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                         NUCLEAR POLICY
 
1 Korea Herald: 'N.K. may attend working-level nuclear talks'   
2 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: KEDO Holds Another Executive Board Meetin
3 Hi Pakistan: N Korea will attend six-nation nuclear talks (10:30 PST
4 Las Vegas SUN: North Korean Leader Meets China Diplomats
5 US: [NukeNet] Nuclear Bunker Buster and Feinstein v. Domenici
6 US: Deseretnews: No more Nuclear tests vowed
7 US: ICT: Distribution bill for Western Shoshone is genocide
8 MOS News: Naval Chief “Should Shoot Himself" - INTERVIEW - 
9 SF Chronicle: How the Pakistani nuclear ring skirted export laws
10 Hi Pakistan: Statement about Russian nuke ship worries world     -->
11 US: Las Vegas SUN: Concerns aired about Nevada tests of 'bunker bust
 
                         NUCLEAR REACTORS
 
12 US: NRC: NRC to Meet with Union Electric Co. To Discuss Performance 
13 US: NRC: NRC to Meet with Entergy Operations, Inc. to Discuss Perfor
14 AFP: Bulgaria and Romania agree on air defence of nuclear plant
15 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting Notice
16 US: Free Lance-Star; NRC to meet with utility on North Anna safety; 
17 Bellona:  Russian Nuclear Regulatory reports about insufficient leve
18 US: toledoblade: Broken valve further delays Besse power
19 US: Daily Press: Regulators to request answers on Surry 
20 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Joint Meeting of t
21 US: Ohio News Network: Davis-Besse Will Not Open Until Next Week    
 
                          NUCLEAR SAFETY
 
22 [du-list] Gulf troops babies are 50pc more vulnerable
23 [DU Information List] Silent genocide
24 US: [DU-WATCH] Mystery sickness strikes a local soldier
25 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes; Renewal
26 US: the spectrum: Downwinder, DRMC speak out on testing
27 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Bennett zeros in on N-testing safety 
28 US: Las Vegas SUN: Targets with depleted uranium questioned
29 NEWS.com.au: Uranium found in drinking water 
30 US: Gallup Independent: Records needed for compensation for uranium 
 
                         NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
 
31 US: NRC: NRC Reorganizes Office to Give Added Focus to High-Level Ra
32 Las Vegas RJ: WITHDRAWAL REQUESTS: Water plan objections challenged 
33 US: Las Vegas SUN: Nuke waste adds to rail security concerns
34 Las Vegas SUN: New Yucca legal firm is named
35 ABQjournal: N.M. Seeks Role in Uranium Plant Decision 
36 PR Newswire: LES Confident NMED Licensing Concerns Will Be Resolved
37 The Australian: Uranium scare hits mine staff 
38 Elizabethton Star: Enviro groups win, lose in BLEU Project ruling 
 
                         NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
39 [du-list] IMPORTANT: Mayoral Delegation to the NPT Prepcom, 27-28 Ap
 
                        US DEPT. OF ENERGY
 
40 DOE: Worker's Comp guidelines
41 DOE: Notice of Availability of Solicitation
42 DenverPost: editorial Questionable safety at Flats
43 chillicothe gazette: Piketon locals voice concerns over plant cleanu
44 Tri-City Herald: DOE faces fine for K Basins sludge 
45 Daily Camera: Public split on decision at Rocky Flats wildlife area
46 Oak Ridger: Report: Y-12 storage facility could prove costly 							
 
                          OTHER NUCLEAR
 
47 Google News Alert - nuclear
*****************************************************************
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                         FULL NEWS STORIES
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 1 Korea Herald: 'N.K. may attend working-level nuclear talks'   
 
2004.03.25
 
By Choi Soung-ah
        
    
      North Korea has hinted it would participate in
working-level group talks to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear
ambitions, South Korea's top foreign policymaker said yesterday.

 "We believe the North will attend the (third) six-party meeting
because they have indicated that they will join the proposed
working-level group," Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said in a
weekly news briefing.

 The six nations, which also includes the United States, Japan,
China and Russia, agreed to establish a working-level group to
facilitate discussions on how to end the North's nuclear
ambitions when they met in the second round of talks in Beijing
last month.

 But the group has made little progress because of the North's
alleged slow response, sparking concerns whether the communist
regime will keep its promise.

 The North recently stepped up its offensive against the United
States for conducting a joint military exercise with the South.
Pyongyang also delayed last Monday's inter-Korean economic talks
in what appears to be an angry response to the South Korean
parliament's passage of the impeachment bill against President
Roh Moo-hyun.

 "North Korea will not turn down inter-Korean dialogue or the
six-way talks by using Seoul's current political turmoil and the
South Korea-U.S. joint military drill as reasons," Ban said.

 On Sunday, Ban will be leaving for a three-day visit to China
to meet his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing. Li will brief Ban
on his trip to Pyongyang and the pair are expected to hold
further talks on the North's nuclear issue, officials said. Li
is currently in Pyongyang to discuss the nuclear issue. Earlier
this month, Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo visited Washington
to discuss the same issue.

 Ban also stressed that there was no difference between Seoul
and Washington over changing the site in Iraq where South Korean
troops will be deployed.

 He said the two sides were not embroiled in a political row
over the issue and that decisions will be negotiated for the
coming two weeks over the new location and time of the dispatch.

 "We are thoroughly reviewing different sites for deployment
with the United States. But there will be no changes to the size
of the troops or the mission's purpose," he said.

 The government was also considering support for rebuilding
Kirkuk, a northern Iraqi city where 3,000 South Korean troops
were initially going to, Ban said. 

(bluelle@heraldm.com)

*****************************************************************
 2 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: KEDO Holds Another Executive Board Meeting This Week   
 
      Updated Mar.24,2004 14:59 KST   
 

  Executive board members of the Korean Peninsula Energy
Development Organization or KEDO will meet Friday in New York to
discuss pending issues on the temporarily suspended project of
building nuclear power plants in North Korea. 

During the second working-level meeting since late January,
officials are also expected to report on the outcome of their
visit to Pyeongyang earlier this month. Key members of KEDO
agreed last year to halt the construction of two light-water
nuclear reactors in North Korea for a year to pressure
Pyeongyang to abandon its nuclear activities. Following KEDO's
decision, North Korea has refused to let any equipment or
materials be taken out of the country. 




Arirang TV 

*****************************************************************
 3 Hi Pakistan: N Korea will attend six-nation nuclear talks (10:30 PST)     --> 
 
March 24 2004     
 
SEOUL: Despite blistering rhetoric over US-South Korean military 
exercises and the impeachment of South Korea's president, North 
Korea is expected to attend the next round of six-nation talks on 
ending its nuclear weapons programs, a Cabinet minister said 
Wednesday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday it was 
regrettable North Korea had postponed the inter-Korean economic 
exchanges, but said the North was still expected to follow 
through on the nuclear talks.

'I don't think that North Korea will use these developments to 
reject six-nation talks,' Ban told a regular news briefing. 'I 
expect North Korea to attend.'
 					     							 				 				   				 				
      



Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
 4 Las Vegas SUN: North Korean Leader Meets China Diplomats

 By HANS GREIMEL ASSOCIATED PRESS 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - 

Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il held a rare meeting
Wednesday with China's foreign minister as the communist allies
discussed the region's nuclear dispute in a visit Beijing
described as a "very important contact." 

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who arrived Tuesday, is
the first foreign minister from Beijing to visit the North in
five years. The visit is seen as bolstering the push for a third
round of six-nation talks on the North's nuclear programs, as
efforts to organize working level groups hang in limbo. 

As Pyongyang's last major ally, China has taken on the role of
host and coordinator of the meetings. 

The Chinese diplomat and North Korean officials are expected to
discuss a date for the crucial working group meetings, which
will seek to nail down details before the next full round of
six-nation talks, sometime before July, according to South
Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon. 

South Korea has accused the North of dragging its feet on the
working groups. 

Li's delegation toured a Pyongyang street market, laid flowers
at a statue of national founder Kim Il Sung and met various
North Korean dignitaries in a "warm atmosphere," according to
the North Korea's official KCNA news agency. 

Li also met Kim Jong Il, who assumed control from his father
after Kim Il Sung's death in 1994. 

Li presented greetings from Chinese President Hu Jintao, KCNA
reported. Before Li departed for Pyongyang, Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Kong Quan described the trip as a "very
important contact between our two sides." 

Earlier in the day in Seoul, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban
said North Korea will likely attend the next six-nation nuclear
talks despite its recent rhetoric over U.S.-South Korean
military exercises and the impeachment of South Korea's
president. 

A recent rupture in inter-Korean relations has fanned concern
that the communist North might use the South's leadership
upheaval or the joint war games as grounds for postponing
nuclear negotiations. 

The U.S. military describes the annual U.S.-South Korean war
games, which began earlier this week, as defensive. But North
Korea routinely criticizes them as preparation for an invasion. 

The United States, two Koreas, China, Russia and Japan have
agreed to convene a third round of talks on North Korea's
nuclear program by July. A second round ended in Beijing last
month without a major breakthrough. In the meantime,
participants are trying to form a "working group" to nail down
details. 

Ban is scheduled to meet Li in Beijing next week. 

The United States insists that the North dismantle its nuclear
weapons programs completely and verifiably. North Korea says it
will only do so if the United States provides economic aid and
security guarantees. 

North Korea threatened on Friday to boost its nuclear arsenal in
"quality and quantity," blaming the United States for the lack
of progress in the nuclear talks. 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 5 [NukeNet] Nuclear Bunker Buster and Feinstein v. Domenici
 
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 15:51:50 -0800

 
<x-flowed>
Hi, colleagues -- If allowed, DOE will "study" the Robust Nuclear Earth
Penetrator and a smogasbord of other new and modified nukes right into
production. Here is an article from New Mexico with a nice back and forth
on this topic between Sen. Feinstein and Sen. Domenici.

While true that in a much broader debate Sen. Feinstein would be somewhere
around the center-right and Domenici the extreme pro-nuclear edge, it is
nonetheless a good little read. And, an important debate. Here it is...


URL: http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/158232nm03-24-04.htm
Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Domenici Clashes With Feinstein on Bunker Buster

By <mailto:mcoleman@abqJournal.com>Michael Coleman

Journal Washington Bureau

      WASHINGTON Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., clashed with a California
colleague Tuesday over the Bush administration's plan to spend $485 million
on a so-called "bunker buster" nuclear bomb.
      Domenici defended the administration's assertion that the money,
nearly $28 million of which would be spent next year, is simply to study
the feasibility of the bomb.
      But Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she is convinced the large
dollar figure represents an intention to develop a new generation of
nuclear weapons.
      "I don't believe there would be a $500 million commitment for just a
study," Feinstein said at a meeting of the Senate Energy and Water
Appropriations Subcommittee, which Domenici chairs.
      "I think it means this administration is determined to develop and
field a new generation of nuclear weapons. This senator is strongly opposed
to that," Feinstein added.
      But Domenici said scientists including those who work at Sandia and
Los Alamos national laboratories should be allowed to conduct research on
advanced or "next generation" nuclear bombs.
      "I don't favor a new round of development of nuclear weapons ... but I
do believe research is not static in reference to nuclear activities,"
Domenici said.
      The hearing was to review the administration's 2005 budget proposal
for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees work at
Los Alamos and Sandia.
      Domenici, seeking to quell a potential political flap over the issue,
secured a commitment from Linton F. Brooks, administrator of the NNSA, that
the money would be used only for study, but not development, of the bombs.
      "There are no such plans and nothing we will do is intended to lower
the nuclear threshold," Brooks told the committee.
      Brooks also agreed to remove the $485 million price from the agency's
budget proposal and instead use only the roughly $28 million needed for the
2005 budget year.
      Ivan Oelrich, director of the Strategic Security Project at the
Federation of American Scientists, said the Bush administration is "trying
to have it both ways" on the issue. Oelrich said he couldn't remember a
study that cost close to a half billion dollars.
      "Publicly, they say 'No, we just want to do a study,' '' but when you
do the reverse engineering on a budget it looks like they have more in mind
than studies," Oelrich said.
      The "bunker buster" weapon would be designed to burrow underneath the
ground before exploding. In theory, the technology could allow the United
States to destroy other nations' weapons stockpiles or leadership bunkers.

   Copyright 2004 Albuquerque Journal


Marylia Kelley
Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
(Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
2582 Old First Street
Livermore, CA USA 94551

<http://www.trivalleycares.org> - is our web site address. Please visit us
there!

(925) 443-7148 - is our phone
(925) 443-0177 - is our fax



_______________________________________________________________________
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Change your settings at:
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</x-flowed>
*****************************************************************
 6 Deseretnews: No more Nuclear tests vowed
 
[deseretnews.com] 
 	
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
 	   	 
Downwinders hear good news at hearing

By Lee Davidson
Deseret Morning News

WASHINGTON — Despite reports to the contrary, the Bush 
administration insisted Tuesday it has no plans to resume nuclear 
bomb tests in the foreseeable future. Still, Sen. Bob Bennett 
said he may cement that vow into law to protect Utahns living 
downwind from the Nevada Test Site.

       "The president has made it very clear we have no
intention to resume testing," Linton F. Brooks, head of the
National Nuclear Security Administration, told the Senate
Appropriations Committee.

       Bennett, R-Utah, a committee member, grilled him to
ensure that nothing is hidden in the promise. Worry arose when
Bush's 2005 budget requested money to improve the Nevada Test
Site, located about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, so tests
could resume if needed within 18 months, instead of up to 36
months now required. Also, the government is working on new
types of nuclear weapons, which could require testing before
they are added to the stockpile.

       Linton said the nation must "maintain our ability to
carry out nuclear weapons tests in the event of some currently
unforeseen problems that cannot be resolved by any other means."
Computer modeling is now used to ensure bombs work.

       But Bennett asked, "Testing is not imminent, is that
correct?"

       "That's correct," Linton replied.

       "There is no anticipation of testing at any foreseeable
time in the future?" Bennett asked.

       "None that we foresee," Linton said.

       "And testing will not happen unless the president makes a
very public finding, and Congress acts in funding that finding?"
Bennett asked.

       "That's correct," Linton answered.

       But Linton added, "I don't want to mislead this
committee. If I find a problem that can only be verified through
testing, I would not hesitate to recommend to the (energy)
secretary and he would not hesitate to recommend to the
president that we test.

      "I have no reason to believe that we'll find that problem,
but it is a hedge against the possibility of finding that
problem that we have asked for the money to ensure we're all
right if that contingency occurs," he said.

       While Bennett said he was relieved to hear such pledges,
he may cement them into law by including a ban on nuclear
testing in the appropriations bill or passing a stand-alone bill
with such a ban (which Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, has proposed).

       "He (Linton) was pretty firm and it may not be necessary.
But Congress can always hold out the possibility of legislation
in order to let the administration know we're serious, and I'm
very serious about this," Bennett said.

       He adds that while the Bush administration is now on
record saying no tests are planned, he wants to ensure that any
decision by a future president also to renew tests is
"transparent (and) that it must be brought before the Congress
for debate."

       Bennett told Linton that Utahns are suspicious of any
government actions about nuclear testing because "frankly, it
lied to them" in the 1950s and '60s when it said fallout was
harmless — leading to high cancer rates among people downwind.
He said because of that, the government must go the extra mile
to ensure safe actions now.

       Bennett also held up a copy of a postcard that upset
downwinders have been sending him with a picture of a 1970
underground test that went bad and vented to the surface looking
as if it were an above-ground test. Linton said improvements
have been made in science and testing procedures to reduce
chances of venting again.

       Pledges did not seem to satisfy Sen. Dianne Feinstein,
D-Calif., who is especially worried about continuing early
studies by the administration on a new "Robust Nuclear Earth
Penetrator" bomb to penetrate and destroy underground bunkers of
foreign leaders. She noted testing could become part of such
efforts.

       Linton downplayed that and said the bomb could deter
dictators, who do not worry about their citizens, from
aggressiveness if they believe the United States could still
reach them. But Feinstein said it could cause enormous,
uncontrollable fallout and even lead to a new arms race with
battlefield nuclear arms.

       "I've got to wonder who's smoking something," Feinstein
said about such plans.

E-mail: lee@desnews.com [lee@desnews.com] 
	 
 © 2004 Deseret News Publishing Company 
*****************************************************************
 7 ICT: Distribution bill for Western Shoshone is genocide

[2004/03/19] 

 The fight for land and dignity
 
Posted: March 19, 2004 - 11:45am EST
 by: Brenda Norrell / Southwest Staff Reporter / Indian Country
Today

Steven Newcomb stands with Western Shoshone Carrie Dann who is 
carrying on the legacy of the struggle for her people’s land and 
liberty. (Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today)
   

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Western Shoshone Carrie Dann said a proposed 
U.S. distribution bill for payments of ancestral land is genocide 
and warned non-Indians that they would be the next ones that the 
United States strips of their rights.

        "What is going on today is genocide of our spiritual and 
cultural ways. You should not let this genocide happen because 
you might be the next one in line," Dann said during an address 
in downtown Flagstaff. "What happened to us will happen to you 
someday. There is already one act against you, it is called the 
Patriot Act."

        Delivering a fiery speech, Dann said the Western Shoshone 
Distribution Bill (H.R. 884) has passed the U.S. Senate and is 
now in the U.S. House of Representatives.

        "They want to pay 15 cents an acre to legitimize the 
theft against us. We are facing genocide in the Senate and the 
House."

        Naming Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., as the leader of the 
assault on Western Shoshone, she said, "He represents the big 
corporations."

        While the United States attempts to seize Western 
Shoshone land for corporate greed, Dann said Mother Earth has 
given everything to sustain life, even the tiny creatures like 
the bugs have been nurtured at the breast of Mother Earth. 

        Yet, to non-Indians, she said, "I am characterized as a 
pagan, a savage."

        Dann said the United States seized Western Shoshone land 
for the Nevada Test Site and the Nuclear Waste Repository at 
Yucca Mountain. Now corporations are proceeding with open pit 
cyanide leach gold mining. The largest vein of gold in the United 
States has been discovered on the Western Shoshone’s sacred 
mountain, the place of Creation.

        "They are pumping out the essence of life so the 
multi-national corporations can get richer." She said water is 
being used for gold mining and nuclear testing is poisoning 
water.

        "Some of the springs I used to drink from say, ‘Do not 
drink the water.’ We need help to protect the babies still in the 
Earth that haven’t come out yet. If this degradation continues, 
there will not be a future for anyone."

        Newe (Western Shoshone) are struggling to protect their 
Newe Sogobia (homelands) for future generations.

        Dann said what was done to American Indians, was also 
done in Iraq. "They don’t tell you how many children they have 
killed; they don’t tell you how many innocent people they have 
killed."

        Drawing a parallel with the slaughter of American 
Indians, Dann said between 1492 and the present day, acts of 
genocide against American Indians resulted in the death of all 
but 2 percent of the American Indian population.

 	"That is a bad history," Dann said.

        She said neither Indians nor non-Indians are taught the 
history of genocide in schools. The history books do not tell 
about the smallpox.

        Dann, however, remembers when she was young, hearing the 
old ones talk about the time when the people died of small pox.

        Now, she said their land is seized and sold as federal 
land to corporations for $2.50 an acre to mine gold. This land is 
worth billions.

        Dann’s niece Mary Gibson, and Julie Fishel, attorney for 
the Western Shoshone Defense Project, joined Dann to make the 
presentation.

        Gibson said there have been three roundups and seizures 
of the Dann’s horses since 1992. "It was the modern-day Calvary, 
it was very frightening."

        Gibson said it created images of what her ancestors went 
through when they were chased and murdered by the Calvary. "I 
feel these corporations have a lot to do with the roundups of 
Carrie and Mary’s horses."

        She said the United States does not care about Indian 
people, but the people will endure.

        "It is Indian country. There are many, many Indian people 
who do not give up."

        Fishel said the United States does not want the American 
public or the international community to know that the Western 
Shoshone’s 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley is still in effect.

        Fishel said the United States wants to conceal the fact 
that Western Shoshone land was taken for nuclear testing, nuclear 
waste storage and corporate gold mining by manipulations of the 
U.S. Justice system and the deceit of the U.S. Interior who was 
complicit in the theft of Shoshone land and violated its position 
as trustee.

        The United States fears that the international community 
will discover that it violated the same human rights it claims to 
uphold by military force in other countries of the world. She 
said their governments who work in concert with corporations 
abuse the rights of indigenous. "Multi-nationals are repeating 
this pattern in other parts of the world."

        The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the 
Western Shoshone and upheld their right to their land. Then, in 
order to subvert justice, the Indian Claims Commission was used 
in an attempt to do away with the high court’s ruling.

        Fishel said when the U.S. Interior, as trustee of the 
Western Shoshone, received money for Western Shoshone land in 
1979, it was a violation.

 	"Who did they pay? They paid themselves."

