clark-antiwar.html An analyst with FAIR, Hart wrote the piece "Wesley Clark: The New Anti-War Candidate?" SAM HUSSEINI, sam@accuracy.org, http://www.accuracy.org/articles/twisted-policy.html Communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, Husseini said today: "In response to the State of the Union address, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said that Bush 'led us into the Iraq war on the basis of unproven assertions.' She didn't say what action she would take. Perhaps that's because she had claimed: 'Saddam Hussein certainly has chemical and biological weapons. There's no question about that.' (on NBC, Nov. 17, 2002) [See: ] When I asked her about this last week, she declined to even acknowledge that her statement had been false. [See: ] Many Democrats are refusing to be held accountable; this is further restricting them from holding Bush accountable. They should admit and explain their own false statements." For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167 _________________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: public@lists.accuracy.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: public-unsubscribe@lists.accuracy.org For all list information and functions, including changing your subscription mode and options, visit the Web page: http://lists.accuracy.org/lists/info/public ***************************************************************** 10 CANADIANS PROTEST ROLE IN U.S. STAR WARS Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:43:21 -0600 (CST) 53 CANADIANS PROTEST ROLE IN U.S. STAR WARS Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 14:26:15 -0600 (CST) Forwarded with Compliments of Government of the USA in Exile (GUSAE): Free Americans Resisting the Fourth Reich on Behalf of All Species. NOTE: Thanks to Isabel Ebert for this. -- kl, pp Sunday, January 18, 2004Back The Halifax Herald Limited J.C. Locatelli plants mock missiles in the snow outside the public library on Spring Garden Road on Saturday before a protest against Canadian involvement in a North American missile defence system. Panning defence plan Protesters oppose Canada's role in missile defence system By Bill Spurr / Staff Reporter Throwing "missiles" made of cardboard into the air, a few dozen Halifax demonstrators protested against Canada's participation in the U.S. missile defence program. David Pratt, Canada's defence minister, wrote his American counterpart this week to start the process of negotiating an agreement on what some term Star Wars. That has appalled members of the Halifax Peace Coalition, who gathered in front of the library on Spring Garden Road. After a speech and some chanting, the demonstrators waded into the snow, donned placards with labels like Missiles, Warheads, Missile Defence and Defence Contractor, and started a fusillade of projectiles made from toilet paper tubes. This was followed by a skit in which a man wearing a George Bush mask took money out of people's pockets and gave it to the defence contractors. "We wanted to bring a more theatrical element into it," said John Diamond of the Halifax Peace Coalition. "We're working under the slogan that cardboard missiles are just as effective as the real ones and a whole lot cheaper. So that's why we decided to do a missile launch instead of a march." Demonstrators also asked passersby to sign a petition and handed out literature, including copies of Socialist Worker. "We've already collected 3,000 or 4,000 signatures on the . . . nationwide petition being used by the Canadian Peace Alliance," Mr. Diamond said. "We're hoping to show that if a city like Halifax can collect that many signatures in a couple of months, the possibilities for organizing this are endless." Missile defence refers to a plan in which ballistic missiles would be shot out of the sky by other missiles deployed in space. The Halifax Peace Coalition believes missile defence has less to do with defence than with an American intention to dominate space as well as Earth. Demonstrations were also held Saturday in Nelson, B.C., Saskatoon and Peterborough, Ont. Back Copyright ) 2004 The Halifax Herald Limited 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 ***************************************************************** 11 NYT: Op-Ed Contributor: Why Libya Gave Up on the Bomb OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR By FLYNT LEVERETT Published: January 23, 2004 [W] ASHINGTON As President Bush made clear in his State of the Union address, he sees the striking developments in relations with Libya as the fruit of his strategy in the war on terrorism. The idea is that Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's apparent decision to renounce weapons of mass destruction was a largely a result of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, which thus retroactively justifies the war in Iraq and holds out the prospect of similar progress with other states that support terrorists, seek weapons of mass destruction and brutalize their own people. However, by linking shifts in Libya's behavior to the Iraq war, the president misrepresents the real lesson of the Libyan case. This confusion undermines our chances of getting countries like Iran and Syria to follow Libya's lead. The roots of the recent progress with Libya go back not to the eve of the Iraq war, but to the Bush administration's first year in office. Indeed, to be fair, some credit should even be given to the second Clinton administration. Tired of international isolation and economic sanctions, the Libyans decided in the late 1990's to seek normalized relations with the United States, and held secret discussions with Clinton administration officials to convey that message. The Clinton White House made clear that no movement toward better relations was possible until Libya met its responsibilities stemming from the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. These discussions, along with mediation by the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, produced a breakthrough: Libya turned over two intelligence officers implicated in the Pan Am 103 attack to the Netherlands for trial by a Scottish court, and in 1999 Washington acquiesced to the suspension of United Nations sanctions against Libya. Then, in the spring of 2001, when I was a member of the State Department's policy planning staff, the Bush administration picked up on those discussions and induced the Libyans to meet their remaining Lockerbie obligations. With our British colleagues, we presented the Libyans with a "script" indicating what they needed to do and say to satisfy our requirements on compensating the families of the Pan Am 103 victims and accepting responsibility for the actions of the Libyan intelligence officers implicated in the case. We also put an explicit quid pro quo on the table: if Libya met the conditions we laid out, the United States and Britain would allow United Nations sanctions to be lifted permanently. This script became the basis for three-party negotiations to resolve the Lockerbie issue. By early 2003, after a Scottish appeals court upheld the conviction of one of the Libyan intelligence officers, it was evident that our approach would bear fruit. Indeed, Washington allowed the United Nations sanctions against Libya to be removed last summer after Libya reached a compensation agreement with the Pan Am 103 families and accepted responsibility for its officials' actions. But during these two years of talks, American negotiators consistently told the Libyans that resolving the Lockerbie situation would lead to no more than elimination of United Nations sanctions. To get out from under the separate United States sanctions, Libya would have to address other concerns, particularly regarding its programs in weapons of mass destruction. This is the context in which Libyan officials approached the United States and Britain last spring to discuss dismantling Libya's weapons program. The Iraq war, which had not yet started, was not the driving force behind Libya's move. Rather, Libya was willing to deal because of credible diplomatic representations by the United States over the years, which convinced the Libyans that doing so was critical to achieving their strategic and domestic goals. Just as with Lockerbie, an explicit quid pro quo was offered: American officials indicated that a verifiable dismantling of Libya's weapons projects would lead the removal our own sanctions, perhaps by the end of this year. The lesson is incontrovertible: to persuade a rogue regime to get out of the terrorism business and give up its weapons of mass destruction, we must not only apply pressure but also make clear the potential benefits of cooperation. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has refused to take this approach with other rogue regimes, notably Iran and Syria. Until the president is willing to employ carrots as well as sticks, he will make little headway in changing Iranian or Syrian behavior. The president's lack of initiative on this point is especially disappointing because, in the diplomatic aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, the administration has a singular opportunity to effect strategic realignments by both Iran and Syria. Well-placed Iranians, including more pragmatic elements of Iran's conservative camp, have indicated through diplomatic channels and to former officials (including myself) their interest in a "grand bargain" with the United States. Basically, Tehran would trade off its ties to terrorist groups and pursuit of nuclear weapons for security guarantees, a lifting of sanctions and normalized relations with Washington. Likewise, senior Syrian officials — including President Bashar al-Assad himself, in a conversation in Damascus last week — have told me that they want a better strategic understanding with the United States. To achieve this, however, Washington needs to be willing to spell out what Syria would get in return for giving up its ties to terrorists and its chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. As Mr. Assad told me, Syria is "a state, not a charity" — if it gives up something, it must know what it will gain in return. One reason the Bush administration was able to take a more constructive course with Libya was that the White House, uncharacteristically, sidelined the administration's neoconservative wing — which strongly opposes any offer of carrots to state sponsors of terrorism, even when carrots could help end such problematic behavior — when crucial decisions were made. The initial approach on the Lockerbie case was approved by an informal coalition made up of Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Likewise, in the lead up to the negotiations involving Libyan weapons of mass destruction, the neoconservatives at the Pentagon and in the shop of Under Secretary of State John Bolton were left out of the loop. Perhaps a coalition among members of the State Department's bureau of Near Eastern affairs and the National Security Council's more pragmatic elements can chart a similar course involving Iran and Syria. However, until the administration learns the real lessons of the Libyan precedent, policy toward other rogue regimes is likely to remain stuck in the mud of ideology. Flynt Leverett, a visiting fellow with the Saban Center for Middle East Politics at the Brookings Institution, was senior director for Middle Eastern affairs at the National Security Council from 2002 to 2003. Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company | Home| ***************************************************************** 12 BBC: Musharraf admission on secrets Last Updated: Friday, 23 January, 2004 Musharraf admission on secrets [Pervez Musharraf] Musharraf insists there was no government involvement Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has said it appears that Pakistani scientists have sold nuclear secrets to other nations. But the president again stressed there was no government involvement. Speaking to CNN at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, he said: "It is clear it was done by individuals for their own personal financial gain." The Pakistani leader also said that al-Qaeda could have been behind two recent attempts on his life. Pakistan began an investigation into possible illegal transfers of nuclear technology to countries such as Iran more than a month ago. There is nothing that we wa to hide. We want to be very clear... about it; that we will move against anybody who proliferated Pervez Musharraf It followed information provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). So far more than a dozen people have been questioned, including the country's foremost nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan. Nine scientists and officials are still being held for questioning. President Musharraf's comments in Davos went further than the previous government line that officials and scientists may have passed secrets out of personal greed and ambition. He said he expected the probe to be finished in "a few weeks". Assassination attempts President Musharraf promised "stern action" against anyone found to have transgressed. "There is nothing that we want to hide. We want to be very clear about it... that we will move against anybody who proliferated," he said. But he also stressed: "There is no evidence that any government personality or military personality was involved in this at all." [Aftermath of second assassination attempt] At least 15 people died in the second assassination attempt The IAEA's chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, also in Davos, said: "I think what we know is that there have been individuals involved. I do not want to jump to conclusions and say a government is involved." On the recent assassination attempts, President Musharraf said the al-Qaeda network was possibly behind them. He told CNN that, while those directly involved had been rounded up, police were still trying to determine their links. "We haven't yet got to the top of identifying the person who has issued the order, but we know there are linkages that maybe the idea came from al-Qaeda," General Musharraf said. He was unharmed by the two bomb attacks on his motorcade, which came within two weeks of each other in December. But at least 15 people were killed in the second attack, on Christmas Day. On 14 December, a bridge was blown up seconds after his convoy had crossed it. No one was injured. Both attacks took place near General Musharraf's military residence in the city of Rawalpindi. ***************************************************************** 13 Daily Times: N-scientists debriefing illegal - Farooq Saturday, January 24, 2004 Daily Times Monitor LAHORE: Renowned lawyer Dr Farooq Hasan said on Friday the debriefing of nuclear scientists was illegal as the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) laws applied only to countries and not individuals. Talking to a news channel, Mr Hasan said, “The NPT laws only apply to signatories and a violation is not a criminal offence. Pakistan is not a signatory to the NPT, but is also accused by its opponents of openly violating the NPT laws to make a nuclear bomb. But Pakistan cannot be questioned on this issue,” Dr Hasan said. He said it was a political and not a legal matter. “Neither international nor Pakistani laws permit the government to question the scientists. The government’s attitude to the issue is strange,” he said. Home | National Daily Times - All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 14 AFP: Court bars handing of Pakistan nuclear scientists to foreign agencies (AFP) 23 January 2004 ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani court hearing appeals against the detention of nuclear scientists suspected of selling technology to Iran and Libya on Friday barred the government from handing them over to foreign agencies. ? The judge ordered the government that while appeals by their families are pending in the court, the detainees must not be handed over to a foreign agency or to another state,? lawyer Shah Khawar told AFP. Judge Anwar ul Haq of the Lahore High Court is hearing appeals against the detention of nine scientists and administrators associated with the A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories, Pakistan?s key uranium enrichment facility. A total of 13 KRL acting and former employees, including its founder A.Q. Khan -- the father of Pakistan?s nuclear bomb -- have been questioned since December over allegations they sold nuclear secrets to Iran and Libya. Three have since been cleared and released. Khan was never detained. The probe was triggered by a letter to the Pakistani government from the UN?s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in November. Pakistan then sent teams of investigators to IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Iran and Libya in December to examine the allegations. Representing the government in Friday?s hearing, deputy federal attorney Chaudhry Mohammad Tariq asked the government for more time to gather information about the detained scientists. Tariq told the court he was unable to determine where the nine scientists still under interrogation were being held, despite contacting a range of government departments and intelligence agencies. The court also directed authorities to inform the families of the well-being of the detained scientists, said Khawar, who represents the family of KRL director general Nazir Ahmed. Friday?s hearing coincided with nationwide protests by lawyers and Islamists who criticized government for arresting ?national heroes.? *© 2003 Khaleej Times* All Rights ***************************************************************** 15 Guardian Unlimited: NHS gets 'dirty bomb' equipment James Meikle and Hugh Muir Friday January 23, 2004 The Guardian The NHS is stepping up anti-terrorism measures with radiation detectors being issued to ambulance crews and hospital casualty departments that might have to cope with the aftermath of a "dirty bomb". The other emergency services have already got the equipment and the government is also installing detectors at ports and airports. Mini-detectors have been widely employed in US cities in recent weeks to guard against the threat posed by terrorists using conventional explosives to spread radioactive materials over a wide area. The NHS has already stockpiled personal protection suits for use in emergencies, while 360 mobile decontamination units have been dispersed throughout Britain. GPs will soon be sent action cards, helping them to identify patients who might have been exposed to "silent" chemical or biological weapons, and outlining the clinical response needed. Government officials are considering whether they have sufficient supplies of vaccines, antibiotics and antidotes for nerve agents and radiation. They have talked to more than 40 drug companies about such counter-measures, but have still to determine whether other measures, including a new vaccine-production centre at Porton Down, in Wiltshire, are needed. Some new details of anti-terrorism measures were given yesterday as the government responded to a report from the Commons select committee on science and technology, published in November last year. Ministers rejected the MPs' attack on their secrecy. Beverley Hughes, of the Home Office, said: "It would be entirely wrong to risk national security and public safety or to give information or publicity to terrorists." Security systems on the London Underground are among areas which the official response says must be kept "highly classified". Scotland Yard meanwhile made a fresh appeal to the public for help in catching potential terrorists. In a strongly worded article to be distributed to millions of homes in London, Assistant Commissioner David Veness, whose specialist operations brief includes the Anti-Terrorist Squad, places the public at the heart of the Met's protective strategy for the capital. He urges Londoners to use an "anti-terrorist hotline" and claims that Met officers have already thwarted terrorist operations which could have claimed lives. Mr Veness also seeks to reassure British Muslims that they are not being targeted unfairly, and warns businesses that they must make contingency plans for their reaction to a terrorist atrocity. Writing in The Londoner, the mayor's free newspaper, Mr Veness said: "We are not asking people to worry about the threat in every waking moment, or change their behaviour; that is what the terrorists want. We do ask people to report anything suspicious they see or hear immediately. The reality is that terrorist attacks are usually the result of careful planning. They need people, accommodation, vehicles and finance. They may store their equipment in rented facilities." Mr Veness said more than 500 terrorist suspects had been arrested since the September 11 atrocities, adding that around half had been charged with "terrorism, criminality or other offences". [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004 ***************************************************************** 16 Pak News: Pakistan ReAffirms Safeguarding Nuclear Assets, Int'l Commitments & Obligations Editor-in-Chief: Asim Mughal PakNews.Com Updated on 2004-01-23 13:18:25 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Jan 23 (PNS) - Minister for Foreign Affairs Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri on Wednesday reiterated that the nuclear assets of the country are in safe hands. Talking to pressmen after attending the Senate session, he said, country's command and control system is highly efficient and effective and all the nuclear assets are in safe hands. Pakistan is a responsible state and firmly sticks to its international obligations and commitments, he said adding, we adhere to the non-proliferation. Answering a question regarding the de-briefing of officials linked with nuclear programme, he said, this practice is being carried out by many other countries. He said the officials are being questioned for not anything new happening but these co-relate to the 1980s. When asked that whether there was any proposal to hold a "camera session of the Parliament", he dispelled the impression saying, "there is no such need as a number of people have already been briefed on this matter." To another question, he said in clear terms "we have nothing to do with CTBT or NPT." On question about Pakistan's stand regarding the UN resolutions on Kashmir, he said, the country's stand is very clear and there was no change in that. To another question about beginning of bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar, he said, both the countries are finalizing the modalities. Khurshid Kasuri responding to another question said that Pakistan and India have decided to use moderate words so "we are sticking to our commitment." The End. ***************************************************************** 17 PT: 'No Foreign Agency involved in questioning Pakistan's Nuke Scientists' Pakistan Times: Pakistan Times Federal Bureau Report ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan Friday strongly denied involvement of any foreign agency in ongoing debriefing process of Pakistani nuclear scientists. Talking to a private television channel, he said Pakistan government was investigating and this process would complete in due course of time. Eschew Speculations Masood urged media to avoid undue speculation, saying, " Lets not jump to the conclusion." Investigations were being carried out to ascertain real facts, Masood said. Nobody was above the law and anybody if found guilty would be taken task, he said. Copyright © 2003-2004 TIMES Group of Publications All rights ***************************************************************** 18 Las Vegas SUN: Libya Gives U.N. Inspectors Nuke Drawings Today: January 23, 2004 at 13:45:29 PST By GEORGE JAHN ASSOCIATED PRESS VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Libya gave U.N. inspectors drawings of a nuclear weapon, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday, the clearest sign yet that Libya was at some point serious about building such arms. "We have put those drawings under our seal, and they are secure," Mark Gwozdecky, chief spokesman for the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, said without elaborating. Asked about the significance of the development, a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity said "it's the first time anyone has acknowledged" that Libya entertained intentions of building such a weapon. Agency inspectors are in Libya, along with a separate team of U.S. and British experts to take inventory of its nuclear arms program, part of plans to scrap the weapons of mass destruction that the country admitted to possessing last month. The diplomat, who is familiar with the agency's work in Libya, said the drawings were not of a complete weapons system including a missile or other means of delivery but more like a warhead. He described it as, "a device that goes boom, which can be put on a missile or can be put into a bomb form." He said that members of the joint U.S.