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Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject
line and first line of body
NUCLEAR POLICY
1 AU ABC: Blix wants transcripts of bugged talks.
2 Iran Agrees To Speed Up Cooperation With UN Nuclear Watchdog Agency
3 Reuters: Iran Vows to Speed Up Nuclear Cooperation with UN
4 Xinhuanet: Iran vows to suspend nuke program
5 Guardian Unlimited: Inspectors to scrutinise Iran's nuclear programm
6 Mehr News Agency: Iran Renews Efforts to Clear Up IAEA Ambiguities
7 AFP: Iran offers UN nuclear watchdog more comprehensive declaration
8 AFP: US unimpressed with Iran's promise to accelerate cooperation
9 US: [progchat_action] Bush Harshly Criticized Over Joke on WMD Hunt
10 US: Fwd: US Veterans Call for Nuclear Disarmament
11 US: washington post: A Sorry State of Affairs
12 US: The Hill: Energy policy prospects grim
13 [NYTr] US Now Accuses Brazil of Nuclear Arms Ambitions
14 UPI: Pakistan proposes nuclear talks with India -
15 BBC: Plan to ease nuclear job losses
16 BBC: Sentence looms for Russian 'spy'
17 Hi Pakistan: No question of rolling back N-programme - Musharraf
18 ITAR-TASS: Verdict to Sutyagin on spy trial expected Wednesday
19 moscow times: Trial by Jury No Match for the FSB
20 Las Vegas SUN: Brazil Says Its Nuke Program Is Peaceful
NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
22 US: AP Wire: Nuclear regulators refuse to move hearing on Grand Gulf
23 US: washingtonpost: Guarding U.S. Nuclear Plants
24 Sofia Morning News: Nuke Chief Wants Bulgarian Referendum
25 US: Brattleboro Reformer: Entergy denies collusion with GE
NUCLEAR SAFETY
26 US: [NYTr] DU story again front page Daily News
27 US: US Military DU Victims Speak Out
28 US: [southnews] US Soldiers Contaminated With D U. Speak Out
29 US: [southnews] Hillary demands DU checks for all Iraq veterans
30 US: [progchat_action] GIs Tested For Uranium Exposure
31 US: GRANMA INTERNAtIONAL DIGITAL: U.S. soldiers could be contaminate
32 New York Daily News: Inside filthy camp where trouble began
33 US: New York Daily News: Juan Gonzalez: Gov goes to bat for G.I.s' h
34 US: New York Daily News: News investigation spurs testing on GIs
35 Expatica: Radioactive package sparks airport scare
36 US: THE JOURNAL NEWS: Military is testing for exposure to uranium
37 This is London: Radiation Scare
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
38 chillicothe gazette: Resignations won't hurt Piketon plant -
39 Las Vegas RJ: Kerry criticizes Bushon Yucca
40 Las Vegas RJ: YUCCA MOUNTAIN: DOE formalizes nuclear waste plan
41 Las Vegas SUN: DOE settles on trains for shipments
42 KLAS: Nevada Receives Shipment of Nuclear Waste
43 US: El Paso Times: NM tries to stop nuclear dumping
44 US: AU ABC: Operators confident as uranium mine re-opens.
45 KLAS: Nevada Receives Shipment of Nuclear Waste
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
46 BBC ON THIS DAY 1978: Carter delays N-bomb production
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
47 Contra Costa Times: Livermore lab makes bidder wish list
48 DAILY BRUIN: Lab combats terror with technology
49 Oak Ridger: Alexander says ORNL should house world's fastest superco
50 Oak Ridger: Sick worker program leaders quit
51 Oak Ridger: Protests at weapons plant will occur April 18
52 Colorado Daily: Rocky Flats Coalition plans future
53 Oak Ridger: Our View: Hats off to SNS project; open house
OTHER NUCLEAR
54 Google News Alert - nuclear
55 [du-list] DU in the news - 31 items here of 65 total (in
56 NEA: Dr. Gail Marcus appointed new Deputy Director-General of the NE
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 AU ABC: Blix wants transcripts of bugged talks.
07/04/2004. ABC News Online
[http://www.abc.net.au/]
Hans Blix ... not surprised his conversations were monitored.
By Andrew Fowler, ABC Investigative Unit
Former United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix says he
wants to see transcripts of his bugged conversations that were
passed to Australian intelligence agencies before the war in
Iraq.
The ABC has discovered that Dr Blix's phone calls were tapped
each time he flew into Iraq and his hotel in Baghdad was also
bugged.
An intelligence source says the recorded conversations included
his reports on the search for weapons of mass destruction,
citing that Dr Blix was "unconvinced that Iraq was going to
comply with demands to disarm".
A former US intelligence officer who saw much of the Iraq
material told the ABC that the United States Government treated
Dr Blix as though he was in "league with Saddam Hussein".
Dr Blix says he is not surprised that he was bugged but he now
wants to see the content of those conversations.
"I always assumed wherever we were we would be bugged by
somebody and in Iraq, certainly bugged by the Iraqis," he said.
It has been almost a year since the US declared major combat in
Iraq over.
Dr Blix believes it is time countries like Australia dropped
their campaign to locate weapons of mass destruction.
"I think it's exceedingly unlikely that any will be found," he
said.
[http://www.abc.net.au]
© 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
*****************************************************************
2 Iran Agrees To Speed Up Cooperation With UN Nuclear Watchdog Agency
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 15:00:46 -0400
IRAN AGREES TO SPEED UP COOPERATION WITH UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG AGENCY
New York, Apr 6 2004 3:00PM
Iran has agreed to accelerate its cooperation with the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the head of the United Nations nuclear
watchdog told reporters today in Tehran.
The comment by <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/IaeaIran/index.shtml">IAEA
Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei came after a meeting
with Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organization
of Iran. He was scheduled to meet President Mohammad Khatami
later today.
Mr. ElBaradei said that a team of five IAEA inspectors would visit
Iran on 12 April to verify that the country has met its commitment
to suspend enrichment of uranium.
Last month the IAEA's Board of Governors adopted a resolution voicing
"serious concern" over Iran's omissions in its reports, specifically
mentioning a more advanced centrifuge design than previously
declared as well as two mass spectrometers used in a laser enrichment
programme.
The Board called on Iran to resolve these and all other outstanding
issues, while Mr. ElBaradei was asked to report on the matter
before the end of May so that it may consider his findings at its
June session.
2004-04-06 00:00:00.000
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3 Reuters: Iran Vows to Speed Up Nuclear Cooperation with UN
Tue Apr 6, 2004 07:10 AM ET
By Francois Murphy and Parinoosh Arami
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran pledged on Tuesday to accelerate its
cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog in a bid to prove it
is not seeking nuclear weapons, but also pressed to end U.N.
inspections of its atomic facilities by June.
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the U.N. International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), told reporters after meeting Iran's nuclear chief
Gholamreza Aghazadeh:
"Mr. Aghazadeh committed that Iran will do everything possible
to accelerate the process of resolving the outstanding issues."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seeks
clarification of how traces of weapons-grade uranium came to be
found at the Natanz enrichment plant south of Tehran and a
workshop at the Kalaye Electric Company.
If enriched to a low level, uranium can be used to fuel nuclear
power stations. But further enrichment can make it suitable for
use in warheads.
Iran promised Britain, France and Germany last October it would
suspend uranium enrichment and accept snap atomic checks.
The agency also seeks answers on Iran's omissions of key atomic
technology from an October statement that included undeclared
research on advanced "P2" centrifuges that can make
weapons-grade uranium.
The United States accuses Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons
program, but Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are confined to
generating electricity.
In a show of goodwill, Aghazadeh said Iran would suspend making
and assembling atomic parts from April 9, something it agreed to
do by March.
END INSPECTIONS IN JUNE
Aghazadeh told reporters Tehran asked for inspectors to conclude
their work before the next IAEA board of governors meeting in
June, where Iran's conduct will be reconsidered.
*****************************************************************
4 Xinhuanet: Iran vows to suspend nuke program
www.xinhuanet.com
www.chinaview.cn 2004-04-06 18:54:33
Iranian President Seyyed Mohammad khatami(R) meets Mohamed
ElBaradei (L), head of the Vienna-based International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).(Xinhua/AFP)
Mohamed El Baradei (L), head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), talks with Gholamreza Aqazadeh, chairman of Iran's
Atomic Energy Organization, following a press conference in
Tehran, Iran, April 6, 2004. Aqazadeh said that Iran would
suspend the making and assembling of centrifuges from April 9. El
Baradei arrived in Tehran on April 6 for a day-long visit.
(Photos: Xinhua)
TEHRAN, April 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran will suspend making
and assembling centrifuges from April 9, Gholamreza Aqazadeh,
chairman of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said here Tuesday.
He made the remarks after meeting with visiting Mohamed
ElBaradei, head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA).
Iran "is interested as quickly as possible to bring this case
to a close," Aqazadeh said, adding that they had asked the IAEA
to close its case by June.
ElBaradei arrived in Tehran earlier on Tuesday to meet with
Iranian President Seyyed Mohammad khatami and senior officials to
press for greater transparency for the country's nuclear
programs.
"We agreed that we need to accelerate the process of
cooperation," ElBaradei told reporters after the talks.
"Mr. Aghazadeh committed that Iran will do everything
possible to accelerate the process of resolving the outstanding
issues," he added. Enditem
Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
5 Guardian Unlimited: Inspectors to scrutinise Iran's nuclear programme
Associated Press
Tuesday April 6, 2004
Iran today promised to stop building centrifuges for uranium
enrichment, in a move that could herald a new era of openness and
co-operation with the United Nations.
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of
Iran, said the country would "voluntarily" suspend its centrifuge
work from Friday. Iran "is interested as quickly as possible to
bring this case to a close," he said.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the UN's nuclear watchdog,
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), welcomed the
announcement and said a new team of inspectors would come to
Tehran on April 12 to verify that all uranium enrichment
activities had stopped.
Mr ElBaradei arrived in Tehran earlier today to meet Iran's
president and senior officials in an effort to press the regime
for greater transparency with its suspect nuclear programmes.
"We agreed that we need to accelerate the process of
co-operation," Mr ElBaradei said. "Mr Aghazadeh committed that
Iran will do everything possible to accelerate the process of
resolving the outstanding issues. I hope during the course of my
visit that we can develop an action plan that can have a
timeline."
Mr Aghazadeh said he expected Iran's nuclear dossier would be
closed by June, at the next meeting of the IAEA's board of
governors. "We will do our best (for) ... our relationship with
the agency to be normalised," he said.
But the picture is far from clear since today's announcement
appears to contradict Iran's claim on March 29 that it had
already stopped building centrifuges for uranium enrichment.
Mr ElBaradei's trip to Iran is intended to resolve such concerns,
amid signs that the US is beginning to win support among UN
states for its view that Tehran should be penalised for not
revealing its nuclear activities.
He said he would address two key points with Iranian officials:
the origins of traces of highly enriched uranium found in the
country, and details on Iran's advanced P-2 centrifuges -
equipment that could be used to enrich uranium for use in a
weapon.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful and geared only
toward producing electricity. The United States and other nations
contend it masks a covert effort to build a nuclear weapon, and
an IAEA resolution last month censured Iran for hiding suspicious
activities.
"The issue is to really create confidence that this is a program
for a peaceful purpose," ElBaradei said yesterday, calling on
Tehran to "turn over a new leaf".
[UP]
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
6 Mehr News Agency: Iran Renews Efforts to Clear Up IAEA Ambiguities
TEHRAN, April 6
(Mehr News Agency) -- The Director General of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed Elbaradei said here Tuesday
that according to the Additional Protocol to the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the agency hopes to get some
information about Iran’s nuclear program by mid-May.
Today I was reassured by Dr. Rowhani that Iran is committed to
continue to cooperate actively, ElBaradei told reporters.
"I can tell you that I am quite satisfied," ElBaradei added,
saying his talks had yielded "welcome and positive results."
He said there are still some issues to be resolved and the
purpose of his meeting with the secretary of Iran’s Supreme
Council for National Security, Hassan Rowhani, was how to move
forward with the remaining issues.
He said Iran also agreed to an action plan and timetable aimed at
clearing up questions over its bid to generate atomic power.
ElBaradei also said the IAEA has not found any new nuclear
facility in Iran. He also said a decision by Iran to start up a
uranium conversion plant near the central city of Isfahan does
not run counter to the agreements reached between Iran and the UN
agency.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Tuesday that the Islamic
Republic of Iran is stepping up efforts to promote confidence,
adding that confidence-building is like a two-way street.
In a meeting with ElBaradei in Tehran, Kharrazi said that
confidence should be built on both sides.