        Referring to the Indian Claims Commission, Dann said the 
Commission attempted to diminish the Western Shoshone people. 
"They said we are animals and migrate from place to place." 
Fishel pointed out that federal Indian law is based on 
Christianity and the racism that was set in place at the time 

of colonialism.

        She said the U.S. doesn’t want to face international 
probes because it seized use of Western Shoshone illegally and 
never paid for the use for nuclear testing.

        Further, Fishel said the Dann’s and Western Shoshone are 
entitled to other damages. "They were subjected to psychological 
torture."

        As gold companies seize Indian lands in South America, 
Fishel said the public is kept in a fog.

        Gibson added, "There is no justice for Indian people in 
the United States." She said Indian people need an international 
legal forum.

        Fishel pointed out that the United Nations is comprised 
of nation member states that are also abusing indigenous peoples.

 	"They are all complicit in the same crime."

        Fishel said the nations of the world need to turn to 
traditional indigenous peoples for guidance.

        Dann said the scenario of Western Shoshone land has been 
mirrored in the seizure of Black Mesa for coal mining. Dann 
praised Navajos for standing firm against forced relocation.

        Danny Blackgoat, son of the late Roberta Blackgoat, and 
Marie Gladue, both of Big Mountain, thanked Dann for her words. 
Gladue said her family lives with the scars of fighting for 
justice. While non-indigenous people think they live in a country 
of justice, she said, "It is an illusion."

        The presentation at the Federated Church community room 
in downtown Flagstaff began with the documentary "To Defend 
Mother Earth," the story of the Dann’s struggle produced by Joel 
Freedman and narrated by Robert Redford. The video includes 
scenes of the arrest of Tim Dann, for shooting a mule deer to 
feed his family, and arrest of Western Shoshone leaders and 
elders on ancestral land in protest of nuclear testing.

        "Who will speak for the land?" asks narrator Robert 
Redford.

        Dann welcomed visitors to the Western Shoshone spring 
gathering May 14 - 16.

        Gibson said it is the traditional Indian elders that give 
her strength. "They know their truth and they stand on their 
truth." 

*****************************************************************
 8 MOS News: Naval Chief “Should Shoot Himself" - INTERVIEW - 

MOSNEWS.COM
 
The Moscow News  

[Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov / Photo: bz.ru] 

Created: 24.03.2004 15:46 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 18:07 MSK 

Gazeta.Ru
 
After remarks by Russia’s naval commander, Admiral Vladimir
Kuroyedov that the Russian fleet’s flagship, the nuclear-powered
missile cruiser ’Peter the Great’ “could blow up at any moment",
Gazeta.Ru has asked Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for
the Analysis of Strategies and Technology, to comment on the
situation. 

Gazeta.Ru: Ruslan Nikolayevich, what, in your opinion, has
prompted the head of the navy, Vladimir Kuroyedov, to make such
a harsh statement on the state of the Russian fleet, in
particular, of its flagship, ’Peter the Great’? 

This problem has two aspects. The first one is connected with
the situation in the Russian fleet proper. Everyone knows that
along with the Soviet Union our fleet has experienced a national
catastrophe by losing one of its bases and one-third of its
numerical strength. The only aircraft carrier is out of service
and can only take part in naval exercises under tow, as was the
case during the latest strategic war games in February. 

The ’Peter the Great’ has long had problems with its power
generator, which has failed to operate at its full capacity
since it was serviced by conscripts. 

Those are routine problems, just as the roads in Moscow are not
very good despite the all-powerful Luzhkov being the city’s
mayor. Over the past three to four years measures have been
taken to solve those problems as the general situation in the
country has been improving, with oil prices soaring and the
military budget increasing. 

And the fleet has always received the best financing. That is
why, let’s say, over the past four years, and especially last
year, the situation became better than it used to be. It is just
that earlier no tests were held, no test launches and so on. But
now it has become clear that there are problems with servicing,
though they are routine problems. 

Besides, there is Admiral Kuroyedov himself, who turns sixty
this year, which is retirement age for military servicemen. He
can only continue his service if his contract is extended. It
may be extended for a year, three years, but it cannot be
extended indefinitely. The one to decide on an extension is the
president, or, in certain cases, the prime minister. 

Kuroyedov did everything he could to have his contract extended
for another year, but following the failure [of the test-firing
of a ballistic missile] during February’s exercises, other
candidacies have been proposed. As that became obvious, he began
drowning everyone who could possibly replace him 

I am not a big fan of the fleet, rather its opponent, and when
the chief commander makes a downright moronic statement that the
cruiser is about to explode into the air… After all, its nuclear
power-plant is not a nuclear bomb. It cannot just explode into
the air. It might die quietly, but nothing there can ever blow
up. 

And when he makes such statements, it means that he is either an
incompetent fool, or he is pursuing some definite purpose.
Kuroyedov has commanded the fleet that is “about to explode into
the air” for the past four years, but for some reason the one
who is to blame for the situation now is the ship’s commander
[Vladimir] Kasatonov. I think Kuroyedov is keeping his rivals
down. 

The point is that by tradition when the government resigns and
the defence minister turns acting defence minister, all the
commanders of fleets, troops and departments tender their
resignations. 

Then those resignations are either accepted or the military
personnel are asked to continue their service. So it is quite
possible that when Kuroyedov handed in his resignation he knew
his prospects were good and it was a mere formality, but then
the situation changed and he found himself on a hook. 

Apparently, other candidacies have been proposed, though earlier
Kuroyedov was believed to be the only candidate for the post.
And that is why Kuroyedov arranged a news conference where he
blasts everyone. And I regard his “may-explode-at-any-moment”
remark as nonsense unworthy of an officer. 

And what about Kuroyedov’s order to remove the ship’s standard? 

That’s also just another cheap publicity stunt. In that case
then, Kuroyedov should have shot himself in the middle of that
news conference — remove the flag, comb his hair and blow out
his brains. 

But were there technical problems on board the ’Peter the
Great’? 

Maintaining the fleet is a very expensive affair, especially
when it is projecting its strength, i.e. not merely drifting
within 100 km of the coast, guarding the coastline and seeing
off foreign fishermen, but setting a course for somewhere to
show off the flag, threatening with missiles, doing some
shooting. That is all very expensive. 

And it is absolutely clear that, until recently, we could not
afford that. That is why we should have given up some of the
ships to preserve the others. But we tried to preserve
everything and everything is now in a deplorable condition. Iron
has some margin of safety but even iron wears out. 

Kuroyedov took the job at a time when funding had already begun
to improve and the fleet was faced with new tasks. It became
clear that there were problems. But instead of frankly
admitting: yes, we have problems, so we will work towards
solving them, he began by lying, saying that no actual launches
had been planned, only simulations, though earlier the military
made it clear that the president himself would observe those
launches. In other words, Kuroyedov seems to be a very weak man
and does not suit the position he occupies. 
SEE ALSO
 
23.03.2004 13:56 MSK, MOSNEWS.COM 
Nuclear Flagship Could “Blow Sky High"
     
  Write us: <b>info@mosnews.com</b> [info@mosnews.com] 
Copyright © 2004 MOSNEWS.COM
*****************************************************************
 9 SF Chronicle: How the Pakistani nuclear ring skirted export laws
 
DAVID CRAWFORD in BERLIN and STEVE STECKLOW in LONDON, The Wall
Street Journal         Tuesday, March 23, 2004
   
One German company believed it was supplying parts for Apple iMac 
computers. Another, which prided itself on the due diligence it 
conducted on new customers, thought its aluminum tubes were being 
used in tanker trucks. 

In fact, investigators believe the materials ended up being used 
by a Malaysian factory to build components for Libya's secret 
nuclear-weapons program. 

Last month, the world learned that a Pakistani scientist, Abdul 
Qadeer Khan, had overseen a black-market nuclear network that 
sold parts and technology to Libya, Iran and North Korea. A look 
at the network's supply chain -- gleaned from documents and 
interviews with investigators, company officials and a key 
consultant to the Malaysian factory -- shows the surprising ease 
with which it operated. 

Efforts by European regulators to tighten export laws and 
circulate lists of companies suspected of trading in nuclear 
contraband proved largely fruitless. In many cases, investigators 
say, middlemen simply created new companies and placed small 
orders with small suppliers to avoid arousing suspicion. 

The black-market network also took advantage of the fact that 
many materials used to build nuclear bombs have much more mundane 
uses as well, and are perfectly legal to export. Indeed, the 
network's suppliers say they didn't know what the parts would be 
used for, and they shouldn't be held responsible if customers 
deceive them. "These are basic supplies that can be used for 
almost anything," says Konstantin Bikar, a German metals dealer 
whose company sold aluminum tubes to the Malaysian factory. Even 
employees at the Malaysian factory claim they didn't know what 
was being produced there, Malaysian police say. 

Seized shipments and criminal prosecutions didn't seriously 
disrupt the network's procurement activities. Three years ago, a 
British businessman who was convicted of illegally shipping tons 
of equipment to Dr. Khan received no jail time. His business 
partner, who wasn't charged in the case, redirected his 
activities to Malaysia, where he helped set up the 
nuclear-components operation. 

Following a spate of nuclear-related exports to Iraq from 
Germany, German officials toughened the penalties for such 
activities in the early 1990s and tried to prosecute more 
companies for trade violations. Yet German customs investigators 
say at least a half-dozen companies in Germany apparently 
supplied parts to Dr. Khan's network in recent years under the 
impression that they were selling legal goods to legitimate 
enterprises. No charges have been filed and investigators say so 
far they have no evidence that any export laws were broken. 

In one instance, the German-Pakistani connection began at a 
Christmas party. At the December 1998 gathering in Germany, Mr. 
Bikar, an aluminum dealer from a mountain town in western 
Germany, met Thorsten Heise, a German mechanical engineer living 
in Singapore. Both men were looking to open a metal-export 
company in Asia. Mr. Heise -- who referred all questions for this 
article to Mr. Bikar -- had moved to Singapore with his wife in 
1997, according to Mr. Bikar. Mr. Heise knew Singapore business 
and the metals trade, so Mr. Bikar asked him to scout prospects 
there for launching an export operation. 

By September 1999, Bikar Metal Asia Pte. Ltd. was operating, with 
Mr. Heise as managing director. During a visit he made to 
Singapore in November 2001, Mr. Bikar says, Mr. Heise told him, 
"There is a good chance we will land a major contract." The 
potential customer was Scomi Precision Engineering Sdn. Bhd., a 
Malaysian company that builds trucks, aircraft refuelers and 
garbage compactors. 

Mr. Bikar considered himself an expert in export-control measures 
and had assisted other German companies in training their staffs. 
He says he did his own research on Scomi Precision on the 
Internet and elsewhere, and felt assured the company was 
reputable, especially after reading a brochure that stated it was 
active in manufacturing tanker trucks. That would explain why the 
firm needed a lot of metal, he recalls thinking. 

By early 2002, Scomi Precision was placing orders for metals with 
Bikar Metal Asia. Records show some of the orders went directly 
to the parent company, Bikar Metalle, in Germany. German 
investigators say they are reviewing, among other deals, the sale 
of more than a ton of aluminum tubes, valued at about $4,300, 
that Bikar Metalle shipped directly to Scomi Precision on July 
23, 2003. Mr. Bikar says that at the time of the sale he believed 
the tubes would be used for tanker-truck parts. 

Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities say that Bikar Metal Asia sold 
300 metric tons of aluminum bars and tubes to Scomi Precision 
that were used to manufacture "components for certain parts of a 
centrifuge unit." The parts were seized in October on a ship in 
Italy destined for Libya, sparking the exposure of the 
international nuclear network. 

Centrifuges are used to increase the concentration of 
uranium-235, a uranium atom that can produce nuclear energy for 
weapons or peaceful uses. A series of interconnected metal 
cylinders filled with uranium gas are rotated rapidly to separate 
out the uranium-235. 

Mr. Bikar says he doesn't know how many deliveries his companies 
made to Scomi Precision, saying only, "It was a lot." He says 
that he and Mr. Heise did nothing wrong, and that he has 
voluntarily turned over all of the sales records to customs 
investigators in Cologne. "Do you hold a wood merchant 
accountable if the buyer makes a bow and arrow and sells it to 
Libya?" Mr. Bikar asks. "How could the wood merchant know what 
the buyer intends to do with his goods?" 

An official at Scomi Precision says the company has no comment. 

Malaysian authorities say the aluminum products shipped to Scomi 
Precision weren't controlled items. An official with the United 
Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, which 
assists enforcement agencies in preventing the shipping of 
nuclear contraband, says the aluminum parts are used for so many 
legitimate purposes that their sale wouldn't have raised red 
flags. Aluminum tubes, for example, are used in bicycles, while 
some window frames are made of aluminum bars, says Mr. Bikar. 

Mr. Bikar says one of Bikar Metal Asia's contacts at Scomi 
Precision was a Swiss engineer, Urs Tinner. A Malaysian police 
report on the Pakistan nuclear ring says the 38-year-old Mr. 
Tinner served between April 2002 and October 2003 as a full-time 
technical consultant to Scomi Precision and was responsible for 
importing and setting up machinery that was used to make nuclear 
components. 

In a lengthy telephone interview, Mr. Tinner said he didn't know 
the components the Malaysian factory was producing were intended 
for Libya's nuclear-weapons program. "I had no idea what was 
going on. The Malaysian police should have asked to talk to me," 
he said. "If I had been working in the final production, where 
one could see the final product, then I would be guilty. But I 
didn't know what we were making." 

Mr. Tinner says he wasn't told what the parts were going to be 
used for, or the identity of the buyer. Mr. Tinner says he never 
questioned any of this because he assumed the buyer had insisted 
on secrecy to prevent the end product from being counterfeited. 

Mr. Tinner says he went to Malaysia in 2001 at the request of 
Buhary Seyed Abu Tahir, a 44-year-old Sri Lankan businessman he 
knew in Dubai. President Bush recently described Mr. Tahir as the 
nuclear network's "chief financial officer and money launderer." 
Malaysian police say Mr. Tahir told them he helped Dr. Khan, the 
Pakistani scientist, ship nuclear components to Iran and Libya. 
Mr. Tahir couldn't be reached for comment. 

Mr. Tinner says he knew Mr. Tahir only as the manager of SMB 
Group, a well-known Dubai computer-services company. Mr. Tinner 
says his assignment in Malaysia was to create a new business plan 
for Scomi Precision, which eventually hired him as a consultant. 
"I arranged everything," he says. "I found a business location, 
set up the workshop and oversaw production." 

Mr. Tinner says he contacted Bikar Metal Asia because he needed 
better-quality aluminum than he could get from Malaysian 
companies. He adds that neither he nor Mr. Bikar could have known 
the aluminium would be used for nuclear components. "Bikar Metal 
is a very well-run company that takes export control extremely 
seriously. That is one reason why I selected them," Mr. Tinner 
says. 

Mr. Tinner doesn't deny that when he left Scomi Precision last 
October, he took all of his computer records, including technical 
drawings. The Malaysian police report says, "This gave the 
impression that Urs Tinner did not wish to leave any trace of his 
presence there." Mr. Tinner says, "They are my personal property. 
It is nobody else's business." 

Mr. Bikar's company isn't the only German firm facing scrutiny. 
German customs investigators say they also are looking into sales 
other German companies made to Scomi Precision, Bikar Metal Asia 
and Gulf Technical Industries, a Dubai-based steel and 
engine-parts trading firm that Malaysian authorities have linked 
to the nuclear network. (Gulf Technical's manager, a British 
businessman named Peter Griffin, denies the allegation.) The 
German sales include three small shipments of specialty steel 
rods by Dorrenberg Edelstahl GmbH to Bikar Metal Asia between 
February and May 2002. 

In a written response to questions about those sales, Dorrenberg 
Edelstahl director Gerd Bohner says, "According to the customer's 
statements, the material was to be used for a swivel joint for 
the new Apple iMac's computer arm." Newer Apple iMacs have a 
metal arm that supports a flat-screen computer monitor; Mr. 
Bohner says the company at one point even sent drawings of the 
part. 

"As a rule, we carefully examine the German export control 
regulations for each purchase order," Mr. Bohner wrote. Since 
there are no restrictions on shipments to Singapore, and the use 
of the parts seemed "obvious," he says his company saw no reason 
not to make the sale. 

Mr. Bikar says he can't explain why Bikar Metal Asia would 
request parts for an iMac, and notes his company doesn't supply 
computer parts. An Apple Computer Inc. spokeswoman says the 
company doesn't discuss its supplier arrangements. 

In February 2003, Mr. Tinner contacted another German company, 
BGH Edelstahl Siegen GmbH, and requested prices for nearly five 
tons of steel rods, according to Joachim Schreiber, head of 
export sales. Mr. Schreiber says he checked an official European 
Union list of suspicious customers and sensitive technology 
before he approved the $15,180 sale. "Neither the customer nor 
the goods were listed, so we could make the sale," he says. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency official confirms that the 
materials aren't considered sensitive items and can be sold 
without restriction. Mr. Tinner says the steel rods were for a 
project unrelated to the shipment that was sent to Libya but 
declined to elaborate. 

German investigators say they also are reviewing sales of 
industrial-quality metal cutters to Gulf Technical Industries in 
Dubai by Dietrich Karnasch Sagen, a tool-supply company, in 2002 
and 2003. The tools are common in machine shops. The company's 
owner, Dietrich Karnasch, says he would have refused to sell the 
tools had he known they could end up being used to make nuclear 
components, as investigators now suspect. "We recently declined 
an Indian request for drills used to bore cannon barrels," Mr. 
Karnasch says, adding, "We avoid military sales." 

Meanwhile, as investigators look into the buyers' side of the 
nuclear ring, a lot of scrutiny has fallen on Mr. Tahir -- the 
man who brought Mr. Tinner to Malaysia. The Malaysian police 
report says Mr. Tahir first met Dr. Khan in the mid-1980s and 
sold him air-conditioning equipment for his research laboratory 
in Pakistan. According to the report, Mr. Tahir soon came to know 
various middlemen who were involved in helping the scientist 
acquire uranium-centrifuge components, mostly from European 
suppliers. 

The report says Mr. Tahir told police that at Dr. Khan's request 
he shipped to Iran two containers of used centrifuge units about 
10 years ago. According to the report, Mr. Tahir said he attended 
a meeting in Istanbul in 1997 with Dr. Khan and two Libyan 
officials who "asked the arms expert to supply centrifuge units 
for Libya's nuclear program." Mr. Tahir said that about two or 
three years ago Dr. Khan admitted to supplying Libya with 
enriched-uranium and centrifuge units, the report states. 

Mr. Tahir, managing director and co-owner of SMB Group in Dubai, 
got involved with Scomi Precision through a complex set of 
connections. In June 1998, Mr. Tahir married a Malaysian woman at 
a gala reception in Kuala Lumpur attended by Dr. Khan. According 
to Malaysian corporate filings, in 2000 the woman bought a 
minority stake in a private company called Kaspadu Sdn. Bhd. -- 
controlled by the son of Malaysia's prime minister -- and Mr. 
Tahir joined as a director. Around that time, Kaspadu acquired a 
controlling interest in Scomi Group, which in 2001 took over a 
company that became Scomi Precision. Mr. Tahir then recruited Mr. 
Tinner to work there. (Mr. Tahir's wife sold her equity interest 
in Kaspadu in January; Mr. Tahir left Kaspadu's board last year.) 

Mr. Tahir wasn't an unknown player in Dr. Khan's nuclear network. 
As was first reported recently by the National Security News 
Service in Washington, in August 2001 Mr. Tahir was a central 
figure in testimony at the London trial of a British businessman 
charged with illegally exporting nuclear components to Pakistan. 

The businessman, Abu Bakr Siddiqui, was accused of shipping 
electronic measuring devices, a five-ton crane, a 12-ton heat 
furnace and a quantity of aluminum bars to Dr. Khan via his 
network between 1995 and 1999. The equipment was shipped by two 
British-registered companies on which Mr. Siddiqui served as a 
director, including SMB Europe Ltd., described in corporate 
filings as a computer-services firm. Set up in 1994, its largest 
shareholder was Mr. Tahir, who also managed SMB Group in Dubai. 

Mr. Siddiqui, whose father was a friend of Dr. Khan's, was 
arrested in 1999 after British customs agents seized a shipment 
of aviation-grade aluminum bars, destined for Dubai, that could 
have been used for centrifuges and missiles. 

Mr. Tahir wasn't charged or present at Mr. Siddiqui's trial, 
because he was outside British jurisdiction, according to a 
person familiar with the case. "Customs wanted to arrest" Mr. 
Tahir, says the individual. At the trial, Mr. Tahir was described 
in testimony as Dr. Khan's middleman and procurement agent. 

Mr. Siddiqui was convicted of three counts of export violations. 
But he received no jail time; a judge gave him a 12-month 
suspended sentence and ordered him to pay court costs. 

Mr. Siddiqui didn't return calls seeking comment. A man at the 
London accounting firm where he works, who identified himself as 
Mr. Siddiqui's uncle, said, "It's something that's behind us, and 
we don't want to talk about it again." 