-British team would be taking the drawings out of Libya within the next few days to evaluate them. The nuclear agency declined to comment further, but a disarmament expert following its work in Libya said the drawings were not produced by Libyan scientists but were procured from foreign sources. The expert, who also asked he not be identified, said either the agency team or the British and American experts were also hoping to take possession of components to make weapons. That would be another major signpost on Libya's nuclear weapons trail. Up to now, IAEA officials have described the country's effort to make such weapons as in the starting phase and suggested the country possessed little more than centrifuges to enrich uranium - possibly to weapons grade - and related equipment. But centrifuges also have peaceful uses - creating low-grade enriched uranium to generate energy for instance. The expert said the weapons-making components would not serve such "dual use" purposes but be along the lines of high explosives, or vacuum induction furnaces to melt plutonium or uranium for warhead use. The fact that the drawings were produced abroad are bound to further raise alarm bells in Washington and other capitals concerned with the relative ease weapons expertise can be acquired by a country looking to build nuclear arms. The drawings - and any find of weapons making components or equipment - are also likely to fuel discussion of how far along the nuclear weapons road Libya was. Washington says the country was advanced, whereas the IAEA has maintained its programs were at the starting stage. International attention is focusing on Pakistan or Pakistani nationals as suppliers of nuclear technology and expertise to Libya, Iran and North Korea. For years Pakistan has rejected allegations. But the country started hedging in December, saying individuals motivated by ambition or greed may have sold secrets. Under an agreement reached earlier this week, the IAEA has the role of establishing the scope and content of Libya's nuclear program. Once IAEA verification is complete, U.S. and British experts are to remove suspect materials from the North African country. --- On the Net: IAEA: www.iaea.org -- ***************************************************************** 19 PL Nuclear Scientists: Heroes not allowed violating secret act - Faisal Pakistan Link: ISLAMABAD : Pakistan Thursday while justifying debriefing sessions of the nuclear scientists said that those violated the Secret Act of the country must face the court of law. Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayyat while talking to the reporters after the briefing at Capital Development Authority said, there is no doubt that Pakistani nuclear scientists have served heroically for the national defense and deserve lifetime appreciation. But those of them who had violated the National Secret Act of Pakistan and if found guilty on alleged sharing of their nuclear knowledge with rouge states should be facing court of law. He said that the government has right to investigate the alleged nuclear proliferation and to look into the matter if any of the scientists or more remained engage in helping to the rouge states in developing their nuclear bomb programme. He added that the nuclear programme of Pakistan or the strategic assets are the national belongings and any individual could not claim these assets as his or her personal property. No body can even monopolize these national assets. Every Pakistani acknowledges and respects all the nuclear scientists and officials. But it does not mean that any body has got a license to leak the technology of these assets with anybody abroad. If some one serve to any third country his or her know how about nuke technology for personal benefit must be penalized, the minister said. He said that Pakistan believes in nuclear non-proliferation esteem of Pakistan has been put on stake on just personal greed. We are a responsible state and nation and our nuclear arms programme is only for our national defense without the element of aggression, he said. He said that the process of debriefing is yet continued the stage of trails could be undertaken if any one is found guilty during these sessions. The minister asked to offer his comment over the so far results of the debriefing sessions, he said, this is not appropriate time to comment over it. Offering any comment could harm national interest. The minister vowed that anybody related to the countrys strategic assets including the nuclear scientists could be call for debriefing sessions if it is necessary. The parliament is supreme institution of the country and if required, on camera trail could be held in the Parliament, he said. ***************************************************************** 20 Sun News: Navy clears reactor shipment through Charleston | 01/23/2004 | [sunnews.com - The sunnews home page] The Associated Press CHARLESTON - The U.S. Navy said it will allow a defunct nuclear reactor from California to pass through the former Charleston Naval Base en route to a disposal site in Barnwell. Now there's a potential standoff with both Argentina and Chile, who don't want the reactor passing too close to their coastlines. The Navy has agreed that Charleston Marine Manufacturing Corp. may handle the 668-ton reactor from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The plan is to ship the reactor by barge from California about 11,000 miles around the southern tip of South America to Charleston. The trip is expected to take about three months. From Charleston, a special train will take the reactor about 90 miles inland to a nuclear waste site in Barnwell. The Navy had been reluctant to allow terminal operator to handle the reactor because the land was set to be transferred to the company. The Navy wanted to complete the transfer, so the company would accept all liability for the shipment, said Navy spokesman Jim Beltz. Last week, an Argentine judge banned the reactor from passing within 200 miles of that country's coastline. Although international conventions recognize territorial waters as extending 12 miles from the shoreline, nations such as Chile and Argentina claim a larger zone to protect marine resources. "It's not a zone of sovereignty," said Jon Van Dyke, an international and ocean law professor at the University of Hawaii. "Ships should be allowed to go through the 200-mile zone. The U.S. insists that cargo can pass through without any interference." Argentina could deploy its military to force the barge farther out to sea. Chile has a law banning nuclear shipments within 200 miles of its coast. ***************************************************************** 21 Brattleboro Reformer: Petitions pepper Brattleboro ballot January 23, 2004 Brattleboro, VT By DANIEL BARLOW Reformer Staff BRATTLEBORO -- Non-binding questions regarding the shutdown of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, radio free brattleboro's community support, a civilian review board for the police department and a statewide universal health-care system will be on the March 2 ballot in town. Petitions for all four questions were turned in before the deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday and each had the sufficient number of voter signatures, according to Town Clerk Annette Cappy. The question concerning the power plant was organized by members of Nuclear Free Vermont in 2012. Officials from Vermont Yankee have said they plan to apply for a license extension to keep the plant open past 2012. The article question asks, "Shall the voters of Brattleboro direct our elected officials to begin now to prepare for the closing of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee when its operating license expires in 2012, by developing strategies for re-employment of displaced workers and replacement sources for electricity?" The question to gauge the community's support for rfb, an unlicensed, 10-watt radio station under threat of shutdown by the Federal Communications Commission, is slated to be part of the station's legal defense, according to one of the station's attorneys. The question asks, "Shall the voters of Brattleboro give to radio free brattleboro (rfb) authority to broadcast until such a time that a Low-Power FM license is issued to radio free brattleboro or to another non-profit, locally-based, community group which is prepared to offer to the Town of Brattleboro diverse, all-access, non-commercial, community radio?" The rfb question barely had enough signatures to get on the ballot, said Cappy. After checking the validity of all the names, the total came to 434 signatures; 433 -- or 5 percent of the town's voter list -- was the minimum needed. The question concerning civilian review boards asks, "Are you in favor of the Brattleboro Civilian Police Board under the guidance of the town government, with the goal to provide consistent feedback between police and community, provide an independent means to mediate disputes between community and police, and to foster community safety?" Brattleboro Police Chief John Martin, Town Manager Jerry Remillard and Selectboard Chairman Greg Worden have said they do not support such a board for the town's police department. Backers of the proposal say such a board will make the department's policies more transparent and will help bridge the gap between officers and members of the community. That petition barely obtained the required number of voter signatures, according to Cappy. After the signatures were double-checked, the petition has exactly the amount needed to get on the ballot -- 433. The question concerning universal health care was organized by local members of the Vermont Citizens Campaign for Health -- an advocacy group pushing for a change in the state's health-care system. The ballot question asks," Whereas the rising cost of health insurance is placing an increasingly unsupportable burden on town and school budgets, the voters of the town of Brattleboro call upon the selectboard, the governor and the state Legislature to support and actively work for the creation of a universal and comprehensive health insurance system which is publicly financed and accountable to the citizens of Vermont, and which will reduce costs by eliminating most current administrative expenses." Last year there were four petitioned articles voted on in Brattleboro. The questions concerned the labeling of genetically-modified foods and seeds, renewable energy, the affirmation of residents' civil rights and one asking the state Legislature to bar the relicensing of Vermont Yankee in 2012. The Vermont Yankee question was the only of the four to not gain voter support. ***************************************************************** 22 EnergyPulse: Improving our Nuclear Power Plants 1.23.04 During the last few years three trends have emerged in the nuclear power production industry that are beginning to shape the future. The first trend is the significant increase in production at nuclear power plants. This has occurred thanks to a change in the regulatory environment of the power industry, and to an increased financial drive to sell more power while keeping production costs down. This increased financial drive has led to a search for better ways to manage the cost and duration of planned outages without sacrificing safety, through routes such as new, less expensive maintenance and repair procedures. As such procedures are becoming the norm, especially those related to safety or increasing productivity in the nuclear power industry, the ability to continue to significantly increase nuclear power is tapering off. Extending reactor life – a new trend A new question we have been hearing more frequently lately reveals the second trend emerging in the industry. This question is “How can we extend the functional lives of the current reactors so they will continue to be a valuable source of cost efficient power for the years to come?” The majority of nuclear power plants around the world were built to last 25 to 35 years, during the 1970s and 1980s. Clearly we are reaching a critical point where we must decide to update or replace them. While in a small number of cases the plants are being decommissioned (approximately 10 percent), in the rest of the cases the operators are looking for new approaches to extend the lives of their reactors and plants 15 to 25 more years. Updating challenges While updating the plants makes sense both fiscally and practically (especially in countries that have little natural power generation resources), there are many challenges. Reactors with complex and compact designs have been difficult to access and inspect, leading to challenges as we look to extend their lives. For example, they must be inspected for aging-related problems such as tiny metal cracks or fissures. If these things are found, the areas where these problems are located must be repaired, removed and or replaced. Before regulatory organizations and the public approve extended plant operating life, with no sacrifice to our society’s safety, these challenges must be faced and overcome. The many advantages to our society of being able to safely and cost effectively operate these power plants for another 15 to 25 years are tremendous. Therefore, we see this emerging trend as one that will significantly increase in the coming years. In fact, currently firms around the world are in the process of inspecting these reactors in some cases even sending cameras underwater to evaluate these issues. The next most important step is to find permanent, practical solutions for extending reactor life. The solutions we develop must also continue to minimize down time, an extra day of which can translate into as much as $1 million in lost revenue. These two trends represent an exciting opportunity for the nuclear power industry, one which we firmly believe will be met with cost effective and interesting approaches that continue to match or exceed the trend to minimize planned maintenance duration, and at least maintain capacity (such as in the case of reactors at risk for being shut down). Already we have been part of developing approaches to inspect and repair problems in a few reactors around the world. By this time next year we anticipate that work to have been multiplied significantly, as more solutions are developed to address all of the challenges discussed at more plants as they continue to age. Building more reactors, another new trend Just now emerging is the idea of building new operating plants. This idea was unheard of 10 to 20 years ago. This third trend comes because our society has re-evaluated its view of nuclear power, including its safety, its complete environmental impact versus alternative power generation processes, and the recognition that conservation cannot by itself meet the world’s increasing needs for power. This trend to re-examine society’s current belief systems about the safety of nuclear power compared to other less environmentally favorable power generation methods, holds the most potential for new and exciting technology and growth improvement prospects for the energy industry. [Get Copyright Clearance] Copyright 2004 CyberTech, Inc. Want ***************************************************************** 23 [NukeNet] asbury park press- close oyster cracky; 8th town Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 19:54:31 -0800 two articles in the APP http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,892762,00.html for safety's sake, nuclear 'rust bucket' should be mothballed Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/22/04 By SUZANNE LETA and BOB ANSTETT Imagine driving a 1969 diesel truck day in and day out, seven days a week, 365 days a year, for 35 years. The metal rusts, the muffler goes out, the starter stops and the years of soot in your lungs have given you cancer. The idea of the engine going out in the middle of a busy highway is enough to make your head spin. Like a truck that will soon die of age and overuse, the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Lacey is an old and dangerous operation. The plant is quickly approaching its 35th birthday this August, but it is no cause for celebration. Oyster Creek is the oldest operating nuclear power plant in the country. The plant's reactor design also has dangerous shortcomings. In 1972, more than 30 years ago, the Atomic Energy Commission prohibited the construction of any new plants with the same design. The commission was especially concerned about a particular design flaw that remains a serious danger to communities today. In the case of an accident, the public would be exposed to large amounts of high-pressure, highly radioactive steam in order to prevent a meltdown within the reactor itself. Oyster Creek's current operating license is set to end in 2009. Even this retirement date is beyond its lifetime, as the plant was originally licensed to operate a maximum of 35 years. Exelon Corp., the parent company of AmerGen, will likely submit an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requesting a license extension of 20 years. The application is due this April. The NRC has a long history of overlooking significant safety problems and rubber-stamping license extensions. This year, government reports found significant flaws in NRC regulation. For example, structural cracks were found at plants in South Carolina and Arkansas after the NRC granted both plants 20-year license extensions, and the agency barely missed serious corrosion at the Davis-Besse plant in Ohio. Simply put, if we trust NRC inspections, we're running the risk of having a 60-year-old rust bucket of a nuclear reactor sitting right in our back yards. Retiring Oyster Creek will have a positive impact on the community. According to the state Department of Treasury, Lacey will continue to receive the same $11.5 million in energy tax subsidies after the plant is retired. Many Oyster Creek employees will continue employment, as a large and experienced work force will be needed during the years-long decommissioning process. Oyster Creek's energy production can be easily replaced by clean, safe and renewable energy alternatives already in development. This year, the McGreevey administration established rules requiring 4 percent of the state's energy production to come from renewable sources by 2008. Renewable energy production will not only replace old and dangerous plants like Oyster Creek, but will also provide new job markets in the coming years. The benefits of retiring Oyster Creek are clear. The accumulation of nuclear waste will finally cease. Environmental impacts such as fish kills will no longer be a threat to our state's marine life. Our energy production will be replaced with clean and renewable sources. And most importantly, a menacing risk to the safety of New Jersey residents will be erased. Retiring an aging plant rather than allowing it to continue operating for 60 years is the best form of emergency preparedness. Unfortunately, the NRC and Exelon will likely ignore the facts and support a 20-year license extension without due consideration of serious public health and safety concerns. We cannot depend on corporate executives and agency officials in Washington to make the right decisions about New Jersey's future. New Jersey leaders, especially Gov. McGreevey and our U.S. senators, must start to voice opposition to the plant's continued operation. Just like an old and sputtering truck in the fast lane on the Garden State Parkway, Oyster Creek's time is up. It is the responsibility of state officials to stand up for the safety of the community and oppose the continued operation of aging and dangerous plants. New Jerseyans don't want a cracking, corroding 60-year-old nuclear reactor pumping away in their back yards and they don't need it. Suzanne Leta is energy associate for New Jersey Public Interest Research Group. Bob Anstett is president of Citizens Conservation Council of New Jersey. Go Back | Subscribe to the Asbury Park Press http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,892408,00.html Island Heights urges federal scrutiny of nuclear power plant Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/22/04 By NICHOLAS CLUNN MANAHAWKIN BUREAU ISLAND HEIGHTS -- The borough has become the eighth Shore area town to ask state and federal officials to take a closer look at the future of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey. Tuesday, the borough urged the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to close the Route 9 plant when its operating license expires in 2009, Borough Councilman John Bendel said in a telephone interview. "At it's core, nuclear energy is dangerous," he said. "We've so far