He emphasized the significance of the agency’s independent role
in presenting a report on Iran’s nuclear programs, adding that
Iran’s nuclear activities are meant for peaceful purposes.
“We are quite sure the IAEA will come to the conclusion that
Iran’s nuclear activities are merely meant for peaceful
purposes,” Kharrazi said.
The Foreign Minister referred to Iran’s extensive and
transparent cooperation with the agency, saying that magnifying
insignificant issues and politicized measures have further
complicated the process of resolving Iran’s nuclear issue.
Kharrazi stressed that Iran will continue on its constructive and
reciprocal cooperation with the IAEA, adding that it expects the
agency to take account of the Islamic Republic’s cooperative
attitude.
“Iran expects to acquire all its rights as stipulated in the
NPT (the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty),” he said.
ElBaradei on his part took a favorable approach toward Iran’s
progressive cooperation with the agency and the IAEA inspections.
He described the continuance of Iran-IAEA technical cooperation
as positive.
Iran’s Policy Based on Transparent Cooperation
President Mohammad Khatami on Tuesday said Iran’s policy is
based on transparent cooperation with the IAEA and this
cooperation would lead to good results.
What is usually said after all these positive steps is an excuse
and has no value and a positive move by the IAEA would naturally
torpedo this disinformation campaign against Iran’s nuclear
program otherwise new conditions will be created.
Khatami said Iran has an inalienable right to peaceful use of
nuclear energy, adding that the matters between Iran and the IAEA
would reach a good result as soon as possible.
He said Iran has voluntarily moved in the direction of removing
misunderstandings about its nuclear program and it expects not be
treated discriminately by some countries.
MS/HL/IS END MNA
*****************************************************************
7 AFP: Iran offers UN nuclear watchdog more comprehensive declaration
[http://www.spacewar.com/]
TEHRAN (AFP) Apr 06, 2004
UN atomic energy agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Tuesday
that Iran had pledged to reveal more details on its suspect
nuclear programme by next month and that his talks here yielded
"welcome and positive steps" by the Islamic republic.
ElBaradei also announced after close to five hours of intense
talks with Iran's nuclear point-man -- national security chief
Hassan Rowhani -- that the two sides had agreed on an action plan
and timetable to clear up lingering questions over Iran's nuclear
programme.
"Dr. Rowhani assured me that we will get some important
information before the end of this month and that we would also
hope to get information under the additional protocol by
mid-May," ElBaradei told reporters.
"We agreed on an action plan with timetable on how to move
forward with the major outstanding issues," added the director
general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Last October Iran gave the IAEA what it asserted was a complete
declaration of its nuclear activities, but was later found to
have made a number of omissions -- including that it had acquired
designs for sophisticated P-2 centrifuges.
But in December, it signed the additional protocol to the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which sets tougher conditions for
IAEA inspections and declarations filed to the Vienna-based
agency.
"We hope to get information under the additional protocol by
mid-May," said ElBaradei, who is on his third visit to the
Islamic republic in just over a year.
"These are obviously welcome and positive steps. I would like to
see that we would continue our work without further delay.
"I think it is in the interests of Iran and the interests of the
international community that we complete our work here as early
as possible, so I can tell you that I am quite satisfied with the
result of my meeting with Dr. Rowhani and I look forward to
continuing active and intensified cooperation with the Islamic
republic of Iran," he added.
Sources close to the talks said the bulk of the negotiations were
focused on hammering out the action plan -- a series of steps
that both the IAEA and Iran have to take to answer issues that
have aroused widespread international suspicions.
These include Iran's work on the P-2 centrifuge and the
accounting for traces of weapons-grade uranium found by the IAEA
at two sites here, which Iran asserts came into the country on
equipment bought on the black market from Pakistan.
WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
8 AFP: US unimpressed with Iran's promise to accelerate cooperation
with IAEA
[http://www.spacewar.com/]
WASHINGTON (AFP) Apr 06, 2004
The United States on Tuesday sniffed at Iran's promise to
improve cooperation and transparency with UN's nuclear watchdog,
noting that the Islamic republic had reneged on similar vows in
the past.
The State Department said that solid actions and not verbal
promises to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were
the only way Iran could dispel allegations that it is secretly
trying to develop nuclear weapons.
"We've heard promises like that before and we've also seen them
broken before," deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said when asked about
Iran's pledge to IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to accelerate
cooperation with the agency.
"It's great if they actually live up to their promise, but so far
they haven't done that," he told reporters. "And really until
they do that, this investigation, this process of review by the
IAEA, has to continue."
ElBaradei announced earlier Tuesday in Tehran that Iran had
pledged to file a new report on its nuclear activities before the
IAEA governing board next meets in June.
He also said Tehran had agreed to a tough action plan and
timetable aimed at clearing up serious questions over its bid to
generate atomic power -- seen by the United States and Israel as
a cover for weapons development.
"Today I was reassured by Dr. Rowhani that Iran is committed to
continue to actively cooperate," ElBaradei said after five hours
of intense negotiations with Iran's nuclear point-man -- national
security chief Hassan Rowhani.
"I can tell you that I am quite satisfied," he said, saying his
talks had yielded "welcome and positive steps."
Before going into the talks, ElBaradei warned that the IAEA's
35-member board of governors was becoming "impatient with Iran"
after it failed to give a comprehensive declaration of its
nuclear activities and has delayed crucial inspections.
Last October Iran gave the IAEA what it asserted was a complete
declaration of its nuclear activities. It was later found to have
made a number of omissions, including its acquisition of designs
for sophisticated centrifuges that can enrich uranium to
weapons-grade levels.
Ereli noted that had backed out of a February pledge to suspend
assembly and testing of such centrifuges and that it had not yet
complied with November promise to halt uranium enrichment.
Iran's atomic energy chief, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, said Iran had
refused a call from ElBaradei to delay its resumption of uranium
conversion work -- or producing the precursors for the enrichment
process.
Iran insists such work does not violate its promise to suspend of
enrichment-related activities.
WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
9 [progchat_action] Bush Harshly Criticized Over Joke on WMD Hunt
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 02:03:05 -0500 (CDT)
Prensa Latina, Havana - 26 March, 2004 http://www.plenglish.com
Bush Harshly Criticized Over Joke on WMD Hunt
Washington, Mar 26 (PL) Leading Democrats accused President Bush
on Friday of showing no respect for the world and his own countrymen
by making inappropriate and ill-timed jokes about the hunt for
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
"Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere ...
nope, no weapons over there ... maybe under here?" Bush joked
Wednesday at the annual dinner of Radio and Television News
Correspondents Association while showing photographs of himself in
awkward poses as he looked behind furniture in the Oval Office.
Recalling the possession of WMD by Iraq was the reason given by US
and Britain to launch the war on the Arab country without UN consent
and amid worldwide rejection, Democratic National Committee Chairman
Terry McAuliffe said Friday on ABC television that "This is a very
serious issue. We've lost hundreds of troops, as you know, over
there. Let's not be laughing about not being able to find weapons
of mass destruction." "They're not there. That is the issue. We
should not take it to a new step to make fun of the situation,"
McAuliffe said.
For his part, Senator John Kerry, leading Democratic contender,
pointed out that if George Bush thinks his deceptive rationale for
going to war is a laughing matter, then he4s even more out of touch
than we thought.
Unfortunately for the President, this is not a joke. Some 585
American soldiers -he recalled- have been killed in Iraq in the
last year, 3,354 have been wounded, and there4s no end in sight.
Bush sold us -he continued- on going to war with Iraq based on the
threat of weapons of mass destruction. But we still haven4t found
them, and now he thinks that4s funny.
Meanwhile, Democrat House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who attended
the dinner, told reporters Thursday she has treated the subject
with respect and doesn4t find it funny at all. According to the
White House and Republicans, though, Bush was just poking fun at
himself. mh/rma
Copyright (c) 2004 Prensa Latina, SA. All rights reserved.
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10 Fwd: US Veterans Call for Nuclear Disarmament
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:38:55 -0700
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 13:51:09 +1000
From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign
<nonukes@foesyd.org.au>
Subject: US Veterans Call for Nuclear Disarmament
Dear Friends:
I am writing to you about a critical change in U.S. defense policy
and to ask fellow veterans for their help.
As you may know, in 2002 we founded Veterans for Common Sense, an
organization devoted to pragmatic approaches to protecting American
and global security. Emphasizing international cooperation, diplomacy
and fair dealings with other countries are the only means to
guarantee our security.
The current U.S. administration has abandoned long-standing treaties,
angering our allies and demonstrated that the U.S. will rely on
military force to protect its interests around the globe. In fact,
since 2001, the United States has strengthened its reliance on
nuclear weapons as a key component of our national security strategy
- which is a grave mistake on many levels.
During the next few weeks, Congress will debate proposed changes in
U.S. policy that will cost us dearly. While U.S. and allied troops
are dying in Iraq with inadequate numbers and equipment, the
administration is advocating spending billions of dollars on programs
which will not protect the troops and make us all more vulnerable.
While cutting the budget for Veterans Administration hospitals and
medical care, the administration is spending billions on defense
contracts designed to enrich executives and stockholders of massive
defense contractors;
Among the costly proposed changes are:
Big spending increases for nuclear bomb production at the new "Modern
Pit Facility" and at Los Alamos National Laboratories
Millions more for research into "bunker buster" weapons and tactical mini-nukes
Billions for research into a national missile defense system, which
our nation's leading scientists have demonstrated will not work
The stakes are enormous. Just last week, the Russian defense minister
announced that if current trends continue, Russia will increase the
readiness of its nuclear forces. China is also rapidly modernizing
its nuclear arsenal. O ur increased reliance on nuclear weapons has
made the world a much more dangerous place.
For the past year, I've worked as executive director of the new
Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) to help change the status
quo of U.S. nuclear policy, NPRI is partnering with Veterans for
Common Sense to pressure our policymakers to lead the rest of the
world by ending our reliance on nuclear weapons.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
Join fellow veterans in signing the
<"Veterans'>http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/vetsletter/SignVetLetter.cfm>"Veterans
Call for Nuclear Disarmament" letter. It will be delivered to members
of Congress as they debate funding increases for nuclear weapons.
Partner with NPRI and VCS to help make our world a safer place.
<Click>http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/vetsletter/SignVetLetter.cfm>Click
here
to sign the letter.
If you are not a veteran, you may join us by signing the
<Commitment>http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/bombfactory.cfm>Commitment
to Oppose
the New Nuclear Arms Race.
<Click>http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/bomfactory.cfm>Click
here to learn more.
With best regards,
Charles Sheehan-Miles
Executive Director, Nuclear Policy Research Institute
Board of Directors , Veterans for Common Sense
Veterans' Letter to Congress
Dear Members of Congress:
As patriotic Americans and military veterans, we are writing to you
concerning the misappropriation of billions of dollars from
protecting our troops overseas, to be spent on nuclear programs and
policies which endanger, rather than protect, American security.
The Department of Energy budget request of $24.3 billion, larger than
any in history, includes programs which represent a danger to
American security and diverts desperately needed funds for our troops
and veterans.
In particular, we oppose the increased reliance on nuclear weapons
signaled by the current administration, and specifically any increase
in funds for the following:
$6.6 billion for management and modernization of the nuclear weapons complex.
$9 million for "Advanced Concepts" programs, supporting research into
new types of nuclear weapons
$27.6 million for bunker buster weapons
Expansion of nuclear weapons production at Los Alamos and Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratories
While DOE is requesting increased funding in all these areas, they
are only seeking $1.35 billion for a program critical to our security
- securing loose nuclear materials in the former Soviet Union to
prevent those materials and technologies from falling into the hands
of terrorists and aspiring nuclear states.
At a time when funding for critical health care activities for
veterans are falling short, when American troops are going into
combat without critical equipment such as armored humvees and flack
vests, it is unconscionable that billions will be appropriated for
programs which will, in fact, not make us safer.
Recently the Russian Defense minister announced that should current
U.S. policy trends continue, Russia will be forced to increase its
nuclear reliance as well. China is modernizing its nuclear forces,
and other countries are struggling to obtain the bomb. Further, the
U.S., in order to obtain support in its search for Osama bin Laden,
essentially ignored the fact that Pakistan has become the world's
leading proliferators of nuclear technologies.
Nuclear weapons do not provide real security to the United States. As
General Charles Horner, former commander of NORAD, said in January
2004 at Nuclear Policy Research Institute's conference on nuclear
weapons, "I realized that nuclear weapons are only good for taking
out cities, they're not good for war fighting. They have little or no
utility for war fighting."