A spokeswoman for Britain's Customs and Excise department, which 
brought the case against Mr. Siddiqui, declined to comment on why 
Mr. Tahir wasn't pursued further. In a statement, the department 
said it is "investigating allegations relating to the supply of 
components for nuclear programs, including related activities of 
British citizens. Our inquiries are continuing and it would be 
inappropriate to comment further." 

Meanwhile, Malaysian officials say they can't charge Mr. Tahir 
because he hasn't broken any Malaysian laws. 

Leslie Lopez in Kuala Lumpur and Simeon Kerr in Dubai contributed 
to this article. 

A Piece at a Time 

German customs investigators say small suppliers in Germany
unwittingly sold materials that ended up being used as
components by a Pakistani nuclear-arms ring. 

SELLER: Dietrich Karnasch Saegen GmbH 

SALES: 19 rotary metal cutters and 3 heavy-duty ones 


SELLER: Doerrenberg Edelstahl GmbH 

SALES: 473 lbs. of steel rods 



SELLER: Walzwerke Einsal GmbH 

SALES: 8,051 lbs. of steel rods 



SELLER: BGH Edelstahl Freital GmbH 

SALES: 9,262 lbs. of steel rods, large and small 



SELLER: Bikar Metalle GmbH 

SALES: 2,246 lbs. of aluminum tubes 

Sources: company records, interviews 

©2004 Associated Press 

*****************************************************************
 10 Hi Pakistan: Statement about Russian nuke ship worries world     --> 
 
March 24 2004     
 
MOSCOW: The head of the Russian Navy rang alarm bells on Tuesday 
after being quoted saying one of the world's most powerful 
nuclear warships might be about to blow up. 

But Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov then denied making the comment and 
said he meant only that the Peter the Great, the pride of 
Moscow's Northern Fleet, was being poorly maintained. 

Russian military analysts said the incident might have had less 
to do with an imminent danger than with rivalries among the top 
brass of a navy struggling to stay afloat on a budget that has 
been dramatically cut since its Cold War heyday. 

Two major news agencies, Itar-Tass and Interfax, quoted Mr 
Kuroyedov as saying he had ordered the nuclear-powered cruiser 
back to port and warning that "it may blow up any minute". 

But some hours later, the admiral said he had been misquoted and 
the agencies' reports were "not true in any way". "The ship's 
nuclear safety system is fully tested and meets all vital 
requirements," he told Tass in his later remarks. 

"However, the state of the living quarters and the general state 
of the ship is unsatisfactory and fails to meet requirements set 
down by regulations." He had given the crew two weeks to fix the 
problems. It was not clear where the ship was. Its home port is 
near Murmansk on Russia's Arctic coast, close to borders with 
Norway and Finland. 

The 19,000-ton Kirov-class vessel has 20 cruise missiles that can 
be equipped with nuclear warheads. Designed to challenge the US 
Navy in the Cold War and originally named the Yuri Andropov after 
the former Soviet leader, the Peter the Great - or Pyotr Veliky - 
spent years in the dockyard after the Soviet Union collapsed, 
before being finally commissioned, despite concerns over its 
cost, in 1998. 

PUTIN EMBARRASSED: Declared the Northern Fleet's model ship last 
year, it plays a key role in manoeuvres in the North Atlantic and 
has often hosted visits by officials, including President 
Vladimir Putin. 

Kommersant newspaper quoted naval sources as saying Mr 
Kuroyedov's decision to recall the ship was motivated by 
rivalries among admirals, including Mr Kuroyedov and the ship's 
master, Admiral Vladimir Kasatonov, who is a bitter critic of the 
navy chief. 

The Northern Fleet upset Putin last month when three missile 
tests failed during his pre-election visit to the scene of 
Russia's biggest war games in two decades. 

The fleet also saw Russia's worst incident with a nuclear-powered 
vessel. The state-of-the-art submarine Kursk sank with all hands 
in 2000, months after Putin was elected, creating public 
relations disaster for the new president. 

But Tass quoted Sergei Perevoshchikov, technical director of the 
Northern Fleet's nuclear-powered vessels, as saying all vessels 
were fully maintained and reliable. 

"The Kursk accident showed that even with such a powerful 
explosion on the ship, the reactor itself was undamaged," he was 
quoted as saying. "This is the best proof of its reliability."
					     							 				 				   				 				
      
Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
 11 Las Vegas SUN: Concerns aired about Nevada tests of 'bunker buster' bomb

Today: March 24, 2004 at 10:15:53 PST 

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Senators from both parties have expressed
concerns that continued research on a new "bunker buster" bomb
could lead to a resumption of nuclear detonations at the Nevada
Test Site. 

During a Senate energy and water subcommittee budget hearing
Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she feared the
Energy Department was "opening the nuclear door." 

She cited a report by the Congressional Research Service earlier
this month that said the department plans to ask Congress to
approve $485 million for the "bunker buster" bomb over the next
five years. 

Lawmakers expressed concern the Energy Department was asking for
$27.6 million in next year's budget to continue research on the
weapon. Congress approved only $7.5 million for this year. 

Linton Brooks, chief of the National Nuclear Security
Administration, acknowledged the funding request for the bomb is
"perhaps the single most contentious issue in our budget." The
administration oversees the vast Nevada Test Site. 

"What we are asking the Congress to do this year is to approve
the continuation of the study," Brooks told the subcommittee
hearing, which was held in Washington, D.C. 

Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said he feared accidents or
sloppiness in testing 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas could have
a wide-ranging effect. 

"The people in southern Utah, in particular, are very suspicious
of anything the government says about nuclear testing above
ground or below ground," Bennett said. 

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the subcommittee's ranking Democrat,
said prior to the hearing that he has always opposed the "bunker
buster" bomb. 

"I don't think we need new offensive weapons," Reid said. 

The Bush administration is studying designs for the new weapon,
also called the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator. Plans envision
a nuclear bomb with a hardened shell that could burrow
underground before exploding. 

Military strategists say it could be helpful in destroying
hidden arsenals and command centers. 

Others say it would defeat the purpose of arms control. 

There has not been an underground nuclear blast at the test site
since Sept. 23, 1992. The last time atmospheric nuclear
detonation at the test site was in 1962. 

Senior Energy Department officials noted the "bunker buster"
bomb is years away from becoming a reality and will not be
developed without congressional approval. 

"The law is extremely clear that beginning development and
engineering requires congressional approval, and there is no one
in the administration who has any doubt of or objection to that
feature of that law," Brooks said. 

Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 12 NRC: NRC to Meet with Union Electric Co. To Discuss Performance of Callaway Nuclear
                           Power Plant
News Release - Region IV - 2004-01
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region IV
  No. IV-04-013           March 24, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Victor Dricks
Phone: 817-860-8128
     E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov [opa4@nrc.gov]   
  


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with
representatives of the Union Electric Co. on Wednesday, April 7,
to discuss the results of the agencys annual assessment of
safety performance at the Callaway nuclear plant. The facility
is located near Fulton, Missouri. 

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Plaza Hotel
and Convention Center, 415 West McCarty Street, in Jefferson
City. The public is invited to observe the meeting and NRC
officials will be available before the conclusion of the meeting
to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of
the plant. 

The performance period to be discussed is January 1 to December
31, 2003. In addition, the NRC staff will provide an overview of
how the agencys Reactor Oversight Process works. 

A letter from the NRC to Union Electric Co. officials addresses
the performance of the plant during this period and will serve
as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/call_2003q4.pdf
[PDF Icon] . 

Overall, the plant operated safely last year, but had a white
inspection finding, or a finding of low to moderate safety
significance, in the first quarter of 2003. Plant staff failed
to provide tone alert radios to some local residents that were
not within emergency siren coverage areas. A supplemental
inspection by the NRC determined that corrective actions taken
by Union Electric to resolve the issue and prevent a recurrence
were satisfactory. 

The plant also has made progress addressing weaknesses in its
problem identification and resolution program. The NRC plans to
monitor the licensees continuing efforts in this area through
its baseline inspection program which includes a team inspection
specifically in this area.
 
With regard to security issues, the letter points out that the
NRC has issued several orders and threat advisories to enhance
security capabilities and improve guard force readiness since
the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The agency has also
conducted inspections to review the implementation of these
requirements and has monitored the action of plant operators in
response to changing threat conditions. The NRC will continue
security inspections in 2004. 

Current performance indicators for the Callaway nuclear plant
are available on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CALL/call_chart.html.   



  


 	Last revised Wednesday, March 24, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 13 NRC: NRC to Meet with Entergy Operations, Inc. to Discuss Performance of River Bend
                       Nuclear Power Plant
News Release - Region IV - 2004-01
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region IV
  No. IV-04-014           March 24, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Victor Dricks
Phone: 817-860-8128
     E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov [opa4@nrc.gov]   
  


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with
representatives of Entergy Operations, Inc., on Tuesday, April
13, to discuss the results of the agencys annual assessment of
safety performance at the River Bend nuclear plant. The facility
is located near St. Francisville, Lousiana. 

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church,
Jackson Hall, 11621 Ferdinand Street, St. Francisville. The
public is invited to observe the meeting and NRC officials will
be available before the conclusion of the meeting to answer
questions from the public on the safety performance of the
plant. 

The performance period to be discussed is January 1 to December
31, 2003. In addition, the NRC staff will provide an overview of
how the agencys Reactor Oversight Process works. 

A March 3 letter from the NRC to Entergy Operations officials
addresses the performance of the plant during this period and
will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is
available at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/rbs_2003q4.pdf
[PDF Icon] . 

Overall, the plant operated safely last year, and fully met all
cornerstone objectives (cornerstones are measures of plant
performance). However, during the fourth quarter of 2003, the
NRC staff identified one finding of low to moderate safety
significance. It involved a failure to properly lock open a
valve that complicated an automatic reactor shutdown in
September 2002. The NRC staff has concluded that the licensee
has adequately identified the root cause and taken appropriate
corrective actions to prevent a recurrence.	 

With regard to security issues, the letter points out that the
NRC has issued several orders and threat advisories to enhance
security capabilities and improve guard force readiness since
the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The agency has also
conducted inspections to review the implementation of these
requirements and has monitored the action of plant operators in
response to changing threat conditions. The NRC will continue
security inspections during 2004.
 
Current performance indicators for the River Bend nuclear plant
are available on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/RBS1/rbs1_chart.html.   



  


 	Last revised Wednesday, March 24, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 14 AFP: Bulgaria and Romania agree on air defence of nuclear plant

SOFIA (AFP) Mar 23, 2004

 Bulgaria and Romania has agreed that Bulgaria could fire on 
aircraft in its neighbour's airspace if they threatened its 
nuclear plant at Kozloduy, Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolai 
Svinarov said Tuesday.

The nuclear plant, which provides almost half of Bulgaria's 
electricity, is situated on the Danube river on the border with 
Romania.

Svinarov said the two countries will work out a formal accord 
allowing Bulgaria "to shoot down civilian aircraft who stray from 
their authorised route towards the plant."

He was speaking after a visit to Bucharest where he held talks 
with Romanian Defence Minister Yoan Pascu on border security 
between the two states who both hope to join the European Union 
in 2007.

  WAR.WIRE


*****************************************************************
 15 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting Notice
 
                         FR Doc 04-6523 
[Federal Register: March 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 57)] 
[Notices] [Page 13912-13913] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24mr04-101]                         
 
In accordance with the purposes of Sections 29 and 182b. of the 
Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C. 2039, 2232b), the Advisory Committee 
on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) will hold a meeting on April 15-17, 
2004, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The date of this 
meeting was previously published in the Federal Register on 
Monday, November 21, 2003 (68 FR 65743).
 
Thursday, April 15, 2004, Conference Room T-2B3, Two White Flint 
North, Rockville, Maryland 8:30 a.m.-8:35 a.m.: Opening Remarks 
by the ACRS Chairman (Open)-- The ACRS Chairman will make opening 
remarks regarding the conduct of the meeting.
 
8:35 a.m.-10 a.m.: Action Plan for Implementing the Phased 
Approach for Improving PRA Quality (Open)--The Committee will 
hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives 
of the NRC staff regarding the staff's proposed action plan for 
implementing the phased approach for improving PRA quality.
 
10:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: SECY-04-0037, ``Issues Related to Proposed 
Rulemaking to Risk-Inform Requirements Related to Large Break 
LOCA Break Size and Plans for Rulemaking on LOCA with Coincident 
Loss-of- Offsite Power'' (Open)--The Committee will hear 
presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the 
NRC staff regarding SECY- 04-0037.
 
1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Options and Recommendations for Functional 
Performance Requirements and Criteria for the Containments of 
Non-LWRs (Open)--The Committee will hear presentations by and 
hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff regarding 
proposed options and recommendations for functional performance 
requirements and criteria for the containments of non-light water 
reactors (LWRs).
 
3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m.: Criteria for Evaluating the Effectiveness 
(Quality) of the NRC Research Programs (Open)--The Committee will 
discuss the final criteria for use by the ACRS in evaluating the 
effectiveness (quality) of the NRC research programs.
 
5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open)--The 
Committee will discuss proposed ACRS reports on matters 
considered during this meeting as well as proposed reports on 
Resolution of Certain Items Identified by the ACRS in NUREG-1740 
Related to Differing Professional Opinion on Steam Generator Tube 
Integrity, and on Divergence in Regulatory Requirements Between 
U.S. and Several Other Countries. Friday, April 16, 2004, 
Conference Room T-2B3, Two White Flint North, Rockville, Maryland 
8:30 a.m.-8:35 a.m.: Opening Remarks by the ACRS Chairman 
(Open)-- The ACRS Chairman will make opening remarks regarding 
the conduct of the meeting.
 
8:35 a.m.-10 a.m.: License Renewal Application for the R.E. Ginna 
Nuclear Power Plant (Open)--The Committee will hear presentations 
by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and 
Rochester Gas and Electric Company regarding the license renewal 
application for the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant and the 
associated final Safety Evaluation Report prepared by the NRC 
staff.
 
10:15 a.m.-12 noon: Proposed Generic Communication Regarding 
Pressurizer Dissimilar Metal Weld Cracking Issues (Open)--The 
Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with 
representatives of the NRC staff regarding the proposed NRC 
generic communication related to pressurizer dissimilar metal 
weld cracking issues.
 
1:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Subcommittee Report on the Interim Review of 
the License Renewal Application for the Dresden and Quad Cities 
Nuclear Power Plants (Open)--The Committee will hear a report by 
and hold discussions with the Chairman of the ACRS Subcommittee 
on Plant License Renewal regarding the Subcommittee's review of 
the license renewal application for the Dresden and Quad Cities 
Nuclear Power Plants and the associated initial Safety Evaluation 
Report prepared by the NRC staff.
 
1:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.: Subcommittee Report on Digital I System 
Matters (Open)--The Committee will hear a report by and hold 
discussions with the Chairman of the ACRS Subcommittee on Plant 
Operations regarding the Subcommittee's review of the digital 
instrumentation and control (I) system matters.
 
1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: Future ACRS Activities/Report of the 
Planning and Procedures Subcommittee (Open)--The Committee will 
discuss the recommendations of the Planning and Procedures 
Subcommittee regarding items proposed for consideration by the 
full Committee during future meetings. Also, it will hear a 
report of the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee on matters 
related to the conduct of ACRS business, including anticipated 
workload and member assignments.
 
2:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.: Reconciliation of ACRS Comments and 
Recommendations (Open)--The Committee will discuss the responses 
from the NRC Executive Director for Operations (EDO) to comments 
and recommendations included in recent ACRS reports and letters. 
The EDO responses are expected to be made available to the 
Committee prior to the meeting.
 
3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.: Preparation for Meeting with the NRC 
Commissioners (Open)--The Committee will discuss proposed topics 
for meeting with the NRC Commissioners, which is scheduled to be 
held between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 6, 2004. 4:45 
p.m.-7 p.m.: Preparation of ACRS Reports (Open)--The Committee 
will discuss proposed ACRS reports.
 
Saturday, April 17, 2004, Conference Room T-2B3, Two White Flint 
North, Rockville, Maryland 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Preparation of 
ACRS Reports (Open)--The Committee will discuss proposed ACRS 
reports.
 
12:30 p.m.-1 p.m.: Miscellaneous (Open)--The Committee will 
discuss matters related to the conduct of Committee activities 
and matters and specific issues that were not completed during 
previous meetings, as time and availability of information 
permit.
 
Procedures for the conduct of and participation in ACRS meetings 
were published in the Federal Register on October 16, 2003 (68 FR 
59644). In accordance with those procedures, oral or written 
views may be presented by members of the public, including 
representatives of the nuclear industry. Electronic recordings 
will be permitted only during the open portions of the meeting. 
Persons desiring to make oral statements should notify the 
Cognizant ACRS staff named below five days before the meeting, if 
possible, so that
 
[[Page 13913]] appropriate arrangements can be made to allow 
necessary time during the meeting for such statements. Use of 
still, motion picture, and television cameras during the meeting 
may be limited to selected portions of the meeting as determined 
by the Chairman.
 
Information regarding the time to be set aside for this purpose 
may be obtained by contacting the Cognizant ACRS staff prior to 
the meeting. In view of the possibility that the schedule for 
ACRS meetings may be adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to 
facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons planning to attend 
should check with the Cognizant ACRS staff if such rescheduling 
would result in major inconvenience.
 
Further information regarding topics to be discussed, whether the 
meeting has been canceled or rescheduled, as well as the 
Chairman's ruling on requests for the opportunity to present oral 
statements and the time allotted therefor can be obtained by 
contacting Mr. Sam Duraiswamy, Cognizant ACRS staff 
(301-415-7364), between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., ET. ACRS meeting 
agenda, meeting transcripts, and letter reports are available 
through the NRC Public Document Room at pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] 
, or by calling the PDR at 1-800-397-4209, or from the Publicly 
Available Records System (PARS) component of NRC's document 
system (ADAMS) which is accessible from the NRC Web site at 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] 
or http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/ 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collecti 
ons/]  (ACRS & oc-collections/ (ACRS & ACNW Mtg 
schedules/agendas).
 
Videoteleconferencing service is available for observing open 
sessions of ACRS meetings. Those wishing to use this service for 
observing ACRS meetings should contact Mr. Theron Brown, ACRS 
Audio Visual Technician (301-415-8066), between 7:30 a.m. and 
3:45 p.m., ET, at least 10 days before the meeting to ensure the 
availability of this service. Individuals or organizations 
requesting this service will be responsible for telephone line 
charges and for providing the equipment and facilities that they 
use to establish the videoteleconferencing link. The availability 
of videoteleconferencing services is not guaranteed.
 
Dated: March 18, 2004.
 
Andrew L. Bates, Advisory Committee Management Officer.
 
[FR Doc. 04-6523 Filed 3-23-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 16 Free Lance-Star; NRC to meet with utility on North Anna safety; Hearing
slated tonight on VRE fare increases 

  [fredericksburg.com]   

Date published: 3/24/2004 

NRC to meet with utility on North Anna safety 

How safe is the North Anna Nuclear Power Station? 

On Tuesday, April 6, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet 
with Dominion Virginia Power officials to discuss the results of 
the NRC's annual safety performance assessment. 

The gist of the assessment, contained in a letter to the plant, 
is that it operated safely and performance was at a level 
requiring no additional NRC inspection. 

The meeting, open to the public, will be at 2 p.m. in the main 
auditorium at the plant's information center in Louisa County. 

  The Free Lance-Star (through 3/2001).
   	 	
? Send us Feedback, Phone: 540-368-5055 To contact all other 
newspaper departments, please call 540-374-5000. Copyright 2004, 
The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Va. 
  
*****************************************************************
 17 Bellona:  Russian Nuclear Regulatory reports about insufficient level of
nuclear installations security
 
The head of the Russian Nuclear Regulatory Andrey Malyshev stated 
that at the Collegium on nuclear and radiation safety and 
security on February 27. 

2004-03-24 16:15

The Russian State Nuclear Regulatory performed 299 inspections to 
reveal the level of nuclear sites’ physical protection and 
detected 175 violations in 2003. In 2002 and 2003 only one 
violation of class A was registered, which led to overexposure of 
the testing operators and three radiation incidents concerning 
excess of the radiation control levels during operation with 
radioactive substances. 

According to Malyshev, the Russian nuclear plants experienced 
rise in the number of the violations from 39 in 2002 to 51 in 
2003. Malyshev assumed that this rise is connected with the 4.6% 
increase of energy generation at the nuclear plants. He also 
stated that unit no.1 of the Kursk NPP was launched without 
proper adjusting of the operating licence. An investigation was 
conducted and the measures were taken added Malyshev. 
  