been very lucky." Plant owner AmerGen has until April to decide whether to extend the plant's life for another 20 years beyond the original operating period. The resolution also urged the state and public and private agencies to ensure adequate and reliable power delivery without Oyster Creek. Berkeley and Waretown have passed resolutions calling for the plant's immediate shutdown. Go Back | Subscribe to the Asbury Park Press -- Coalition for Peace and Justice (http://www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.org); and the UNPLUG Salem Campaign (http://www.unplugsalem.org); 321 Barr Ave., Linwood, NJ 08221; 609-601-8583/37; ncohen12@comcast.net. The Coalition for Peace and Justice is a chapter of Peace Action (http://www.peace-action.org). "You can say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" (Lennon). "Don't be late for your life" (Mary Chapin Carpenter). _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings at: http://chrome.nocdirect.com/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 24 TheOmahaChannel: Cooper Nuclear Rated 'Poorest' Facility In Nation TheOmahaChannel.com KETV 7 Federal Agency Disagrees With Progress At Cooper Station UPDATED: 2:45 PM CST January 23, 2004 BROWNVILLE, Neb. -- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials again grilled management of Nebraska Public Power District's Cooper Nuclear Station over improvements the agency wants to see at the Brownville plant. The NRC has given Cooper a rating as its poorest functioning nuclear power facility in the nation. In a public meeting Thursday night, the NRC's Kriss Kennedy said human performance error rate has improved, but it is still not satisfactory. Kennedy also notes error-free days have increased, but are still not where they need to be. Stu Minahan, acting site vice president, however, defended Cooper improvements. He said there has been clear improvement in the last seven to eight months and significant improvement in the last three to four. Minahan says the utility is not declaring victory but it is impressed with the seriousness of its staff to make the necessary changes. NPPD has a March 31 deadline to have its operations on par with federal guidelines. Copyright 2004 by TheOmahaChannel.com. The Associated Press © 2004, Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. ***************************************************************** 25 Asia Times: Diplomacy in the DPRK By Tom Tobback Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing. On the first anniversary of North Korea's withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (January 10, 2003), there are few reasons to be optimistic about a solution to the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang has vowed to further build up its military force while claiming to be in favor of a negotiated peaceful resolution and, in fact, Washington is doing exactly the same. As Russia's deputy foreign minister, Alexander Losyukov, put it two weeks ago, "mistrust and excessive demands on each other" by the United States and North Korea are the reasons for the continuing delay of the second round of six-way talks. As a sign of frustration, South Korean foreign minister Yoon Young-kwan - before he had to resign last week - admitted he was hoping the talks could be held in the first half of this year. South Korea, Russia, and Japan seem to be less and less involved in the preparations for the talks; the conditions are set in Pyongyang and Washington, and both think they have Beijing on their side. Seoul and Tokyo are kept in the loop to foot the bill if economic assistance is ever going to be provided, as they did for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization project, supplying light water reactors to North Korea. [The North was to give stop using graphite reactors that can produce plutonium used in nuclear warheads. The light water reactors project has been suspended.] Japan and South Korea have paid a total of US$1.3 billion, or 70 percent of the total, while the US with only 21 percent seems to be firmly in charge of the consortium. After the US hinted it was willing to provide security assurances, North Korea specified its additional demands in exchange for refreezing the Yongbyon plutonium facilities. In fact these demands are similar to what Pyongyang should have gotten out of the Agreed Framework of 1994: remove the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from the US list of sponsors of terrorism; lift political, economic and military sanctions against the country and supply heavy oil and other energy resources to the DPRK. The US will not accept a mere freeze of Yongbyon; it is prepared to provide security assurances, but only in return for a DPRK promise to dismantle all of its nuclear facilities, irreversibly, because as US Secretary of State Colin Powell says, "We do not want to see this movie again." Over the last few weeks, there has been intensive diplomacy to come to an agreement on the scope of the first step to be taken by both sides. The DPRK has been demanding such a pre-talks agreement because it does not want to participate in a useless talking session, like the first round of six-party talks back in August. As it looks extremely unlikely that the US will offer any economic assistance or improved political relations in addition to a security guarantee in this first phase, the talks will not easily materialize. Another issue that will inevitably complicate negotiations is the alleged DPRK uranium enrichment program, which was in fact the trigger of the current crisis. The US will of course want to include this program in a DPRK promise to end its nuclear activities, but some weeks ago it became clear that even China is not convinced the DPRK actually has such a uranium program. Chinese officials reportedly said the US government briefing provided to them, after the return of a US delegation from North Korea, had not been sufficient to convince Beijing that the DPRK had such a program. In the current climate, no country will indeed easily accept US intelligence on the existence of WMD facilities in an axis-of-evil member country. Referring to Libya, the DPRK Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the US should not expect Pyongyang to follow the example and renounce its weapons. The Workers' Party newspaper recently argued Iraq made a big mistake accepting the weapons inspections and not preparing for war. How an international inspection mechanism beyond the Yongbyon facilities will ever work in the DPRK remains a key question. Indeed as UN inspector Hans Blix noticed, it is hard to prove that something does not exist. If the US insists on nationwide inspections while the DPRK continues to deny having a uranium program, negotiations will get stuck, and the Kim dynasty will remain in war-mode as it has been since it established the DPRK 55 years ago. In that case the imperialist threat might well become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tom Tobback is the creator and editor of Pyongyang Square, a website dedicated to providing independent information on North Korea. Online may be republished in any form without written Online, 4305 Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Rd, ***************************************************************** 26 APP.COM: For safety's sake, nuclear 'rust bucket' should be mothballed Asbury Park Press Online Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/22/04 By SUZANNE LETA and BOB ANSTETT Imagine driving a 1969 diesel truck day in and day out, seven days a week, 365 days a year, for 35 years. The metal rusts, the muffler goes out, the starter stops and the years of soot in your lungs have given you cancer. The idea of the engine going out in the middle of a busy highway is enough to make your head spin. Like a truck that will soon die of age and overuse, the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Lacey is an old and dangerous operation. The plant is quickly approaching its 35th birthday this August, but it is no cause for celebration. Oyster Creek is the oldest operating nuclear power plant in the country. The plant's reactor design also has dangerous shortcomings. In 1972, more than 30 years ago, the Atomic Energy Commission prohibited the construction of any new plants with the same design. The commission was especially concerned about a particular design flaw that remains a serious danger to communities today. In the case of an accident, the public would be exposed to large amounts of high-pressure, highly radioactive steam in order to prevent a meltdown within the reactor itself. Oyster Creek's current operating license is set to end in 2009. Even this retirement date is beyond its lifetime, as the plant was originally licensed to operate a maximum of 35 years. Exelon Corp., the parent company of AmerGen, will likely submit an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requesting a license extension of 20 years. The application is due this April. The NRC has a long history of overlooking significant safety problems and rubber-stamping license extensions. This year, government reports found significant flaws in NRC regulation. For example, structural cracks were found at plants in South Carolina and Arkansas after the NRC granted both plants 20-year license extensions, and the agency barely missed serious corrosion at the Davis-Besse plant in Ohio. Simply put, if we trust NRC inspections, we're running the risk of having a 60-year-old rust bucket of a nuclear reactor sitting right in our back yards. Retiring Oyster Creek will have a positive impact on the community. According to the state Department of Treasury, Lacey will continue to receive the same $11.5 million in energy tax subsidies after the plant is retired. Many Oyster Creek employees will continue employment, as a large and experienced work force will be needed during the years-long decommissioning process. Oyster Creek's energy production can be easily replaced by clean, safe and renewable energy alternatives already in development. This year, the McGreevey administration established rules requiring 4 percent of the state's energy production to come from renewable sources by 2008. Renewable energy production will not only replace old and dangerous plants like Oyster Creek, but will also provide new job markets in the coming years. The benefits of retiring Oyster Creek are clear. The accumulation of nuclear waste will finally cease. Environmental impacts such as fish kills will no longer be a threat to our state's marine life. Our energy production will be replaced with clean and renewable sources. And most importantly, a menacing risk to the safety of New Jersey residents will be erased. Retiring an aging plant rather than allowing it to continue operating for 60 years is the best form of emergency preparedness. Unfortunately, the NRC and Exelon will likely ignore the facts and support a 20-year license extension without due consideration of serious public health and safety concerns. We cannot depend on corporate executives and agency officials in Washington to make the right decisions about New Jersey's future. New Jersey leaders, especially Gov. McGreevey and our U.S. senators, must start to voice opposition to the plant's continued operation. Just like an old and sputtering truck in the fast lane on the Garden State Parkway, Oyster Creek's time is up. It is the responsibility of state officials to stand up for the safety of the community and oppose the continued operation of aging and dangerous plants. New Jerseyans don't want a cracking, corroding 60-year-old nuclear reactor pumping away in their back yards and they don't need it. Suzanne Leta is energy associate for New Jersey Public Interest Research Group. Bob Anstett is president of Citizens Conservation Council of New Jersey. ***************************************************************** 27 News Press: Nuclear plant’s problems persist Friday, January 23, 2004 By SCOTT LAUCK BROWNVILLE, Neb. — Nearly a year after federal regulators officially put the Cooper Nuclear Power Station on notice, officials still are working against a fast-approaching deadline to bring the plant up to spec. At a public meeting Thursday night in Brownville, members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission discussed a recent inspection of the plant. It was the fourth such inspection since the commission issued a letter on Jan. 30, 2003, which specified the items that must be addressed. The Nebraska Public Power District, which owns the plant, has until March 31 to fix its problems. It will be inspected at least three more times before the commission signs off on it. In April 2002, the commission gave the Cooper station one of the lowest safety ratings in the country, citing problems with the plant’s emergency preparedness. Its rating is the lowest a plant can receive and continue to operate. Although regulators say the plant is safe, they cite problems with the training and performance of the plant’s workers and management. On Thursday, many of those areas remain problematic. In particular, regulators noted two fires that occurred in October as signs that there still are flaws in the plant’s system. “From those events, there’s a number of lessons that need to be learned,” said Art Howell, director of the commission’s reactor projects division. On Oct. 16, an oil fire broke out around a bearing in the plant’s high-pressure turbine. On Oct. 28, a high-voltage power pole caught fire in the plant’s switchyard. Neither fire caused injuries, although the second fire required the plant to shut down for four days. Stu Minahan, acting site vice president for the plant, agreed that more must be done. However, he highlighted improvements the plant has made in recent months that he said put it more in line with industry standards. “Our position and our genuine feeling is that behavior is changing on site,” he said. Members of the commission said they have seen less progress than plant officials are claiming. “You say there’s clear improvement in human performance,” said Kriss Kennedy, a reactor division branch chief. “We don’t agree.” Victor Dricks, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said such disagreements aren’t unusual at this stage of inspections and noted that the plant seems to be making progress. “It takes a lot of work to bring about the kind of changes we’d like to see,” he said. Content ©2004, The News-Press, St. Joseph, Missouri ©1998-2004 , All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 28 NRC: Public Meeting February 5 on License Renewal Application for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 News Release - Region II - 2004-00 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II No. II-04-003 January 22, 2004 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov public meeting on February 5 in Decatur, Alabama, to discuss how the agency will review the application submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority to renew the operating licenses for the Browns Ferry Plant, Units 1, 2 & 3. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., at Calhoun Community College, Aerospace Technology Building Auditorium, 6250 US Highway 31 North, Decatur, Alabama. Members of the public are invited to ask questions on the NRCs license renewal review process. The purpose of the meeting is for the NRC staff to provide information on how the license renewal process works and how the public can participate in this process. The NRC received the license renewal application for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant from the Tennessee Valley Authority on January 6. The license renewal application is available on the agencys Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html by entering accession number ML040060355. Help in using the online document library is available by contacting the NRC Public Document Room staff at 301-415-4737 or 800-397-4209, or by sending an electronic message to pdr@nrc.gov. In addition, copies of the license renewal application are available at the Athens-Limestone Public Library, at 405 E. South Street, Athens, Alabama. Last revised Friday, January 23, 2004 ***************************************************************** 29 amarillo.com: Tape repair not recommended for nukes 01/23/04 [Amarillo Globe News] Tape was not enough to fix a cracked high explosive at Pantex. Or at least that's what one federal agency is saying.--> Web-posted Friday, January 23, 2004 By BETH WILSON beth.wilson@amarillo.com The Amarillo Globe-News Or at least that's what one federal agency is saying. A cracked high explosive that was taped and moved, among other things, has set off an internal review and an investigation by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The board sent a letter dated Tuesday to the Department of Energy. Pantex received the letter the same day, said Pantex spokesman Jud Simmons. Simmons said the incident happened Jan. 8 and involved "several" technicians removing high explosives from a plutonium pit. He released a half-page statement regarding the situation. John T. Conway, chairman of the safety board, said the incident was reported to the board by site representatives. In a written statement, Pantex officials said technicians followed proper procedures and placed the material in a "safe and stable configuration" when further cracking was noticed, the statement said. Conway, reached in Washington, D.C., said he'd let the two-page letter speak to the seriousness of the incident and the course of the investigation. The safety board letter outlines the incident and requests a comprehensive report analyzing failures in procedure and solutions within 30 days. Pantex has halted operations with the weapons system involved and will address the safety board's concerns in the requested report, the statement said. According to the safety board letter: + The crack occurred during a weapon dismantlement. + It increased the chance of dropping all or part of the explosive, "And hence increased the potential for a violent reaction." + Taping and moving the cracked explosive was not the right response to the situation. + The developer of the explosive appears not to have been contacted about its potential hazard when damaged. + No cautionary note was given to technicians about the condition of the explosive or the chance of dropping it. On The Net: + The safety board letter is posted online at www.deprep.org/2004/FB04J20A.doc The final paragraph of the letter says the response of technicians "as they saw unexpected behavior of the explosive provided the only effective barrier preventing a drop of explosives with potentially unacceptable consequences." It then says the failures preceding those actions raise questions about the effectiveness of measures to ensure safe nuclear explosives operations. According to Pantex's written statement: + Cracking of explosives is not a frequent occurrence, but "it is a potential condition of high explosives." + "Safe control of all components and materials was maintained at all times." + There were no injuries or damage to the plant. + A comprehensive review of this dismantlement process has begun. BWXT Pantex manages the plant for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. ***************************************************************** 30 PRNews: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Accepts License Application ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Louisiana Energy Services (LES) today announced the acceptance of its license application for detail review by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the construction and operation of the National Enrichment Facility (NEF), a uranium enrichment plant to be located in Southeast New Mexico. "We are very excited about the acceptance of the license application by the NRC," said LES President, Jim Ferland. "We have made it this far thanks to the strong support from the citizens of Lea County and look forward to the NRC review process." The documents making up the application cover: 1) an analysis of the safety of the design, construction, and operation of the proposed facility; 2) the impact on the environment, including traffic, housing, and schools, of building and operating the facility; 3) the coordination with state and local emergency agencies; and 4) the steps taken to maintain the site, facility, equipment, and information secure from potential threats or diversion of material. LES expects the NRC to spend about 18 to 20 months reviewing the application, including holding public meetings in the Lea County area and collecting feedback from residents on the impact of the proposed facility on the community. The NRC will also hold public hearings to address safety and environmental concerns. When approved, the NEF will introduce the world's most advanced uranium enrichment technology into the U.S. and provide an alternative, domestic enrichment supply source to U.S. nuclear energy companies. LES is a partnership of major nuclear energy companies. Partners include Urenco, Westinghouse and U.S. energy companies Duke Power, Entergy and Exelon. At a ceremony in early September featuring New Mexico representatives including U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, Governor Bill Richardson, Congressman Steve Pearce and numerous other state and local officials, LES announced its plan to build the NEF 5 miles east of Eunice, New Mexico. SOURCE Louisiana Energy Services Copyright © 1996-2004 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights ***************************************************************** 31 NRC: NRC Makes License Renewal Application Available for the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant News Release - 2004-01 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 04-011 January 23, 2004 public copies of an application for a 20-year renewal of the operating licenses for Units 2 and 3 at the Millstone nuclear power plant. Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. submitted the application on January 22. The Millstone plant is located in Waterford, Connecticut, and the current operating licenses for Units 2 and 3 expire on July 31, 2015, and November 25, 2025, respectively. A copy of the application is available on the NRC web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati ons/millstone.html. In addition, copies of the license renewal application will be available at the Waterford Public Library at 49 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, and at Three Rivers Community College, Thames River Campus, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich, Connecticut. The NRC staff is currently reviewing the application to determine whether it contains enough information to begin the required formal review. If the application has sufficient information, the NRC will formally docket, or file, the application and will announce an opportunity to request a hearing. Last revised Friday, January 23, 2004 ***************************************************************** 32 NRC: Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates; Availability of FR Doc 04-1414 [Federal Register: January 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 15)] [Notices] [Page 3400-3401] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23ja04-98] Review Standard AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ACTION: Notice of Issuance of Review Standard. SUMMARY: The NRC is announcing the availability of Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Review Standard (RS)-001, Revision 0, ``Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates,'' dated December 2003. RS-001, Revision 0, fully addressed the public comments received on the draft version of RS-001. This document is available for public inspection (1) at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, (2) from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, , using the Accession No. ML033640024, and (3) at the NRC's Web site, [[Page 3401]] reactors/operating/licensing/power-uprates.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems accessing the document in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1- 800-397-4209, (301) 415-4737, or by e-mail to . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mohammed A. Shuaibi, Senior Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate III, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, and Anthony C. McMurtray, Senior Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate III, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Mr. Shuaibi may be reached by telephone at (301) 415-2859 or e-mail at . Mr. McMurtray may be reached by telephone at (301) 415-4106 or e-mail at . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The process of increasing the licensed power level at a commercial nuclear power plant is called a ``power uprate.'' Power uprates can be classified into three categories based on the magnitude of the power increase and the methods used to achieve the increase. Measurement uncertainty recapture power uprates result in power level increases that are less than 2 percent and are achieved by implementing enhanced techniques for calculating reactor power. Stretch power uprates typically result in power level increases that are up to 7 percent and do not generally involve major plant modifications. Extended power uprates (EPUs) result in power level increases that are greater than stretch power uprates, have been approved for increases as high as 20 percent, and usually require significant modifications to major plant equipment. RS-001 is applicable to EPUs. RS-001 establishes standardized review guidance for the staff's reviews of EPU applications to enhance the consistency, quality, and completeness of the reviews. It serves as a tool for the staff's use when processing EPU applications in that it provides detailed references to various NRC documents containing specific information related to the areas of review. RS-001 also makes available to licensees the guidance used by the staff for reviewing and accepting EPU applications. Making this information available should help licensees prepare complete EPU applications that address the topics needed for the NRC staff's review. By addressing the areas in the review standard, a licensee could minimize the NRC staff's need for requests for additional information and thereby improve the efficiency of the staff's review. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of January, 2004. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Ledyard B. Marsh, Director, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 04-1414 Filed 1-22-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 33 [du-list] Peer urges end to veteran pension disputes Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 19:54:36 -0800 Peer urges end to pension disputes David Hencke, Westminster correspondent Friday January 23, 2004 The Guardian Lord Bramall, the chief of the defence staff during the Falklands war, called yesterday for the government to end its "haggling" and pay proper war pensions to thousands of veterans suffering Gulf war syndrome. His intervention came as the government again rejected the call for a full public inquiry into why thousands of troops who were given a cocktail of vaccines during the first Gulf war in 1991 became ill. He was being pressed by Lord Morris of Manchester, a former Labour minister for the disabled, to hold an inquiry after the disabled war widow of Major Ian Hill revealed that Tony Blair had pledged a full inquiry when he met her dying husband in 1996. A coroner ruled that Maj Hill, 54, had died "from natural causes, to which service as part of the 1991 Gulf campaign contributed". This ruling was seen by veterans' organisations as a landmark case. It is the first time a coroner has linked the syndrome - which the Ministry of Defence claims does not exist - to the death of a war veteran. Maj Hill, a retired officer with 20 years' experience as a field nurse, volunteered for the Gulf after learning of the desperate shortage of medically-trained personnel. Before flying out, he was given a "startling cornucopia" of injections. After a dramatic deterioration in his health in the next 10 years, Maj Hill, a founder of the National Gulf War Veterans' and Families' Association, died in March 2001. Lord Morris told peers: "It is shaming there was so much haggling over this courageous man's case even while he was terminally ill, regardless of its distressing effects on his disabled wife and his daughter." Lord Bach, a junior defence spokesman, told peers: "The code of practice on access to government information does prevent me from disclosing any actual pension paid to the widow, as this is of a private and personal nature. But I can say that war widows' pensions are paid where death is deemed to be due to service, and the widow has only to raise a reasonable doubt for claims to succeed." Lord Bramall pressed him to end the haggling: "Given the evidence [about Gulf war syndrome], would it not now be better if the Ministry of Defence automatically paid pensions to veterans and their widows?" Lord Bach said that this could only be done on a case by case basis. http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,11816,1129547,00.html ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 34 [du-list] Analysis Shows Exposure To DU In Gulf Vets Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 19:54:37 -0800 Source: University Of California Santa Cruz Date: 2004-01-22 Isotope Analysis Shows Exposure To Depleted Uranium In Gulf War Veterans U.S. veterans who were exposed to depleted uranium during the 1991 Gulf War have continued to excrete the potentially harmful chemical in their urine for years after their exposure, according to a new study published in the journal Health Physics. The study indicates that soldiers may absorb depleted uranium particles through inhalation, ingestion, or wound contamination, said Roberto Gwiazda, an environmental toxicologist at UC Santa Cruz and lead author of the study. Fine particles of depleted uranium are created when munitions made with the material strike a target. The new study did not address the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium, a subject of ongoing debate, but focused on a technique for detecting past exposure. Low concentrations of uranium in the urine are normal due to ingestion of naturally occuring uranium in food and water. Depleted uranium is a by-product of the enrichment process used to make nuclear fuel, in which one isotope of uranium (235U) is extracted, leaving behind material depleted in that isotope. Depleted uranium is still weakly radioactive and, like other heavy metals, can be toxic in high doses. Because of its high density and other properties, it has been used in armor-piercing ammunition and in armor for fighting vehicles. Gwiazda and Donald Smith, professor of environmental toxicology, developed a sensitive analytical technique to detect depleted uranium in urine samples. By measuring the relative abundances of different isotopes of uranium in the urine samples, the researchers were able to distinguish between natural and depleted uranium. "This is the only unambiguous way to determine past exposure and uptake of depleted uranium," Gwiazda said. The analysis of samples from Gulf War veterans was performed in collaboration with the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Depleted Uranium Follow-up Program, which is assessing, treating, and monitoring veterans who may have been exposed to depleted uranium during the war. The researchers applied their technique to three different groups of Gulf War veterans. The first group of soldiers had shrapnel in their bodies as a result of "friendly fire" incidents in which their tanks or armored vehicles were hit by munitions containing depleted uranium. The second group consisted of soldiers who did not have shrapnel in them but were involved in the friendly fire incidents to different degrees, either because they were in the vehicles that were hit or because they participated in recovery operations. The third group was a reference group and consisted of soldiers who participated in the war but not in combat operations. As expected, the soldiers with embedded shrapnel had high concentrations of uranium in their urine, and the isotope analysis showed that it was depleted uranium, presumably being released into their bodies from the shrapnel. A more striking finding was the presence of depleted uranium in the urine of a significant number of soldiers in the second group, without embedded shrapnel but with potential exposure through inhalation, ingestion, or wound contamination. The uranium concentrations detected in this group were, on average, six times higher than in the reference group, but were still within the normal range for the U.S. population. Nevertheless, Gwiazda said, it was remarkable that the signature of depleted uranium could still be detected so many years after the exposure. "These samples were taken six to eight years later," he said. The Veterans Affairs (VA) monitoring program has not reported any findings of clinically significant health effects related to exposure to depleted uranium, even in the highly exposed soldiers with embedded shrapnel. Any health effects of exposure to depleted uranium may not be detectable without studying a large number of exposed individuals. The technique developed at UCSC could be used to screen a large number of people to identify those with past exposure to depleted uranium. In addition to possible health effects in soldiers exposed during combat, concerns about depleted uranium include environmental contamination of battlefield sites. Civilian populations may be exposed through contact with depleted uranium fragments and dust left in the soil or with contaminated military equipment left behind after a conflict. "We don't know if that kind of exposure will have any health effects. But now we have a technique that enables us to detect past exposure to depleted uranium," Gwiazda said. The paper was published in the January issue of Health Physics. The authors include Katherine Squibb and Melissa McDiarmid of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in addition to Gwiazda and Smith. This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University Of California Santa Cruz. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040122090433.htm -- Hold the door for the stranger behind you. When the driver in the adjacent lane signals to get over, slow down. Smile and say "hi" to the folks you pass on the sidewalk. Give blood. Volunteer. _________________________________________________________________ Get a FREE online virus check for your PC here, from McAfee. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 35 Evening Times: Making radiation hazards fun Germantown News Friday, January 23, 2004 By Jennifer Swain Evening Times Staff Writer "Well, that was kind of fun!" That comment from Kay Rhodes with the Horseshoe Lake Fire Department was not the typical comment you expect to hear after a training class, especially one dedicated to a topic that normally is a snooze for emergency responders - radiological/nuclear hazards awareness. However, a three-day class last week at West Memphis Utilities brought in by the Local Emergency Planning Commission, proved both interesting and educational. The class was sponsored by the Office for Domestic Preparedness and taught by Jan DiLorenzo, a scientist and member of the Counter-Terrorism Operations Support team at the Bechtel Nevada nuclear testing site. "I had one of the guys say, 'I hate to admit this, but I've never stayed awake all day in a class.' I took that as the greatest compliment," said DiLorenzo. "Most instructors seem to think that a class can't be educational and fun. I've spend years telling the people I work with, hey, people learn more if they're having a good time." Div. Chief Tim McNeely said the course was both worthwhile and entertaining. "I have to say it's the best class I've taken in a long time, and I've taken quite a few courses," he said. The course teaches emergency responders to define the fundamentals of radiation and related topics, to describe the indicators and symptoms of exposure to radiation, to recognize the presence of radiological materials and communicate the need for more resources during a radiological event, and how to describe the threat of nuclear/radiological weapons and the threat of weapons of mass destruction and their impact on a community. The six-hour course was offered Wednesday through Friday during the daytime at the Utilities building and on Wednesday evening so volunteer responders could also attend. DiLorenzo's delivery of the course material was a combination of Paula Poundstone's and Ellen DeGeneres' styles of delivery. Humor made the class pass very quickly and allowed those with little interest in science to understand the basic concepts. DiLorenzo is highly qualified to teach such a course. She began her career with the U.S. Air Force Reserve straight out of high school in Philadelphia, Pa., and served 23 days a month as a paramedic full-time flight crew member. For 12 years she worked and went to college part-time, becoming commissioned in 1989 as a public health officer. DiLorenzo holds degrees in chemistry, biology and completed her masters degree in cellular biology. Currently she is also finishing her MBA through the University of Phoenix, an online university that she said "is my only chance of finishing my degree with my work schedule." DiLorenzo came to Bechtel Nevada, which is the former site of both above- and underground testing of nuclear devices in the Unites States, in 2001 shortly after 9/11 to work in nuclear training and domestic preparedness. A member of the Counter Terrorism Operations Support team, she finds her work "never boring." "They are an incredible, dynamic, committed organization," she said. "They are just wonderful to for. We never lack direction." DiLorenzo said she will be returning to the area for a responder operations course in Memphis in March. In addition, any current 80-hour hazardous materials technician in the state can contact the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and arrange for an on-site session at Bechtel Nevada for radiological/nuclear HAZMAT tech training. ***************************************************************** 36 NRC: In the Matter of All Licensees Authorized To Manufacture or FR Doc 04-1415 [Federal Register: January 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 15)] [Notices] [Page 3397-3400] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23ja04-97] [[Page 3397]] Initially Transfer Items Containing Radioactive Material for Sale or Distribution and Possess Certain Radioactive Material of Concern and All Other Persons Who Obtain Safeguards Information Described Herein; Order Issued on November 25, 2003 Imposing Requirements for the Protection of Certain Safeguards Information (Effective Immediately) I The Licensees identified in Attachment 1 \1\ to this Order hold licenses issued in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) or an Agreement State authorizing them to manufacture or initially transfer items containing radioactive material for sale or distribution. The NRC intends to issue security Orders to certain manufacturing and distribution licensees in the near future. Orders will be issued to both NRC and Agreement State materials licensees who may possess radioactive material of concern. The Orders will require compliance with specific Additional Security Measures to enhance the security of certain radioactive materials. The NRC will issue Orders to both NRC and Agreement State Licensees under its authority to protect the common defense and security, which has not been relinquished to the Agreement States. Before issuing Orders for Additional Security Measures, the Commission seeks comments from affected licensees on the draft Additional Security Measures, Implementing Guidance, and Regulatory Issue Summary Table ``Threat Conditions and Specific Actions for Manufacturing and Distribution Licensees.'' However, the Commission has determined that these draft documents are Safeguards Information, will not be released to the public, and must be protected from unauthorized disclosure. Therefore, the Commission is imposing the requirements, as set forth in Attachment 2 of this Order, so that affected Licensees can receive these draft documents for review and comment. This Order also imposes requirements for the protection of Safeguards Information in the hands of any person,\2\ whether or not a licensee of the Commission, who produces, receives, or acquires Safeguards Information. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ Attachment 1 contains OFFICIAL USE ONLY sensitive information and will not be released to the public. \2\ Person means (1) any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, government agency other than the Commission or the Department, except that the Department shall be considered a person with respect to those facilities of the Department specified in section 202 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 1244), any State or any political subdivision of, or any political entity within a State, any foreign government or nation or any political subdivision of any such government or nation, or other entity; and (2) any legal successor, representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- II The Commission has broad statutory authority to protect and prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of Safeguards Information. Section 147 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, grants the Commission explicit authority to ``issue such orders, as necessary to prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of safeguards information * * *'' This authority extends to information concerning special nuclear material, source material, and byproduct material, as well as production and utilization facilities. Licensees and all persons who produce, receive, or acquire Safeguards Information must ensure proper handling and protection of Safeguards Information to avoid unauthorized disclosure in accordance with the specific requirements for the protection of Safeguards Information contained in Attachment 2. The Commission hereby provides notice that it intends to treat all violations of the requirements contained in Attachment 2 applicable to the handling and unauthorized disclosure of Safeguards Information as serious breaches of adequate protection of the public health and safety and the common defense and security of the United States. Access to Safeguards Information is limited to those persons who have established the need to know the information, and are considered to be trustworthy and reliable. A need to know means a determination by a person having responsibility for protecting Safeguards Information that a proposed recipient's access to Safeguards Information is necessary in the performance of official, contractual, or licensee duties of employment. Licensees and all other persons who obtain Safeguards Information must ensure that they develop, maintain and implement strict policies and procedures for the proper handling of Safeguards Information to prevent unauthorized disclosure, in accordance with the requirements in Attachment 2. All licensees must ensure that all contractors whose employees may have access to Safeguards Information either adhere to the Licensee's policies and procedures on Safeguards Information or develop, maintain and implement their own acceptable policies and procedures. The Licensees remain responsible for the conduct of their contractors. The policies and procedures necessary to ensure compliance with applicable requirements contained in Attachment 2 must address, at a minimum, the following: the general performance requirement that each person who produces, receives, or acquires Safeguards Information shall ensure that Safeguards Information is protected against unauthorized disclosure; protection of Safeguards Information at fixed sites, in use and in storage, and while in transit; correspondence containing Safeguards Information; access to Safeguards Information; preparation, marking, reproduction and destruction of documents; external transmission of documents; use of automatic data processing systems; and removal of the Safeguards Information category. In order to provide assurance that the Licensees are implementing prudent measures to achieve a consistent level of protection to prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of Safeguards Information, all Licensees who hold licenses issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or an Agreement State authorizing them to manufacture or initially transfer items containing radioactive material for sale or distribution and may possess certain radioactive material of concern shall implement the requirements identified in Attachment 2 to this Order. In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, I find that in light of the common defense and security matters identified above, which warrant the issuance of this Order, the public health, safety and interest require that this Order be effective immediately. III Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 81, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182 and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202, 10 CFR part 30, and 10 CFR part 32, it is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that all licensees identified in Attachment 1 to this order and all other persons who produce, receive, or acquire the additional security measures identified above (whether draft or final) or any related safeguards information shall comply with the requirements of Attachment 2. [[Page 3398]] IV In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, the Licensee must, and any other person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this Order, and may request a hearing on this Order, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for extension of time in which to submit an answer or request a hearing must be made in writing to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. The answer may consent to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically set forth the matters of fact and law on which the Licensee or other person adversely affected relies and the reasons as to why the Order should not have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also shall be sent to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same address, and to the Licensee if the answer or hearing request is by a person other than the Licensee. Because of possible disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it is requested that answers and requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either by means of facsimile transmission to (301) 415-1101 or by e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov and also to the Office of the General Counsel either by means of facsimile transmission to (301) 415-3725 or by e- mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. If a person other than the Licensee requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the manner in which his interest is adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d). If a hearing is requested by the Licensee or a person whose interest is adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at such hearing shall be whether this Order should be sustained. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), the Licensee may, in addition to demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the Order on the ground that the Order, including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations, or error. In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions specified in Section III above shall be final twenty (20) days from the date of this Order without further order or proceedings. If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the provisions specified in Section III shall be final when the extension expires if a hearing request has not been received. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this order. Dated this 25th of November 2003. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Martin J. Virgilio, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. Attachment 2--Modified Handling Requirements for the Protection of Certain Safeguards Information (SGI-M) General Requirement Information and material that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) determines are safeguards information must be protected from unauthorized disclosure. In order to distinguish information needing modified protection requirements from the safeguards information for reactors and fuel cycle facilities that require a higher level of protection, the term ``Safeguards Information-Modified Handling'' (SGI-M) is being used as the distinguishing marking for certain materials licensees. Each person who produces, receives, or acquires SGI-M shall ensure that it is protected against unauthorized disclosure. To meet this requirement, licensees and persons shall establish and maintain an information protection system that includes the measures specified below. Information protection procedures employed by State and local police forces are deemed to meet these requirements. Persons Subject to These Requirements Any person, whether or not a licensee of the NRC, who produces, receives, or acquires SGI-M is subject to the requirements (and sanctions) of this document. Firms and their employees that supply services or equipment to materials licensees would fall under this requirement if they possess facility SGI-M. A licensee must inform contractors and suppliers of the existence of these requirements and the need for proper protection. (See more under Conditions for Access.) State or local police units who have access to SGI-M are also subject to these requirements. However, these organizations are deemed to have adequate information protection systems. The conditions for transfer of information to a third party, i.e., need-to-know, would still apply to the police organization as would sanctions for unlawful disclosure. Again, it would be prudent for licensees who have arrangements with local police to advise them of the existence of these requirements. Criminal and Civil Sanctions The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, explicitly provides that any person, ``whether or not a licensee of the Commission, who violates any regulations adopted under this section shall be subject to the civil monetary penalties of section 234 of this Act.'' Section 147a. of the Act. Furthermore, willful violation of any regulation or order governing safeguards information is a felony subject to criminal penalties in the form of fines or imprisonment, or both. See sections 147b. and 223 of the Act. Conditions for Access Access to SGI-M beyond the initial recipients of the order will be governed by the background check requirements imposed by the order. Access to SGI-M by licensee employees, agents, or contractors must include both an appropriate need-to-know determination by the licensee, as well as a determination concerning the trustworthiness of individuals having access to the information. Employees of an organization affiliated with the licensee's company, e.g., a parent company, may be considered as employees of the licensee for access purposes. Need-to-Know Need-to-know is defined as a determination by a person having responsibility for protecting SGI-M that a proposed recipient's access to SGI-M is necessary in the performance of official, contractual, or licensee duties of employment. The recipient should be made aware that the information is SGI-M and those having access to it are subject to these requirements as well as criminal and civil sanctions for mishandling the information. [[Page 3399]] Occupational Groups Dissemination of SGI-M is limited to individuals who have an established need-to-know and who are members of certain occupational groups. These occupational groups are: (I) An employee, agent, or contractor of an applicant, a licensee, the Commission, or the United States Government; (II) A member of a duly authorized committee of the Congress; (III) The Governor of a State or his designated representative; (IV) A representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) engaged in activities associated with the U.S./IAEA Safeguards Agreement who has been certified by the NRC; (V) A member of a State or local law enforcement authority that is responsible for responding to requests for assistance during safeguards emergencies; or (VI) A person to whom disclosure is ordered pursuant to section 2.744(e) of part 2 of part 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (VII) State Radiation Control Program Directors (and State Homeland Security Directors) or their designees. In a generic sense, the individuals described above in (II) through (VII) are considered to be trustworthy by virtue of their employment status. For non-governmental individuals in group (I) above, a determination of reliability and trustworthiness is required. Discretion must be exercised in granting access to these individuals. If there is any indication that the recipient would be unwilling or unable to provide proper protection for the SGI-M, they are not authorized to receive SGI-M. Information Considered for Safeguards Information Designation Information deemed SGI-M is information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to have a significant adverse effect on the health and safety of the public or the common defense and security by significantly increasing the likelihood of theft, diversion, or sabotage of materials or facilities subject to NRC jurisdiction. SGI-M identifies safeguards information which is subject to these requirements. These requirements are necessary in order to protect quantities of nuclear material significant to the health and safety of the public or common defense and security. The overall measure for consideration of SGI-M is the usefulness of the information (security or otherwise) to an adversary in planning or attempting a malevolent act. The specificity of the information increases the likelihood that it will be useful to an adversary. Protection While in Use While in use, SGI-M shall be under the control of an authorized individual. This requirement is satisfied if the SGI-M is attended by an authorized individual even though the information is in fact not constantly being used. SGI-M, therefore, within alarm stations, continuously manned guard posts or ready rooms need not be locked in file drawers or storage containers. Under certain conditions the general control exercised over security zones or areas would be considered to meet this requirement. The primary consideration is limiting access to those who have a need- to-know. Some examples would be: Alarm stations, guard posts and guard ready rooms; Engineering or drafting areas if visitors are escorted and information is not clearly visible; Plant maintenance areas if access is restricted and information is not clearly visible; Administrative offices (e.g., central records or purchasing) if visitors are escorted and information is not clearly visible; Protection While in Storage While unattended, SGI-M shall be stored in a locked file drawer or container. Knowledge of lock combinations or access to keys protecting SGI-M shall be limited to a minimum number of personnel for operating purposes who have a ``need-to-know'' and are otherwise authorized access to SGI-M in accordance with these requirements. Access to lock combinations or keys shall be strictly controlled so as to prevent disclosure to an unauthorized individual. Transportation of Documents and Other Matter Documents containing SGI-M when transmitted outside an authorized place of use or storage shall be enclosed in two sealed envelopes or wrappers. The inner envelope or wrapper shall contain the name and address of the intended recipient, and be marked both sides, top and bottom with the words ``Safeguards Information--Modified Handling.'' The outer envelope or wrapper must be addressed to the intended recipient, must contain the address of the sender, and must not bear any markings or indication that the document contains SGI-M. SGI-M may be transported by any commercial delivery company that provides nation-wide overnight service with computer tracking features, U.S. first class, registered, express, or certified mail, or by any individual authorized access pursuant to these requirements. Within a facility, SGI-M may be transmitted using a single opaque envelope. It may also be transmitted within a facility without single or double wrapping, provided adequate measures are taken to protect the material against unauthorized disclosure. Individuals transporting SGI- M should retain the documents in their personal possession at all times or ensure that the information is appropriately wrapped and also secured to preclude compromise by an unauthorized individual. Preparation and Marking of Documents While the NRC is the sole authority for determining what specific information may be designated as ``SGI-M,'' originators of documents are responsible for determining whether those documents contain such information. Each document or other matter that contains SGI-M shall be marked ``Safeguards Information--Modified Handling'' in a conspicuous manner on the top and bottom of the first page to indicate the presence of protected information. The first page of the document must also contain (i) the name, title, and organization of the individual authorized to make a SGI-M determination, and who has determined that the document contains SGI-M, (ii) the date the document was originated or the determination made, (iii) an indication that the document contains SGI-M, and (iv) an indication that unauthorized disclosure would be subject to civil and criminal sanctions. Each additional page shall be marked in a conspicuous fashion at the top and bottom with letters denoting ``Safeguards Information--Modified Handling.'' In addition to the ``Safeguards Information--Modified Handling'' markings at the top and bottom of page, transmittal letters or memoranda which do not in themselves contain SGI-M shall be marked to indicate that attachments or enclosures contain SGI-M but that the transmittal does not (e.g., ``When separated from SGI-M enclosure(s), this document is decontrolled''). In addition to the information required on the face of the document, each item of correspondence that contains SGI-M shall, by marking or other means, clearly indicate which portions (e.g., paragraphs, pages, or appendices) contain SGI-M and which do not. Portion marking is not required [[Page 3400]] for physical security and safeguards contingency plans. All documents or other matter containing SGI-M in use or storage shall be marked in accordance with these requirements. A specific exception is provided for documents in the possession of contractors and agents of licensees that were produced more than one year prior to the effective date of the order. Such documents need not be marked unless they are removed from file drawers or containers. The same exception applies to old documents stored away from the facility in central files or corporation headquarters. Since information protection procedures employed by State and local police forces are deemed to meet NRC requirements, documents in the possession of these agencies need not be marked as set forth in this document. Removal From SGI-M Category Documents containing SGI-M shall be removed from the SGI-M category (decontrolled) only after the NRC determines that the information no longer meets the criteria of SGI-M. Licensees have the authority to make determinations that specific documents which they created no longer contain SGI-M information and may be decontrolled. Consideration must be exercised to ensure that any document decontrolled shall not disclose SGI-M in some other form or be combined with other unprotected information to disclose SGI-M. The authority to determine that a document may be decontrolled may be exercised only by, or with the permission of, the individual (or office) who made the original determination. The document should indicate the name and organization of the individual removing the document from the SGI-M category and the date of the removal. Other persons who have the document in their possession should be notified of the decontrolling of the document. Reproduction of Matter Containing SGI-M SGI-M may be reproduced to the minimum extent necessary consistent with need without permission of the originator. Newer digital copiers which scan and retain images of documents represent a potential security concern. If the copier is retaining SGI-M information in memory, the copier cannot be connected to a network. It should also be placed in a location that is cleared and controlled for the authorized processing of SGI-M information. Different copiers have different capabilities, including some which come with features that allow the memory to be erased. Each copier would have to be examined from a physical security perspective. Use of Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Systems SGI-M may be processed or produced on an ADP system provided that the system is assigned to the licensee's or contractor's facility and requires the use of an entry code/password for access to stored information. Licensees are encouraged to process this information in a computing environment that has adequate computer security controls in place to prevent unauthorized access to the information. An ADP system is defined here as a data processing system having the capability of long term storage of SGI-M. Word processors such as typewriters are not subject to the requirements as long as they do not transmit information off-site. (Note: if SGI-M is produced on a typewriter, the ribbon must be removed and stored in the same manner as other SGI-M information or media.) The basic objective of these restrictions is to prevent access and retrieval of stored SGI-M by unauthorized individuals, particularly from remote terminals. Specific files containing SGI-M will be password protected to preclude access by an unauthorized individual. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) maintains a listing of all validated encryption systems at http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/140-1/1401val.htm. SGI-M files may be transmitted over a network if the file is encrypted. In such cases, the licensee will select a commercially available encryption system that NIST has validated as conforming to Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). SGI-M files shall be properly labeled as ``Safeguards Information--Modified Handling'' and saved to removable media and stored in a locked file drawer or cabinet. Telecommunications SGI-M may not be transmitted by unprotected telecommunications circuits except under emergency or extraordinary conditions. For the purpose of this requirement, emergency or extraordinary conditions are defined as any circumstances that require immediate communications in order to report, summon assistance for, or respond to a security event (or an event that has potential security significance). This restriction applies to telephone, telegraph, teletype, facsimile circuits, and to radio. Routine telephone or radio transmission between site security personnel, or between the site and local police, should be limited to message formats or codes that do not disclose facility security features or response procedures. Similarly, call-ins during transport should not disclose information useful to a potential adversary. Infrequent or non-repetitive telephone conversations regarding a physical security plan or program are permitted provided that the discussion is general in nature. Individuals should use care when discussing SGI-M at meetings or in the presence of others to insure that the conversation is not overheard by persons not authorized access. Transcripts, tapes or minutes of meetings or hearings that contain SGI-M should be marked and protected in accordance with these requirements. Destruction Documents containing SGI-M should be destroyed when no longer needed. They may be destroyed by tearing into small pieces, burning, shredding or any other method that precludes reconstruction by means available to the public at large. Piece sizes one half inch or smaller composed of several pages or documents and thoroughly mixed would be considered completely destroyed. [FR Doc. 04-1415 Filed 1-22-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 37 chillicothe gazette: Initiative seeks local input on uranium plant Friday, January 23, 2004 The Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative wants to know what the public wants to happen to the Piketon uranium enrichment plant. The Department of Energy will be making a presentation at the meeting, and SODI will take comments from anybody in the community, said Jennifer Chandler, program coordinator for SODI. The input will be used to decide what the end use of the plant will be, and that decision will dictate the appropriate level of cleanup needed in the portions of the plant that won't be used for future uranium enrichment or DOE projects. For example, a golf course demands a different cleanup level than an industrial park, Chandler said. This meeting is the first of many, Chandler said, but once cleanup begins, it provides a dual advantage: jobs will be created to do the work, and the community is left with a clean site. Anybody in the community is welcome to attend the meeting to voice their opinions. It will take place Wednesday at The Ohio State University South Centers' large auditorium, 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. City to cover costs of sludging lagoons WAVERLY -- The sludge lagoons at Waverly's water plant escaped damage from recent flooding, but that may not good news. Because of a mandate by the Environmental Protection Agency, the lagoons have to be cleaned out every five years at a cost of about $200,000. The last time they were slated for cleaning, a flood washed over the lagoons, causing enough damage that the Federal Emergency Management Agency picked up the tab to make repairs. In doing so, they met the EPAs requirements on cleanup. But not this time. "We'll have to clean them out. It's just like normal maintenance," said water plant superintendent Jim McCourt. The looming cleanup prompted Waverly City Council to raise water rates Dec. 16 in hopes of helping McCourt's budget deal with the cost of the cleanup. The increase was small, however, costing the average user an additional 77 cents per month. Group announces photography contest The Area Agency on Aging District 7 Inc. has announced the Older Americans Month Photography Contest. The photographs should reflect the photographer's interpretation of the 2004 Older American's Month Theme: Aging Well, Living Well. Photos submitted could be used by the agency for publications and on AAA7's Web site at There will also be a traveling exhibit where photos will be displayed. Entrants must be non-professional photographers, who are at least 55 years of age. This photo should include at least one older person or groups of older people reflecting the theme. Intergenerational photos are allowed and encouraged. Photos must be submitted to the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc., 160 Dorsey Drive, P.O. Box 500, URG, Rio Grande, OH 45674, no later than April 15. First-, second-, and third-place winners will be recognized at AAA7's annual recognition luncheon. The entries will be displayed at AAA7 Annual Art Show. Accident involves three vehicles A three-vehicle accident on Ohio 104 sent two Chillicothe residents to the hospital Wednesday afternoon. According to State Highway Patrol trooper Jennifer Stabler, Barbara A. Jones, 56, of Chillicothe, was headed north on Ohio 104 at 2:15 p.m. Jones turned left at Pleasant Valley Road in front of a vehicle driven by Jay P. Morgan, 43, of Chillicothe, who was stopped at the stop sign at Pleasant Valley Road. David Mallory Sr., 36, of Chillicothe, was headed south on Ohio 104, and struck the side of Jones' vehicle as she turned onto Pleasant Valley Road, spinning the vehicle around and forcing it into Morgan's vehicle. Jones and Mallory taken to Adena Regional Medical Center with injuries. Both have been treated and released. (Compiled from staff reports) Originally published Friday, January 23, 2004 Copyright ©2004 Chillicothe Gazette. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 38 Uranium Mining & Navajo Nation Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:43:28 -0600 (CST) 43 Gallup Independent: Convention to mark activist group's impact on Navajo concerns January 16, 2004 Kathy Helms Dini Bureau FORT DEFIANCE After 65 years, the Navajo Nation is still seeking healing for wounds resulting from uranium mining. Open sores remain in the form of contaminated soil and groundwater, abandoned mine sites which have yet to be reclaimed, ailing workers who have not been compensated for their cancers and survivors of those workers who still seek recognition of what they believe are related birth defects and illnesses. The Third Annual din Bidziil Coalition Convention kicks off at 6 p.m. today in the Farmington Civic Center with its mission: "Healing the Uranium Legacy" through "One Mind, One Voice, One Prayer." A special concert to benefit uranium dependents and anti-mining efforts will open the convention. The concert features Ethnic D Generation, Vincent Craig, Keith Secola, Native Roots, Irene Bedard and Denie, Tasha Terry, Clearence Clearwater, Gilbert Bedoni, Lil' Dre, and Paintings. Tickets, which are $15 a person or $25 for two, will be sold at the door. The concert is from 6 p.m. to midnight. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, various speakers will address a variety of issues affecting the Navajo community, including compensation for uranium dependents, a ban on further uranium mining; the national energy bill which is expected to resurface during this session of Congress; Navajo government reform; the San Francisco Peaks and other sacred sites; Navajo water rights; Black Mesa/Peabody Coal issues, the Bennett Freeze; and grazing and farming rights. A Dinner and awards ceremony to honor the warriors and "Defenders of dinetah" will follow, along with more music, fellowship and kinship, according to Norman Brown, spokesman for din Bidziil. Brown was presented a proclamation on Tuesday evening by Farmington Mayor Bill Stanley, welcoming the convention to his city. The proclamation states: "Whereas the city of Farmington acknowledges the Navajo people's contributions to the Four Corners area, and whereas this convention will provide a forum for a dialogue of respect and harmony on healing the uranium legacy, and whereas, bringing communities together to work toward common goals results positively for the city of Farmington, the Navajo Nation, and the entire Four Corners area, now therefore the mayor of the city of Farmington, N.M., does hereby proclaim a welcoming of the healing of the uranium legacy benefit concert and din Bidziil Convention to the Farmington Civic Center Jan. 16 and 17." _Changing times_ Brown said the past two conventions have resulted in positive change in that the Executive and Legislative branches of the Navajo Nation government are willing to listen to the grassroots. "It took a couple of years to build to this process now. The very issues we were talking about two years ago are now evolving. For example, the Peabody issue. It has always been the stance of din Bidziil to end the use of the N-aquifer." The other issue is Navajo water rights. "For two years, we've never wavered. And now, we believe that certain delegates are standing on the position of the grassroots people," Brown said. "We shouldn't be at this place where we have to oppose another political view from another Navajo, but now we believe that the thinking of the grassroots is going to prevail," he said. But two of the most critical issues, and the reason for this weekend's gathering, "is to stop uranium mining on Navajo and to develop a new set of laws to control that issue," Brown said. "The second one is developing support for new amendments to RECA (Radiation Exposure Conservation Act) for spouses, and dependents and downwinders of uranium workers." Another focus of the group, also seen as critical, is downsizing the Navajo Nation Council from its present 88 members. Brown said din Bidziil has been asked by the grassroots people and communities to push those issues. "Our role has been to create awareness of these issues: the Bennett Freeze, the sacred sites on Joint Use Areas, Save the Peaks in Flagstaff. These are very important issues that we feel need to be addressed by the council. "There's this mechanism within the tribal council which alarms us. That mechanism is catering to outside corporations, energy corporations, and we want more input into what is being negotiated for us. "If the Navajo Nation government fails to lead our people, then we'll create our own leaders. We've got three years now (before the next election), and we're going to build that capacity on Navajo to develop our own leaders in our own communities and develop that political power base to step from this old, tired system of good-ole-boy, old-guard politics." Council members are removed based on their performance, he said. "We want to define that performance through our political participation, through our citizenship, and build that capacity so they will have to listen to us. The grassroots people have every right to remove their leaders if they are not following the wishes of the communities. "More than anything, the Navajo philosophy of leadership is totally based on the people's wishes and needs. It didn't focus around one individual. It focused around the community and the clanship, the kinship." _On the agenda_ Brown said the convention will open with Farmington's Mayor Stanley doing the welcoming, followed by a prayer and moment of silence for all of the uranium radiation victims of the 65 year legacy. Council delegate LoRenzo Bates, Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, and former vice presidential candidate Wynona LaDuke also will speak at the convention. LaDuke once ran as a vice presidential candidate for the Green Party with Ralph Nader. "She's a dear friend of our people," Brown said. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. and Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan also have been invited to speak, though their appearance has not been confirmed. Phil Harrison, a champion of Navajo uranium workers who has devoted his life to helping victims, will be keynote speaker at the convention. Saturday afternoon will be devoted to caucuses on the issues. "At the end of the day, we're going to have a statement resolution to the federal government, the Executive and Legislative branches regarding those concerns, and recommendations for action," Brown said. din Bidziil also has been added to the agenda of the Navajo Nation Council for the winter session, he said. All chapter presidents and vice presidents have been invited and are urged to attend as guests of honor. Leaders from the various agencies also have been invited, though so far, only Western, Eastern, and Northern Agency representatives have been confirmed. Brown said it is critical that Western Agency be involved because it is an area where water and the uranium issues are still a big problem" and because it is believed that the proposed San Juan water rights settlement agreement will set a precedent for the bigger stem of the Colorado River, which entails the entire Western Agency. The time is ripe for the grassroots to move forward, Brown believes. "This Navajo giant this grassroots giant it's on one knee now and it's going to stand pretty soon. This is the first step toward Navajo independence. What that means is complete control over our resources, complete control over our government, complete control over our destiny. This gathering is that first step," he said. The event is sponsored by din Nationalists, ENDAUM-CTT, Navajo Uranium Radiation Victims Committee, Navajo Dependents of Uranium Workers Committee, Save the Peaks Committee, and dine Boholnii. For more information, call (505) 368-5728 or e-mail navajoworld@excite.com, dinehbidziil@yahoo.com, or mailto:dinehbidziil@yahoo.com. gallpind@cia-g.com By mail: The Independent PO Box 1210 Gallup, NM 87305 500 N. 9th Gallup, NM 87301 send any questions or comments to gallpind@cia-g.com ***************************************************************** 39 CCDR: Cotter may face deadline 1-23-04 [Canon City Daily Record - Canon City and the Royal Gorge Region, Colorado] Dennis Bloomquist Daily Record Staff Writer Cotter Corp. could face a deadline for finishing the license renewal application that has dragged on for more than three years. Steve Tarlton, director of the Radiation Services Unit of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said at Thursday's "All Topics Considered" meeting the department will discuss limiting how long Cotter can continue filling in gaps in the application. Tarlton is one of two health department officials likely to decide what activities are allowed under Cotter's new operating license. Cotter's new license will allow activities ranging from expanded operations including direct disposal of waste from other sites to immediate decommissioning, demolition and clean-up. Howard Roitman, director of environmental programs for the health department, explained to the Daily Record last week that Tarlton or Gary Baughman, director of the Radiation Division, is most likely to make the final determination on Cotter's license. Tarlton said Cotter's operating status is bound up in a tangle of legal challenges and appeals. Last month, the health department announced it would simultaneously review the application and Cotter's request to receive an initial 24,000 tons of radioactive soils from Maywood, N.J. Within days, Cotter sued for the right to import the soils. Tarlton said the department filed a motion to dismiss Cotter's suit, and Cotter responded with another motion to expedite the decision. He said the decision on Maywood will take no fewer than four months if it is expedited, and no more than a year if it is included in the license renewal. Several speakers at Thursday's meeting asked why the law allows the mill to operate under the terms of the operating license that expired in 2000. Citizens said they - and the consultant hired by the Fremont County Commissioners at Cotter's expense to perform an socioeconomic assessment - are limited in their conclusions because Cotter has failed to provide crucial information. Dr. Shirley Squier of CCAT, who asked for the deadline, said, "This process could drag on indefinitely. Please exercise your regulative authority and make them accountable." Despite substantial data gaps in the application, the health department deemed it "substantially complete" Oct. 15. The health department has 270 days after it receives the county's response to the assessment to evaluate the application. If the county does not respond, the department has 360 days from completion of the assessment. About 60 people attended the meeting at Cañon City Middle School to query officials from the government agencies that oversee the uranium mill. Several speakers asked the health department to shut down the mill, which opened in 1958. No one spoke in favor of Cotter. Jennifer Jordan, a Lincoln Park resident since 1978, said, Cotter/General Atomics has applied for a license renewal to process and dispose of radioactive waste, therefore committing to full responsibility and liability for this high level of technically precise performance. "I'm very concerned that from September 2000 to January 2004, Cotter has received 52 violations and 32 items of concern from the health department," she said. "What are the regulations regarding non-compliance? How many violations are too many? Is there ever a final limit?" Tarlton responded there is no violation threshold, but added, "We have denied licenses to companies we don't feel should be operating because of their non-compliance and performance. "It's a tough call when people have moved in around a facility such as a uranium mill or an airport. We are trying to make a decision under what conditions Cotter has the right to do business. But their right to do business does not supersede your right to protection." Lincoln Park resident Donna Murphy said state law may allow the county commissioners to shut down Cotter by passing an ordinance to protect the citizens. Tarlton said he will discuss that mechanism with the department's attorneys to answer Murphy's question. Cañon City resident D. McKinna said Cotter's application does not mention the mill's historical mission - processing uranium "yellowcake" for nuclear power plants - and indicates the company plans to operate a "radioactive waste disposal plant and repository." Murphy said she considers Cotter's new license to be a complete change of mission. "Just because Cotter has brought in different sorts of materials doesn't mean it should be allowed to bring in all kinds of radioactive materials for direct deposit," she said. "That's a toxic waste repository. We don't want it to be that." Answering questions for the Environmental Protection Agency were on-site coordinators Rebecca Thomas and Phil Stoffey, community involvement coordinator Ted Linnert and public affairs and involvement officer, Sonya Pennock. The state health department was represented by Tarlton; Jeff Deckler, manager for remedial programs; Marion Galant, community involvement manager of the hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division; and Tom Pentecost, health physicist in the Radioactive Materials Unit. Tarlton said Cotter's proximity to Cañon City is a criterion in determining when the facility should be closed. Public comments, the socioeconomic analysis provided by the county at Cotter's expense, and the technical factors also figure in the decision. "This is somewhat of an art. There's not a formula you put numbers into and turn a crank," Tarlton said. "That's what makes it very interesting and very difficult to figure out." Cotter is governed primarily by laws from the Colorado Legislature and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Tarlton said. Among other issues discussed were: + Jodi Enderle, who grew up in Lincoln Park, said she was astounded to learn Cotter's license allows for release of 126 tons of airborne particulates per year, including 660 pounds of radionuclides, such as uranium. "It may be legal, but it's still a crime," she said. + Thomas said the EPA could conduct an unannounced audit of Cotter's facilities. + Deckler said the failure of the permeable reactive treatment wall, an underground filtration system, is being investigated. The water backing up behind the wall will be pumped up to the Soil Conservation Service dam, then to the tailings ponds, he said, preventing it from further contaminating Lincoln Park. + Lincoln Park resident Mike Stiehl said there is no rationale for the water testing program, and many of the most-contaminated wells were never retested. The health department is compiling an interactive on-line database that will allow citizens to select and display sampling data, Deckler said. Thomas said the EPA has ordered Cotter to resume quarterly water sampling. The health department Web site is being updated with new information and will receive citizen comments on the radioactive materials license, Tarlton said. + Thomas said the EPA will continue investigating elevated lead levels to try to determine the source and if clean-up is in order. Attic dust in homes sampled last year showed high lead concentrations, but there is no way to tell the source, she said. A smelter operated less than three miles from the sampling until 1912. She said the agency also is concerned about 11 Fremont County children with higher-than-normal blood lead. "Seven of them live in Lincoln Park, which is another indication there may be a lead issue there," she said. Darwin Dalzell, who lives about a mile northwest of the mill in an area that receives substantial windblown contamination from Cotter, asked if the EPA will shut down Cotter, based on the company's alleged disregard for public safety, particularly when without any notification it left a railcar full of radioactive Amazon soils in Florence for several months. Thomas responded, "We are here to help protect human health and the environment. We can't just put people out of business." Tarlton added, "Your point was you believe Cotter is not good for the community and should be shut down. We hear your message, and we are taking all of that and your comments into account in our evaluation of their license renewal." Tarlton said the Department of Energy "presumably" will take over the site after the mill has been demolished and dumped into the impoundments, which in turn will be covered to create a "big tomb." The DOE issued a statement about three weeks ago saying it still plans to supervise the closed site, and that acceptance of the Maywood soils would not compromise that commitment, Tarlton said. News and information is updated Monday - Friday at 5:00pm. Entire contents Copyright Ó 2004 Royal Gorge Publishing Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 40 TCPalm: Drill draws attention to impact of radiation spill ALEX BOERNER staff photographer Pat Kerns, a Red Cross volunteer, is checked for radiation by Will Lilienthal, a medic with the Brevard County Fire Rescue Special Response Team during a radiation response exercise Thursday morning at the rest area on Interstate 95 near Valkaria in Brevard County. The exercise is a simulation of decontamination procedures to be taken in the event of a radiation leak from a power plant. Behind them is William Neidermeyer, an official Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) evaluator who was on hand to observe the procedures. By Lamaur Stancil staff writer January 23, 2004 VALKARIA — Brevard County Fire and Rescue personnel would be the last chance for motorists travelling north to be tested for infection if the nuclear power plant in St. Lucie County experienced a radiation leak. In an exercise Thursday in Valkaria, fire and rescue staff demonstrated to Federal Emergency Management Agency officials they're ready for such a catastrophe. Indian River County Emergency Management held a similar drill earlier this week. Each county would check people for exposure and treat them if needed. Emergency workers Thursday set up a pair of decontamination tents in the truck parking lot at the rest stop off of northbound Interstate 95 in the Valkaria area. Volunteers from the Red Cross served as the infected victims, who were treated by emergency personnel, said Joan Heller, spokeswoman for the county's Emergency Operations Center. In an actual emergency, all motorists traveling north on I-95 in Indian River and Brevard counties would be pulled over by law-enforcement officers and checked for radiation, Heller said. If a motorist or his or her vehicle tested positive in a preliminary scan, the car would be impounded and the motorists would go through a decontamination process, she said. County officials also would have ready potassium iodine, a pill that alleviates the symptoms of radiation exposure. "Here in Brevard, we would be looking for the people who didn't get checked in Indian River," she said. Indian River and the southern part of Brevard fall within the 50-mile radius of Florida Power &Light Co.'s nuclear power plant in St. Lucie County. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires counties that fall within that radius of a plant be equipped to respond to a radiation spill, Heller said. The evaluations are done every two years. Another exercise is scheduled for Feb. 18, when the emergency management centers from all three counties coordinate their efforts, said Bob Lay, director of the Emergency Operations Center for Brevard. - lamaur.stancil@scripps.com Contact TCPalm.com at feedback@tcpalm.com ***************************************************************** 41 e4engineering.com UK: Watching the waste line From , 23 January 2004, in Home The UK's nuclear industry has teamed up with a number of universities to form a national network to investigate new storage and testing technologies for the safer disposal of radioactive waste. Researchers plan to investigate the development of alternative storage materials, improved testing facilities and technologies for the remote monitoring of underground repositories. They also hope to improve the public's perception of the industry's efforts to clean up nuclear waste. There is now a pressing need for new waste handling technologies following the discovery that much of the UK's legacy waste is not held in adequate storage containers. At Harwell in Oxfordshire, the UK Atomic Energy Authority has embarked on a multi-million pound 20-year programme to retrieve intermediate level waste fromthousands of steel cans which have corroded and collapsed since they were deposited in the 1950s. On the same site there are 2,000 sea drums that must also be repackaged.Meanwhile it was decided earlier last year that the Thorp waste reprocessing plant atSellafield should close by 2010. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has ordered that a number of storage tanks must be emptied as soon as possible, while it has also been revealed that part of the waste processing equipment no longer works properly. The network has almost 300 members, including Imperial College, Sheffield, Cambridge and Leeds universities, plus BNFL, Nirex, the NII, AEA Technology and a range of other companies involved in the industry. The research, to be funded over the next three years by the EPSRC, will be vital if the option of nuclear power is to be kept open, according to Prof Bill Lee, director of Sheffield University's Immobilisation Science laboratory. 'If there is going to be the potential for nuclear power in the future, people have to be confident that we can deal with the waste,' he said. Novel glass, ceramic and cement materials will be investigated for their suitability for the long-term storage of the industry's legacy waste, or waste that is difficult to deal with using existing facilities. These are likely to include materials such as geopolymers, hydrothermal cements, and phosphate-based glasses. Researchers will also investigate improved accelerated testing facilities, which use techniques such as raised heat and pressure to speed up the ageing process and assess the likely durability of storage systems over thousands of years. 'We are looking at accelerated testing to tell us the durability of something over 100,000 years, which includes several ice ages. These are the things we have to do because these materials are going to be sitting around for a long time,' said Lee. Inevitably, underground water will eventually find its way into repositories, so researchers will be using the testing techniques to study the effect of this water - which will already have travelled through layers such as granite - on the material. 