The United States should be leading the world in stopping the
proliferation of nuclear weapons, and negotiating open, multilateral
agreements for eventual disarmament. Instead, by announcing our
intention to continue to develop new weapons, and signaling a new
policy that targets non-nuclear states with nuclear weapons, we are
encouraging their spread, and risking the beginning of a new arms
race.
As veterans who have experienced and know the details of war, who
know the costs of war to persons and society, who know the losses to
victors and losers and who have learned that nuclear weapons have no
rational use in armed conflict and know that future security depends
upon ridding the world of reliance upon nuclear weapons, we
respectfully call on Congress resolve that it is the sense of
Congress to:
Meet the commitment of the United States under Article VI of the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and begin good faith negotiations
leading to disarmament
Zero out funding for programs, including the Modern Pit Facility and
new-weapons research, which do nothing for American security and
waste billions of dollars while our troops are dying overseas.
Redirect funding from these programs into funding for programs to
reduce nuclear proliferation, secure nuclear materials around the
globe, better protect both our troops and provide for homeland
security needs.
Urge the administration to take a leading role in halting global
proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Ronald Reagan once said, "A nuclear war can never be won and must
never be fought." Our service to our country did not end with leaving
the military, and that service now requires us to take part as
citizens in the debate over the security of our country. We hope you
will join us in that service, and take the right steps to ensure a
safe and free America.
Sincerely,
Please visit
<http://www.nuclearpolicy.org>http://www.nuclearpolicy.org>http://www.nuclearpolicy.org
*****************************************************************
11 washington post: A Sorry State of Affairs
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/]
By Art Buchwald
Tuesday, April 6, 2004; Page C04
Washington is in a frenzy and it's all because of Richard Clarke.
In testifying before the 9/11 commission, he did the
unforgivable, the one thing that no government official ever
dared to do. He apologized.
The former counterterrorism adviser said under oath to the
families of the 9/11 victims: "We tried hard but that doesn't
matter because we failed. Your government failed you and I failed
you. I would ask, once all the facts are out, for your
understanding and forgiveness."
The 11th commandment of the government is written in stone:
"Never apologize and never say you're sorry."
When Clarke offered his mea culpa, the White House and Republican
senators went ballistic. One leader said: "He had no right to say
he was sorry. No one, not even the president, is allowed to
apologize for anything that Washington does. It's treason."
It was because of Clarke that the White House sent out all its
big guns -- Vice President Cheney, Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld,
George Tenet and Condoleezza Rice. The reason was that not one of
them has ever apologized for anything.
Cheney never apologized for his role in the energy plans. Powell
has never said he was sorry America lost so many allies on his
watch. Rumsfeld, to this day, has never said that if he had to do
it over again he would never have invaded Iraq. Tenet refused to
admit that the CIA's intelligence ever made a mistake.
Rice, although she will testify under oath, will never apologize
for what she told the president.
Why will no one in Washington ever say he's sorry? It is a sign
of weakness, politically wrong, and everyone in this city thinks
it's just asking for trouble. By not admitting you're sorry, you
don't have to accept blame for anything you've done. For example,
if someone in the Pentagon makes a blunder, like recommending a
Star Wars missile that keeps crashing into the ground, he will
continue defending his decision to make the weapon rather than
tell the taxpayer it is a $20 billion lemon.
What the public doesn't know won't hurt it.
When Halliburton was caught overcharging the government, it
didn't say it was sorry, it just said it had a glitch in its
accounting department.
Rather than apologize, the White House puts a spin on everything,
and it has the embedded public relations troops to do it.
When Clarke apologized at the hearing, black smoke came out of
every government building in Washington.
"He really didn't mean it," Arkin said.
"But," I replied, "he apologized under oath. If he really didn't
mean he was sorry, he could be charged with perjury."
Arkin said: "He only apologized so he would sell books. He is a
disgrace to every national security adviser. He is a traitor in a
class with Benedict Arnold."
"Do you think, now that Clarke said he was sorry, other people in
the government will start doing the same thing?"
"Not if they want to keep their jobs."
© 2004, Tribune Media Services
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
*****************************************************************
12 The Hill: Energy policy prospects grim
The Hill.com=
April 7, 2004
Industry lobbyists fear initiatives will now be lost
By Jim Snyder
A plan to attach a slate of energy tax breaks to a larger
corporate tax bill in the Senate may doom the first national
energy policy in a decade, energy lobbyists say.
That could leave industries without some high-priority
legislative initiatives, such as the repeal of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act (PUHCA), a Depression-era law that electric
utilities say restricts investment in their industry.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) has
criticized the Senate energy bill.
Also potentially lost: provisions to ease the process for
re-licensing hydroelectric power plants, provide federal
regulators more authority over power-line and
natural-gas-pipeline siting, and assist the nuclear power
industry.
The tax package was one of the drivers of the [overall energy]
legislation, said one utility lobbyist. This adds another nail
in the coffin.
The tax measure enjoys broad support in the Senate and among
politically powerful industries, from oil companies to electric
utilities.
It provides $14 billion in breaks for cleaner cars, energy
efficiency programs, research to make coal burn more cleanly,
certain types of oil and gas drilling, and energy produced by
wind and other renewable sources.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told
lobbyists last week that he planned to add energy taxes to the
bill to replace the foreign sales corporation/extraterritorial
income (FSC/ETI) tax scheme, which itself is stalled in the
Senate. The World Trade Organization has ruled that FSC/ETI is an
illegal export subsidy.
Democrats have stopped Republican efforts to end debate on the
measure, insisting on a vote to change rules for overtime pay.
Lobbyists said it wasnt a sure thing that the measure which
Republicans call the Jumpstart our Business Strength, or JOBS,
bill would pass. If it doesnt, the energy tax breaks might
remain with the overall energy bill.
But Grassley views inclusion of energy tax breaks as a way to win
over FSC-bill skeptics with projections that the cuts will create
thousands of new jobs.
At the request of Grassleys staff, for example, oil giant
ConocoPhillips said in an April 2 letter that tax help for an
Alaskan natural gas pipeline a plan it supports would create
400,000 new jobs, according to a Department of Labor estimate.
The pipeline has the potential to deliver more jobs and other
economic benefits than any single private work project ever
undertaken in the United States, ConocoPhillips President and
CEO J.J. Mulva said.
The pipeline project accounts for half of the 800,000 jobs
supporters have said would be created in comprehensive energy
legislation, he added.
The letter can be read as both a push for the tax provisions and
a slight to the energy policy measure.
ConocoPhillips, like other major oil companies and refiners, does
not support the energy bill because it fails to protect producers
of MTBE, a gasoline additive, from certain types of lawsuits.
But the energy policy measure is not without supporters.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), whose members would
benefit from a provision to double production of corn-based
ethanol by 2012, wrote the administration and House and Senate
leaders April 2, almost pleading for action on the energy policy
bill.
I call upon each of you, for the sake of the nation, please,
please, show Americans that our government works, that an energy
bill can get done and that those we send to Washington can do
something other than blame someone else for not doing their job,
NCGA President Dee Vaughn wrote.
Nuclear power supporters also plan to lobby aggressively for the
overall energy bill because it provides a number of provisions
the industry has sought, such as extending liability protection
against nuclear accidents and encouraging nuclear research
efforts.
There is a lot of important stuff in there, said John Kane, a
lobbyist for the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Weve been talking to our friends up there, saying that we
support this and we want to see this move forward. & I think you
can get the authorizing piece moving.
Marnie Funk, the spokeswoman for the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee, said the energy bill faces an easier road in
the absence of the tax measure, because that action removes the
overall energy packages cost.
The bill, in fact, now provides for net savings of more than $1
billion because it reduces some existing mandatory
appropriations, Funk said. Republicans say the energy tax
provisions wont add to the costs of the FSC/ETI bill, however,
because they are fully offset by other revenue-raisers in the
bill.
But a number of energy lobbyists say the comprehensive bill will
face further fracturing.
Democrats, led by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), support a
stand-alone bill featuring a widely supported provision that
would mandate that utilities meet reliability standards.
Separating this piece would avoid entangling it with more
controversial issues such as PUHCA repeal, which consumer groups
aligned with Democrats oppose.
Democrats likely will try to use Senate Rule 14, through which a
bill can bypass the normal committee structure, to bring
Cantwells bill to the floor.
That effort is not expected to prove immediately fruitful. But
lobbyists said Mondays final report from the U.S.-Canada Power
System Outage Task Force on the Aug. 14 blackout, which
recommended that Congress pass reliability legislation,
eventually may help their efforts.
Some suggest that the ethanol and reliability pieces in the bill
will move on their own.
As for the prospect of keeping the policy bill intact, the
promise of a series of time-consuming amendments from Democrats,
which has had held up the energy legislation for weeks, remains
an obstacle.
Bill Wicker, the Democratic spokesman for the Energy Committee,
said Democrats are angry over being left out of a conference
committee on energy policy last fall and are committed to
debating amendments they support.
That hasnt changed at all, Wicker said.
Likely amendments include a mandate to make renewable energy
production a greater share of the total electricity output in the
country, toughen clean-air rules and pass stricter
consumer-protection rules on utility mergers. Most utilities
oppose all of those amendments.
Meanwhile, House leaders are expected to push a trimmer energy
bill of their own to avoid having the Senate dictate the energy
debate, said one lobbyist close to House leaders.
Many House Republicans, including Energy and Commerce Chairman
Joe Barton (R-Texas), have criticized the Senate energy bill, in
part because it does not protect MTBE producers against lawsuits
for simply making the product.
© 2004 The Hill
733 Fifteenth Street, NW Suite 1140
Washington, DC 20005
202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax
web site design + development
www.tammayegrissom.com [http://www.tammayegrissom.com]
*****************************************************************
13 [NYTr] US Now Accuses Brazil of Nuclear Arms Ambitions
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 13:46:52 -0500 (CDT)
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
Prensa Latina, Havana - April 6, 2004
http://www.plenglish.com
US May Have Interests Behind Nuke Pressures on Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Apr 6 (PL) Continuing the scandal begun by a Washington Post
story Sunday, an unidentified US State Department official has demanded that
Brazil "proves it is not making nuclear arms by permitting more intense
inspections of its uranium enrichment plant."
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed in a note Tuesday that its
nuclear program has strictly peaceful ends, according to the Brazilian
Constitution, and is under close safeguard by the International Atomic
Energy Agency and the Argentine-Brazilian Accountability and Control Agency.
Although Brazilian officials cooperate fully with the normal IAEA
inspections, that agency has safeguarded the nations technological secrets.
The Post article quoted US authorities as saying that Brazil4s present
technology for enriched uranium could be converted from production of
electricity to atomic weapons. It also included a statement by former US
Nuclear Negotiator James E. Goodby comparing Brazil with Iran and North
Korea (on Washingtons "evil axis" list).
Such report caused indignation from several ministers and congress people
in Brasilia, which rigorously fulfills its nuclear obligations.
Brazilian authorities attribute this campaign to certain US sectors with
acquisitive interest in Brazils ultra centrifugal process for enriching
uranium, a process owned by only six countries in the world, the United
States not among them.
mh/ccs/lma/as
Copyright (c) 2004 Prensa Latina, SA. All rights reserved.
*
To subscribe or unsubscribe or change your settings via the web, visit:
http://tania.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
=================================================================
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Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
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=================================================================
*****************************************************************
14 UPI: Pakistan proposes nuclear talks with India -
(United Press International)
April 06, 2004
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 5 (UPI) -- Pakistan has formally
offered to host nuclear disarmament talks with India next month,
Pakistani newspapers reported Monday.
Quoting an official statement by ministry of foreign affairs in
Islamabad, the report said Pakistan has proposed May 25-26 for
hosting the talks. The talks will be held in the Pakistani
capital, Islamabad, and are part of the confidence building
measures the two countries have undertaken since January this
year, the statement said.
The proposal has been conveyed to the Indian government through
Indian Embassy in Islamabad, the ministry said.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their
independence from Britain 56 years ago. Both tested nuclear
devices in May 1998 and are believed to possess nuclear weapons
and weapon-delivery systems.
Relations between the two rival neighbors have shown signs of
improvement since early January when their leaders met in
Islamabad during a regional summit and agreed to resolve their
differences through talks.
[UPI Perspectives]
*****************************************************************
15 BBC: Plan to ease nuclear job losses
Last Updated: Tuesday, 6 April, 2004
[Chapelcross power station]
The plant employs about 430 staff
A plan aimed at dealing with projected job losses at the
Chapelcross nuclear power station has been published.
The Dumfriesshire plant - which shuts next year - has about 430
employees and generates Ł20m a year for the triangle bounded by
Annan, Lockerbie and Gretna.
A working party of politicians and economic development agencies
looked at how to mitigate the impact of closure.