Publisher: [bellona@bellona.no] , President: 
[frederic@bellona.no] Information:  [info@bellona.no] , Technical 
contact: [webmaster@bellona.no] Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 
Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62  * P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, 
Norway Menu 
*****************************************************************
 18 toledoblade: Broken valve further delays Besse power

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 

FirstEnergy Corp. doesn't expect to be generating electricity 
again at its Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Oak Harbor until at 
least next week, Richard Wilkins, a spokesman for the company, 
said yesterday.

The plant was shut down for repairs March 17, days after it had 
started generating electricity again for the first time in more 
than two years. The plant had been idle for routine maintenance 
in February, 2002, and during that time numerous safety failures 
and equipment, management, and design issues were discovered.

According to Mr. Wilkins, the biggest problem of late is a broken 
feedwater block isolation valve.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said the plant could have 
operated safely with the broken valve.

However, the company decided that doing so would not have been 
feasible because the reactor would not have achieved more than a 
quarter of its power capacity, Mr. Wilkins said.

© 2004 The Blade. The Toledo Blade Company, 541 N. Superior St., 
Toledo, OH 43660 , (419) 724-6000 
*****************************************************************
 19 Daily Press: Regulators to request answers on Surry 

[http://dailypress.com/]    	   
	 
HAMPTON ROADS, VA.                       
March 24, 2004 9:09 PM

Fire, safety procedures of nuclear plant at issue
 
By Chris Flores Daily Press
 	 	
Federal nuclear regulators will ask Dominion Resources at a 
meeting next month to explain some safety procedures and 
operational problems the company has encountered over the past 
year at Surry Power Station.

The annual Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting with Dominion 
Energy - the Dominion Virginia Power sister company that operates 
Dominion's two nuclear plants, Surry and North Anna - will focus 
on how the company would deal with a fire at Surry and unplanned 
shutdowns of one of Surry's reactors. 

The meeting, open to the public, will start at 1 p.m. April 8 at 
the Surry County Government Center, 45 School St., Surry. 

The NRC reported Surry operated safely overall but the problems 
would result in extra inspections in the next year. 

Regulators determined preliminarily last month that the 
fire-measures violations were of low to moderate safety 
significance. Dominion is meeting with the NRC in about a week 
and plans to dispute the significance of its fire-prevention 
shortcomings.

"We believe we have a pretty strong case that this issue should 
fall into the very-low-safety-significance category," Dominion 
spokesman Richard Zuercher said.

NRC officials were concerned Dominion's procedures would make it 
difficult to shut down one of the reactors if there was a fire in 
the Emergency Switchgear and Relay Room, a secondary control room 
that contains the backup switch to turn off the units.

A ventilation system is shared between the main and secondary 
control rooms. The Surry plant doesn't have anything in place to 
prevent smoke and toxic gases from reaching both rooms if a fire 
occurred, the NRC reported. 

Another violation considered of low to moderate significance 
reflected the NRC's concerns that coolant wouldn't reach the 
reactors in certain types of fires. The regulators found other 
"noncited violations" of nuclear rules that they considered minor 
relating to reacting to fires.

The regulators will do another inspection next year to determine 
why there were more automatic shutdowns of one of the reactors 
over the past year than are allowed annually. 

In the past year, the NRC also did an extra inspection to oversee 
a problem with emergency power. 

Chris Flores can be reached at 247-4738 or by e-mail at 
cflores@dailypress.com [cflores@dailypress.com] 

Copyright ©2004 Daily Press [Stayer University]   
*****************************************************************
 20 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Joint Meeting of the 
 
                         FR Doc E4-659 
[Federal Register: March 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 57)] 
[Notices] [Page 13913] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24mr04-102]                         
 
ACRS Subcommittees on Reliability and Probabilistic Risk 
Assessment and on Plant Operations; Notice of Meeting The ACRS 
Subcommittees on Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment 
and on Plant Operations will hold a joint meeting on April 14, 
2004, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.
 
The entire meeting will be open to public attendance.
 
The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: 
Wednesday, April 14, 2004--8:30 a.m. Until 11:30 a.m. The 
Subcommittees will discuss the results of the pilot program on 
the Mitigating Systems Performance Indicator (MSPI). The 
Subcommittees will hear presentations by and hold discussions 
with representatives of the NRC staff and other interested 
persons regarding this matter. The Subcommittees will gather 
information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate 
proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation 
by the full Committee.
 
Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or 
written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, 
Ms. Maggalean Weston (telephone: 301-415-3151) five days prior to 
the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be 
made. Electronic recordings will be permitted.
 
Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by 
contacting the Designated Federal Official between 8 a.m. and 
5:30 p.m. (e.t.). Persons planning to attend this meeting are 
urged to contact the above named individual at least two working 
days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes 
to the agenda.
 
Dated: March 17, 2004.
 
Maggalean W. Weston, Acting Associate Director for Technical 
Support, ACRS/ACNW.
 
[FR Doc. E4-659 Filed 3-23-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 21 Ohio News Network: Davis-Besse Will Not Open Until Next Week                                                                                                                                                                                              
 
Oak Harbor                              

March 24, 2004 

A northern Ohio nuclear plant shut down again just 
days after it reopened for the first time in two years probably 
won't generate electricity until at least next week.
                                
   FirstEnergy Corporation's Davis-Besse Plant was closed for 
repairs on March 17th after having been open just a few days. The 
plant had been shut down since February 2002 when workers doing 
routine maintenance found an unchecked acid leak had eaten a 
whole in the steel reactor cap.
                                
FirstEnergy spokesman Richard Wilkins says the latest problem is 
a broken valve. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the plant 
could operate safely despite the break.
                                
 Wilkins says the company decide to shut down because the plant 
could only generate about a quarter of the energy it would be 
able to once the valve is fixed.
                                
  © Associated Press and Dispatch Productions, Inc., 2004. All 
                            				 				
[http://www.dispatchinteractive.com]                    
The Columbus Dispatch
*****************************************************************
 22 [du-list] Gulf troops babies are 50pc more vulnerable
 
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 15:51:48 -0800

 
<x-flowed>
Gulf troops' babies 'are 50pc more vulnerable'
By Nic Fleming
(Filed: 24/03/2004)


Babies whose fathers served in the first Gulf war are
50 per cent more likely to have physical abnormalities
than those born to soldiers not sent to the region,
according to a study published today.

Increased risks of genital, urinary and renal
abnormalities and deformed limbs, bones and muscles
were found in the Ministry of Defence-funded survey.

Of 13,191 pregnancies among the partners of male Gulf
veterans, 686, or 5.2 per cent, had some form of
physical abnormality, compared with 342, or 3.5 per
cent, of the 9,758 non-Gulf pregnancies.

Miscarriages were also 40 per cent more common in the
pregnancies of wives and partners of male veterans
deployed in the conflict.

Female veterans were found to have no increased risk
of suffering miscarriages.

The six-year study, published in the International
Journal of Epidemiology, found no strong link between
service in the Gulf and chromosome, heart and nervous
system damage in the offspring of veterans or of
stillbirths.

Dr Pat Doyle, the epidemiologist at the London School
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who led the study,
called for close monitoring of babies born to British
troops sent to Iraq last year.

Malcolm Hooper, the emeritus professor of medicinal
chemistry at Sunderland University and an adviser to
the veterans, said: "The findings will be very
worrying for them.

"I strongly endorse the call for further studies on
those who served in Gulf war two.

"There are grave concerns and significant anecdotal
evidence about the inability to sustain normal
pregnancies as a result of Gulf service."

Dr Doyle said the study was important, but warned
against reading too much into the findings. "I believe
our findings on renal problems and miscarriages are
important and need to be investigated in greater
detail," she said.

She added that although "associations were found
between fathers' service in the Gulf war and increased
risk of miscarriage and other malformations", the
findings should be interpreted cautiously because of
recall bias, the potential uncertainty of results
based on people's memories.

Terry English, of the Royal British Legion, said:
"Anecdotal evidence from veterans has suggested a
greater rate of miscarriage and this appears to be the
first scientific evidence that confirms this."

Of 53,000 British troops sent to the first Gulf war,
about 630 have died and almost 6,000 have claimed war
pensions.

A range of causes for the illnesses have been
suggested including depleted uranium fallout from
munitions, vaccinations administered and tablets taken
before the conflict.

An MoD spokesman said: "It is important to note the
researchers have cautioned that the findings may be
susceptible to recall bias, and that it is a
comparison with a control group in which miscarriage
may have been under reported.

"Independent researchers and the military medicine
health advisory group of the Medical Research Council
have said that overall there is a lack of evidence to
link reproductive health problems to service in the
Gulf."

Mandy Duncan, from Clackmannanshire, has had three
children since her husband Kenny returned from the
Gulf. Kenneth, nine, was born with deformed ears,
constant headaches and needs special shoes.

Andrew, eight, wets his bed and has asthma. Heather,
six, is partially deaf and suffers bowel and bladder
problems.

Mrs Duncan said last night: "I don't need a study to
tell me my kids have been affected by Kenny's Gulf
service. I want to know what the Government is going
to do about it."
    Related reports

  MoD pays out after DNA test





















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</x-flowed>
*****************************************************************
 23 [DU Information List] Silent genocide
 
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 15:53:22 -0800

 
<x-flowed>
ROBERT C. KOEHLER
For release 3/25/04
SILENT GENOCIDE
By Robert C. Koehler
Tribune Media Services
"After the Americans destroyed our village and killed
many of us, we alsolost our houses and have nothing to
eat. However, wewould have endured these miseries and
even accepted them, if the
had not sentenced us
all to death."
This will not be easy to read, especially if you've
projected evil out of your own heart, into some cave
in Afghanistan or a spider hole in Iraq,

reduced the age-old question it inspires to this one:
How can we bomb it off the face of the earth?
Before the damage we inflict grows greater, before
history's judgment gets worse, before we contaminate
the whole world - even before we vote in
the next election - we must stop what we're doing. We
must
stop now.
It's time to listen for a moment not to defense
analysts, briefing
officers,
pols or pundits, but to people like Jooma Khan, a
grandfather who lives
in a
village in Laghman Province, in northeastern
Afghanistan, who is quoted
above. Surely he deserves 30 seconds of our undivided
attention.
"When I saw my deformed grandson," he told an
interviewer in March of
2003,
"I realized that my hopes of the future have vanished
for good. (This
is)
different from the hopelessness of the Russian
barbarism, even though
at
that time I lost my older son Shafiqullah. This time,
however, I know
we are
part of the invisible genocide brought on us by
America, a silent death
from
which I know we will not escape."
We're waging war-plus in Afghanistan and Iraq - in
effect, nuclear war,
with
our widespread use of depleted-uranium-tipped shells
and missiles. This
is
no secret. DU, with its extraordinary penetrating
power and
explode-on-impact capability, helps assure our
military dominance
everywhere
we go. But people like Jooma Khan and his grandson
reap its toxic
legacy.
So, of course, do our own troops.
Kahn's words are only a sliver of the damning
testimony contained in
the
documents of the International Criminal Tribunal for
Afghanistan, a
Japanese
citizens' initiative that recently concluded its
two-year inquiry into
the
first phase of the Bush Administration's war on
terror. But they say
everything that we cannot hear.
If we could hear Jooma Khan, and others who are
sounding the alarm
about DU,
such as former Livermore Labs geologist Leuren Moret,
who testified at
the
tribunal, there would not be mere thousands of people
in the streets of
American cities demanding that we stop the war, but
hundreds of
thousands,
or millions - the sort of numbers that turn out in
other parts of the
world.
The use of DU weaponry is not the extent of our
criminal
irresponsibility in
Afghanistan and Iraq, which led to the tribunal's
guilty verdict
against
George Bush on charges of war crimes, but it's the
most chilling. (You
can
check out the full report at, among other places,
www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Afghanistan-Criminal-Tribunal10mar04.htm)
As Moret testified, depleted uranium turns into an
infinitesimally fine
dust
after it explodes; individual particles are smaller
than a virus or
bacteria. And, "It is estimated that one millionth of
a gram
accumulating in
a person's body would be fatal. There are no known
methods of
treatment."
And DU dust is everywhere. A minimum of 500 or 600
tons now litter
Afghanistan, and several times that amount are spread
across Iraq. In
terms
of global atmospheric pollution, we've already
released the equivalent
of
400,000 Nagasaki bombs, Moret said.
The numbers are overwhelming, but the potential
horrors only get worse.
DU
dust does more than wreak havoc on the immune systems
of those who
breathe
or touch it; the substance also alters one's genetic
code.
Thus, birth defects are way up in Afghanistan since
the invasion:
children
"born with no eyes, no limbs, tumors protruding from
their mouths ...
deformed genitalia," according to the tribunal report.
This ghastly
toll on
the unborn - on the future - has led investigators to
coin the term
"silent
genocide" to describe the effects of this horrific
weapon.
The Pentagon's response to such charges is denial,
denial, denial. And
the
American media is its moral co-conspirator.
But blame is beside the point. Surely even those who
still await
"conclusive
proof" that DU is the cause, or a factor, in the
mystery illnesses and
birth
defects emanating from the war zones, can see the
logic in halting its
use
now.
Global terrorism? Listen to Jooma Khan. Then look in
the mirror.
- - -
Robert Koehler, an award-winning, Chicago-based
journalist, is an
editor at
Tribune Media Services and nationally syndicated
writer. You can
respond to
this column at bkoehler@tribune.com
© 2004 Tribune Media Services, Inc.



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*****************************************************************
 24 [DU-WATCH] Mystery sickness strikes a local soldier
 
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 00:08:25 -0600 (CST)

 
Forwarded by Charlie Jenks

Mystery sickness strikes a local soldier
War in Iraq: Austin Lipps has suffered from flu-like symptoms ever 
since his return home

By Bill Engle
Staff writer   http://www.pal-item.com

[demime 0.98e removed an attachment of type image/tiff which had a name of image.tiff]
Austin Lipps

At a glance Austin Lipps, 20, of Richmond has been fighting flu-like 
symptoms since returning to the United States from Iraq in August 2003.
Lipps is stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga., where he has seen Army doctors 
and civilian doctors.
He is waiting for a diagnosis.

Austin Lipps might not be going back to Iraq when his U.S. Army unit, 
the 64th Armored Regiment, saddles up in January 2005.

That's because Lipps, the son of Bobby and Pam Lipps of Richmond, 
brought a little piece of the Iraqi war home with him.

It follows his every step, from Richmond, where he returned in August 
2003 to take his leave, to Fort Stewart, Ga., where he is trying to 
prepare for another trip to the Middle East.

Lipps, 24, has been sick almost every day since returning from the war. 
He has a mysterious disease that has flu-like symptoms and leaves him 
with mild discomfort some days and absolutely knocked-down, knocked-out 
sick on others.

"It's been hard,'' Lipps said from Georgia this week. "They've got me 
on all kinds of different pills to stop the major symptoms. Sometimes 
they work, sometimes they work for a few hours.''

He has been examined by Army doctors and civilian doctors, he had his 
appendix removed and has been treated for Crohn's disease. He stayed 
behind when the rest of his unit went to California for more training.

It has been difficult, he said, not knowing what is wrong.

"It's kind of depressing,'' Lipps said. "They've told me I might be 
getting a medical discharge or a (job reclassification) to another job. 
Right now, I've just been answering phones.''

Pam Lipps said she is still waiting for a diagnosis.

"It's hard to know what to think or feel until we get the final 
results,'' she said. "He was going to make (the military) a career so I 
know it's hard for him. For me, it's kind of a mixed blessing. If he 
didn't have to go back to Iraq, that would be OK.

"But I would never want it to be something that threatened his 
health,'' she said.

The Lipps' other son, Joe, is a U.S. Marine serving in northern 
Afghanistan.

During the 1991 Gulf War, more than 4,000 veterans came back from the 
Persian Gulf with a mysterious illness, called Gulf War Syndrome, that 
included symptoms like running nose, diarrhea, fatigue, rashes, 
intestinal problems and sores.

As of yet, there have been few cases of soldiers returning home from 
Operation Iraqi Freedom with ongoing medical problems.

Austin Lipps said he and other soldiers first became sick from drinking 
water in Iraq. But he said doctors have not been able to tell him if 
that is related to his current illness.

But Lipps is not letting the illness affect how he views the rest of 
his life.

"I'm not one to get down on something like this because it just 
happened,'' he said. "If they are going to give me a medical discharge, 
I just wish they would do it so I can get out and go back to school.

"But I'm not going to cry myself to death,'' he said. "You just have to 
move on. I've just got to adapt and move on.''

[demime 0.98e removed an attachment of type image/tiff which had a name of image.tiff]
 Email this story  http://www.pal-item.com

Originally published Saturday, March 20, 2004
*****************************************************************
 25 NRC: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes; Renewal 
 
                         FR Doc 04-6522 
[Federal Register: March 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 57)] 
[Notices] [Page 13911-13912] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24mr04-100]                         
 
Notice AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: This 
notice is to announce the renewal of the Advisory Committee on 
the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) for a period of two years.
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) has determined that the renewal of the charter for the 
Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes for the two 
year period commencing on March 18, 2004 is in the public 
interest, in connection with duties imposed on the Commission by 
law. This action is being taken in accordance with the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act, after consultation with the Committee 
Management Secretariat, General Services Administration.
 
The purpose of the ACMUI is to provide advice to NRC on policy 
and technical issues that arise in regulating the medical use of 
byproduct material for diagnosis and therapy. Responsibilities 
include providing guidance and comments on current and proposed 
NRC regulations and regulatory guidance concerning medical use; 
evaluating certain non- routine uses of byproduct material for 
medical use; and evaluating training and experience of proposed 
authorized users. The members are involved in preliminary 
discussions of major issues in determining the need for changes 
in NRC policy and regulation to ensure the continued safe use of 
byproduct material. Each member provides technical assistance in 
his/her specific area(s) of expertise, particularly with respect 
to emerging technologies. Members also provide guidance as to 
NRC's role in relation to the responsibilities of other Federal 
agencies as well as of various professional organizations and 
boards.
 
Members of this Committee have demonstrated professional 
qualifications and expertise in both scientific and 
non-scientific disciplines including nuclear medicine; nuclear 
cardiology; radiation therapy; medical physics; radiopharmacy; 
State medical regulation; patient's rights and care;
 
[[Page 13912]] health care administration; medical research; 
medical dosimetry, and Food and Drug Administration regulation.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Williamson, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555; Telephone (301) 415-5030.
 
Dated: March 18, 2004.
 
Andrew L. Bates, Federal Advisory Committee, Management Officer.
 
[FR Doc. 04-6522 Filed 3-22-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 26 the spectrum: Downwinder, DRMC speak out on testing

[http://www.thespectrum.com

Wednesday, March 24, 2004   

By Hillary Gubler hgubler@thespectrum.com 

ST. GEORGE -- St. George resident Bill Endsley, who grew up in 
Cedar City and endured hundreds of nuclear blasts, said the 
radiation from the testing gave him skin cancers and melanomas. 

His children have also seen the domino effects of radiation -- 
they are consistently checked for odd-looking moles and skin 
growths, Endsley said. 

However, even with similar side-effects evident in thousands of 
Southern Utahns, the federal government is leaving the option 
open to restart nuclear testing in Nevada. 

At the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee meeting, Linton Brooks, 
the Energy Department's undersecretary for nuclear security, said 
while there is no continuation of nuclear testing pending, if the 
need arises Brooks will recommend it to President Bush. 

Endsley said nuclear testing is not a partisan issue and he is 
speaking out against the government implementing the testing of 
bunker busters. Radioactive fallout from the original testing -- 
both above and below -- caused a lot of damage in various of 
places, he said. 

"It's time to put up rather than shut up," Endsley said. "I don't 
know why we need to go through this again to validate the 
monster." 

Terri Draper, Dixie Regional Medical Center spokeswoman, said the 
hospital would also be in opposition to further nuclear testing 
in Nevada. She said testing would have a large impact on the 
hospital -- just like any other medical facility. 

DRMC set up its Radiation Exposure Screening and Education 
Program on March 10 for those who lived in Washington, Iron, 
Kane, Beaver and Garfield counties during the above ground 
nuclear testing from 1951 to 1958 or July 1962. 

Originally published Wednesday, March 24, 2004
*****************************************************************
 27 Salt Lake Tribune: Bennett zeros in on N-testing safety 
 
March 24, 2004   
 
By Christopher Smith 
 
    WASHINGTON -- Utahns are rightfully skeptical of federal
assurances that future nuclear bomb experiments in Nevada won't
threaten people living downwind, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, told
the nation's atomic weapons chief Tuesday. 
 
    Bennett said he is considering legislation or language in an
appropriations bill to make health protections of people living
downwind from nuclear weapons tests a condition for resuming
testing in order to prevent a repeat of the Cold War fallout
from Nevada that thousands in the West blame for illnesses. 
 
    "Utahns were not only let down by their government, they
were lied to by their government," Bennett told National Nuclear
Security Administration head Linton Brooks during a Senate
Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the agency's 2005 budget
request. 
 