'Glass is encased in metal, so we will be looking at the effect of the metal corrosion and water mixture [on the glass],' said Lee. Also to be debated will be how best to deal with the radioactive waste from new reactors, including the pebble-bed modular reactor and AP1000, and the next generation reactors - the so-called Generation IV - likely to be installed by around 2030. Finally, remote-monitoring systems capable of sensing changes in the radioactive waste underground and sending information back to the surface without using wires, which could cause contamination, will also be considered. 'How are we going to monitor repositories? We have to assume the loss of any sort of civil structure over that period, and decide over what timescale it is actually worth monitoring, given that radiation levels will reduce over time,' said Lee. ***************************************************************** 42 Pahrump Valley Times: Yucca Mountain good for Nevada January 23, 2004 Cooped up In response to the opinion letter "Nuclear conflict" (PVT Jan. 14): Well Mr. Brown, you caught me. No, I don't read any news about (the Yucca Mountain Project) or anything else in the papers. Call me frugal, but don't call me cheap. I don't read newspapers; I get all my information off the Internet. Sorry, PV Times. I'm sorry Mr. Brown misunderstood what I may have said and decided to call me on this through this lovely paper. As far as the newly appointed Federal Impact Advisory Board goes, I am officially listed as an ex-officio member of that group, nothing more. I don't vote on anything, but I am there as a resource. I do have information to share with this group, as well as this wonderful community in which we live in. I usually try to give back more than I take. They knew that and that's why they asked me to sit in on their meetings as an "ex-officio" member. Heck, I feel honored. As far as watching the "chicken coop," I've been watching one particular coop since the first public meetings were scheduled in regards to Yucca Mountain. As a concerned citizen I was at the first meeting involved with public comment toward Yucca Mountain while living in Lemont, Ill., and unfortunately, I was the only member of the local community that was on hand that night. Well, I let those folks know how they failed in getting the message out to the community and I guess I have never stopped. It's heartwarming to know that you have taken the time to let us know your concerns from your letter to this excellent newspaper. We need more people like you to watch all the "chicken coops" out here. Say, did you know that we (Pahrump) have vacancies on some of our advisory boards? There's room on the arena, economic development, parks and recreation, public lands and tourism boards. Concerned citizens can call the town office to let them know that they're interested in serving on a board. Sorry, but after many years of vacancies on the nuclear waste and environmental advisory board, we finally have a full house. We are planning the second annual Pahrump "Earth Day" event for April 24 at Honeysuckle Park, and we could use more help from people with positive ideas for that subcommittee. Oh, then there is the community advisory board for Nevada Test Site programs that will be shortly advertising for new members in this prestigious paper. This is another board that is concerned with environmental issues at the test site, which concerns us all here directly. You could have stopped by on Saturday at our local CCSN campus, that's when the Pahrump Valley Community Action Team held its annual workshop. You could have found out what other concerned citizens are doing, not by watching our local chicken coop, but making it better. The monthly PVCAT meetings take place at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month and are held at our CCSN campus. Please feel free to stop by and join others in improving our way of life here in our great valley. Thanks for helping me get this message out to the concerned folks here. JOHN PAWLAK The state will lose I've been around the Yucca Mountain issue for a while. I used to work at the test site. I've toured Yucca Mountain several times, and I've talked to the scientists and got my questions answered and concerns addressed. I know the state started its legal fight in Washington, D.C., this past week, but the state has a dismal record fighting this scientific project in the courts, and I don't think this fight will be any different. The state will lose and the rhetoric and sound bites saying a win in one of the cases will stop the project is not true; all it will do is delay the inevitable - a repository at Yucca Mountain. Let's focus on protecting our health and safety and at the same time developing some strategy to make this federal project benefit all Nevadans. A repository, if dealt with responsibly, could be an economic diversification tool - the project is the largest public works project ever in the United States at some $58 billion. A recent UNLV study says the project contributed $195 million to the Nevada economy in 2000 and the estimated job growth during construction will be around 3,500 jobs. One last thing, shouldn't we be thankful that the Department of Energy chose a transportation route that avoided the state's population centers? Now we need to protect the rurals and get them the funds to train their emergency responders and have a first class emergency response team and plan in place. Our elected officials need to use some common sense and show some responsible leadership on this issue. When the court cases fail, I hope their strategy changes. BILL VASCONI LAS VEGAS For comment or questions, please e-mail webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com Copyright © Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2003 ***************************************************************** 43 AU ABC: International experts assess proposed radioactive dump Australian Broadcasting Corporation Online"> This is a transcript from AM. The program is broadcast around Australia at 08:00 on ABC Local Radio. AM - Friday, 23 January , 2004 08:08:45 Reporter: Nance Haxton DAVID HARDAKER: Back home now, an international panel of radiation experts is visiting South Australia's outback today to assess the site for a proposed national radioactive waste repository. Australia's independent federal radiation agency, ARPANSA, asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to choose the panel, and write a report. But the identities of those on the panel and their itinerary are being kept secret, a move which has outraged the South Australian Government. Nance Haxton reports. NANCE HAXTON: The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency or ARPANSA, is currently assessing the Federal Government's proposal for Australia's first national radioactive waste repository. Site 52a is the Government's preferred site on Arcoona Station, near Woomera in South Australia's north. ARPANSA CEO, Doctor John Loy, says they invited the international panel of experts to do a peer review of the siting, construction and operation of the proposed dump. JOHN LOY: My Act certainly says I have to take into account international best practice, so I have to know what it is, and obviously the team will be in a very good position to advise me on exactly what best international practice is, and their view of whether the application meets it. NANCE HAXTON: Doctor Loy would not reveal the names on the panel or the exact nature of their experience, other than that they were from the United States, United Kingdom, France and Hungary. The International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna chose the five-person panel. Agency spokesperson, Mark Gwozdecky, says they would not be able to assess the merits of the site unless their identities are kept secret. MARK GWOZDECKY: We don't think that's a necessary bit of information in the public domain. We want these people to be able to work freely and to offer their most objective assessment. NANCE HAXTON: Can the public in Australia be reassured that these are independent experts and not representatives of the nuclear industry? MARK GWOZDECKY: The way the International Atomic Energy Agency works is founded on the basis of objectivity. NANCE HAXTON: However, South Australia's Environment Minister John Hill says the suppression of the panel's identities is inappropriate. He says it is unfair that the Federal Department of Science can present its case for a radioactive waste repository to the panel, but opponents are not given the same opportunity. JOHN HILL: How can anybody have confidence in the process if those who are making that determination and giving advice aren't known? I think it is absolutely imperative for the Federal Government to let the public know who’s going to be on that panel, so that we can have confidence that they'll do a fair job. NANCE HAXTON: ARPANSA will include the panel's report and a further round of public submissions in its final assessment of the radioactive waste dump proposal due by April this year. DAVID HARDAKER: Nance Haxton with that report. [ border=] ***************************************************************** 44 AU ABC: Broken Hill still in the running for possible waste site. 23/01/2004. ABC News Online "Australian Broadcasting Corporation Online"> Federal Science Minister Peter McGauran says he cannot rule out Broken Hill in far western New South Wales as a site for a medium level nuclear waste repository. He says the transport of low level waste through the city to a site near Woomera in South Australia would be a "one-off". The Minister says the only place he can rule out for the storage of spent nuclear rods from France after 2015 is South Australia because it has the low level repository. "It will be a good while yet before there's a final list, but [Parkes MP] John Cobb, he's made his views pefectly known," he said. "He doesn't want it in Broken Hill or in any part of his electorate throughout western NSW. "He is pretty stirred up at this issue. His uncompromising position on the site in western NSW will resonate very strongly in the Cabinet." © 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ***************************************************************** 45 Salt Lake Tribune: Heard on the hill: Arent flooded with mail backing hotter waste January 23, 2004 Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Murray, and fellow Democrats held a town meeting two weeks ago to gauge voter sentiment on various While plans to permit disposal of hotter radioactive waste in Utah didn't generate much discussion, much to Arent's surprise, days later she received 140 surveys by mail in support of higher-level waste. The surveys were anonymous but addresses showed the entire batch was from Tooele, home of waste disposal giant Envirocare, and neighboring Grantsville. "They were filled out by Envirocare employees," Arent said. Khosrow Semnani and Tim Barney, two of Envirocare's top executives, insist the company's staff sent in comments of their own accord. "We weren't trying to stack the deck or anything," said Barney. Copyright Salt Lake City Tribune ***************************************************************** 46 UK WMD Storage Base Blockaded Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:43:25 -0600 (CST) 52 UK WMD Storage Base Blockaded Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 19:35:13 -0600 (CST) UK WMD Storage Base Blockaded TP Web, 20.01.2004 18:18 Yesterday, the 19th January, three activists blockaded the main gate at RNAD Coulport, the storage facility for Trident warheads. Morag from Faslane Peace Camp, Roz a Trident Ploughshares pledger from Edinburgh, and Raggy Jason from Bristol, blockaded the main gate at Coulport for two and a half hours from 6.55 am till 9.25 am. Workers traffic tailed back and eventually a subsidiary gate was opened to which police redirected traffic further along the road. It took some time for the MOD cutting team to cut the three free, in the pouring rain, from two steel lock-on tubes using a steel cutting saw. All three were arrested for a breach of the peace and held in HMNB Faslane for a few hours. One of the activists said, "Only Weapons of Non-Existence have so far been found in Iraq. Meanwhile the UK blatantly stores and loads WMD from here, ready to be used at any time against innocent civilians in any country deemed to be a threat. We ask whose interests are being served here?!" NEW YEAR ACTION - BREACH OF FASLANE BASE SECURITY. Earlier in the year on 9th January two activists swam to the boom at HMNB Clyde, Faslane, and shut down the base for three quarters of an hour. Fungus, a Trident Ploughshares pledger and "Cow" Scott, both residents of Faslane Peace Camp, swam in wetsuits to the boom which loops around the Trident sub berth and shiplift. They were spotted by MOD police on patrol on the land, at which point they scaled a chain which is connected to the boom. They remained there from 6.30am until their arrest at 7.15am. The bandit alarm was set off, and consequently the base was shut down for nearly three quaters of an hour right at the time of shift change, delaying workers entering the base for this time. MOD police had to cut through a security fence to reach the protestors, who were by then very cold. Fungus and Scott were held at Faslane and released around midday. e-mail: web@tridentploughshares.org Homepage: http://www.tridentploughshares.org/ http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/01/284148.html ***************************************************************** 47 Knox News: Safety breaches cited in Y-12 fire Plant's operator may face DOE penalties for 'apparent violations' By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com January 23, 2004 OAK RIDGE - Federal safety investigators have identified a number of "apparent violations" related to last year's glove box fire at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, and the plant's operator could face penalties for those and other alleged deficiencies. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Enforcement outlined the initial findings in a Dec. 22 letter and report sent to Dennis Ruddy, president and general manager of BWXT Y-12, the plant's managing contractor. The News Sentinel obtained copies of the documents. BWXT officials met with DOE counterparts Thursday in Germantown, Md. The meeting was set up to give BWXT officials a chance to address the findings and say whether they agree that safety violations occurred, as well as discuss steps taken to prevent future problems. "The decision to hold a conference does not mean DOE has determined that an enforcement action will be taken," Stephen Sohinki, the agency's enforcement director, wrote to Ruddy. If DOE decides to cite BWXT for violations under the Price-Anderson Act, it would be the second time in the past year. Last June, DOE identified problems with welding inspections at Y-12 and proposed a civil penalty of $96,250. Price-Anderson sets guidelines for nuclear-safety programs at federal nuclear facilities. Bill Wilburn, a spokesman for BWXT, declined to comment Thursday on the latest safety report. On April 15, 2003, a container of uranium exploded inside a Y-12 glove box, breaking the glove box's air-tight seal and causing a uranium fire in Building 9202. No one was injured in the accident, although the test lab was contaminated and several workers were exposed to radioactivity. "Radiological and worker consequences could have been more severe if the explosion had occurred when individuals had their hands in the glove box gloves or when the container was outside the glove box," DOE investigators said in a summary report of findings. The incident occurred while Y-12 employees were developing an alternative process - called saltless direct oxide reduction - for extracting uranium metal. The Oak Ridge plant uses highly enriched uranium for production of nuclear warhead parts, but the tests involved a lesser form of uranium. In DOE's review, which began last fall, investigators found the uranium test was authorized using BWXT procedures. But there were deficiencies in the design of the test that contributed to the explosion, and the experimental plan was not fully reviewed before the testing began, the report said. Also, there were problems with workplace controls, DOE said. "Investigation of this incident disclosed that site procedures for preparing and controlling such a development activity, including the hazards analysis methodology, were inadequate," the DOE report said. The report cited several inadequacies, including an "assumption" by Y-12 researchers that the calcium and nitric acid would react completely in the dissolution step of the uranium process. Unreacted calcium left from that stage of the process helped precipitate the explosion. The development project was allowed to continue, even after workers questioned a procedure that did not follow what they believed to be the correct sequence of events. Workers should have stopped uranium processing and notified their supervisor, the report said. Investigators said BWXT properly instituted reviews following the accident and immediately suspended certain chemical activities. However, "vigilant management attention" will be needed to maintain safety on future research projects, they said. On other issues, the DOE team found continuing noncompliance with operational safety requirements at Y-12, reflecting a lack of emphasis on the part of senior management at BWXT. Investigators listed numerous problems with safety documents. "It is clear that the series of noncompliances in this area represent a serious programmatic problem, that it has been continuing for an extended period of time, and that there has been ample notice by (the National Nuclear Security Administration) and DOE of the continuing problem," the report said. The investigators also noted multiple problems with the maintenance of emergency and standby generators, which could pose a safety concern in certain situations. Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. 2004, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 48 U.S. Newswire: DOE Cites Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC for Price-Anderson Violations 1/23/04 3:06:00 PM To: National Desk, Energy Reporter Contact: Jeff Sherwood of the U.S. Department of Energy, 202-586-5806 WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Preliminary Notice of Violation (PNOV) to Bechtel BWXT Idaho (BBWI), the operating contractor at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). BBWI responsibilities include transuranic and low-level radioactive waste handling and disposal operations at the INEEL Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). The PNOV was issued for violations of DOE nuclear safety rules and procedures identified in association with an event occurring at the RWMC in July 2003. During that event, a column of low- level radioactive waste containers placed in a pit for burial toppled over, with several containers striking the forklift used to stack the containers. Fortunately, no one was injured during the event, and there was no release of radioactive material. The subsequent investigation identified deficiencies with procedural adequacy, procedural compliance and training of the workers. The investigation also identified that BBWI failed to adequately respond to a similar event during 2002. To emphasize the importance of maintaining a quality program for DOE activities that comply with all requirements, DOE has issued a proposed civil penalty to BBWI in the amount of $41,250. Significant mitigation of the maximum potential civil penalty was granted to BBWI for their comprehensive investigation into the event and their broad corrective actions. The Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 1988 authorized DOE to undertake enforcement actions against contractors for violations of DOE nuclear safety requirements. The enforcement program is designed to promote proactive efforts by contractors to correct procedural violations so that more serious events are prevented. Additional details on this and other enforcement actions are available on the Internet at /© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ Printer Friendly Format © 2004 U.S. Newswire ***************************************************************** 49 Hawk Eye: Senator awaits DOE reply Friday, January 23, 2004, Site updated daily at 11 a.m. CST Deadline on Grassley's request for documents likely to be missed. By MATTHEW LeBLANC Despite today's deadline, U.S. Department of Energy officials are not expected to comply with a request from Sen. Charles Grassley for documents related to the department's role in the defeat of legislation designed to overhaul a federal workers' compensation program. A letter from the Iowa Republican also asks Energy Department officials to outline the department's relationship with a Louisiana technology company that may have had a role in a Senate subcommittee's decision to trim the legislation from the final version of a hotly debated energy bill. Grassley spokeswoman Beth Pellett said Thursday that DOE officials were not expected to turn over the documents, which will be used to sort out the department's role in the defeat of section 316 of the Energy and Water Appropriation Act. Grassley asked for the documents in a Dec. 22 letter, seeking their delivery by today. Asked whether she expected the documents to be delivered by today's deadline, Pellett said: "Probably not." Section 316 was left out of the Energy bill after House and Senate leaders met in October. The legislation would have moved control of some compensation claims filed under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program from the DOE to the Department of Labor, which Grassley and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R–Alaska, argued would expedite a lagging process. "The simple fact is that we've got to do something to help these people who worked in very hazardous conditions while they assembled our nation's nuclear deterrent during the Cold War," Grassley said in a November prepared statement. Pellett said Grassley met with DOE officials earlier this week, but the topics of discussion were unclear. "We are working in an expeditious and orderly manner to answer Sen. Grassley's request," DOE spokesman Jeff Sherwood said. "We are in contact with his staff and will provide the materials requested by the senator in a timely manner." From the 1940s to the mid–1970s, workers at IAAP assembled, test–fired and disassembled components of nuclear weapons at the 19,000–acre plant west of Burlington. The work has been linked to lung diseases and cancers among former IAAP employees. Shortly before section 316 was deleted from the bill, Sens. Mary Landrieu and John Breaux, both Democrats from Louisiana, sent a letter to Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Chairman