Ideas include capitalising on Gretna's tourist potential and
creating a decommissioning centre of excellence.
Jobs will also be created during the closure of the plant and the
removal of its fuel elements.
British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) announced the closure plan in the
year 2000.
We don't have a preci figure at the moment, but there is quite a
lot of work in the early phase of Chapelcross defuelling Wynne
Davies BNFL
John Plant, of Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway - the
lead agency in the working group - said it was unusual to be
given so much notice.
"We are normally reacting to company closures that happen very
quickly," he said.
The group's prospectus aims to set out a framework for the future
of the area, with ideas including the diversification of the
Chapelcross site.
"There is a tremendous asset there with its infrastructure and
its connection to the grid, which allows us to do work on that
site," said Mr Plant.
"There is also work on turning Gretna and Gretna Green into an
international tourist attraction, because it is known throughout
the world.
"We are also looking at the opportunities that we get through the
road and rail links that run through the area."
Jobs are also expected to be created through the Ł300m
decommissioning process.
Centre of excellence
Wynne Davies, of BNFL, said: "There is a significant amount of
work in taking out in the order of 50,000 fuel elements from the
station and moving them for reprocessing to Sellafield.
"We are currently working with our staff and trade unions to look
at appropriate structures for that phase.
"We don't have a precise figure at the moment, but there is quite
a lot of work in the early phase of Chapelcross defuelling."
By taking a proacti approach we are trying to make sure that we
can encourage businesses in to take the place of these jobs
Councillor Sean Marshall
There is also a vision of creating a decommissioning centre of
excellence.
Mr Plant said the aim was to attract some of the industry's major
players to carry out the work at Chapelcross.
There are also hopes that local firms will bid for parts of the
contracts.
The tone of the working party's document is optimistic, but
includes a warning that there are no quick fixes.
Local councillor Sean Marshall, who works at Chapelcross, said
hundreds of quality jobs were disappearing with no real
alternatives on offer.
"By taking a proactive approach we are trying to make sure that
we can encourage businesses in to take the place of these jobs,"
he said.
Chapelcross was one of eight Magnox stations which helped pioneer
the British nuclear power programme in the 50s and 60s.
*****************************************************************
16 BBC: Sentence looms for Russian 'spy'
Last Updated: Tuesday, 6 April, 2004
[A Moscow policeman escorts Igor Sutyagin (right) to a courtroom
in September 2002]
Sutyagin says any information he provided was in the public
domain
A Russian prosecutor has recommended a jail sentence of 17 years
for nuclear weapons expert Igor Sutyagin after he was found
guilty of spying for the US.
Sutyagin was convicted by a jury of passing information on
submarines and missile warning systems to a UK firm allegedly
used as a cover by the CIA.
His defence says he merely wrote analysis based on publicly
available sources and is demanding an acquittal.
Sentence is expected to be passed on Sutyagin on Wednesday.
Sutyagin's case is part of pattern of arbitrary prosecutions of
independent scientists, journalists and environmentalists in
Russia Statement by human rights groups
One of Sutyagin's lawyers, Boris Kuznetsov, told Russian news
agency Itar-Tass that the prosecution was seeking 17 years of
imprisonment in a high security facility.
Speaking as the Moscow City Court reviewed Monday's verdict, Mr
Kuznetsov said the defence had produced "new arguments confirming
his innocence".
A senior weapons control researcher at Moscow's respected
USA-Canada Institute, Sutyagin has insisted he had no reason to
believe he was dealing with a company used as an intelligence
cover.
His conviction by closed military trial has sent shockwaves
through the Russian academic world, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in
Moscow reports.
Many Russian researchers and scientists offer consultancy
services to western companies as a means to bolster their meagre
salaries, our correspondent notes.
'Manipulation'
Mr Kuznetsov criticised the conduct of the trial and accused the
presiding judge of manipulating the jury by putting the focus on
the passing of information, rather than state secrets.
"The questions addressed to the jury did not correspond to the
charges," Mr Kuznetsov said.
In January, four international human rights groups said that
Sutyagin was "the target of politically motivated treason
charges" and urged the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe to appoint a rapporteur on his case.
"Sutyagin's case is part of a pattern of arbitrary prosecutions
of independent scientists, journalists and environmentalists in
Russia who work on sensitive topics," the four groups - including
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - said.
Trial by jury
Sutyagin's trial is believed to be the first espionage case in
Russia to be decided by a jury.
Sutyagin has been in prison since his arrest in October 1999.
A court had been expected to deliver a verdict in the case in
February 2001 but instead instructed prosecutors to continue
investigating and left Sutyagin in jail.
Mr Sutyagin's trial is one of a series of high-profile spy cases
against Russian researchers:
+ Valentin Danilov was cleared of spying for China in December
+ Military reporter Grigory Pasko was released in January 2003
after serving two years for treason after disclosing how Russia
had dumped nuclear waste in the Pacific Ocean
+ Alexander Nikitin, an environmentalist, was acquitted in 1999
of treason after contributing to a Norwegian report on
radioactive pollution in the Arctic seas
*****************************************************************
17 Hi Pakistan: No question of rolling back N-programme - Musharraf
April 07 2004
RAWALPINDI: The government has chalked out a comprehensive
programme to equip the Pakistan Armed Forces with the latest
state-of-the-art weapon systems to maintain minimum deterrence
level, both in conventional and unconventional fields.
This was stated by President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday
while addressing a gathering of officers from the three services
at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The president
reiterated that there was "no question of either freezing or a
rollback of the country’s nuclear programme", as it was in the
national interest.
"The nuclear capability was in safe institutional and custodial
controls and would be enhanced as per defence requirements,"
General Musharraf said. During the course of his address, the
president spoke at length about the prevailing international and
regional environments.
He said in view of its geo-strategic importance, Pakistan had "a
key role" to play in the region. He said Pakistan had the
potential to become an important hub of economic activities,
linking central Asian States with South Asia and the rest of the
world.
President Musharraf also spoke of the internal security situation
and stressed the need for "eliminating religious intolerance and
extremism from the society". He said the operations being
conducted in the tribal areas of the country were aimed at
purging the areas of foreign terrorists and were not against the
local population as being propagated by vested interests. The
address of the president was followed by a detailed
question-and-answer session.
Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
18 ITAR-TASS: Verdict to Sutyagin on spy trial expected Wednesday
[ITAR-TASS News Agency of Russia]
06.04.2004, 16.51
MOSCOW, April 6 (Itar-Tass) -The Moscow city court is expected
to pass a verdict to Igor Sutyagin, who stands trial on spy
charges, on April 7.
Boris Kuznetsov, lawyer of Igor Sutyagin, said that the
prosecutor demanded a 17- year prison term to Sutyagin in a
tight security prison.
On Monday, the court of jury unanimously found Sutyagin guilty
of high treason in the form of espionage, declaring he deserved
no mercy.
His lawyers said the defence offered new arguments to the court
of jury challenging the spy charges against him and asked to
acquit Sutyagin. A criminal case against Sutyagin was opened two
days after he had first testified about cooperation with a
foreign company, the lawyers said.
The lawyers have received a reply from the European Court for
human rights in Strasbourg to the effect that the European court
will give priority to Sutyagin's case. The lawyers earlier
appealed to the European Court, complaining that the Moscow city
court had failed to hold hearings into the case by the deadline
established by law.
Former department chief of the Institute for studies of the
United States and Canada Igor Sutyagin was arrested on October
27,1999 on charges of turning over Russia’s state secrets to
representatives of the British company Alternative Futures
believed to have been linked with the US military intelligence.
Sutyagin, accused of collecting secret information about weapons
and nuclear submarines of new generation, denied the spy
charges. He admitted that he passed some information to foreign
citizens, but declared that the information came from open
sources available to all.
In October 2001, hearings into the spy case against Sutyagin
were held by the Kaluga district court that ordered a new
investigation. The new trial has been held at the Moscow city
court with the participation of the court of jury at Sutyagin's
request. Since the investigation files are marked “secret” the
trial has been held behind closed doors.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
19 moscow times: Trial by Jury No Match for the FSB
Opinion / Editorial
Wednesday, Apr. 7, 2004. Page 10
There should be little doubt about the motives of Igor Sutyagin
-- he was trying to supplement his salary at the USA and Canada
Institute, which the director of this respected institute said
he was doing behind his back. There also is little doubt that
this seasoned scholar realized, or should have realized, what
sort of organization would be interested in paying him tens of
thousands of dollars to collect and analyze information on
components of Russia's strategic nuclear triad.
But these ethical and moral shortcomings are irrelevant in
answering the key question: Did Sutyagin violate the law, did he
indeed disclose state secrets to commit treason?
Sutyagin's lawyers and his colleagues, including institute
director Sergei Rogov, argue that he could not have disclosed
state secrets because he had no security clearance, no access to
classified information, and relied on open sources to prepare
his analytical briefs for the British firm Alternative Futures.
Yet, Judge Marina Komarova did not ask the jurors that most
important question when she sent them into deliberations Monday.
Instead, she asked them to consider only whether Sutyagin had
been recruited by a "foreign defense intelligence service" and
whether he had been paid for the information he had provided.
The jurors' answers to these questions were affirmative. This
should have come as no surprise, given how the questions were
formulated and evidence reportedly presented at the trial by the
Federal Security Service showing that Alternative Futures was a
front for U.S. intelligence.
If that is not manipulation of the jury, as Sutyagin's lawyers
claim, then what is? Otherwise, how could Komarova have
convinced the 12-member jury to find Sutyagin guilty of treason?
The acquittal in Krasnoyarsk in December of physicist Valentin
Danilov after the first jury trial in a high-profile espionage
case seemed to give some hope that Sutyagin would get fair
treatment. But after Danilov was acquitted of charges of spying
for China while working on a commercial contract, the judge in
Sutyagin's case was replaced by Komarova, who had already handed
down convictions in two other espionage cases brought by the
FSB, and a new jury was brought in. The FSB was taking no more
chances.
The FSB not only has reinforced its ominous message of recent
years that scientists who cooperate with foreign companies run
the risk of being considered spies, regardless of whether state
secrets are revealed or any laws are broken. It has subverted
one of the few democratic reforms of President Vladimir Putin's
time in office -- the right to a trial by jury.
© Copyright 2002, The Moscow Times. All Rights Reserved.
TheMoscowTimes.com
*****************************************************************
20 Las Vegas SUN: Brazil Says Its Nuke Program Is Peaceful
By STAN LEHMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -
Brazil's nuclear program is peaceful and the country remains
committed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Foreign
Minister Celso Amorim said Monday, in an effort to defuse
tensions over international inspections.
Amorim's comments came as the Science and Technology Ministry
confirmed that U.N. nuclear inspectors were denied access in
February and March to uranium-enrichment centrifuges at a
facility that is being built in Resende, near Rio de Janeiro.
The report of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors'
being denied access was first reported Sunday by the Washington
Post.
Amorim said Brazil's nuclear program is exclusively aimed at the
production of cheap energy and that the "country must have the
right to protect its own technology."
"Brazil is complying with all its international obligations"
pertaining to its nuclear program and reports indicating
otherwise are "groundless," Amorim told reporters.
He said the world's nuclear powers should make a concerted
effort toward nuclear disarmament instead of focusing their
attention on countries like Brazil that do not have nuclear
weapons.
Science and Technology Minister Eduardo Campos said the
inspectors had access to uranium that would be sent to Canada
for enrichment "but we are not obliged to show the technology
that took us years to develop."
Campos told the O Globo newspaper that Brazil had already
invested close to $1 billion and years of research to develop
its own technology to enrich uranium to be used in power plants.
Repeated calls to the IAEA in Vienna were not returned Monday.
Brazil has the world's sixth largest uranium reserve. The
country has had the capacity to enrich uranium since the 1980s,
but has so far only done so for research purposes. The country
signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1997.
Brazil's ambassador of the United States, Roberto Abdenur, also
defended the decision to deny inspectors access.
"Brazil has legitimate industrial and technological reasons for
not allowing the inspectors to see the centrifuges," Abdenur
told the O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.
One of Brazil's top nuclear scientists, however, accused
government officials of "abusing the concept of national
sovereignty."
"Centrifuges are being used by many countries around the world
and even if Brazil's has some kind of new technology, I am sure
that technology is not earthshaking enough to hide," Jose
Goldemberg told The Associated Press.
Refusing access to IAEA inspectors could lead to "suspicions
that it indeed has something to hide and thus create a certain
tension or impasse with the agency and the United States,"
Goldemberg said.
Uranium mined from the ground is run through centrifuges where
it is enriched for use in either in nuclear power plants for
electricity generation or in atomic weapons.