    Brooks repeated statements that he made to the House Armed
Services Committee last week that the Bush administration has no
plans to end a 1992 moratorium and resume nuclear bomb
detonations at the Nevada Test Site. But for the first time,
Brooks said part of the agency's $9 billion budget request
before Congress would help protect against any accidental
release of radioactive materials into the environment. 
 
    "Much of the money that we are requesting goes to ensure a
very detailed analysis to the absolute safety of any
hypothetical future nuclear test," he told Bennett. 
 
    Illustrating downwinders' concern that underground tests
still pose many of the same risks as the defunct atmospheric
tests, Bennett displayed a black-and-white photo of a plume of
radioactive dust rising from the Nevada Test Site during an
accidental "venting" of a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb exploded 900
feet below the surface in 1970. 
 
    Brooks said the federal government has since made a number
of "analytical and technical corrections" to avoid geologic
fissures in the desert crust that were responsible for the 1970
venting. He acknowledged three other "far less significant"
ventings had occurred in tests since then, but said none
distributed any fallout in Utah. 
 
    Because of advances in science and technology, "if at some
future date the president decides we need to do an underground
test, there will be a policy debate but there won't be any
public health issue because we're confident that we will make
sure we do not have a repeat of that 1970 event," Brooks said. 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
    Bennett is studying downwinder protection legislation
sponsored in the House by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, but said he
is concerned that requiring an environmental impact statement
prior to a nuclear bomb test could hamper the inclusion of new
weapons in the nation's nuclear stockpile. 
 
   csmith@sltrib.com [csmith@sltrib.com]  
 
    
 
    
 
    
 
   
 
   
			   				 	 "> 	                 				 
 
  
Copyright Salt Lake City Tribune
*****************************************************************
 28 Las Vegas SUN: Targets with depleted uranium questioned

LAS VEGAS SUN

 The Air Force will hold the first of three public meetings
tonight to accept comments on what to do with 182 tanks on the
Nevada Test and Training Range that were used as targets by A-10
Thunderbolt IIs firing depleted uranium ammunition.

 About 7,900 radioactive uranium rounds are fired at the 2.9
million-acre range every year, and those rounds are gathered and
disposed of at low-level waste facilities, Nellis officials said.

 The tanks that the Thunderbolts fire on remain on the range,
and the Air Force is drafting an environmental assessment for
their proposed removal.

 It has not yet been decided what will be done with the tanks,
but options include leaving them on the range, fitting them with
monitoring equipment and leaving them, or burying them, Air
Warfare Center spokesman Mike Estrada said.

 At current usage rates the tanks on the range should last as
targets for the next 20 years, about the life span of the A-10.
The A-10, an aircraft used for close air support and
tank-busting, could be replaced by the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
in about 20 years, Estrada said.

 The Joint Strike Fighter will likely not use depleted uranium
ammunition, Estrada said.

 

*****************************************************************
 29 NEWS.com.au: Uranium found in drinking water 

(March 25, 2004)
 	 	 	 
By EDITH BEVIN
 				 				 
Twelve workers complained of nausea and headaches yesterday after 
drinking water contaminated with uranium and acid.

The Ranger mine, 220km east of Darwin, was evacuated and could 
stay closed until the end of this week. 

The workers were sent home after reporting for the morning shift. 
It is not known how long the contaminated water had been leaking 
into the drinking water supply. 

The water is used by the mine, airport and businesses in the 
nearby town of Jabiru. 

The town water supply was not affected. 

``We still haven't been officially told what's happened,'' one 
worker said yesterday afternoon. 

``Supervisors told us the water was contaminated but didn't say 
how that happened.'' 

Another source said tests carried out yesterday on the drinking 
water showed a contamination level of about 30 per cent. 

Staff finishing the night shift noticed the contamination while 
showering. 

Workers on the morning shift, starting at 7am, said they noticed 
the water tasted strange. 

They reported it to supervisors and the uranium mine was closed 
two hours later. 

The contamination came from pit one, which contains yellowcake 
and other chemicals and acids used in the mining process. 

Yellowcake is uranium oxide concentrate, a mixture of uranium 
oxides produced after milling uranium ore. Uranium is exported 
from Australia as yellowcake. 

``Management sent us home without any explanation and without 
checking with anyone how much of this stuff they'd actually 
consumed,'' one worker said. 

``They didn't ask whether we needed to seek medical advice. 

``We're all pretty worried because we're not being told 
anything.'' 

Manager External Relations Amanda Buckley said workers had been 
told not to return to the mine site today. 

She said ``elevated levels of uranium'' had been found in the 
water. 

She said they were still trying to find the source of the 
contamination. 

``As a precaution, the drinking and washing water system was 
immediately closed down and non-essential staff sent home,'' Ms 
Buckley said. 

``The company also immediately advised the airport and other 
businesses near Ranger, whose water supply is provided by the 
mine. 

``Later testing found that the quality of the water outside the 
immediate mine area appears to have been unaffected.'' 

Ms Buckley said they had received no reports from staff about 
illness as a result of the contamination.                               

Northern Territory News
 				 							 				 					 	 						
[http://www.news.com.au
*****************************************************************
 30 Gallup Independent: Records needed for compensation for uranium illnesses

 - March 20, 2004

Marie and James Tomchee are having a difficult time coming up 
with documented proof of residency required to receive 
compensation for uranium-related illnesses. Courtesy photo 

by Kathy Helms
 Diné Bureau 

SHIPROCK  Marie Tomchee stood timidly in the doorway to Phil 
Harrison's office at the Shiprock Chapter House. Harrison, a 
member of the Navajo Uranium Radiation Victims Committee, sat at 
his desk highlighting passages in a 4-inch-thick file. Tomchee's 
file. 

Marie, a cancer victim, and her husband, James Tomchee, 
superintendent of Apache County Schools, were at Harrison's 
office to discuss the status of Marie's downwinderclaim under the 
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. 

"She received a deficiency letter. It shouldn't be like that," 
Harrisonsaid. "We have to look for more records for her and get a 
third medicalopinion, and I'm not sure Indian Health Service will 
be able to provide it." 

Aside from the pile of information already provided, the U.S. 
Department of Justiceis asking for proof that Marie was living in 
one of the counties covered underdownwinder criteria between Jan. 
21, 1951, and Oct. 31, 1958, or June 30 to July1962. Arizona 
counties include Apache, Coconino, Navajo, Yavapai, Gila, and 
Mohave. 

Marie has a grazing permit which covers the Teecnospos area in 
Apache Countywhere her family historically has had grazing 
rights. That apparently is notenough to satisfy the federal 
government, even though the permit and a coverletter giving the 
history of the permit came from a Department of Interior 
agencyoffice. 

"The permit has been existing since June 1943. It went through 
the familyand it went to Marie in August 1972, which is not in 
the designated years," Harrisonsaid. "But she has been in this 
area under this permit since 1943. So thattells me that she was 
born there, she was raised there, and she still lives there.They 
should be able to provide that (grazing permit) and give her an 
approvalon that." 

Instead, the government is requesting other documentation to 
substantiate residency,including tax and voting records. "Of 
course we don't have no tax records," saidHarrison, who has 
helped Marie work her way through the bureaucratic red 
tape.Navajos living within the reservation do not pay property 
taxes. 

"All of the school records have been destroyed. Employment was 
scarce. Alot of people were born at home. Personal letters nobody 
much wrote letters becausethe majority of them were uneducated. 
Church records there was hardly any churches.Voting records, we 
didn't find any," he said. 

The government also requested personal diaries. But Harrison and 
the Tomcheeswere skeptical. If the government won't accept a 
certified grazing permit, whatgood is a personal diary? 

"It's a hopeless case," Harrison said. "They won't accept it 
anyway,so why do they bother asking for all of that?" 

This is one of the stumbling blocks Harrison encounters time and 
again in helpingdownwinders. Next week in Washington he plans to 
lobby for less stringent residencyrequirements. 

"They should be able to accept that grazing permit because it 
went throughthe family. We provided them the USGS map that has 
all of the bearings on there.The range and the township is on 
there. It's not anywhere on Mars. It's in thestate of Arizona," 
he said. 

"On the medical case, she should be able to be approved because 
the tumorregistry said that she had cancer," Harrison said. 

Marie said she was born in the family hogan in Teecnospos on 
Sept. 10, 1933.Her affidavit of birth was recorded with the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs on March24, 1952. But the Justice 
Department does not accept tribal census records, Harrisonsaid. 

"I was born at home and just stayed at home. I went to school at 
TeecnosposBoarding School, and then also I went to school at 
Shiprock. I've always beenhome and around this area," Marie said. 

She went to work at Red Rock Boarding School in 1954 and 
continued to work thereuntil 1958, when she went away to Utah for 
a couple years, returning in 1960.That's when she became ill with 
thyroid problems and spent nearly a month inthe hospital. 

"In all that time, from 1960 on, she's never had a whole day 
without complainingabout sickness. All that time we went to the 
doctors here. We were not satisfiedwith PHS (Public Health 
Service) doctors so we went to private doctors, and theywould 
never diagnose her ailment. For that reason, we had to resort to 
medicinemen. We went to a whole bunch of them. They gave us herb 
treatments and thingslike that, and some major ceremonies, which 
cost a lot of money," Jamessaid. 

"Finally, she started having some bleeding around 1972, and 
eventually theydiagnosed that she had uterine cancer. So she had 
to have a hysterectomy, anoperation for that. To this day, she 
still has to go to Albuquerque to that cancercenter for a checkup 
annually," he said. "First she had to go backevery month after 
surgery, then a couple of times a year, and then annually.That 
cost money for travel, lodging, meals." 

Marie also had skin cancer, according to her husband. 

"There was a great big dark spot on her skin there and they cut 
it out," hesaid. 

One of Marie's brothers worked in the uranium mines about 5 miles 
west of Teecnospos,hauling uranium in a dump truck. 

"Sometimes he would come back with a load of it and they would 
play on it," Jamessaid. 

"I didn't know, I was a child," Marie explained. "One of my 
sistersdied from cancer in 1971. My other sister, my second 
sister, she died from canceralso. She died in 1985. One of my 
nieces, my mother raised her. She lives inTeecnospos. She had 
breast cancer. She had an operation, too, in 1994." 

Marie's brother, Herbert, died from uranium-related illness, she 
said. 

"Now my oldest daughter, I believe it was two years ago, was told 
she hadthe cancer also. She had an operation. Her uterus also, 
just like mine." 

James said he has spent years taking his wife to doctors and 
medicine men. Hedoes not believe the $50,000 compensation payment 
is enough because it won'teven touch some of the medical bills. 

"They should have at least $200,000, but even then it would not 
be sufficient.I consider my life worth more than that," he said. 

"But it would be just a token of appreciation on the part of the 
U.S. governmentto compensate these people. The United States 
government did a lot of damageto these people," he said. 
    
Weekend March 20, 2004 Selected Stories: New police chief 
Sylvester Stanley sworn in
 
Bootleg CDs put Gallup man on centerstage
 
4 die in rez traffic wrecks Records needed for compensation for 
uranium illnesses BIA to take back Kayenta school RECA advocate 
has tribal help for trip to D.C. Gallup teacher earns Golden 
Apple Deaths | Home | Daily News | Archive | Subscribe | Please 
send the Gallup Independent feedback on this website and the 
paper in general. All contents property of the Gallup 
Independent. Any duplication or republication requires consent of 
the Gallup Independent. Send questions or comments to 
gallpind@cia-g.com [gallpind@cia-g.com]   


*****************************************************************
 31 NRC: NRC Reorganizes Office to Give Added Focus to High-Level Radioactive Waste Programs
 
News Release - 2004-03
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION   
  Office of Public Affairs     Telephone: 301/415-8200   
  Washington, DC 20555-0001     E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
  No. 04-035     March 24, 2004   
  

Division of High-Level Waste Repository Safety in its Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. This will enable the NRC
to enhance its focus on major high-level radioactive waste
programs and issues, and conduct a comprehensive licensing
program for the proposed high-level waste disposal facility at
Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The Department of Energy is scheduled to
submit an application to the NRC in December for a license to
construct and operate the repository. 

The Director of the new Division is C. William Reamer,
previously Deputy Director of the Division of Waste Management,
which prior to the reorganization handled all waste management
activities for the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards. 

John T. Greeves, previously Director of the Division of Waste
Management, now leads a new Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, which will plan, manage and implement
programs related to the decommissioning of sites, management of
low-level radioactive waste activities, and conduct of
environmental reviews. 

The changes are expected to improve organizational effectiveness
and efficiency and focus attention and resources on the major
program areas of high-level waste, decommissioning,
environmental protection and low-level waste. The reorganization
was effective on March 22.   



  


 	Last revised Wednesday, March 24, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 32 Las Vegas RJ: WITHDRAWAL REQUESTS: Water plan objections challenged 
 
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
 

SNWA attorney questionsU.S. parks official's opposition By SEAN
WHALEY
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
 
CARSON CITY -- A Southern Nevada Water Authority attorney
Tuesday asked the National Park Service why it protests
applications for groundwater for Las Vegas residents but raised
no objection to groundwater for a nuclear waste repository at
Yucca Mountain.
 
 The park service also was asked why it has not analyzed the
potential effects of the groundwater withdrawal requests by the
water authority in the 15 years the applications have been on
file with the state.
 
 The questions were posed by Paul Taggart, an attorney hired by
the water agency, which seeks approval for the withdrawal of
17,000 acre-feet of groundwater annually in two valleys in Clark
and Lincoln counties to satisfy the demand for a growing Las
Vegas.
 
 "I guess I'm wondering why is it that you wouldn't be concerned
about the pumping in the (Nevada) Test Site at Yucca Mountain
yet you are concerned about the pumping in this application,"
Taggart asked.
 
 Chuck Pettee, chief of the water rights branch for the National
Park Service, said the agency had reached agreement with the
U.S. Department of Energy on how to monitor and deal with water
flows at important park sites if the groundwater pumping for
Yucca Mountain affected water levels.
 
 As a result, the agency did not protest at a hearing last year
on the Energy Department's request for 430 acre-feet of water
for the Yucca Mountain project, he said. State Engineer Hugh
Ricci in November denied the DOE's request for the water.
 
 But Taggart said no firm agreement was in place before the park
service decided not to protest the Energy Department application.
 
 Yet the agency, concerned about water levels at Devil's Hole in
Nye County, home to a rare pupfish, has protested the requests
for groundwater by the water agency, he said. The applications
were originally filed by the Las Vegas Valley Water District in
1989. 
Taggart asked why a good faith commitment with another federal
agency was acceptable, but that a similar arrangement is not OK
for the water authority groundwater applications.
 
 "It could be good enough," Pettee said. "We're always willing
to discuss things."
 
 The exchange occurred in the second day of a weeklong hearing
on seven water authority applications seeking the groundwater
from the Three Lakes and Tikaboo valleys in northwestern Clark
and southwestern Lincoln counties.
 
 In response to Taggart's question about an analysis of the
authority's applications, Pettee said there have been studies of
the Death Valley groundwater flow system. Water levels have been
monitored at Devil's Hole in cooperation with other agencies, he
said.
 
 But the park service wants thorough studies of all of the
groundwater flow systems in the region before pumping could be
approved for the water agency.
 
 "There has to be a level of technical confidence sufficient so
that if water is committed to a permanent use, that there will
be a strong likelihood that it will never have to be recalled,"
Pettee said.
 
 Some groundwater pumping by the water district would be needed
to study whether the full request for pumping would affect
Devil's Hole and other park sites, he said.
 
 A number of agencies, groups and officials have protested the
applications.
 
 The water authority will present its case after the conclusion
of testimony from those protesting the requests.
 
 Ricci will issue a ruling on the requests later in the year.
 
 
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
 33 Las Vegas SUN: Nuke waste adds to rail security concerns

Yucca critics cite possible vulnerability

 By Suzanne Struglinski 
<suzanne@lasvegassun.com [suzanne@lasvegassun.com] >

 WASHINGTON -- As Spain continues to mourn for the 190 people
killed in the terrorist train bombings of March 11, U.S.
government and railroad officials said Tuesday that their
nation's passenger and freight rail lines need security
improvements.

 They did not address the potential for increases in nuclear
waste shipments on the rails.

 The Energy Department has not decided how it would ship 77,000
tons of nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of
Las Vegas, so the Federal Railroad Administration cannot
officially say how it will handle security. It was also
immediately unclear how nuclear waste fits into overall rail
security assessments.

 If the department chooses to ship the waste mostly via rail, a
new line would be built in Nevada, but the department outlined
potential routes in February 2002 that would use existing
freight rail lines to bring waste concentrated mainly east of
the Mississippi River to Nevada.

 Specific rail routes have not been named but are among the
nationwide systems that need a security evaluation and possible
improvements, especially on tunnels and bridges, based on
comments at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday.

 "In a lot of ways, our nation's rail infrastructure is probably
as vulnerable today as it was prior to 9-11," said Sen. Tom
Carper, D-Del.

 The General Accounting Office said the responsibilities for
freight shipments are still not clear between the Transportation
Department and the Transportation Security Administration, which
could lead to duplication or gaps in preparations.

 Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said "We've learned from the
aviation attacks that if you're not ready the results can be
devastating, and now we've seen the tragedy that can come from
attacks on rail.

 "There are so many targets of opportunity here," she said.

 The attacks in Spain earlier this month spurred Senate
questions about railroad security similar to the questions that
state officials and critics of the Yucca Mountain project have
been asking for years about the plans to move nuclear waste
across the country to Nevada.

 The nuclear industry and Energy Department maintain the
shipments can be done safely.

 Without specifically addressing the potential nuclear aspects,
the Homeland Security Department, the Federal Railroad
Administration and the Association of American Railroad on
Tuesday outlined what security goals have been accomplished but
said there is still work that needs to be done.

 Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., aims to look at a bill
introduced in wake of the Madrid attack by the committee's top
Democrat, Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., and 12 other senators, that
would earmark $515 million in security grants for rail lines.
The plans would be determined by a Homeland Security Department
assessment of how to protect infrastructure, tunnels, bridges
and other at-risk areas.

 Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who sits on the Commerce Committee
but was not at Tuesday's hearing, is still reviewing the
legislation, spokesman Jack Finn said. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.,
also has not yet taken a position on the bill.

 Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation
security, said "obviously we would never guarantee" that U.S.
trains are safe from attack, but he said there are no specific
threats against trains at this time.

 Boxer asked Hutchinson about the security and the number of
shipments that would move nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain.

 "I am familiar with it (Yucca Mountain), but don't know that
level of detail," Hutchinson said. After the hearing he said he
could not comment on the project's security risks.

 It was unclear if nuclear waste transport to Yucca would be
considered in a current study of the nation's freight rail
infrastructure. Calls to Hutchinson's office were not returned.

 Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., introduced a bill last year that
calls for a comprehensive study on the risks of transporting
high-level nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain by train, truck or
barge. Reps. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., Jon Porter, R-Nev., and four
other House members have co-sponsored the bill, but no further
action has taken place.

 Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis said the agency follows
regulations set by the Department of Transportation and Nuclear
Regulatory Commission on the shipment of spent nuclear fuel but
will consult the Homeland Security Department when it plans the
fuel shipments in five years.

 Yucca critics say it creates an inviting scenario for
terrorists while the nuclear industry believes more appealing
targets exist and points to numerous successful shipments with
little incident.

 "The shipments right now are not attractive targets to
attackers," said Bob Halstead, the state's transportation
consultant on the project. "But once daily shipments start going
to one location, on a highly predictable route, it becomes a
target situation."

 Nevada filed a petition in June 1999 with the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission asking for it to update its security rules
for moving nuclear fuel based on terrorism concerns, Halstead
said. The petition is still pending at the commission, a
spokeswoman said, but classified improvements have been made to
security plans.

 "It's never been taken seriously," Halstead said. "We've been
worrying about this for a long time. Take the Madrid rail
incident as a wake-up call, if you need a wake-up call.'

 But John Vincent, senior project manager for Waste Management
at the Nuclear Energy Institute, said the Madrid tragedy is not
a fair comparison since a passenger train is easier to access by
the public. A nuclear waste shipment has controlled access, from
the people on the train to the schedule.

 Vincent said computer models allow for "thousands of tests" for
the casks, or containers, used to move the waste, and there have
been improvements in what casks can withstand over the last five
years.

 He said the best scenario is that "dedicated trains" would ship
the waste since only a few cars would hold it. The Energy
Department, however, has not decided whether waste will be
shipped by trains moving only spent nuclear fuel or among cars
on trains transporting anything toward Nevada.

 An attack on a transportation cask would actually provide the
"reverse" effect of what happened in Madrid, Vincent said, since
"there would be no immediate deaths, no sensationalism, the
casks are robust by design."

 "They (the terrorists) will probably try to find another target
that will do what they want to do," Vincent said.

 The most explosive tests on the casks broke a uranium pellet
inside a shipping case and caused 28 grams of material to come
out. Vincent said in this rare case, the material is too heavy
to be airborne and would be able to be contained and not cause
any long-term problems. 