Pete Domenici, R–N.M., asking for "careful consideration of the full impact this amendment has" on a "key employer in our state." The employer, later identified as New Orleans–based Science &Engineering Associates, was hired by DOE–run Space and Naval Warfare Information Technology Center to help process thousands of claims filed under the EEOICP. Lobbyists have estimated that SEA stood to lose as much as $40 million if the legislation was passed. Aides to Grassley say SEA may have played a role in lobbying against the amendment. "DOE ... publicly opposed the amendment, so we cannot imagine why there is a continued desire to withhold information about the conduct and manner of the opposition," Grassley and Murkowski wrote in the Dec. 22 letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. If the documents are not delivered, it will mark the second time Grassley has been rebuffed by DOE officials. A Nov. 4 letter asked for the same information. "Given the previous period, the department had to begin compiling the records requested in Sen. Grassley's Nov. 4, 2003, letter, the Jan. 23, 2004, deadline should be more than enough time to compile and deliver the requested material," Grassley and Murkowski wrote in the Dec. 22 letter. Workers who have illnesses covered under EEOICP can apply for a one–time $150,000 compensation payments to cover medical costs associated with the illnesses. Government studies have shown that a majority of nearly 20,000 claims filed nationwide have not been processed. More than 1,500 former IAAP workers have filed claims under the program, with only 37 receiving payment, according to department statistics. Grassley has indicated he will reintroduce legislation to complete the switch, though it's unclear when. The Hawk Eye 800 S. Main St., Burlington Iowa 52601 319-754-8461 ***************************************************************** 50 Oak Ridger: Fiscal year 2005 budget looking good for DOE's local missions Story last updated at 12:40 p.m. on January 23, 2004 CONGRESSMAN SAYS: Supercomputing is a 'hot new mission.' DOE is seeking to build the world's largest unclassified supercomputer at an estimated cost of $350 million. By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff President Bush is scheduled to submit his fiscal year 2005 budget to Congress on Feb. 2. And, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-3rd District, expects the budget requests to be favorable for Oak Ridge. Although budget specifics weren't discussed, Wamp said he's received briefings from Raymond Orbach, director of the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and Linton Brooks, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. In a phone interview Thursday, Wamp pointed out some of the highlights - ranging from security to supercomputing and cutting-edge science. "All of these areas look ripe," the congressman said. Wamp said he expects new money for security improvements at the Y-12 National Security Complex, which manufactures components for nuclear warheads. Recently, a watchdog group criticized Y-12 for not being able to adequately protect its stockpile of bomb-grade uranium. On the plus side, Wamp said BWXT Y-12, which manages the plant for the federal government, is laying a good foundation for Y-12's future. The Y-12 modernization plan will essentially put a new face on the aging nuclear weapons plant. "It's going to look different, feel different and be different," Wamp said. On the science front, things are looking good for continued funding of the Spallation Neutron Source project - a $1.4 billion research facility scheduled for completion in 2006. The SNS will fire an ion beam down its linear accelerator tunnel toward a mercury target; a beam that, at 80 percent of the speed of light, could reach the moon in 1.5 seconds. The resulting protons will bombard a mercury target, generating neutrons for use in research. Wamp also pointed out that supercomputing is a "hot new mission." DOE is seeking to build the world's largest unclassified supercomputer at an estimated cost of $350 million. ORNL's Center for Computational Sciences, located in a new 150,000-square-foot facility, is viewed by several observers as a leading contender to house the proposed supercomputer. In addition, the congressman said Oak Ridge is well positioned to go after a new genomics research facility for technologies designed to reduce pollution and develop new energy sources by studying how cells respond to various environments. If it comes to pass, the facility would be built at the SNS site atop Chestnut Ridge, according to ORNL spokesman Bill Cabage. All of these science programs are included in DOE's recently released 20-year plan for prioritizing new, major scientific facilities and making upgrades to existing ones. The 28 facilities included in the plan cover the range of science supported by DOE's Office of Science. ***************************************************************** 51 Oak Ridger: Waste facility waiting for OK from Department of Energy Story last updated at 12:40 p.m. on January 23, 2004 By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff A facility designed to process some of the nastiest waste stored in Oak Ridge is just waiting for the green light. The approval for startup of the Transuranic Waste Processing Facility remains under review, according to Department of Energy spokesman Steven Wyatt. He said the federal agency's Oak Ridge Operations office would be working with DOE headquarters staff to resolve any remaining issues regarding the operation of the facility. Transuranic waste is produced during nuclear fuel assembly and during nuclear weapons-related work. This waste generally consists of protective clothing, tools, glassware, equipment, soils and sludge that have been heavily contaminated with high concentrations of manmade radioactive elements, including plutonium, neptunium, americium, curium and californium. Supernate, a liquid form of waste, will be the first waste stream processed at the facility, according to DOE spokesman Walter Perry. In 1998, DOE contracted Foster Wheeler Environmental Corp. to construct and operate the waste processing facility. Much of the waste to be treated is currently stored in Melton Valley. The treated transuranic waste will be disposed of at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, N.M., while the low-level waste will be disposed of at the Nevada Test Site, located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nev. ***************************************************************** 52 Las Vegas SUN: Workers Taped Together Explosive Pieces Today: January 23, 2004 at 15:10:05 PST By MATT KELLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - Workers at the only U.S. factory for dismantling nuclear weapons risked an explosion this month by taping together broken pieces of high explosive being removed from the plutonium trigger of an old warhead, federal investigators said. The unorthodox handling of the unstable explosive increased the risk that the technicians would drop it and set off a "violent reaction," the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board said Tuesday in a letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Such a reaction could have "potentially unacceptable consequences," board chairman John T. Conway said in the letter, which raised disquieting questions about safety at the Energy Department's Pantex nuclear weapons plant near Amarillo, Texas. No one was hurt and nothing exploded. However, the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the Energy Department's nuclear weapons programs, is investigating, spokesman Bryan Wilkes said Friday. "Safety remains a priority for us," Wilkes said. "We are working to address the issues in the letter." Conway's letter did not make clear whether the explosive had been separated at the time from the softball-sized chunk of plutonium that forms the "pit," or trigger, of a thermonuclear warhead. To prevent a thermonuclear blast, the pit would have to have been separated from the larger warhead. But if the explosive were still connected to the trigger, an explosion could have injured or killed workers, and could have spread plutonium or other radioactive materials around the facility. The taping and removal of the explosive did not go as planned, and only quick thinking by the technicians prevented them from dropping the explosive, Conway wrote. Conway said that taping the explosives together was just one of several mistakes made by Pantex officials that risked an explosion. Pantex officials also downplayed the risk, Conway noted, calling the cracks in the explosive and the fact that workers taped it together a "trivial" change in procedures. Jud Simmons, a spokesman for Pantex plant operator BWX Technologies Inc., did not return telephone messages on Friday. The problem occurred when workers were dismantling the plutonium "pit" from a nuclear warhead. The pit is the sphere of plutonium metal surrounded by explosives. When those explosives detonate, the plutonium is compressed, causing a nuclear explosion. In a thermonuclear weapon, that explosion sets off an even stronger nuclear blast. Workers found the explosives around the pit were cracked, making them more unstable and easier to detonate, Conway wrote. Their solution was to tape together the cracked explosives and move them to another location. In his letter, Conway said problems with that included: - Failing to consult the explosives' manufacturer to determine how unstable the cracked explosives might be; - Performing an incomplete and inadequate safety review before going ahead; - Allowing workers to perform the taping and removal without practicing on a mock-up; - Failing to have experts who had developed the procedure watch the taping and removal to try to spot any problems. Conway's letter does not elaborate on what might have happened if the explosive had detonated. About 250,000 people live within 50 miles of the Pantex plant. The Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has an inspector stationed at the Pantex plant and at the nation's other nuclear weapons sites. Weekly reports by that inspector, William White, show several concerns with safety at the plant, including flaws in the software designed to control the movement of nuclear and explosive materials around the site. White reported in October that Pantex technicians had made a mistake while dismantling a W62 warhead from a Minuteman missile. A drill damaged part of the warhead's nuclear core, prompting officials to evacuate the facility until experts determined that no radiation had leaked, White wrote. --- On the Net: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board: http://www.dnfsb.gov National Nuclear Security Administration: http://www.nnsa.doe.gov Pantex: http://www.pantex.com -- ***************************************************************** 53 EnergyPulse Wind: Brawn with Balance 1.23.04 Hit by no fewer than ten significant mergers and acquisitions in 2002, the wind power development sector reeled its way into the New Year in a state of punch-drunk disorientation. Sector players woke up blinking in the bright light of a radically reshaped business: all the merger and aquisition deals involved utility affiliates writing the cheques. Gone are the days of wind development dominated by scores of visionary entrepreneurs. Today, the wind turbine customer is far more likely to be a big name energy company with a big strategic plan. As the sector gets bigger, it is clearly also getting smaller. Big company brawn is essential if wind energy is to realize its full potential. Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street famously says that "greed is good." For the wind industry, "size is sensible." Wind developers have been too weak for too long. Scattered and autonomous, the sector has been great for generating entrepreneurial drive, but it has been highly inefficient. Wind, in other words, is more expensive than it needs be. Large customers with purchasing power will drive down product prices. And while manufacturers will feel the squeeze, larger customers will also bring benefits the survivors will thrive on -- as Vestas' Svend Sigaard notes. Larger, more stable orders with creditworthy companies will allow manufacturers to scale up their businesses with more confidence. Critically, more production and more research will lower costs. Giants of the energy world, such as BP, ChevronTexaco, and Shell, are entering wind as project developers and wind plant owners. Greater change still is being wrought by the scrapping and fighting for wind development assets among electric utilities. Their sudden realisation that wind is a serious option is manifesting itself in a spate of mergers and acquisitions: EDF, the French state utility, bought American/Danish wind developer EnXco; Canada's TransAlta Corp bought Vision Quest Wind Electric; Spain's Iberdrola assumed control of Gamesa's development pipeline; and the recent acquisition by Dutch utility Essent of German wind developer Winkra and the takeover of wind projects in Italy and Portugal by Belgium's Electrabel, has added still more brawn to the wind development business. No wonder the New Year champagne is flowing -- and no wonder wind is showing signs of disorientation and uncertainty. From being a niche sector surviving on energy markets plugged into subsidy-support machines, it is being swiftly sucked into the mainline power business, itself rocketing pell-mell on a course of revolutionary change. And while wind's leap aboard the train is rightly cause for celebration, warning signals are flashing -- signals that risk being missed in the blur. Only a few short months ago, the traditional energy sector was doing all it could to hinder the rise of independent renewables, publicly dismissing even wind as limited and of uncertain potential. Now it is hell bent on buying and bidding. The danger lies in the loss of an independent wind sector as a counterweight to utility and energy company dominance. Take the counterweight away and the express train of wind's progress loses its balance. It could fly off the rails. While the size and deep pockets of the utility and traditional energy industries are needed to keep wind costs falling, the established energy sector has no interest in fighting regulators and politicians to the bitter end for structures that hurt their core businesses of coal, gas or nuclear. Regulation that values the benefits of distributed and clean power generation does just that. Wind needs its own strong lobbying voice. Niche wind developers, the surviving independents, cannot provide the crucial balance needed. That can only come from the formation of a strongly independent and sizeable wind business. A golden opportunity Fortunately, what has made wind attractive to the utilities also makes it a golden opportunity for brave new investment in a brave new business. In a world where the future of nuclear is shaky, where natural gas price risk is real, where wind costs are falling, and where a natural hedge against greenhouse gas penalties is the acquisition of green power certificates or tags, wind is a good bet. Indeed, a US utility is saying just that. Yet so far only the energy majors have spotted the opportunities of wind's 30% growth rate. And with their new training in mergers and acquisitions (M), they are not about to repeat the slow-footed lumbering of a decade ago that allowed the meteoric rise of the Independent Power Producer (IPP). But no matter how fleet-of-foot the energy giants believe they have become, the opportunity is still there for a thrusting Independent Wind Power Producer (IWPP). The early bird with financial muscle and wind experience catches the worm -- and there are still plenty in the ground. Ironically, some of the fattest new assets are being offered by two Spanish utilities. Contenders for the lucrative position of IWPP top bird include the unsuccessful bidders in recent M auctions. Like their IPP cousins did with gas, they need the vision to put their capital behind talented wind management teams. For their part, wind plant owners and managers must be realistic on the valuation of their businesses and be proactive in looking to build them -- losing or sharing control is preferable to being stubborn and sidelined. The brawn of the energy giants can be matched to give healthy balance. Without it wind risks being caught in a Catch 22 nightmare, with no independent industry to fight for the policy details that will attract the big time investment essential for providing the world with a sustainable and affordable energy supply. Originally published in WindPower Monthly, January 2003 issue. ***************************************************************** 54 [du-list] Du in the news - 24th Jan 04 Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 19:54:39 -0800 WAR ILLNESS BLOW FOR GULF VETERANS The Sentinel ... Many veterans now believe their problems may have been caused by exposure to depleted uranium, multiple vaccinations, NAPS tablets (Nerve agent pre-treatment ... <http://www.thesentinel.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=67725&command=displayContent&sourceNode=67252&contentPK=8602409> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ---------- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: * http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/ * * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: * du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com * * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. ***************************************************************** 55 Google News Alert - nuclear Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:47:21 -0800 (PST) TRAFFICKING in nuclear arms called widespread International Herald Tribune DAVOS, Switzerland The head of the United Nations' watchdog agency on atomic weapons said Friday that the illicit trafficking of nuclear-related material and ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.iht.com/articles/126423.htm N. Korea 'ready to make a deal on nuclear programme' Straits Times ... Mr Strong, who is UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal envoy, said North Korea is a lot further 'down the track' towards developing nuclear weapons than ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,231454,00.html MUSHARRAF Denies Role in Nuclear Proliferation Voice of America Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says it appears that Pakistani scientists have sold nuclear secrets to other countries, but he insists that his government ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm%3FobjectID%3DCFEA5776-F759-4D91-93EA9BEDB7FB875E UN has Libyan nuclear bomb designs under seal Reuters AlertNet VIENNA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Friday that it has put designs for nuclear weapons found in Libya under UN seal, and a ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23287162.htm MUSHARRAF says nuclear "leak" likely Al-Jazeera Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has admitted the country's nuclear scientists may have sold nuclear secrets abroad. Promising ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/742298A8-9F69-4BFE-A066-A5F38D3BA714.htm WORLD News > Pakistani nuclear scientists' families protest ... New Kerala The families of Pakistani nuclear scientists being detained Friday stood in pouring rain without umbrellas here in protest and dispersed only after an ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php%3Faction%3Dfullnews%26id%3D5252 INDIA tests short-range nuclear-capable missile Channel News Asia BHUBANESHWAR, India : India tested a short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile at a test range on the country's eastern coast, a defence source said. ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/67648/1/.html ISRAELI Not Allowed Out in Nuclear Detonator Case Palestine Chronicle "There was 'undisputed proof that Karni, using an American broker, acquired nuclear triggering devices from their manufacturer in Massachusetts ..'". ... See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story.php%3Fsid%3D2004012312495058 IRAN ’ s nuclear activity strictly peaceful ITAR-TASS TEHERAN, January 23 (Itar-Tass) - Iran’s activities in the nuclear sphere are of strictly peaceful nature and proceeding from this Teheran has voluntarily ... MS quiet as SCO goes nuclear on Novell SearchWindows2000.com Everyone thought Microsoft's Martin Taylor was going to be the big party-crasher at LinuxWorld this week. As it turned out, Taylor's ... This daily-once News Alert is brought to you by Google News (BETA)... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remove this News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts/remove?s=682e52ddd0720101&hl=en Create another News Alert: http://www.google.com/newsalerts?hl=en Try Google News: http://news.google.com/ ***************************************************************** 56 Japan Times: Japan wants ITER data center in France, reactor in Japan Saturday, January 24, 2004 PARIS (Kyodo) Japan suggested Friday that a data analysis and remote control center for an international nuclear fusion project should built in France -- and that the fusion reactor itself should be built in Japan. Japanese Ambassador to France Hiroshi Hirabayashi proposed in the French daily Le Monde that the data and control center for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor be located in Cadarache, southern France, and the reactor based in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture. In Friday's article, run under a headline translated as "Let's not fight over ITER," Hirabayashi stressed that international cooperation is vital to the project's success. Referring to recent remarks by French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who said Europe may go ahead with the project on its own, Hirabayashi questioned whether France was really up to the task without any international cooperation. In the article, the ambassador claimed it is widely recognized by the world's scientists that Japan has more scientific studies and experience in fusion than France. He also said that the 96 km of road between Cadarache and the nearest viable port, near Marseille, would pose transportation problems with regard to huge precision instruments used at the plant. He said that France has failed to clarify its plans to improve the roads, including road-widening plans, the reinforcement of 26 bridges, and detours for existing tunnels. The six parties involved in the ITER project have been unable to agree on where the world's first prototype nuclear fusion reactor should be located. They met in Washington in December, but failed to reach an accord. The Japan Times: Jan. 24, 2004 (C) All rights reserved ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************