Brazilian officials hope to be enriching enough uranium by 2014
to run its only two nuclear power plants - called Angra 1 and
Angra - plus a third that is expected to come on line that year.
The country also expects to have a surplus of enriched uranium
by then, which could be exported.
Brazil has also refused to sign on to another clause in the
nuclear treaty, which would allow the IAEA to conduct spot
inspections of Brasilia nuclear facilities.
Abdenur reiterated Brazil's long-held view against signing the
additional protocol, saying some industrial countries,
especially the United States, have unfairly made signing it a
condition for obtaining new nuclear technology.
---
Associated Press writer Harold Olmos contributed to this report
from Rio de Janeiro.
--
*****************************************************************
21 NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
FR Doc 04-7845
[Federal Register: April 6, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 66)]
[Notices] [Page 18143-18144] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06ap04-148]
AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
DATES: Weeks of April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, 2004.
PLACE: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland.
STATUS: Public and Closed.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: Week of April 5, 2004 There are no
meetings scheduled for the Week of April 5, 2004.
Week of April 12, 2004--Tentative Tuesday, April 13, 2004 9:30
a.m. Briefing on Status of Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
(RES) Programs, Performance, and Plans (Public Meeting) (Contact:
Alan Levin, 301-415-6656).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov] . Week of April 19,
2004--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the Week of
April 19, 2004.
Week of April 26, 2004--Tentative Wednesday, April 28, 2004 9:30
a.m. Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1) Week of May 3,
2004--Tentative Tuesday, May 4, 2004 9:30 a.m. Briefing on
Results of the Agency Action Review Meeting (Public Meeting)
(Contact: Bob Pascarelli, 301-415-1245).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov] . Thursday, May 6,
2004 1:30 p.m. Meeting with Advisory Committee on Reactor
Safeguards (ACRS) (Public Meeting) (Contact: John Larkins,
301-415-7360).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov] . Week of May 10,
2004--Tentative Tuesday, May 11, 2004 9:30 a.m. Briefing on
Status of Office of International Programs (OIP) Programs,
Performance, and Plans (Public Meeting) (Contact: Ed Baker,
301-415-2344).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov] . 1:30 p.m. Briefing
on Threat Environment Assessment (Closed--Ex. 1).
The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to change on
short notice. To verify the status of meetings call
(recording)--(301) 415- 1292. Contact person for more
information: Dave Gamberoni, (301) 415- 1651.
* * * * * ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: By a vote of 3-0 on March 29,
the Commission determined pursuant to U.S.C. 552b(e) and section
9.107(a) of the Commission's rules that ``Discussion of
Management Issues (Closed--Ex. 2)'' be held March 29, and on less
than one week's notice to the public.
By a vote of 3-0 on March 30, the Commission determined pursuant
to U.S.C. 552b(e) and section 9.107(a) of the Commission's rules
that ``Discussion of Management Issues (Closed--Ex. 2)'' be held
March 31, and on less than one week's notice to the public.
* * * * * The NRC Commissison Meeting Schedule can be found on
the Internet at:
http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/policy-making/schedule.html
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/policy-makin
g/schedule.html] . * * * * * This notice is distributed by mail
to several hundred subscribers; if you no longer with to receive
it, or would like to be added to the distribution, please contact
the Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301-415-1969).
In addition, distribution of this meeting notice over the
Internet system is available. If you are interested in receiving
this Commission meeting
[[Page 18144]] schedule electronically, please send an electronic
message to
dkw@nrc.gov [ dkw@nrc.gov] . Dated: April 1, 2004.
Dave Gamberoni, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-7845 Filed 4-2-04; 9:35 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
*****************************************************************
22 AP Wire: Nuclear regulators refuse to move hearing on Grand Gulf proposal
| 04/06/2004 |
Associated Press
PORT GIBSON, Miss. - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will not
move a June hearing on whether regulators will allow opponents to
appear to protest a proposed expansion of Grand Gulf power plant
out of the Washington D.C. area.
The groups are opposing any potential expansion at Grand Gulf
Nuclear Station near Port Gibson, where a nuclear-power plant
generating electricity has operated since 1985.
Two other permit applications have been filed for possible new
nuclear plant construction in the United States, and the Atomic
Safety Licensing Board had set a single hearing on similar
motions in all three cases.
Instead of a single hearing in Rockville, Md., opponents had
asked the ASLB to hold three separate meetings on potential sites
in Mississippi, Illinois and Virginia.
The opponents had argued in their motion that their members, the
public and the press "have a very strong interest in being able
to observe the conduct of the proceedings."
The three-member panel announced the hearing will be around June
21 in Rockville.
The permits are part of a new process for early approval for
environmental and safety purposes of construction sites for new
nuclear power plants.
An NRC decision on the permit application is expected in 2006.
Grand Gulf is operated by Entergy Nuclear, which would operate a
second reactor if one were built. Grand Gulf, Mississippi's only
nuclear-powered electrical generating plant, is about 7 miles
northwest of Port Gibson and 24 miles southwest of Vicksburg.
Last October, Entergy filed an application for permission to
expand its electricity-generating capacity at the plant.
The permit Entergy is seeking would give the company access to
the site for 20 years. Entergy has not yet decided if it will,
indeed, build another reactor at Grand Gulf, officials said.
---
Information from: The Vicksburg Post,
http://www.vicksburgpost.com [http://www.vicksburgpost.com]
*****************************************************************
23 washingtonpost: Guarding U.S. Nuclear Plants
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/]
Tuesday, April 6, 2004; Page A20
The March 29 news story "Nuclear Security Decisions Are Shrouded
in Secrecy" incorrectly summarized the nuclear energy industry's
response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as lobbying
"against stiffer guard force requirements."
Since the attacks, the nuclear energy industry has increased its
paramilitary security force at 67 sites by more than one-third;
7,000 trained, well-armed security officers now use
state-of-the-art electronic surveillance and detection technology
to protect these plants. It has also spent an additional $500
million on security, and by the end of this year it will spend $1
billion in security upgrades.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in consultation with the
Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies,
established new requirements for nuclear plant security that are
set at the maximum capability of a private guard force under
current law. Much information is safeguarded from the public
domain for security reasons -- a decision most citizens
understand in the post-Sept. 11 world.
Nuclear power plants have been widely recognized as being among
the best-defended industrial facilities in the United States
before the attacks, and they are even more secure today.
SCOTT PETERSON
Vice President, Communications
Nuclear Energy Institute
Washington
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
*****************************************************************
24 Sofia Morning News: Nuke Chief Wants Bulgarian Referendum
SOFIA NEWS AGENCY
[http://www.novinite.com/]
Politics: 6 April 2004, Tuesday.
Bulgaria might need a referendum on whether two of its nuclear
units should be shut, world's nuclear chief said.
Bulgaria has agreed to close units 3, 4 of its only nuclear power
plant by the end of 2006 under pressure from the EU. Many experts
and politicians, however, are still opposing the decision,
insisting that it would prompt an economic crisis in the country.
The chairman of the World Nuclear Association recommended for the
Bulgarian Government to show more support for the Kozloduy plant.
Gerald Grandley visited the site on Tuesday.
All Rights Reserved © Novinite Ltd., 2001-2004 - Copyright
&Disclaimer - Privacy Policy
Novinite.com (thebulgariannews.com also) is unique with being a
real time news provider in English that informs its readers
about the latest Bulgarian news.
*****************************************************************
25 Brattleboro Reformer: Entergy denies collusion with GE
[http://www.reformer.com/]
April 06, 2004 Brattleboro, VT
By CAROLYN LORIÉ Reformer Staff
BRATTLEBORO -- Officials at Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee and
General Electric deny that there was any collusion between the
two companies and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as alleged
by industry whistleblowers Arnie Gundersen and Paul Blanch.
The allegations were made on March 31, during an NRC public
meeting on Vermont Yankee's proposed 20 percent "uprate".
Gundersen and Blanch based their accusations on documents
obtained by the New England Coalition during the technical
hearings before the Public Service Board. Both men served as
expert witnesses for the coalition, an anti-nuclear watchdog
group.
According to Gundersen, notes on a teleconference between
Vermont Yankee employees and NRC officials reveal concerns on the
part of the commission regarding a generic uprate analysis report
designed by GE. Vermont Yankee planned to use the report in its
uprate application.
Gundersen further alleges that the NRC encouraged officials at
Vermont Yankee to "have a heart to heart" with GE and that when
the commission would not approve the system, GE officials went
over the heads of the technical staff and appealed directly to
the NRC management.
While Vermont Yankee and GE officials agree that the NRC had
concerns with the analysis, known as the constant pressure power
uprate licensing topical report, they deny that there was any
attempt to force the hand of the NRC. Both companies also said
that the allegations have already been proven false.
"This is not new information. It has been on the public record
for seven months. Gundersen tried to use the same tactic with the
same information back in August in his testimony before the
Public Service Board. It was wrong in August and it was wrong on
Wednesday (March 31)," said Rob Williams, spokesman for Vermont
Yankee.
According to Williams, the questions raised by the NRC regarding
GE's product demonstrate the level of scrutiny the commission
places on the quality of the uprate review.
Although Vermont Yankee will be using GE's analysis report, it
is an adapted version that eliminates the concerns raised by the
NRC.
He added that a January 14 letter from J.F. Klapproth, manager
of engineering and technology for GE, to the NRC proves that
there was no collusion.
The letter states that GE has "agreed to reduce the scope of the
licensing topical report," thereby removing the areas of concern
raised by the NRC.
Dennis Murphy, spokesperson for GE, echoed this claim, stating
that GE would not have withdrawn its original design and
resubmitted it for approval if the company were in fact
strong-arming the NRC.
"GE is committed to a process to insure right things are done,"
he added.
Gundersen, however, says the Klapproth letter only substantiates
his claim.
Klapproth makes clear that GE intends to "escalate this issue to
NRC management." Making reference to an "impasse" between the
company and the commission, Klapproth writes that GE believes
"that your expedited review of the situation is necessary so that
a favorable SE (safety evaluation) is issued and extended power
uprate applications can proceed in a timely manner."
Gundersen alleges that GE is bypassing the concerns of the
technical staff at the commission by going directly to
management.
"We believe that there are ethical technical people at the lower
levels of the NRC," said Gundersen. The problems, he said, are in
management, which "steamroll" issues raised by the technical
staff.
A formal allegation was filed with the inspector general of the
NRC. The documents were handed over to representatives from the
offices of U.S. Sens. Jim Jeffords and Patrick Leahy during the
March 31 meeting. Gundersen said he would not give them to the
NRC because he didn't have confidence in the commission.
Gundersen has an undergraduate and graduate degree in nuclear
engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. In
1990 he was a senior vice president for Nuclear Engineering
Services in Danbury, Conn., when he discovered improperly stored
radioactive materials in his company's office. Gundersen was
fired after reporting his discovery to his boss. He subsequently
blew the whistle by going to the NRC, which according to
Gundersen did little to support him. He now teaches math at
Burlington High School.
Although Gundersen has been in possession of the documents since
last August, he said that the uprate hearings and his full-time
job did not allow him the time to come forward earlier.
"I was busy fighting Entergy as best I could," said Gundersen.
Carolyn Lorié can be reached at [clorie@reformer.com.]
*****************************************************************
26 [NYTr] DU story again front page Daily News
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 02:02:55 -0500 (CDT)
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
Army, Clinton react
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/180644p-156921c.html
New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com Army to test N.Y.
Guard unit
Monday, April 5th, 2004
Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical Center are
rushing to test all returning members of the 442nd Military Police
Company of the New York Army National Guard for depleted uranium
contamination.
Army brass acted after learning that four of nine soldiers from the
company tested by the Daily News showed signs of radiation exposure.
The soldiers, who returned from Iraq late last year, say they and
other members of their company have been suffering from unexplained
illnesses since last summer, when they were stationed in the Iraqi
town of Samawah.
Dr. Asaf Durakovic, a former Army doctor and nuclear medicine expert
who examined and tested the nine men at The News' request, concluded
four of them "almost certainly" inhaled radioactive dust from
exploded depleted uranium shells fired by U.S. troops.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), after learning of The News'
investigation, blasted Pentagon officials yesterday for not properly
screening soldiers returning from Iraq.
"We can't have people coming back with undiagnosed illnesses,"
Clinton said. "We have to have a before-and-after testing program
for our soldiers."
Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she
will write to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld demanding answers
and soon will introduce legislation to require health screenings
for all returning troops.
During meetings with Pentagon officials last year, Clinton said
"one of the issues we raised was exposure to the depleted uranium
that was in the weapons, and how they were going to handle it."
She was assured then that troops would be properly screened.