*****************************************************************
 34 Las Vegas SUN: New Yucca legal firm is named

By Suzanne Struglinski 
<suzanne@lasvegassun.com [suzanne@lasvegassun.com] >

 WASHINGTON -- International law firm Hunton &Williams will
replace Winston &Strawn as the Energy Department's legal counsel
for the Yucca Mountain project, the department announced today.

 Hunton &Williams will represent the department before the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission during hearings on its license
application for the proposed nuclear waste storage site at
Yucca, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

 The contract has a limit of $45 million for five years,
department spokesman Joe Davis said via e-mail, but the actual
amount paid will depend on the amount of work performed.

 The department had a $16.5 million contract with Winston
&Strawn to review the project, but the firm quit in 2001 after
conflict-of-interest allegations surfaced.

 The law firm of LeBoeuf, Greene and MacRae, which lost the
contract bid, filed a lawsuit in 2002 saying Winston had a
conflict of interest because it had done prior work for a Yucca
contractor. A Las Vegas Sun investigation uncovered that the
firm had done lobbying for the Nuclear Energy Institute. Federal
law requires an unbiased review.

 The U.S. Court of Appeals sent the case back to district court
late last year, saying the department did not adequately prove
it ruled out conflict-of-interest problems with Winston.

 According to court documents filed today, LeBoeuf and the
department reached a settlement for $4.5 million and LeBoeuf
received a letter from the general counsel's office saying the
department did not purposely leave the firm out of the bidding
process. The settlement means Winston &Strawn's previous work
for the Energy Department will not have to be redone, a prospect
that could have set the project back years.

 Davis said that when Winston worked on the project from October
1999 until November 2001, the Energy Secretary had not made a
recommendation on the site and Congress had not voted on the
project.

 "We are at a very different point in the process now," Davis
said. " We are now getting ready to file a license application
with the NRC. DOE and its contractors are carefully and
prudently re-examining everything done previously in the course
of preparing for the licensing applications. That holds true for
legal work at well if it is going to be used in the licensing
process."

 Nevada's legal team said that a review of Winston &Strawn's
work should still be done.

 "In order to be effective in representing DOE in a licensing
hearing, they are going to have to go back and look at work
that's been done," said Bob Loux, executive director of the
Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects. "This doesn't get them all
the way back on track. There is still a long way to go."

 

*****************************************************************
 35 ABQjournal: N.M. Seeks Role in Uranium Plant Decision 

March 23, 2004 
    
The Associated Press 

       SANTA FE   —   The state Environment Department on
Tuesday asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for
permission to intervene in a license application for a proposed
uranium enrichment plant near Eunice in southeastern New Mexico. 

    The state also requested that the NRC hold a public hearing
on the proposed Louisiana Energy Services plant, which the NRC
would have to license before it could operate. 

    If the commission grants the state's petition, it would give
New Mexico legal standing in hearings on the plant and the right
to raise issues and cross-examine witnesses. 

    An LES spokesman could not immediately be reached for
comment Tuesday. 

    The state has raised questions about waste storage, waste
classification and health and safety. 

    "This level of involvement will help clarify issues
important to the state and its citizens including the future
disposition of all waste products," Environment Secretary Ron
Curry said. 

    The NRC in January accepted the company's application, the
first step in a comprehensive review of the proposed $1.2
billion factory, which would enrich uranium for commercial
nuclear-powered electrical generating stations. 

    Supporters have said the proposed factory, five miles east
of Eunice, would bring badly needed jobs to southeastern New
Mexico. 

    Opponents contend the plant, blocked earlier in Tennessee
and Louisiana, is an unneeded, water-hogging boondoggle that
would generate nuclear waste with no place to go. 

    Gov. Bill Richardson indicated last month he might withdraw
his support for the enrichment plant unless he sees action to
address concerns about final disposal of the waste it would
generate. 

    Uranium processing generates a type of waste that cannot be
dumped legally anywhere in the United States. Such waste
requires processing to convert it before it can be shipped to a
low-level nuclear waste dump, but no U.S. facility can do that. 

    Waste disposal is one issue the Environment Department
raised in petitioning the NRC. 

    The state called unacceptable LES's request for permission
to store uranium hexafluoride throughout the facility's expected
30-year life. 

    "To prevent the possible creation of a legacy stockpile, the
state would prefer that the waste be moved out of New Mexico in
a regular, timely fashion," the filing said. 

    Marshall Cohen, LES vice president for communications and
government relations, has said the NRC application requires
storage for the life of the plant. He said LES supports
Richardson's goal of not disposing of waste in New Mexico and is
working with another company that would build a waste conversion
facility. 

    LES's application also says it may classify its waste as
resource material rather than waste. The state said all uranium
hexafluoride should be categorized as waste to make sure it is
disposed of outside New Mexico in a timely way. 

    The Environment Department also said the company's $1.5
billion financial assurance for waste disposal and eventual
decommissioning of the plant is inadequate. Its review found
cost estimates for disposal alone ranging from $1.9 billion to
$7.2 billion. 

    The department also said the application lacks sufficient
information about health and safety, including calculation
information on radiation doses. 
    
Copyright Albuquerque Journal
*****************************************************************
 36 PR Newswire: LES Confident NMED Licensing Concerns Will Be Resolved

  Press Release    Source: Louisiana Energy Services  

Tuesday March 23, 9:16 pm ET 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Concerns raised by 
the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) to the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) for intervener status will be fully 
resolved and the National Enrichment Facility (NEF) will be 
licensed with full protections for New Mexico according to 
Louisiana Energy Services (LES) President Jim Ferland in a 
statement released tonight.

In the statement Ferland said, "The State of New Mexico
certainly has every right to be one of the interveners in this
process, and we look forward to their participation. We believe
the NRC licensing process will address every concern raised by
the state."

With respect to the four issues raised by NMED in their motion,
Ferland said the following:

Waste storage and disposal: "Our plans for waste storage and
disposal remain exactly the same as we have previously
committed: We are actively seeking the establishment of a
domestic deconversion facility, and we will not support or use
any DOE option for possession of our byproduct without absolute
assurances that the byproduct will be taken out of New Mexico.

We support the goal of timely removal of the waste from New
Mexico.

"There is no way this waste can become a 'stockpile of legacy
waste,' as NMED has implied. It is our responsibility to develop
these solutions and we will. Furthermore, we will not be allowed
to leave any radioactive waste on the site."

Waste Classification: "As stated in our application LES will
notify the NRC in the near term as to the classification of
depleted uranium as low-level radioactive waste. We have said
consistently that we intend to fulfill our responsibility to
ensure that this material is disposed of safely outside of New

Mexico, regardless of how the material is classified."
Financial Assurance: "Our estimates of decommissioning costs are
based on current studies in the United States and actual,
proven, incurred costs for deconversion, transportation and
disposal of depleted uranium in Europe. Our facility is a model
of the enrichment facilities that have done this work in Europe."

Health and Safety Requirements: "All of LES' radiation
calculations conducted by LES were performed in full compliance
with NRC guidelines and regulations. LES is happy to review all
of these analyses with NMED, in full detail. We will work
through all these issues in complete transparency, and have so
committed all along.

"LES remains committed to working with the people of New Mexico
and State government to assure full resolution of any and all
concerns associated with the NEF. When built, the NEF will be a
high-technology facility that will contribute significantly to
the economy of Lea County and the entire state. We will build a
facility that is modeled after uranium enrichment plants that
have operated safely for the public and their employees for many
years in Europe, the NEF will also contribute to energy
independence and security of the United States. We look forward
to a continuing an open dialog with NMED on these matters and
will certainly continue our complete level of cooperation and
information sharing with them, as with all interested parties."

When the license application is 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. 

Source: Louisiana Energy Services
*****************************************************************
 37 The Australian: Uranium scare hits mine staff 

[March 25, 2004]
 	 	

By John Stapleton

AUSTRALIA'S most controversial mine, Ranger in Kakadu National 
Park, was shut down yesterday following a uranium scare affecting 
20 staff.

The scare occurred after workers coming off the night shift 
complained the water in the showers was making them itchy. The 
water was found to contain levels of uranium up to 400 times safe 
drinking levels. 

The uranium mine's water systems were shut down and all 
non-essential staff sent home. Most concern is held for several 
workers who took prolonged showers. There are also fears some 
staff may have drunk the water. Ranger is expected to stay shut 
at least until the weekend.

 The federal Government's supervising scientist at Ranger, Arthur 
Johnston, whose field station receives water from the mine, said 
his staff were at the mine helping owner Energy Resources 
Australia investigate the incident and were sampling water in 
surrounding creeks. 

It is the most serious uranium incident since the spill of 
110,000 litres of radioactive waste liquid at Olympic Dam, South 
Australia, last October. 

The open-cut Ranger mine, 250km east of Darwin, is bordered by a 
uranium processing plant. It has been the subject of repeated 
demonstrations by conservationists. A Senate inquiry last year 
found regulation of the site to be "flawed, confusing and 
inadequate". 

ERA said it had immediately advised the airport and other 
businesses near Ranger whose water supply is provided by the 
mine. 

A spokeswoman for ERA said investigators were still interviewing 
workers and going over the mine last night in an attempt to 
understand what happened. She said it was believed that late on 
Tuesday night a change in the water supply made by one or more 
night shift workers may have led to the incident but exactly how 
this happened was still uncertain. 

Environmental and Aboriginal groups called for urgent government 
action. 

The Australian Conservation Foundation said yesterday's incident 
was the latest in "a history of spills, leaks and breakdowns" at 
Ranger. 

"There have been over 100 leaks and spills since the mine 
commenced operation in 1981," ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney 
said. 
		 		 		 
© The Australian   
*****************************************************************
 38 Elizabethton Star: Enviro groups win, lose in BLEU Project ruling 

By Thomas Wilson STAR STAFF twilson@starhq.com
 
   An administrative law judge for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission granted federal standing to only one of three
petitioners seeking a public hearing about the Blended Low
Enriched Uranium (BLEU) Project to be carried out at the Nuclear
Fuel Services, Inc. site in Erwin.

    In a ruling issued Wednesday, NRC Judge Alan S. Rosenthal
granted standing to the State of Franklin Group of the Sierra
Club but shot down three similar requests made by another
environmental group, 16 private citizens and a Carter County
property owner.

    The Sierra Group included fellow environmental organizations
the Friends of the Nolichucky River Valley, the Oak Ridge
Environmental Peace Alliance, and Tennessee Environmental
Council along with Kathy Helms-Hughes, formerly of Butler. The
groups filed petitions with the NRC seeking standing to have a
public hearing regarding the BLEU Project. Fifteen Northeast
Tennessee citizens represented by a Greeneville attorney also
filed separate petitions seeking standing for a public hearing.

    The Blended Low Enriched Uranium Project is a U.S.
Department of Energy initiative to convert stockpiles of surplus
weapons-grade uranium into a low-enriched uranium for use in
nuclear reactors of the Tennessee Valley Authority. 

   The project will bring more than 33 tons of weapons-grade
uranium into Erwin for down blending.

    NRC staff has already approved two of three license
amendment requests to the NFS Special Nuclear Materials license.
The first license amendment application, approved by NRC in June
2003, grants NFS the ability to store LEU-bearing material in
its Uranyl Nitrate Building. 

   The second amendment enables NFS to process approximately
half of the BLEU Project's 33 metric tons of surplus highly
enriched uranium. A third license amendment, submitted by NFS in
October of 2003 seeks authority to construct and operate an
Oxide Conversion Building (OCB) and related Effluent Processing
Building (EPB), which is currently under review by the NRC.

    In his order, Rosenthal writes, "it is beyond civil that
Sierra has satisfied the area of concern requirement." This is
apparent from an examination of the concerns set forth in the
February 2, 2004 hearing request addressed to the third
(OCB/EPB) license amendment application.

    In it's hearing request, Sierra said that, for a wide
variety of reasons, the NRC Staff has failed to comply with the
dictates of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Rosenthal specifically pointed (id. at 12) to what Sierra had
deemed to be a concession in the June 2002 Environmental
Assessment that "operation of the BLEU Complex, including the
OCB, the EPB, and associated storage tanks, poses significant
hazards to human health and the environment."

    "Manifestly, whether or not ultimately found to be
meritorious, Sierra's environmental concerns are germane",
Rosenthal writes, and includes "The same may be said of its
three specified safety concerns." According to Sierra's hearing
request, NFS has failed to demonstrate that it has made adequate
arrangements to fund the decommissioning of the OCB and EPB at
the end of the facility's life" that it "can and will comply"
with certain operational requirements imposed by the Code of
Federal Rules; and that it can be counted on to "make complete
and accurate reports to the NRC." Rosenthal found Sierra had, in
each instance, assigned a reason for the concern in the hearing
request.
    Pertaining to Sierra's petition regarding a potential
accident involving highly enriched uranium, Rosenthal writes,
"there is little room for serious doubt that, were an accident
of the kind postulated in the EA to occur, persons residing
within a short distance of the Erwin site might well be
threatened with injury."
    In denying standing for Helms-Hughes, Rosenthal writes the
fact that Helms "does not currently reside on her Tennessee
property" but rather resides away from the property, "would seem
of itself to defeat any claim that the BLEU Project threatens
Ms. Helms-Hughes with the injury-in-fact upon which standing
must rest."
    He writes that Helms-Hughes' burden extends to supplying
some good reason to believe that, 20 miles away from the site,
the emissions might prove harmful rather than referring to the
project's environmental assessment.

    Rosenthal also denied standing to the Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League citing the group's failure to
explain why the BLEU Project would harm Blue Ridge members in
the Erwin vicinity. Rosenthal writes that it is not readily
apparent how it might nonetheless occasion harm to Blue Ridge
members in the vicinity of the Erwin site and the hearing
request provides no illumination in that respect. 

   Regarding the petition by the 16 citizens, Rosenthal writes,
"It appears without contradiction that no chemical processes or
reactions would take place in connection with that limited
activity and that there would be no discharges of chemical or
radiological contaminants into the Nolichucky River. That being
so, it seems hardly likely that the employment of the River as a
source of drinking water or for recreational activities would be
at all adversely impacted."

    NFS spokesman Tony Treadway said in a statement released
Thursday that the company believed Rosenthal "properly ruled" in
denying the petitions of most individuals and groups. "The
ruling reduces the issues related to the matter and is a step
forward," said Treadway.

    Rosenthal is expected to review written presentations of the
BLEU Project submitted by the company and the Sierra Club
chapter.
    
Elizabethton Newspapers, Inc. Direct questions or comments to 
webmaster@starhq.com [webmaster@starhq.com] Elizabethton 
Newspapers, Inc., 300 Sycamore Street Elizabethton, Tennessee 
37643 - 423.542.4151       
*****************************************************************
 39 [du-list] IMPORTANT: Mayoral Delegation to the NPT Prepcom, 27-28 April, New York]
 
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 15:51:49 -0800

 
<x-flowed>

          (apologies for double mailings)
Dear Colleagues,

Please see the attached letter from Mayor Akiba, President of Mayors for
Peace.  (And this message from me is attached as a Word.doc in case the
email formatting is poor.)

Also attached is the Preliminary Report on the Mayoral Delegation that
gives the participants' names and titles.  The Cities of Alexandria,
Egypt; Athens, Greece; Bamako, Mali; Banjul, Gambia; Delhi, India: Dhaka,
Bangladesh; Georgetown, Guyana; Glasgow, United Kingdom;
Honolulu, USA; Hue, Vietnam; Kurunegala, Sri Lanka; Kyiv, Ukraine;
Laakdal, Belgium; Lagos, Nigeria; Lahore, Pakistan; London, United
Kingdom; Negombo, Sri Lanka; New York City, USA; Peristeri, Greece;
Rawalpindi, Pakistan; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Tel Aviv,
Israel; Ulan Ude, Russia; Viareggio, Italy; and Waitakere, New Zealand
will be represented in New York at the NPT Prepcom for at least two days,
27-28 April.  We received a great deal of help from many NGOs in pursuing
these cities.  At the international level, of particular note were IPPNW,
Abolition 2000, IPB, INESAP, and ILANA.  Thanks again.

How was this particular group assembled?  Most were personally invited by
Mayor Akiba to take part in the delegation.  Some heard about the
delegation and volunteered to take part.  While we are very pleased with
the composition of the group, we recognize that many people may very well
wonder why this or that city is not involved.  I will give a very general
answer to that question, since it would be best if we do not get too may
inquiries about it.  We have our hands full as we prepare all other
aspects of the Mayoral Delegation.

First you should know that we approached a good number of other cities as
well.  There are a number of cities where the invitation is still under
consideration: Austin, USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Chandernagore, India; Cleveland, USA; Como, Italy; The Hague,
Netherlands; Hannover, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam;
Hong Kong, China; Howrah, India; Kabul, Afghanistan; Kazan, Russia; Mexico
City, Mexico; Montreal, Canada; Paris, France; Philadelphia, USA;
Rochester, USA; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rosario, Argentina; Tehran, Iran;
Toronto, Canada; Turin, Italy; Volgograd, Russia.  We will be glad if some
of them would get on board the Mayoral Delegation.  If you wish to contact
them at your own initiative and encourage them to join up please do so.
But the Mayors for Peace Secretariat is not coordinating such further
efforts.  Please do not ask us to.  These cities have been informed that
the deadline for replying is 29 March.

In other cities, for various reasons, the invitation to participate was
declined.  Those cities were: Atlanta, USA; Bangkok, Thailand;
Barcelona, Spain; Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium;
Cairo, Egypt; Calcutta, India; Chicago, USA; Chongqing, China;
Christchurch, New Zealand; Daegu, Korea; Dresden, Germany; Dublin,
Ireland; Jakarta, Indonesia; Jersey City, USA; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Los
Angeles, USA; Manchester, UK; Moscow, Russia; Muntinlupa,
Philippine; New Haven, USA; Oakland, USA; Rome, Italy; San Francisco, USA;
Sao Paulo, Brazil; Seattle, USA; Shanghai, China; Singapore,
Singapore; St. Petersburg, Russia; Vienna, Austria; Bangalore, India;
Melbourne, Australia; Sydney, Australia.  Our objective with these cities
now is to involve them in other aspects of the Campaign, with the aim of
having them represented at the highest possible level in May 2005 at the
NPT Review Conference.  (Please do not ask us now about the particular
history of a city.  There will be time to go over that after the Prepcom.)

If your city is not on any of these lists, please do not feel offended in
any way.  There was a practical limit to how many invitations we could
properly handle.  So there were bound to be oversights and
omissions.  Mayors for Peace will not be taking any further initiative to
reach out to more cities.  If you think the Mayor of your city would be
very interested in joining the Mayoral Delegation, then by all means check
if he/she is able and willing.  If the answer is a definite YES, let us
know.  (Please, no MAYBEs!)  Mayor Akiba can then send an
invitation to formalize his/her participation.  However, we cannot
guarantee that the Mayor will be able to stay in the same hotel as the
other delegates.  Nor can we do more than the very basics to help with
visa matters - it may be too late.

As mentioned, this is not the final form of the Mayoral Delegation, most
probably there will be subtractions and hopefully there will be
additions.  The public announcement of the Mayoral Delegation will be made
on the week of April 12th.  We will ask all the participating cities to
put out press releases or hold press conferences.  If your city is on
broad you could offer to help out on this occasion.  Contact the Mayor's
Office, not us!

This time around, because it was a completely new type of activity for
Mayors for Peace and because it was by special invitation, the
recruitment process had to be handled with a degree of confidentiality. In
2005, Mayors for Peace will issue a general appeal for Mayors to come to
New York for the NPT Review Conference and associated events.  The
recruitment process will be fully transparent and open to all who wish to
contribute to its success.  We are looking forward to working with you.

For those of you who will be at the Prepcom, there will be several
opportunities to meet the delegates.  We will see you there.  (There
schedule is already very full, please do not seek additional
appointments.)  For those who cannot make to New York this time, there is
always 2005!  But wherever you are or will be, cultivate your
relationship with City Hall and your Mayor.  There is lots of important
work to be done.

Regards, Aaron

Aaron Tovish
Campaign Manager
Mayors for Peace
Hiroshima




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Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Participants&nbsp;March&nbsp;"
      19.doc"

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*****************************************************************
 40 DOE: Worker's Comp guidelines

FR Doc 04-6555 

[Federal Register: March 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 57)] [Rules 
and Regulations] [Page 13709-13712] From the Federal Register 
Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24mr04-1]                         

Rules and Regulations Federal Register 

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory 
documents having general applicability and legal effect, most of 
which are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal 
Regulations, which is published under 50 titles pursuant to 44 
U.S.C. 1510. The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the 
Superintendent of Documents. Prices of new books are listed in 
the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each week. 

[[Page 13709]] DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 10 CFR Part 852 RIN 1901-AB13
 
Guidelines for Physician Panel Determinations on Worker Requests 
for Assistance in Filing for State Worker's Compensation 
Benefits; Procedural Amendments AGENCY: Department of Energy. 
ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comment.