But the soldiers from the 442nd contacted The News after becoming
frustrated with how the Army was handling their illnesses.
Six of them say they repeatedly sought testing for depleted uranium
from Army doctors but were denied.
Three who were tested in early November for DU said they had been
waiting months for the results. Two of those finally got their
results last week - both negative.
Testing for uranium isotopes in 24 hours' worth of urine samples
can cost as much as $1,000 each.
But late last week, after learning of The News' results, the Army
reversed course and ordered immediate testing for more than a dozen
members of the 442nd who are back in the U.S.
The rest of the company, comprising mostly New York City cops,
firefighters and correction officers, is not due to return from
Iraq until later this month.
"They ordered all of us who are here at Fort Dix to provide 24-hour
urine samples by 1 p.m. today," one soldier from the company said
Friday.
Late Friday, Pentagon spokesman Austin Camacho said he could not
confirm or deny that new tests had been ordered for the soldiers
of the 442nd.
"It's hard to imagine, theoretically, that these men could have
harmful exposures," Camacho said, because none of them had been
inside tanks during direct combat.
Army studies of depleted uranium have concluded that only soldiers
who suffer shrapnel wounds from DU shells or who were inside tanks
hit by DU shells and immediately breathe radioactive dust are at
risk.
Even then, Camacho said, studies of about 70 such cases from the
first Gulf War have shown no long-term health problems.
But medical experts critical of the use of DU weapons, as well as
some of the Army's own early studies of depleted uranium, say
exposure to it can cause kidney damage. Some studies have shown
that it causes cancer and chromosome damage in mice, according to
the experts.
Depleted uranium, a waste product of the uranium enrichment process,
has been used by the U.S. and British militaries for more than 15
years in some artillery shells and as armor-plating for tanks. It
is valued for its extreme density - it is twice as heavy as lead.
Amid growing controversy in Europe and Japan, the European Parliament
called last year for a moratorium on its use.
'Every time I ran I felt my throat burning and my chest tightening.'
Sgt. Agustin Matos, a member of the 442nd Military Police of the
New York National Guard and a city correction officer in civilian
life, has all-too-vivid memories of his stay in Samawah, Iraq.
"The place was filthy; most of the windows were broken; dirt, grease
and bird droppings were everywhere," he said. "I wouldn't house a
city prisoner in that place."
He recalled a mandated morning run of about 3 miles on a sandy track
near a train depot.
"Every time I ran I felt my throat burning and my chest tightening,"
he said.
Now, Matos, 37, believes his symptoms may be the result of radioactive
dust he inhaled from spent American shells made from depleted
uranium.
The Long Island man is one of four Iraq war veterans who tested
positive for DU contamination, according to a Daily News investigation.
The soldiers and other members of the 442nd say they are suffering
from physical ailments that began last summer while they were
stationed in Samawah.
Matos, who was assigned to the 4th platoon's 2nd squad, arrived in
Samawah last June, two weeks ahead of the rest of the company.
His advance team had orders from Capt. Sean O'Donnell, their
commander, to ready a huge depot in a train repair yard on the
outskirts of downtown Samawah as a barracks for the unit.
Once the entire company arrived, each platoon was assigned its own
space inside the depot, which was bigger than a football field.
A locomotive that straddled a repair pit and an empty train car sat
in the middle of the sleeping area, with two platoons assigned to
bed down along one side of the train and two others along the other
side.
Just outside the depot, two Iraqi tanks, one of them shot up, had
been hauled onto flatbed railroad cars.
The company was so short-handed, according to the soldiers, that
the commander would evacuate a G.I. only if he could no longer
physically function.
Matos was sent home last year for surgery for a shoulder injury
suffered in a jeep accident.
Since his return, he has had constant headaches, fatigue, shortness
of breath, nausea, dizziness, joint pain and excessive urination.
After he recently discovered blood in his urine, doctors at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center gave him a CAT scan and discovered a small
lesion on his liver.
A 1990 Army study linked DU to "chemical toxicity causing kidney
damage."
"Before I left for Iraq, they tested my eyes and I was fine," Matos
said. "Now my eyesight's gotten bad, on top of everything else."
Another member of the company who tested positive for DU is 2nd
platoon Sgt. Hector Vega, 48, a retired postal worker from the Bronx
who has been in the National Guard for 27 years.
Since being evacuated to Fort Dix for treatment for foot surgery,
Vega said he has endured insomnia and constant headaches. And like
many of the sick soldiers, Vega said, "I have uncontrollable urine,
every half hour."
One day, during a trip a few hours south of Samawah, he and another
soldier stopped on the side of the road to photograph and check out
two shot-up Iraqi tanks.
"We didn't think anything of walking right up to those tanks and
touching them," he said. "I didn't know anything about depleted
uranium."
As for the railroad depot where they slept, Vega recalls it as
"disgusting. Oil, dirt and bird droppings everywhere, insects
crawling all around us."
And then there were the frequent dust storms.
"They would blow all that dust inside the depot all over us when
we were sleeping or eating. It was so thick, you could see it."
________________________________________________________________
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*****************************************************************
27 US Military DU Victims Speak Out
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 23:14:31 -0500 (CDT)
Forwarded with Compliments of Free Voice of America (FVOA): Accurate
News and Interesting Commentary for Amerika's Huddled Masses Yearning
to Breathe Free.
Monday, April 5th, 2004
Broadcast Exclusive:
U.S. Soldiers Contaminated
With Depleted Uranium Speak Out
A special investigation by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez of
the New York Daily News has found four of nine soldiers of the 442nd
Military Police Company of the New York Army National Guard returning
from Iraq tested positive for depleted uranium contamination. They
are the first confirmed cases of inhaled depleted uranium exposure
from the current Iraq conflict.
After repeatedly being denied testing for depleted uranium from Army
doctors, the soldiers contacted The News who paid to have them tested
as part of their investigation.
Testing for uranium isotopes in 24 hours' worth of urine samples can
cost as much as $1,000 each.
In a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive, three of the contaminated
soldiers speak out.
Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical Center are
now rushing to test all returning members of the 442nd. More than a
dozen members are back in the U.S. but the rest of the company,
mostly comprised of New York City cops, firefighters and correction
officers, is not due to return from Iraq until later this month.
After learning of The News' investigation, Sen. Hillary Clinton
(D-NY) blasted Pentagon officials yesterday for not properly
screening soldiers returning from Iraq.
Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she
will write to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld demanding answers and
soon will introduce legislation to require health screenings for all
returning troops.
Depleted Uranium shells are considered to be the most effective
anti-tank weapon ever devised. They are made from nuclear waste left
over from the making of nuclear weapons and fuel. The public first
became aware the US military was using DU weapons during the Persian
Gulf War in 1991. But they had been used as far back as the 1973 Yom
Kippur war in Israel.
Amid growing controversy in Europe and Japan, the European
Parliament called last year for a moratorium on its use.
* Sgt. Herbert Reed, assistant deputy warden at Rikers
Island with 442nd military police company of New York Army National
Guard. He did not test positive for depleted uranium, but has uranium
236, a uranium isotope not found in nature.
* Sgt. Agustin Matos, was deployed in Iraq with the
442nd Military Police. He is among the first confirmed cases of
inhaled depleted uranium exposure from the current Iraq conflict.
* Sgt. Hector Vega, among the first confirmed cases of
inhaled depleted uranium exposure from the current Iraq conflict.
* Dr. Asaf Durakovic, colonel in army reserves who
served in first Gulf War. He is one of the first doctors to discover
unusual radiation levels in Gulf War veterans. He has since become a
leading critic of the use of depleted uranium in warfare. He tested
the nine men at the request of the Daily News.
* Leonard Dietz, retired physicist from Knolls Atomic
Laboratory in upstate New York. Pioneered the technology to isolate
uranium isotopes.
Read Juan Gonzalez' Exclusive Reports in the New York Daily News:
* Poisoned? Shocking report on troops
* Inside filthy camp where trouble began
* Soldiers demand to know health risks
* Army to test N.Y. Guard unit
Related Democracy Now! Coverage:
* Is Depleted Uranium Creating a New Nuclear Danger in Iraq?
* Radiation is 1,000 Times the Normal Levels Where US
Troops Used Depleted Uranium Shells in Baghdad
* U.S. Reportedly Fires DU Shells in Basra: Despite
Evidence of Health and Environmental Effects, Pentagon Denies DU Is
Dangerous
* Part 2 of Our Discussion On Depleted Uranium, with
the Scientific Secretary with the European Committee On Radiation
Risk, and a U.N. Human Rights Lawyer
* Dr. Asaf Durakovic Gives a Rare Interview About
Depleted Uranium in Iraq: He Was the First Military Doctor to Test
Gulf War Veterans for Radiation Exposure and Was Terminated for His
Work
To purchase an audio or video copy of this entire program, click
here for our new online ordering or call 1 (800) 881-2359.
*****************************************************************
28 [southnews] US Soldiers Contaminated With D U. Speak Out
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 07:21:02 -0500 (CDT)
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A special investigation by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez of the
New York Daily News has found four of nine soldiers of the 442nd
Military Police Company of the New York Army National Guard returning
from Iraq tested positive for depleted uranium contamination. They are
the first confirmed cases of inhaled depleted uranium exposure from the
current Iraq conflict.
___________________________________________________
U.S. Soldiers Contaminated With Depleted Uranium Speak Out
Broadcast Exclusive for Democracy Now!
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/05/1356248
A special investigation by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez of the
New York Daily News has found four of nine soldiers of the 442nd
Military Police Company of the New York Army National Guard returning
from Iraq tested positive for depleted uranium contamination. They are
the first confirmed cases of inhaled depleted uranium exposure from the
current Iraq conflict.
After repeatedly being denied testing for depleted uranium from Army
doctors, the soldiers contacted The News who paid to have them tested as
part of their investigation.
Testing for uranium isotopes in 24 hours' worth of urine samples can
cost as much as $1,000 each.
In a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive, three of the contaminated
soldiers speak out.
Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical Center are now
rushing to test all returning members of the 442nd. More than a dozen
members are back in the U.S. but the rest of the company, mostly
comprised of New York City cops, firefighters and correction officers,
is not due to return from Iraq until later this month.
After learning of The News' investigation, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
blasted Pentagon officials yesterday for not properly screening soldiers
returning from Iraq.
Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she will
write to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld demanding answers and soon
will introduce legislation to require health screenings for all
returning troops.
Depleted Uranium is considered to be the most effective anti-tank weapon
ever devised. It is made from nuclear waste left over from the making
nuclear weapons and fuel. The public first became aware the US military
was using DU weapons during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. But it had
been used as far back as the 1973 Yom Kippur war in Israel.
Amid growing controversy in Europe and Japan, the European Parliament
called last year for a moratorium on its use.
_________________________________________________
Poisoned?
By JUAN GONZALEZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, April 3rd, 2004
New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Four soldiers from a New York Army National Guard company serving in
Iraq are contaminated with radiation likely caused by dust from depleted
uranium shells fired by U.S. troops, a Daily News investigation has found.
They are among several members of the same company, the 442nd Military
Police, who say they have been battling persistent physical ailments
that began last summer in the Iraqi town of Samawah.
"I got sick instantly in June," said Staff Sgt. Ray Ramos, a Brooklyn
housing cop. "My health kept going downhill with daily headaches,
constant numbness in my hands and rashes on my stomach."
A nuclear medicine expert who examined and tested nine soldiers from the
company says that four "almost certainly" inhaled radioactive dust from
exploded American shells manufactured with depleted uranium.
Laboratory tests conducted at the request of The News revealed traces of
two manmade forms of uranium in urine samples from four of the soldiers.
If so, the men - Sgt. Hector Vega, Sgt. Ray Ramos, Sgt. Agustin Matos
and Cpl. Anthony Yonnone - are the first confirmed cases of inhaled
depleted uranium exposure from the current Iraq conflict.
The 442nd, made up for the most part of New York cops, firefighters and
correction officers, is based in Orangeburg, Rockland County. Dispatched
to Iraq last Easter, the unit's members have been providing guard duty
for convoys, running jails and training Iraqi police. The entire company
is due to return home later this month.
"These are amazing results, especially since these soldiers were
military police not exposed to the heat of battle," said Dr. Asaf
Duracovic, who examined the G.I.s and performed the testing that was
funded by The News.
"Other American soldiers who were in combat must have more depleted
uranium exposure," said Duracovic, a colonel in the Army Reserves who
served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
While working at a military hospital in Delaware, he was one of the
first doctors to discover unusual radiation levels in Gulf War veterans.
He has since become a leading critic of the use of depleted uranium in
warfare.