SUMMARY: In order to expedite the handling of applications 
submitted by contractor employees or their survivors to the 
Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Worker Advocacy for 
assistance in pursuing workers' compensation under State law for 
illness or death arising from exposure to toxic substances at a 
DOE workplace, DOE today publishes and makes immediately 
effective certain procedural amendments. Today's procedural 
amendments will help streamline the processing of applications 
submitted to DOE under part D of the Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 
(``EEOICPA''). The amendments reduce from three to one the 
minimum number of physicians required for an affirmative 
physician panel determination in most instances. To ensure that 
the procedural amendments in today's rule accomplish their 
purpose, DOE invites public comment on today's rule. DATES: 
Effective Date: March 24, 2004. Comment Date: Comments are due 
April 23, 2004. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by 
RIN 1901-AB13, by any of the following methods:

    Electronic comments may be submitted at the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.regulations.gov] .

    E-mail comments may be submitted to: Judy.Keating@eh.doe.gov 
[Judy.Keating@eh.doe.gov] . Comments may be mailed to: Judy 
Keating, Room 6B-128, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Worker 
Advocacy, EH-8, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy Keating, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Office of Worker Advocacy, EH-8, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-7551, 
e-mail address:

Judy.Keating@eh.doe.gov [ Judy.Keating@eh.doe.gov] .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On August 14, 2002, DOE published a final rule implementing 
part D of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 
Program Act of 2000 (``the Act'') (42 U.S.C. 7384, et seq.), 
Guidelines for Physician Panel Determinations on Worker Requests 
for Assistance in Filing for State Workers' Compensation 
Benefits, 67 FR 52841. The rule, codified at 10 CFR part 852, 
sets forth procedures under which a DOE contractor employee or an 
employee's estate or survivor may seek assistance from the DOE 
Office of Worker Advocacy (``Program Office'') in filing a claim 
with the appropriate State workers' compensation system based on 
an illness or death that arose out of exposure to a toxic 
substance during the course of employment at a DOE facility. The 
rule also establishes the internal procedures to be followed by 
DOE in processing and considering an application for assistance.

    DOE has received more than 20,000 applications for assistance 
under Part D of the Act. The Program Office conducts an initial 
screening of the applications to identify applications that are 
not eligible for assistance. An application must contain 
reasonable evidence that the following three conditions are met. 
First, the application was filed by or on behalf of a DOE 
contractor employee or the employee's estate or survivor. Second, 
the illness or death of the DOE contractor employee may have been 
caused by exposure to a toxic substance. Third, the illness or 
death may have been related to employment at a DOE facility. (See 
67 FR at 52842-43, 52845).

    Applications that pass the initial screening process are then 
submitted to a case development and document acquisition process 
whereby documents within DOE's control and relevant to the 
application are acquired from DOE's facilities and contractors, 
the files are organized, and a case summary is prepared. The 
complete application package is then presented to a Physician 
Panel for review. Pursuant to the terms of DOE's regulations, the 
Physician Panel reviews the package and determines whether the 
illness or death arose out of and in the course of employment by 
a DOE contractor and exposure to a toxic substance at a DOE 
facility. The Physician Panel determination is then forwarded to 
the Program Office.

    Under DOE's regulations issued in August 2002, a Physician 
Panel is composed of three physicians appointed by the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services (``HHS''). The physicians are 
compensated at a rate not exceeding the cap established by law in 
42 U.S.C. 7385o(d)(2)(B). Moreover, the Act requires that 
Physician Panel members have occupational medicine experience and 
competency in diagnosing occupational illnesses. (42 U.S.C. 
7385o(d)(2)(A)). Only a small percentage of licensed physicians 
have the experience and competency in diagnosing occupational 
illnesses necessary to be qualified by HHS. While HHS has 
qualified over 150 physicians, participation on panels by 
qualified physicians is limited by the physicians' other 
professional obligations and a reluctance to devote time to this 
program for a number of reasons, including the compensation rate 
cap established by the Act (42 U.S.C. 7385o(d)(2)(B)).

    The Physician Panels' review process is labor intensive; each 
physician is required to review all materials relating to the 
application. All panel members meet in conference, in person or 
by teleconference, in order to discuss the application and arrive 
at a determination agreed to by a majority of the members of the 
panel. Today's rule permits a Physician Panel to be composed of a 
single qualified physician. Permitting single-physician panels 
will have the immediate effect of increasing the number of panels 
available to review completed applications. Single-physician 
panels will also simplify logistics by largely eliminating the 
time expended in coordinating and attending conferences, 
teleconferences, or meetings (though any panel physician is still 
free to consult with other appointed [[Page 13710]] physicians, 
Office of Worker Advocacy physicians, or other competent health 
care professionals, in accordance with DOE's regulations, to 
discuss assigned applications).

    Today's rule also requires that negative determinations 
issued by a single-physician panel be reviewed independently by 
an additional single-physician panel. If the second 
single-physician panel issues a negative opinion, the Program 
Office accepts the two negative results. If the second 
single-physician panel issues a positive opinion, the case is 
reviewed independently by a third single-physician panel. The 
Program Office accepts the opinion of the majority of the three 
single- physician panels. Reexamination of an initial 
single-physician panel negative opinion assures that no 
application will receive a final negative determination based on 
the opinion of a single physician. DOE believes the use of 
single-physician panels coupled with a reexamination of 
single-physician panel negative determinations by additional 
single-physician panels will significantly increase the number of 
applications that can be reviewed by panels in a given time 
frame, while at the same time ensuring that this procedural 
change does not disadvantage applicants. Moreover, in DOE's 
experience, the usual time frame for providing a panel 
determination has been less than 20 days from the time of receipt 
by the panel. In less frequent cases, the rule would allow for 
the panels to request more time.

    Today's rule amends Sec.  852.13 to shorten the time 
permitted for a Physician Panel to make a determination and to 
submit the determination to the Program Office. DOE believes that 
the increased efficiencies of a single-physician panel will 
permit a more expeditious review of the application.

    Today's rule will apply to all applications processed under 
part D of the EEOICPA. Cases that are presently being reviewed by 
three- physician panels will proceed to a determination by the 
panels as assigned. Cases assigned after the effective date of 
this rule will be assigned to single-physician panels or 
three-physician as determined by the Program Office.

II. Section by Section Analysis

    The definition of ``Physician Panel'' is revised to permit a 
single physician to constitute a ``panel'' for the purpose of 
determining whether a death or illness arose out of and in the 
course of employment by a DOE contractor and exposure to a toxic 
substance at a DOE facility under Sec.  852.8. Previously, 
``Physician Panel'' was defined as ``a group of three physicians. 
* * *'' This formulation proved to be burdensome, too 
resource-intensive and unnecessary for a thorough review of 
applications for assistance. Analyzing an application for 
assistance and issuing a determination under Sec.  852.8 can be 
performed efficiently and thoroughly by a single physician. The 
definition adopted today preserves DOE's discretion to convene 
three- physician panels. Nevertheless, DOE contemplates that a 
single- physician panel will be used in most instances in order 
to expedite processing of the applications. DOE also has modified 
the definition of ``Physician Panel'' so that it more accurately 
describes the functions of such panels.

    Section 852.16 is amended by adding two new paragraphs (a) 
and (b) that read as follows. ``(a) If a panel composed of a 
single physician issues a negative determination, the negative 
determination is considered an initial opinion and the Program 
Office must direct an additional single-physician panel to review 
the application and issue an independent opinion. If the second 
single-physician panel issues a negative determination, the 
Program Offices considers the opinions as a negative 
determination by the Physician Panel for purposes of Sec. 
852.17(a) of this part. (b) If a second single-physician panel 
issues a positive opinion, the Program Office must direct an 
additional single- physician panel to review the application and 
issue an independent opinion. The Program Office reviews the 
three opinions and considers the majority of the three opinions 
as the determination by the Physician Panel for purposes of Sec.  
852.17(a) of this part.'' The independent reviews must occur 
before the Program Office can accept a negative determination 
under Sec.  852.17. The entire text of the original Sec.  852.16 
is unchanged, but has been redesignated as paragraph (c).

    Section 852.11(b) is amended by adding the phrase, ``If a 
Physician Panel has more than one physician,'' to recognize that 
this paragraph does not apply to a panel composed of a single 
physician. The rule continues to allow Physician Panels to be 
composed of more than one physician. DOE thus would retain the 
discretion to use multi-physician panels should it decide do so. 
DOE might determine that particular groups of applications or 
applications presenting a particular type of alleged illness were 
appropriate for multi-physician panels. Or experience might 
demonstrate that in certain circumstances single- physician 
panels were less efficient than three-physician panels. The rule 
preserves DOE's ability to use single-physician and multi- 
physician panels in the most efficient, most fair way, based on 
DOE's experience as this program progresses. If DOE uses panels 
composed of more than one physician, the panels will continue to 
be required to meet, discuss the application, and arrive at a 
determination agreed to by a majority. However, a negative 
determination by panels composed of more than one physician would 
not automatically be submitted for review by additional 
physicians, as will be done with negative determinations by 
panels composed of only one physician.

    Section 852.13 sets a limit on the time that may elapse 
between the submission of the completed application to the 
Physician Panel and the submission of the panel's determination 
to the Program Office. Today's rule adjusts the time for this 
action from 30 working days to 20 working days.

III. Regulatory Review

A. Review under Executive Order 12866

    This regulatory action has been determined to be a 
``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, 
Regulatory Planning and Review. See 58 FR 51735 (October 4, 
1993). Accordingly, today's action was subject to review under 
the Executive Order by the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget.

B. Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

    No new information collection requirements subject to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 501 et seq. are imposed by 
today's regulatory action.

C. Review Under Executive Order 13132

    Executive Order 13132, ``Federalism'' (64 FR 43255, August 4, 
1999), imposes certain requirements on agencies formulating and 
implementing policies or regulations that preempt State law or 
that have federalism implications. Agencies are required to 
examine the constitutional and statutory authority supporting any 
action that would limit the policymaking discretion of the States 
and carefully assess the necessity for such actions. The 
Executive Order also requires agencies to have an accountable 
process to ensure meaningful and timely input by State and local 
officials in the development of regulatory policies that have 
federalism implications. On March 14, 2000, DOE published a 
statement of policy

[[Page 13711]]

describing the intergovernmental consultation process it will 
follow in the development of such regulations (65 FR 13735). DOE 
has examined today's rule and has determined that it does not 
preempt State law and does not have a substantial direct effect 
on the States, on the relationship between the national 
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government. No 
further action is required by Executive Order 13132. D. Review 
Under the National Environmental Policy Act

    DOE has concluded that today's rule falls into a class of 
actions that would not individually or cumulatively have a 
significant impact on the human environment, as determined by 
DOE's regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Specifically, today's 
amendment to the Physician Panel procedures is covered under the 
Categorical Exclusion for rulemakings that are strictly 
procedural in paragraph A6 of appendix A to subpart D, 10 CFR 
part 1021. Accordingly, neither an environmental assessment nor 
an environmental impact statement is required.

E. Review Under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 requires 
each agency to prepare a written assessment of the effects of any 
Federal mandate in a proposed or final rule that may result in 
the expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments and the 
private sector, of $100 million in any single year. DOE has 
determined that today's regulatory action does not impose a 
Federal mandate on State, local, or tribal governments or on the 
private sector.

F. Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., directs 
agencies to prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis whenever an 
agency is required to publish a general notice of proposed 
rulemaking for a rule. DOE has determined that today's rule is 
procedural and is not subject to prior notice and opportunity for 
public comment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 604(a), no regulatory 
flexibility analysis has been prepared for today's rule.

G. Review Under Executive Order 12988

    With respect to the review of existing regulations and the 
promulgation of new regulations, section 3(a) of Executive Order 
12988, ``Civil Justice Reform'' (61 FR 4729, February 7, 1996), 
imposes on Federal agencies the general duty to adhere to the 
following requirements: (1) Eliminate drafting errors and 
ambiguity; (2) write regulations to minimize litigation; and (3) 
provide a clear legal standard for affected conduct rather than a 
general standard and promote simplification and burden reduction. 
Section 3(b) of Executive Order 12988 specifically requires that 
Executive agencies make every reasonable effort to ensure that 
the regulation: (1) Clearly specifies the preemptive effect, if 
any; (2) clearly specifies any effect on existing Federal law or 
regulation; (3) provides a clear legal standard for affected 
conduct while promoting simplification and burden reduction; (4) 
specifies the retroactive effect, if any; (5) adequately defines 
key terms; and (6) addresses other important issues affecting 
clarity and general draftsmanship under any guidelines issued by 
the Attorney General. Section 3(c) of Executive Order 12988 
requires Executive agencies to review regulations in light of 
applicable standards in section 3(a) and section 3(b) to 
determine whether they are met or it is unreasonable to meet one 
or more of them. DOE has completed the required review and 
determined that, to the extent permitted by law, this rule meets 
the relevant standards of Executive Order 12988.

H. Review Under the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 1999

    Section 654 of the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 1999 (Pub. L. 105-277) requires Federal 
agencies to issue a Family Policymaking Assessment for any rule 
that may affect family well-being. This rule would not have any 
impact on the autonomy or integrity of the family as an 
institution. Accordingly, DOE has concluded that it is not 
necessary to prepare a Family Policymaking Assessment.

I. Review Under the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 2001 The Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516, note) provides for 
agencies to review most disseminations of information to the 
public under guidelines established by each agency pursuant to 
general guidelines issued by OMB. OMB's guidelines were published 
at 67 FR 8452 (February 22, 2002), and DOE's guidelines were 
published at 67 FR 62446 (October 7, 2002). DOE has reviewed 
today's notice under the OMB and DOE guidelines and has concluded 
that it is consistent with applicable policies in those 
guidelines.

J. Review Under Executive Order 13211

    Executive Order 13211, ``Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use'' (66 FR 
28355, May 22, 2001), requires Federal agencies to prepare and 
submit to OIRA, a Statement of Energy Effects for any proposed 
significant energy action. A ``significant energy action'' is 
defined as any action by an agency that promulgated or is 
expected to lead to promulgation of a final rule, and that: (1) 
Is a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, 
or any successor order; and (2) is likely to have a significant 
adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy, or 
(3) is designated by the Administrator of OIRA as a significant 
energy action. For any proposed significant energy action, the 
agency must give a detailed statement of any adverse effects on 
energy supply, distribution, or use should the proposal be 
implemented, and of reasonable alternatives to the action and 
their expected benefits on energy supply, distribution, and use. 
Today's regulatory action is not a significant energy action. 
Accordingly, DOE has not prepared a Statement of Energy Effects.

K. Congressional Notification

    As required by 5 U.S.C. 801, DOE will submit to Congress a 
report regarding the issuance of today's rule. The report will 
state that it has been determined that the rule is not a ``major 
rule'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 852

    Administrative practice and procedure, Government contracts, 
Hazardous substances, Workers' compensation.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2004. Robert G. Card, 
Under Secretary for Energy, Science and Environment. 0

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 10 CFR part 852 is 
amended as follows:

PART 852--GUIDELINES FOR PHYSICIAN PANEL DETERMINATIONS ON WORKER 
REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE IN FILING FOR STATE WORKER'S COMPENSATION 
BENEFITS 0

1. The authority citation for part 852 continues to read as 
follows: [[Page 13712]] Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7384, et seq.; 42 
U.S.C. 2201 and 7101, et seq.; 50 U.S.C. 2401 et seq. 0

2. Section 852.2 is amended by revising the definition of the 
term ``Physician Panel'' to read as follows: Sec.  852.2  What 
are the definitions of terms used in this part? * * * * *

    Physician panel means one or more physicians (as determined 
by the Program Office), who are appointed by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, pursuant to part D of the Act, to 
evaluate applications of DOE contractor employees, under the 
procedures and requirements of this part.

* * * * * 0

3. Section 852.11 is amended by revising paragraph (b) as 
follows: Sec.  852.11  How is a Physician Panel to carry out its 
deliberations and arrive at a determination?

* * * * *

    (b) If a Physician Panel has more than one physician, all 
panel members meet in conference, in person, or by teleconference 
in order to discuss the application and arrive at a determination 
agreed to by a majority of the members of the Physician Panel. * 
* * * * 0

4. Section 852.13 is amended by revising paragraph (a) as 
follows: Sec.  852.13  When must a Physician Panel issue its 
determination?

    (a) A Physician Panel must submit its determination and 
findings to the Program Office within 20 working days of the time 
that panel member(s) have received the complete application for 
review from the Program Office.

* * * * * 0

5. Section 852.16 is revised to read as follows: Sec.  852.16  
When may the Program Office ask a Physician Panel to reexamine an 
application that has undergone prior Physician Panel review?

    (a) If a panel composed of a single physician issues a 
negative determination, the negative determination is considered 
an initial opinion and the Program Office must direct an 
additional single- physician panel to review the application and 
issue an independent opinion. If the second single-physician 
panel issues a negative determination, the Program Offices 
considers the opinions as a negative determination by the 
Physician Panel for purposes of Sec. 852.17(a) of this part.

    (b) If a second single-physician panel issues a positive 
opinion, the Program Office must direct an additional 
single-physician panel to review the application and issue an 
independent opinion. The Program Office reviews the three 
opinions and considers the majority of the three opinions as the 
determination by the Physician Panel for purposes of Sec.  
852.17(a) of this part.

    (c) The Program Office may direct the original Physician 
Panel or a different Physician Panel to reexamine an application 
that has undergone prior Physician Panel review if:

    (1) There is significant evidence contrary to the panel 
determination;

    (2) The Program Office obtains new information the 
consideration of which would be reasonably likely to result in a 
different determination;

    (3) The Program Office becomes aware of a real or potential 
conflict of interest of a member of the original panel in 
relation to the application under review; or

    (4) Reexamination is necessary to ensure consistency among 
panels.

[FR Doc. 04-6555 Filed 3-23-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
 
*****************************************************************
 41 DOE: Notice of Availability of Solicitation
 
                         FR Doc 04-6556 
[Federal Register: March 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 57)] 
[Notices] [Page 13825-13826] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24mr04-45]                         
 
AGENCY: NNSA Service Center, Department of Energy.
 
ACTION: Notice of availability of solicitation--Energy Density 
and Laser-Matter Interaction Studies.
 
SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) 
Service Center, Albuquerque, NM, plans to conduct a technically 
competitive solicitation via electronic means for
 
[[Page 13826]] basic research experiments in laser matter 
interaction studies at the National Laser User's Facility (NLUF) 
located at the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser 
Energetics (UR/LLE). Universities or other higher education 
institutions, private sector not-for-profit organizations, and 
industry are invited to submit grant applications. The total 
amount of funding (project cost) is expected to be $1,000,000 for 
each Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006. Multiple awards are anticipated 
within the amount of funding available.
 
 
DATES: The solicitation will be available on IIPS on or about 
April 12, 2004. The solicitation number for this action is 
DE-SC52-04NA25436.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erwin E. Fragua, Contract 
Specialist, NNSA/OBS, at (505) 845-6442 or by e-mail at 
efragua@doeal.gov [efragua@doeal.gov] .
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The solicitation document contains all 
the information relative to this action for prospective 
applicants.
 
The solicitation is being issued electronically through the 
Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS). The complete 
procedures for accessing the solicitation through IIPS are 
located at http://e-center.doe.gov 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://e-center.doe.gov] . The actual work 
to be accomplished will be determined by the light-emitting diode 
(LED) experiments and diagnostics techniques will be evaluated 
through scientific peer review against predetermined, published 
and available criteria. NNSA will make final selection. The 
unique resources of the NLUF are available to scientists for 
state-of-the art experiments primarily in the area of 
laser-matter interaction and related plasma physics. Other areas 
such as spectroscopy of highly ionized atoms, laboratory 
astrophysics, fundamental physics, material science, and biology 
and chemistry will be considered on a secondary basis. The LLE 
was established in 1970 to investigate the interaction of high 
power lasers with matter.
 
Available at the LLE for NLUF researchers is the OMEGA LASER, a 
30kJ UV 60 beam laser system (at 0.35 um) suitable for 
direct-drive ICF implosions. This system is suitable for a 
variety of experiments including laser- plasma interactions and 
atomic spectroscopy. The NLUF program for FY 2005 and FY 2006 is 
to concentrate on experiments that can be done with the OMEGA 
laser at the University of Rochester and development of 
diagnostic techniques suitable for the OMEGA system.
 
Measurements of the laser coupling, laser-plasma interactions, 
core temperature, and core density are needed to determine the 
characteristics of the target implosions. Diagnostic techniques 
could include either new instrumentation, development of analysis 
tools, or development of targets that are applicable for 30 kJ 
implosions.
 
Issued in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 16, 2004.
 
Martha Youngblood, Contracting Officer, Acquisition & Financial 
Assistance Department, NNSA Service Center.
 
[FR Doc. 04-6556 Filed 3-23-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 42 DenverPost: editorial Questionable safety at Flats

Article Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2004                                    
            
 The contractor handling the cleanup of Rocky Flats must do 
better at training workers and following safety procedures. But 
the U.S. Department of Energy, which recently fined contractor 
Kaiser-Hill $522,500, also must better monitor safety at the 
former nuclear bomb trigger factory south of Boulder. 

Much progress has been made at the facility since a full-court 
press was launched nearly a decade ago to clean up and close the 
plant. For example, plutonium pits (the bomb triggers) have been 
shipped to more secure storage in other states. 

That's good - the DOE and Kaiser-Hill deserve praise for what 
they've accomplished so far. Remember, before the $7 billion 
fast-track contract was approved in 1995, experts said cleanup 
would take decades and cost $35 billion. 

Yet, a tremendous amount of work remains undone, so it's 
imperative that the DOE and Kaiser-Hill stay committed to safety. 
Indeed, public support for fast cleanup - slated to finish by 
2006 - is based on the DOE's promise that safety won't be 
compromised. 

Last May, though, Kaiser-Hill workers made several avoidable but 
worrisome mistakes. One exposed a worker to unsafe levels of 
radioactivity. 

The most troubling episode was a fire inside a two-story "glove 
box." A trash pile containing plutonium-soaked materials ignited. 
Instead of immediately calling properly trained emergency crews, 
workers tried to pour water on the blaze, thereby creating a risk 
that the highly radioactive material would "go critical," or 
release an intense burst of radiation. Apparently, workers didn't 
know the pile contained plutonium - which is alarming, because by 
that stage of the game, the DOE and Kaiser-Hill should have 
identified the locations of all plutonium wastes. 

The DOE says it "continues to be concerned with (Kaiser-Hill's) 
recurrent work control deficiencies." Its report describes the 
accidents with phrases such as "measures were not taken to 
maintain (safe) radiation exposures," "work was not performed 
consistent with the technical standards," and "personnel were not 
adequately trained." 

A humbled Kaiser-Hill told the DOE that the company is committed 
to fixing the problems. 

While the DOE ripped Kaiser-Hill for its failings, the public may 
wonder where the agency's own personnel were when the accidents 
occurred. 

As plant buildings have been closed, the DOE has moved many of 
its employees off the site. So, agency experts may not stroll 
around the site as often as in the past, when they could more 
easily note potential hazards before accidents occurred. And 
because of budget cuts, an independent federal watchdog called 
the Defense Nuclear Facilities Board no longer assigns a 
full-time employee to Rocky Flats. 

The DOE's decision to make 50 of its employees part-time safety 
inspectors is an implicit admission that the agency needs to pay 
more attention. 

The department was right to fine Kaiser-Hill. The government also 
should remember the slip-ups when deciding on contractor bonuses. 

But the DOE should take a hard look at its own decisions - 
especially its sins of omission. The government is hardly 
blameless in the matter.                                
 		   			 
Editorials alone express The Denver Post's opinion. 
			
 All contents Copyright 2004 The Denver Post
*****************************************************************
 43 chillicothe gazette: Piketon locals voice concerns over plant cleanup document -
            
chillicothegazette.com
 
Wednesday, March 24, 2004   

By DANIEL PRAZER Gazette Staff Writer 

The draft of the U.S. Department of Energy's Risk-Based End
State Vision Document and any revised versions can be found
online at: 

 [http://www.bechteljacobs.com/ports_reports.shtml] 

PIKETON -- A representative from the U.S. Department of Energy 
fielded concerns from the public Tuesday night about a DOE 
document that explores whether aspects of the cleanup at the 
Piketon uranium enrichment plant could be done with less money 
while keeping the same amount of risk to the community. 

The DOE requires each of its 17 nuclear sites to submit a 
Risk-Based End State Vision document by next Wednesday to its 
Washington headquarters. The document, in essence, identifies 
portions of the cleanup where expensive means won't necessarily 
justify the end of decreased risk to the environment or public. 

The vision plan, however, isn't a decision-making document. Bill 
Murphie, manager of the DOE office that oversees the Piketon 
plant and its sister plant in Paducah, Ky., called the vision 
statement an "academic exercise" -- it's a DOE policy report, not 
a regulatory report. 

"The outcome of this document is more important than the input," 
he said, citing some citizens' concerns their comments wouldn't 
be reflected in the draft of the document that will be submitted 
next week. Though the deadline for comments was March 6, Murphie 
said any comments sent to his office after the vision plan's 
submission would be forwarded on to DOE headquarters as an 
addendum to the document. 

Environmental regulators, though, say the vision plan has no 
bearing on the DOE's commitment to clean up the site, a fact the 
Murphie acknowledged. 

"At this site, it won't have any bearing on the cleanup standards 
that are implemented by legal documents," said Ken Dewey, manager 
of the Ohio EPA's division of emergency and remedial response, 
the office that responds to spills and cleanup situations. 
Cleanup levels are mandated by court order, and Murphie and Dewey 
both said the vision plan won't change the state of the ongoing 
cleanup. 

"They're doing a desktop exercise, and we're already dealing with 
the real world. We're not going to allow them to alter cleanup 
standards," Dewey said. 

But changes in the cleanup level included in the vision plan 
still worry some area residents. 

The Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, in its written 
comments to be attached to the report, expressed concern that, 
among other things, the location for groundwater sampling wells 
are moved from within plumes of pollution to the site's perimeter 
in the vision plan. Moving the sampling location could, in 
theory, pull water that already meets environmental cleanup 
standards and allow the DOE to avoid cleaning up the contaminated 
areas of groundwater. 

And while the vision plan doesn't allow the DOE to alter cleanup 
levels, SODI program coordinator Jennifer Chandler expressed 
concern that the vision plan will let the DOE work its way back 
to the bargaining table to try to renegotiate cleanup levels with 
regulators, a sentiment Dewey echoed. 

"If we're going to sit down, we want to be a part of the 
decision-making process," Chandler said. "We want a seat at the 
table." 

SODI executive director Greg Simonton, though, is encouraged by 
the dialogue that's started between the DOE and community. 

"I believe that they believe that open and honest dialogue and 
input is good and germane to the success of the overall missions 
at the site," Simonton said. 

"I believe that when you have (officials) the level of Bill 
Murphie coming up here to attend our meetings, I think that's 
indicative of the department's commitment to fostering our 
relationship. ..." 

(Prazer can be reached at 772-9364 or via e-mail at 
[dprazer@nncogannett.com] 

Originally published Wednesday, March 24, 2004
 
Copyright ©2004 Chillicothe Gazette. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
 44 Tri-City Herald: DOE faces fine for K Basins sludge 

This story was published Wednesday, March 24th, 2004 

By Annette Cary Herald staff writer 

The Department of Energy could be fined up to $500,000 if it 
doesn't have an acceptable plan in 30 days to end the risk of 
environmental contamination from Hanford's K Basins, the 
Environmental Protection Agency warned. 

DOE had a legal deadline to begin removing highly radioactive 
sludge from the K Basins by the end of December 2002. Work on the 
difficult project has yet to begin. 

A budget briefing by the Energy Department has led the EPA to 
believe DOE also has abandoned attempts to meet the next legal 
milestone -- having all the sludge removed from leak-prone pools 
near the Columbia River by Aug. 31. 

Federal budget projections show the work being funded for two 
years after the deadline, said Larry Gadbois, an environmental 
scientist in EPA's Richland office. 

Late Monday, the EPA sent a letter setting the 30-day deadline 
for a revised strategy and schedule for removing sludge from the 
K Basins. If that deadline is not met and an agreement reached by 
May 1, EPA plans to assess a fine, said the letter. 

The potential fine started building when DOE missed the 2002 
deadline to start removing sludge. EPA has the authority to levy 
fines of $5,000 for the first week the milestone was missed and 
$10,000 for each additional week. 

Last April, it assessed a penalty of $76,000. Since that time, 
the potential additional fine EPA could assess has grown to 
$500,000 -- a fact that EPA pointed out to DOE in the letter. 

The K Basins' two huge indoor pools were built in the early 1950s 
for temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel from the production 
of plutonium for the nation's weapon program. Some spent fuel has 
been stored there for nearly 30 years, even though the basins 
were designed for just 20 years. 

Some of the fuel has corroded, fallen apart and collected on the 
bottom of the basins to form a sludge that contains uranium, 
plutonium and other radioactive isotopes. The contaminated water 
has leaked from the pool, including major releases in the late 
'70s and the early '80s. 

Although some work has been done to keep the most vulnerable 
parts of the basins from leaking, the risk remains. The K Basins 
are 400 yards from the Columbia River. 

DOE has proposed starting work on sludge removal in a section of 
the K East Basin where the sludge, although still dangerous, has 
far less cesium and uranium contamination than most of the rest 
of the sludge. 

But the technical approach for that portion of the sludge, in the 
North Load-Out Pit, will not work for the rest. 

EPA has supported that limited start to the project, but "this 
work is only part of the solution," Gearheard wrote. 

"We believe that DOE's proposed actions to delay completion of 
sludge removal from the K Basins by nearly two years, coupled 
with the lack of a comprehensive strategy for the remainder of 
Basin remedial actions, demands that we set a firm deadline," he 
wrote. 

The plan approved in the Tri-Party Agreement, a legal document 
governing cleanup, called for the sludge to be removed and stored 
in T Plant, far from the Columbia River in central Hanford, until 
it can be treated and packaged for final disposal. 

Now, DOE is interested in skipping the move to T Plant. 

"There are a number of options for technical solutions to 
actually dispose of the sludge rather than prepare it for 
long-term storage," said Colleen Clark, spokeswoman for DOE's 
Richland office. 

By packaging it once for disposal and eliminating the interim 
storage, workers would not have to handle the dangerous waste 
twice. 

EPA agrees that the best option would be to treat K Basin sludge 
and ship it directly to a permanent storage area, likely near 
Carlsbad, N.M., but it has not seen a plan that would do that, 
according to the letter. 

"DOE has yet to develop a comprehensive strategy that can achieve 
that goal," the letter said. 

Among plans that have been floated but not adopted are a proposal 
to grout some of the sludge in place and another proposal to suck 
it up and put in open-top containers left in water at the K 
Basins. 

"I believe EPA has been extremely patient in allowing DOE to 
propose a revised comprehensive strategy for remediation 
activities for the K Basins, and we have provided feedback on the 
myriad of proposals put forth by DOE and its contractors," the 
letter said. 

But EPA's patience has worn thin. 

"We appreciate the flexibility EPA has shown us to date and we 
know they share our determination to find the best possible final 
solution," Clark said. "In our view that's a solution that's 
protective of the work force and gets the sludge ready for 
disposal and not on site storage." 

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board also is pressuring 
DOE to come up with a plan. The board, appointed by Congress to 
provide independent oversight of DOE nuclear reservations, has 
asked DOE to provide a plan by April 30 for the removal and 
disposal of sludge. 

© 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
 45 Daily Camera: Public split on decision at Rocky Flats wildlife area

Broomfield
 		 		
[http://www.dailycamera.com

 Mailing address: Broomfield Enterprise
 1006 Depot Hill Road, Suite G
 Broomfield, CO 80020
   
Support divided among public access, restriction at planned 
refuge 

By Alisha Jeter, Enterprise Staff Writer March 24, 2004

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials took comments Thursday 
night at a public hearing on the planned Rocky Flats National 
Wildlife Refuge — mostly from people outside Broomfield's 
borders. 

About 20 people argued in favor of two alternatives under 
consideration for management of the site — one that would allow 
public access to trails, hunting and wildlife viewing and one 
that would leave the nearly 6,000-acre "buffer" area mostly 
untouched. 

 Few Broomfield residents attended the meeting, but a contingent 
of city officials spoke. Two City Council members, the city's 
Open Space and Trails director Kristan Pritz and others spoke in 
favor of the plan to allow moderate public access. 

That option is known as Alternative B and is among four options. 
It calls for extensive public access such as more trails and a 
comprehensive visitor center. One option — Alternative A — would 
largely leave the site alone at Broomfield's southwestern border 
and another would promote restoration of the site to its 
pre-settlement nature. 

"I've lived in Broomfield a very long time and I've seen Rocky 
Flats go through a number of changes. Alternative B accomplishes 
what I had envisioned for this site," Councilwoman and 30-year 
resident Lori Cox said, echoing city officials' comments that the 
plan offered a balanced option between public use and wildlife 
preservation. 

The Fish and Wildlife Service also supports Alternative B. 

"We feel that has been a middle of the road (alternative) from 
what people have told us," said project leader Laurie Shannon. 

Rick Warner, a Broomfield resident who helped clean the Rocky 
Mountain Arsenal site, called the Rocky Flats refuge site "very 
dangerous" and said he'd prefer to see the site not visited by 
people, even saying he was concerned efforts to restore the site 
might kick up contamination. 

"It's better to be on the side of caution than the side of 
haste," Warner said. 

Several people raised concerns for public safety on the site, 
which surrounds the 300-acre industrial area once used in the 
production of plutonium triggers for nuclear arms. 

The Fish and Wildlife Service is not involved in the cleanup of 
the site, but officials said the Environmental Protection Agency 
and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment must 
certify the land is clean before it is transferred to the 
wildlife service for a national wildlife refuge, Shannon said. 

Other people argued for and against hunting on the site, as well 
as dog access. Dogs won't be allowed on the refuge, as wildlife 
workers worry about the animals harassing wildlife and leaving 
waste, refuge manager Dean Rundle said. The agency also assumed 
dog access is ample at Front Range open spaces. 

Thursday's meeting was the last of four to comment on the 
refuge's draft conservation plan and environmental impact 
statement. 

Written comment may still be sent to Laurie Shannon, Rocky Flats 
Refuge, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Bldg. 121, Commerce City, CO 
80022, or via fax at (303) 289-0579. The deadline for those 
comments has been extended to April 26. 

Rocky Flats cleanup 

Rocky Flats clean-up contractor Kaiser-Hill Co., as well as 
overseers from the Department of Energy, the Environmental 
Protection Agency and the state health department, will discuss 
cleanup on the site in a public meeting April 14. Upon cleanup, 
much of the site is to be transferred to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service for the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. 

The meeting will be at the Broomfield Municipal Center, 1 
DesCombes Drive, from 6 to 8 p.m.   

Copyright 2004, The Daily Camera
*****************************************************************
 46 Oak Ridger: Report: Y-12 storage facility could prove costly 							 							
 
Story last updated at 11:32 a.m. on March 24, 2004

By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff

paul.parson@oakridger.com [paul.parson@oakridger.com] 

If it goes forward as designed, a new Oak Ridge storage facility 
for weapons-usable uranium will be costly and could pose some 
security issues.

Gregory H. Friedman, the Department of Energy's inspector 
general, outlined those findings in an audit released late 
Tuesday afternoon.

In a response to the document, Dennis Ruddy, president and 
general manager of BWXT Y-12, stands by the current design of the 
new storage facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. BWXT 
Y-12 manages the weapons plant for the federal government.

Y-12 is the nation's principal storehouse for highly enriched 
uranium, and the new facility is part of the aging plant's 
modernization effort. Construction of Y-12 started in the early 
1940s as part of World War II's Manhattan Project - a top-secret 
effort for developing an atomic bomb.

Officials expect the new storage facility will modernize 
security, improve operational efficiency and consolidate the 
weapons-usable uranium.

In February 2000, the federal government OK'd a design for the 
Y-12 storage facility that consisted of an earthen berm on the 
top and three sides of the facility. That was when Lockheed 
Martin Energy Systems managed the Oak Ridge weapons plant.

BWXT Y-12 took over as the plant's managing contractor in late 
2000. In June 2002, the National Nuclear Security Agency, which 
oversees DOE's weapons facilities, approved BWXT Y-12's 
recommendation to redesign the storage facility to remove the 
berm.

According to Friedman's audit, the storage facility's current 
design could cost an estimated $253 million. In the long run, the 
government risks spending at least $25 million more than 
necessary to construct the facility, which has complex 
construction requirements that could add time to the project's 
schedule.

In addition, officials said the non-berm design will not provide 
improved security and design flexibility over the original 
design.

"A security review conducted by Sandia National Laboratories in 
Sept. 2001 concluded that, while both designs were adequate, 'the 
new design was not as effective as the berm design,'" according 
to the audit. "Local NNSA and contractor officials, Department of 
Energy headquarters personnel and Sandia National Laboratories 
security experts all told us that the berm design provided a high 
level of engineered security.

"Based on the high level of engineered security provided by the 
berm, the results of the security reviews, and the current 
design's heavy reliance on security personnel, it is not clear, 
in our judgment, that the non-berm design provides improved 
engineered security or design flexibility over the original berm 
design."

As it stands, site preparation for construction work on the 
storage facility is scheduled to begin later this year, with the 
end result being a facility about the size of at least three 
football fields. However, Friedman's office has recommended that 
the NNSA update all cost and schedule assumptions and reevaluate 
the decision to use the non-berm design when constructing the 
facility.

Michael C. Kane, the NNSA's associate administrator for 
Management and Administration, suggested his agency will 
reevaluate the decision to use a non-berm design. However, he 
voiced disagreement with estimates that the non-berm facility 
would cost more than the original concept.

"A conservative cost analysis performed by a construction cost 
estimator concluded that the two facilities would likely cost 
approximately the same," Kane wrote in response to the audit.

In a prepared statement, Ruddy said that all Y-12 projects - 
particularly a large project like the uranium storage facility - 
receive a full engineering design analysis and cost-benefit 
review.

"We are confident that the reevaluation committed to by the NNSA 
will validate that we made the right decision," Ruddy said in his 
statement.

A 2000 audit from DOE's Inspector General's Office was also 
critical of Y-12's modernization efforts. 







*****************************************************************
 47 Google News Alert - nuclear
 
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 14:10:34 -0800 (PST)

 
IAEA Chief Gathers Support to Shut Down Nuclear Black Market
Voice of America - Washington,DC,USA
Head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency has stopped in Egypt on his way
to the Middle East to gather support for his agency's attempt to shut
down the black ...
<http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=D14C4E17-F254-49BF-AD72B67C475E7A71>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm%3FobjectID%3DD14C4E17-F254-49BF-AD72B67C475E7A71>

NO more Nuclear tests vowed
Deseret News - Salt Lake City,UT,USA
WASHINGTON — Despite reports to the contrary, the Bush administration
insisted Tuesday it has no plans to resume nuclear bomb tests in the foreseeable
future ...
<http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595051133,00.html>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595051133,00.html>

BLAIR to meet with Qaddafi following nuclear pledge
International Herald Tribune - Paris,France
... visit is a significant step in bringing the former pariah state back
into the international fold, following its pledge in December to dismantle
its nuclear ...
<http://www.iht.com/articles/511705.htm>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.iht.com/articles/511705.htm>

NUCLEAR WEAPONS: N. KOREA'S KIM JONG-IL MEETS CHINESE MINISTER
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - Italy
... Kim Jong-il met Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Li Zhaoxing, during
his visit to Pyongyang concerning the six-sided negotiations on the country's
nuclear ...
<http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200403241140-1039-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl%3Fdoc%3D200403241140-1039-RT1-CRO-0-NF11%26page%3D0%26id%3Dagionline-eng.oggitalia>

RUSSIA'S navy chief orders nuclear ship back to port
Indianapolis Star - Indianapolis,IN,USA
Moscow -- In yet another blow to Russia's beleaguered military, the navy's
commanding admiral ordered a nuclear-powered battle cruiser to return
to port ...
<http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/132002-9843-010.html>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/132002-9843-010.html>

EU calls for 'full transparency' by Iran on nuclear questions
Webindia123.com - India
European Union ministers have expressed concern that a number of questions
relating to Iran's nuclear programme remain outstanding. ...
<http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=34312&cat=World>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp%3Fid%3D34312%26cat%3DWorld>

RUSSIA withdraws nuclear flagship
Guardian - UK
The head of Russia's cash-starved navy caused uproar yesterday when he
announced that the fleet's flagship nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter
the Great had ...
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1176511,00.html>
See all stories on this topic:
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N Korea will attend six-nation nuclear talks (10:30 PST)
Hi Pakistan - Lahore,Pakistan
... military exercises and the impeachment of South Korea's president,
North Korea is expected to attend the next round of six-nation talks on
ending its nuclear ...
<http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en58503&F_catID=&f_type=source>

NUCLEAR Industry Upbeat About Future 25 Years After TMI Low Point
Newhouse News Service (NNS) - USA
WASHINGTON -- Three years ago, Ron Simard built a series of speeches on
nuclear power around his theory: "The future isn't what it used to be.".
...
<http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/lieberman032404.html>

BRITAIN faces Brussels nuclear inspection
EUpolitix - Brussels,Belgium
The UK next week could face orders from the European Commission finally
to let EU safety inspectors check on the controversial Sellafield nuclear
power plant. ...
<http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200403/78344ad8-2400-4988-819f-55ad692e59e2.htm>

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