Depleted uranium, a waste product of the uranium enrichment process, has
been used by the U.S. and British military for more than 15 years in
some artillery shells and as armor plating for tanks. It is twice as
heavy as lead.
Because of its density, "It is the superior heavy metal for armor to
protect tanks and to penetrate armor," Pentagon spokesman Michael
Kilpatrick said.
The Army and Air Force fired at least 127 tons of depleted uranium
shells in Iraq last year, Kilpatrick said. No figures have yet been
released for how much the Marines fired.
Kilpatrick said about 1,000 G.I.s back from the war have been tested by
the Pentagon for depleted uranium and only three have come up positive -
all as a result of shrapnel from DU shells.
But the test results for the New York guardsmen - four of nine positives
for DU - suggest the potential for more extensive radiation exposure
among coalition troops and Iraqi civilians.
Several Army studies in recent years have concluded that the low-level
radiation emitted when shells containing DU explode poses no significant
dangers. But some independent scientists and a few of the -Army's own
reports indicate otherwise.
As a result, depleted uranium weapons have sparked increasing
controversy around the world. In January 2003, the -European Parliament
called for a moratorium on their use after reports of an unusual number
of leukemia deaths among Italian soldiers who served in Kosovo, where DU
weapons were used.
I keep getting weaker. What is happening to me?
The Army says that only soldiers wounded by depleted uranium shrapnel or
who are inside tanks during an explosion face measurable radiation exposure.
But as far back as 1979, Leonard Dietz, a physicist at the Knolls Atomic
Power Laboratory upstate, discovered that DU-contaminated dust could
travel for long distances.
Dietz, who pioneered the technology to isolate uranium isotopes,
accidentally discovered that air filters with which he was experimenting
had collected radioactive dust from a National Lead Industries Plant
that was producing DU 26 miles away. His discovery led to a shutdown of
the plant.
"The contamination was so heavy that they had to remove the topsoil from
52 properties around the plant," Dietz said.
All humans have at least tiny amounts of natural uranium in their bodies
because it is found in water and in the food supply, Dietz said. But
natural uranium is quickly and harmlessly excreted by the body.
Uranium oxide dust, which lodges in the lungs once inhaled and is not
very soluble, can emit radiation to the body for years.
"Anybody, civilian or soldier, who breathes these particles has a
permanent dose, and it's not going to decrease very much over time,"
said Dietz, who retired in 1983 after 33 years as nuclear physicist. "In
the long run ... veterans exposed to ceramic uranium oxide have a major
problem."
Critics of DU have noted that the Army's view of its dangers has changed
over time.
Before the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a 1990 Army report noted that depleted
uranium is "linked to cancer when exposures are internal, [and] chemical
toxicity causing kidney damage."
It was during the Gulf War that U.S. A-10 Warthog "tank buster" planes
and Abrams tanks first used DU artillery on a mass scale. The Pentagon
says it fired about 320 tons of DU in that war and that smaller amounts
were also used in the Serbian province of Kosovo.
In the Gulf War, Army brass did not warn soldiers about any risks from
exploding DU shells. An unknown number of G.I.s were exposed by
shrapnel, inhalation or handling battlefield debris.
Some veterans groups blame DU contamination as a factor in Gulf War
syndrome, the term for a host of ailments that afflicted thousands of
vets from that war.
Under pressure from veterans groups, the Pentagon commissioned several
new studies. One of those, published in 2000, concluded that DU, as a
heavy metal, "could pose a chemical hazard" but that Gulf War veterans
"did not experience intakes high enough to affect their health."
Pentagon spokesman Michael Kilpatrick said Army followup studies of 70
DU-contaminated Gulf War veterans have not shown serious health effects.
"For any heavy metal, there is no such thing as safe," Kilpatrick said.
"There is an issue of chemical toxicity, and for DU it is raised as
radiological toxicity as well."
But he said "the overwhelming conclusion" from studies of those who work
with uranium "show it has not produced any increase in cancers."
Several European studies, however, have linked DU to chromosome damage
and birth defects in mice. Many scientists say we still don't know
enough about the long-range effects of low-level radiation on the body
to say any amount is safe.
Britain's national science academy, the Royal Society, has called for
identifying where DU was used and is urging a cleanup of all
contaminated areas.
"A large number of American soldiers [in Iraq] may have had significant
exposure to uranium oxide dust," said Dr. Thomas Fasey, a pathologist at
Mount Sinai Medical Center and an expert on depleted uranium. "And the
health impact is worrisome for the future."
As for the soldiers of the 442nd, they're sick, frustrated and confused.
They say when they arrived in Iraq no one warned them about depleted
uranium and no one gave them dust masks.
Experts behind News probe
As part of the investigation by the Daily News, Dr. Asaf Duracovic, a
nuclear medicine expert who has conducted extensive research on depleted
uranium, examined the nine soldiers from the 442nd Military Police in
late December and collected urine specimens from each.
Another member of his team, Prof. Axel Gerdes, a geologist at Goethe
University in Frankfurt who specializes in analyzing uranium isotopes,
performed repeated tests on the samples over a week-long -period. He
used a state-of-the art procedure called multiple collector inductively
coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.
Only about 100 laboratories worldwide have the same capability to
identify and measure various uranium isotopes in minute quantities,
Gerdes said.
Gerdes concluded that four of the men had depleted uranium in their
bodies. Depleted uranium, which does not occur in nature, is created as
a waste product of uranium enrichment when some of the highly
radioactive isotopes in natural uranium, U-235 and U-234, are extracted.
Several of the men, according to Duracovic, also had minute traces of
another uranium isotope, U-236, that is produced only in a nuclear
reaction process.
"These men were almost certainly exposed to radioactive weapons on the
battlefield," Duracovic said.
He and Gerdes plan to issue a scientific paper on their study of the
soldiers at the annual meeting of the European Association of Nuclear
Medicine in Finland this year.
When DU shells explode, they permanently contaminate their target and
the area immediately around it with low-level radioactivity.
The archives of South News can be found at
http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/
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29 [southnews] Hillary demands DU checks for all Iraq veterans
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 08:25:23 -0500 (CDT)
Hillary Clinton blasted Pentagon officials yesterday for not properly
screening soldiers returning from Iraq.
Hillary demands that all veterans of Iraq get checked
NY Daily News, April 5, 2004
Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical
Center are rushing to test all returning members of the
442nd Military Police Company of the New York Army National
Guard for depleted uranium contamination.
Army brass acted after learning that four of nine soldiers
from the company tested by the Daily News showed signs of
radiation exposure.
The soldiers, who returned from Iraq late last year, say
they and other members of their company have been suffering
from unexplained illnesses since last summer, when they were
stationed in the Iraqi town of Samawah.
Dr. Asaf Durakovic, a former Army doctor and nuclear
medicine expert who examined and tested the nine men at The
News' request, concluded four of them "almost certainly"
inhaled radioactive dust from exploded depleted uranium
shells fired by U.S. troops.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), after learning of The News'
investigation, blasted Pentagon officials yesterday for not
properly screening soldiers returning from Iraq.
"We can't have people coming back with undiagnosed
illnesses," Clinton said. "We have to have a
before-and-after testing program for our soldiers."
Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
said she will write to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
demanding answers and soon will introduce legislation to
require health screenings for all returning troops.
During meetings with Pentagon officials last year, Clinton
said "one of the issues we raised was exposure to the
depleted uranium that was in the weapons, and how they were
going to handle it."
She was assured then that troops would be properly screened.
But the soldiers from the 442nd contacted The News after
becoming frustrated with how the Army was handling their
illnesses.
Six of them say they repeatedly sought testing for depleted
uranium from Army doctors but were denied.
Three who were tested in early November for DU said they had
been waiting months for the results. Two of those finally
got their results last week - both negative.
Testing for uranium isotopes in 24 hours' worth of urine
samples can cost as much as $1,000 each.
But late last week, after learning of The News' results, the
Army reversed course and ordered immediate testing for more
than a dozen members of the 442nd who are back in the U.S.
The rest of the company, comprising mostly New York City
cops, firefighters and correction officers, is not due to
return from Iraq until later this month.
"They ordered all of us who are here at Fort Dix to provide
24-hour urine samples by 1 p.m. today," one soldier from the
company said Friday.
Late Friday, Pentagon spokesman Austin Camacho said he could
not confirm or deny that new tests had been ordered for the
soldiers of the 442nd.
"It's hard to imagine, theoretically, that these men could
have harmful exposures," Camacho said, because none of them
had been inside tanks during direct combat.
Army studies of depleted uranium have concluded that only
soldiers who suffer shrapnel wounds from DU shells or who
were inside tanks hit by DU shells and immediately breathe
radioactive dust are at risk.
Even then, Camacho said, studies of about 70 such cases from
the first Gulf War have shown no long-term health problems.
But medical experts critical of the use of DU weapons, as
well as some of the Army's own early studies of depleted
uranium, say exposure to it can cause kidney damage. Some
studies have shown that it causes cancer and chromosome
damage in mice, according to the experts.
Depleted uranium, a waste product of the uranium enrichment
process, has been used by the U.S. and British militaries
for more than 15 years in some artillery shells and as
armor-plating for tanks. It is valued for its extreme
density - it is twice as heavy as lead.
Amid growing controversy in Europe and Japan, the European
Parliament called last year for a moratorium on its use.
'Every time I ran I felt my throat
burning and my chest tightening.'
Sgt. Agustin Matos, a member of the 442nd Military Police of
the New York National Guard and a city correction officer in
civilian life, has all-too-vivid memories of his stay in
Samawah, Iraq.
"The place was filthy; most of the windows were broken;
dirt, grease and bird droppings were everywhere," he said.
"I wouldn't house a city prisoner in that place."
He recalled a mandated morning run of about 3 miles on a
sandy track near a train depot.
"Every time I ran I felt my throat burning and my chest
tightening," he said.
Now, Matos, 37, believes his symptoms may be the result of
radioactive dust he inhaled from spent American shells made
from depleted uranium.
The Long Island man is one of four Iraq war veterans who
tested positive for DU contamination, according to a Daily
News investigation.
The soldiers and other members of the 442nd say they are
suffering from physical ailments that began last summer
while they were stationed in Samawah.
Matos, who was assigned to the 4th platoon's 2nd squad,
arrived in Samawah last June, two weeks ahead of the rest of
the company.
His advance team had orders from Capt. Sean O'Donnell, their
commander, to ready a huge depot in a train repair yard on
the outskirts of downtown Samawah as a barracks for the unit.
Once the entire company arrived, each platoon was assigned
its own space inside the depot, which was bigger than a
football field.
A locomotive that straddled a repair pit and an empty train
car sat in the middle of the sleeping area, with two
platoons assigned to bed down along one side of the train
and two others along the other side.
Just outside the depot, two Iraqi tanks, one of them shot
up, had been hauled onto flatbed railroad cars.
The company was so short-handed, according to the soldiers,
that the commander would evacuate a G.I. only if he could no
longer physically function.
Matos was sent home last year for surgery for a shoulder
injury suffered in a jeep accident.
Since his return, he has had constant headaches, fatigue,
shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, joint pain and
excessive urination. After he recently discovered blood in
his urine, doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center gave
him a CAT scan and discovered a small lesion on his liver.
A 1990 Army study linked DU to "chemical toxicity causing
kidney damage."
"Before I left for Iraq, they tested my eyes and I was
fine," Matos said. "Now my eyesight's gotten bad, on top of
everything else."
Another member of the company who tested positive for DU is
2nd platoon Sgt. Hector Vega, 48, a retired postal worker
from the Bronx who has been in the National Guard for 27 years.
Since being evacuated to Fort Dix for treatment for foot
surgery, Vega said he has endured insomnia and constant
headaches. And like many of the sick soldiers, Vega said, "I
have uncontrollable urine, every half hour."
One day, during a trip a few hours south of Samawah, he and
another soldier stopped on the side of the road to
photograph and check out two shot-up Iraqi tanks.
"We didn't think anything of walking right up to those tanks
and touching them," he said. "I didn't know anything about
depleted uranium."
As for the railroad depot where they slept, Vega recalls it
as "disgusting. Oil, dirt and bird droppings everywhere,
insects crawling all around us."
And then there were the frequent dust storms.
"They would blow all that dust inside the depot all over us
when we were sleeping or eating. It was so thick, you could
see it."
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/180723p-156921c.html
_______________________________________
DEPLETED URANIUM: DEAD CHILDREN, SICK SOLDIERS
The proliferation of D.U. arms has sparked concern at the United
Nations. Last August, Margaret Papandreou, the former first lady
of Greece, led a delegation to the U.N. calling for the lifting of
sanctions against Iraq and an investigation into Iraqi claims of
increased cancer rates in the Basra region that Iraqis attribute
to the 300 to 800 tons of D.U. left behind by U.S. forces. The U.N.
Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities passed a resolution that includes language calling for
a prohibition on the use of depleted uranium; only the U.S.
representative voted against it. The full U.N. Human Rights Commission
is now taking testimony on D.U. and is expected to release a report
sometime later this year.
The use of Depleted Uranium (DU) armour piercing shells by U.S.
forces in the 1991 Gulf War was uncovered by the German professor,
Dr. Siegwart-Horst Gunther. A survivor of world war and internment
in a Nazi concentration camp, Dr. Gunther is a tireless campaigner
in the struggle to highlight the little-reported and ongoing human
suffering resulting from the Gulf War. We reprint a South movement
interview of professor Gunther in Nov 1995.
DAVID MULLER: Professor, I gather that Depleted Uranium is a
by-product of the nuclear enrichment industry. Is this correct?
PROF. GUNTHER: Uranium ore, as found in nature, is a compound which
consists for the most part, of the isotope 238 and about 0.70% of
the isotope 235. Now, as the isotope 235 alone is fissionable and
hence of use for the reactors, the uranium ore, poor in that element,
must be enriched. Such a process involves masses of material and
creates consequently huge quantities of depleted uranium (composed
mostly of the sole isotope 238).
DAVID MULLER: Why did the U.S. use Depleted Uranium shells in the
Gulf War?
PROF. GUNTHER: Depleted Uranium possesses characteristics which
make it very attractive for the weapon technology : # It is the
heaviest element occurring, so to say, naturally on earth: 1 cm3
weighs 18.95 grams; # Possibly related to a German technology,
because of its density, uranium tipped projectiles have a very high
penetrating power. DU is best suited for the production of ammunition
to break through steel armours; # Moreover it is a naturally pyphoric
material. After penetration, so much heat develops at the exit
point, that DU particles catch fire. A hit tank, for instance,
explodes releasing highly toxic and radioactive products. # After
experiences during the Gulf War, since 1992, U.S. tanks are getting
increased strengthening, all around, by DU. These U.S. tanks are
ironically called Radiation Deponents.
DAVID MULLER: Professor you were one of the first people to expose
to the world that the U.S. had used Depleted Uranium in the Gulf
War. How did you make this discovery?
PROF. GUNTHER: I found on the 7th of May, 1991 on the highway between
Baghdad and Amman, in the desert, projectiles in the form and size
of a cigar, which retained my attention, because of their unusual
appearance and weight. In that region, columns of refugees, aid
transports and others had been submitted to attack by A-10 planes
equipped with this type of ammunition.
DAVID MULLER: That's a long way from the tank battles on the Kuwait
border. So you found an unexploded shell fired from a U.S. Warthog
ground attack plane that attacked traffic on the way to Jordan?
PROF. GUNTHER: Yes. Later on I happened to see children playing
with these projectiles. A little girl who possessed 12 of them died
of leukaemia. Also in the children hospitals of Baghdad, Mosul and
Basrah the number of leukaemia, aplastic anaemia and tumour development
is noticeably on the increase. Moreover a new up-to-date undiagnosed
disease is seen with abnormal abdominal distension possibly related
to disturbed liver and kidney functions. Because of the impossibility
of treatment the children die, most painfully from secondary
infections.
DAVID MULLER: I believe that you took one of the DU shells back to
Germany for analysis ?
PROF. GUNTHER: The possible relation to German technology prompted
me to take one bullet to be analysed by four German institutions.
The bullet under examination exhibited a radioactivity of 11 to 12
microsivert per hour and was highly toxic. Because of its danger
the projectile was seized by German police in special protective
clothing and transported to a safe place. In radiology in Germany,
personnel should not be exposed to more than 50 millisivert per
year.
DAVID MULLER: What are the short term and long term effects of DU
contamination in Iraq?
PROF. GUNTHER: From my own observations in Iraq, the long term
effect of contact with DU results in the breakdown of the immune
system. Other effects noticed have been: # Many infectious diseases,
with serious complications are on the increase. Sometimes diseases
break out which are known in Europe only through text books; #
Herpes infections, Zoster infections and AIDS-like symptoms are
dramatically on the increase, all of them possibly related to the
breakdown of the immune system; # Premature births are numerous.
Congenital malformations of the newborn show a high postwar percentage
(26.8% according to Dept. of Pathology, College of Medicine,
University of Baghdad). In the countryside, children die in great
numbers and are buried without possibility of diagnosis; # During
the lambing season in 1993 a high percentage 10% according to IPA
Agricultural Research Center) of abnormal newborn lambs have been
observed. Most of them died a few days after birth.
DAVID MULLER: U.S. authorities closed a DU penetrator ammunition
factory on the edge of Albany, in upstate New York because of air
borne contamination levels exceeded 150 microcurie per month
contaminating populated areas up to 26 miles away. This was the
equivalent of 1 or 2 of these 30mm canon shells per month releasing
its toxicity to the environment. We can only guess at the toxicity
levels in Iraq when the Desert Storm 100 hour ground offensive
exploded some 40 tonnes of these DU shells.
PROF. GUNTHER: According to American Greenpeace, documents released
under the Freedom of Information Act, indicate that the Allied
Forces would have left 300 tons of DU on the battle fields between
Kuwait and Iraq, mostly in the form of toxic and radioactive dust.
Much of the uranium dust has been scattered about thousands of
square miles of desert. As the Gulf region has a rainy season, it
is feared that uranium particles get at one time or the other into
the ground water and finally reach the food chain. Highly toxic
uranium dust, if inhaled, can result in lung cancer. Many DU
projectiles spread over the battle fields have been collected by
children and used as toys with possibly devastating consequences.
The toxic nature of DU contamination is highlighted with the U.S.
Department of Defence erecting a highly secret $4 million facility
in Barnwall, South Carolina just to detoxify 22 military vehicles
hit by friendly fire. Some of the vehicles are so badly contaminated
that they have had to bury them.
DAVID MULLER: The Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in the United
States tested Gulf War veterans suffering from Desert Storm Syndrome
for radiation toxicity following Gulf War veteran outrage and
Congressional pressure.
PROF. GUNTHER: My observations of the effects of DU contamination
in Iraq show a similarity described in the so-called Gulf-War-Syndrome
of U.S. and British soldiers in Kuwait. Right now one hears about
odd ailments among Gulf War veterans from the U.S., which could
possibly be attributed to contact with DU. One hears about hair
loss, skin disease, damage to different organs etc. Even pregnant
women are giving birth to crippled children. Many of these effects
had remained unknown to the public. Newspapers recorded that a
U.S. staff-sergeant held the view that many soldiers now felt
uncertain and fear that they may have been used as Guinea-Pigs in
a radiation experiment. Laura Flanders recently reported in the
Nation magazine on a U.S. Veterans Administration state-wide survey
of 251 Gulf War veterans families in Mississippi. Of their children
conceived and born since the war, 67% have illnesses related to
severe or missing eyes, missing ears, blood infections, respiratory
problems and fused fingers.
DAVID MULLER: Which companies are still manufacturing DU weaponry?
PROF. GUNTHER: Different types of DU ammunition have been manufactured
in the U.S. by Honeywell, Aerojet and others, the mass-production
began in 1977. DU penetrators were extensively used for the first
time during late in the Gulf War in 1991, with impressive results.
At present there exists also mass-production in Britain and France
and the export to other NATO countries, as well as to Japan, Australia
and New Zealand are not excluded.
DAVID MULLER: Professor, Australia exports Uranium Yellow cake to
Europe ostensibly for peaceful purposes. From what I understand
from your speech you see collusion between commercial enrichment
plants and the military?
PROF. GUNTHER: Yes, it is a question of cutting costs. Generally
speaking, because of their toxicity and radioactivity, wastes from
the uranium industry are in Europe deposited in salt galleries.
These wastes must be safely deposited for a very long period of
time. Such deposition processes seem to be extremely expensive. So,
to save money, the uranium industry are giving depleted uranium,
free of charge, to institutions or others, who are interested in
it.
DAVID MULLER: One final question! I noticed that you are circulating
a petition about Depleted Uranium. What is the purpose of your
organisation Yellow Cross?
PROF. GUNTHER: Yellow Cross International makes a vehement appeal
for the total ban of using DU ammunition as well as the newly
developed laser weapons provoking irreparable damage to the eyes.
Since 1991 I have been constantly warning about the DU dangers for
the populations. Unfortunately at that time only few people believed
me. Also in Iraq!
http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/antiwar/depleted.htm
The archives of South News can be found at
http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/
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30 [progchat_action] GIs Tested For Uranium Exposure
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 16:30:31 -0500 (CDT)
GIs Tested For Uranium Exposure Associated Press April 6, 2004,
FORT DIX, N.J. - The U.S. Army is conducting medical tests on a
handful of GIs who complained of illnesses after reported exposure
to depleted uranium in Iraq.
Up to six soldiers from a National Guard unit based in Orangeburg,
N.Y., have undergone exams at Fort Dix, and three of them remain
there under observation, Fort Dix spokeswoman Carolee Nisbet said
Monday.
"We are following up on this. We are on top of it. It's not something
that has fallen by the wayside," she said.
Of nine members of the unit examined by a doctor at the request of
the New York Daily News, four had "almost certainly" inhaled
radioactive dust from spent U.S. artillery shells containing depleted
uranium, the newspaper reported Monday.
Six of the nine contacted the newspaper after unsuccessfully appealing
to the Army for testing because of unexplained illnesses, the Daily
News reported.
The soldiers complained of headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath,
nausea, dizziness, joint pain and unusually frequent urination.
The exposures apparently occurred last summer when the 442nd Military
Police Co. served in Samawah, Iraq. Most members of the unit, which
includes many New York police officers, firefighters and prison
guards, remain in Iraq.
Military medical officials from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in
Washington and the Army's Center for Health Promotion and Preventive
Medicine conducted testing at Fort Dix, Nisbet said.
The Army would not identify the soldiers or say whether testing
revealed contamination or illness.
All National Guard and Reserve soldiers mobilized through Fort Dix
receive physical exams upon their return from overseas, Nisbet said.
The soldiers who complained of ailments asked for and received a
second round of evaluations, she said.
Depleted uranium, which is left over from the process of enriching
uranium for use as nuclear fuel, is an extremely dense material
that the U.S.
and British militaries use for tank armor and armor-piercing weapons.
It is far less radioactive than natural uranium.
According to a Depleted Uranium Information Web page posted by the
Army, depleted uranium recently provided to the Pentagon by the
U.S. Department of Energy contained trace amounts of contaminants
like neptunium, plutonium, americium, technitium-99 and uranium-236.
"These contaminants in (depleted uranium) add less than one percent
to the radioactivity of (depleted uranium) itself," the Web page
said.
"Medical scientists consider this insignificant."
Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith would not comment Monday on whether
other troops have complained of similar ailments or whether the
Pentagon would take precautions aimed at preventing future exposure.
*****************************************************************
31 GRANMA INTERNAtIONAL DIGITAL: U.S. soldiers could be contaminated with uranium
Political Prisoners of the Empire MIAMI 5
Havana. April, 6 2004
WASHINGTON (PL).—Around 20 soldiers from the New York National
Guard have undergone medical checks on their return from Iraq to
see if they have been contaminated with depleted uranium, a
substance used by the Pentagon in its missiles.
According to the New York paper The Daily News, the decision to
run the tests was made due to pressure from the newspaper after
four soldiers from the 442nd Military Police Company tested
positive in tests carried out at the end of their mission in
occupied Iraq.
In recent months those troops have suffered from symptoms
ranging from nausea to blood in their urine, very similar to
those presented by the contaminated men; however the State
Department has done nothing about it.
The daily affirmed that soldiers from the 442nd Company
contacted by The News expressed their frustration at the way the
Army had responded to their illnesses.
According to the same journal, six of them had to repeatedly
demand medical checks for uranium contamination, which were
refused by army physicians.
The urine tests to determine uranium contamination cost
approximately $1,000 each, The Daily News revealed.
Sources quoted by the paper suspect that the soldiers could have
inhaled radioactive dust generated by artillery rockets
containing depleted uranium, utilized by the Pentagon during the
military aggression in Iraq.
As their name indicates, those missiles contain a powerful
charge of uranium 235, considered by specialists as being highly
radioactive, given that the isotope used is a remnant of nuclear
weapons or energy generators.
The radioactive levels of the waste, cheap and accessible,
generates a high level of toxicity, a reality that is being
concealed by the Department of Defense, which has stated that
the missiles do not produce that contamination.
In contrast with that asseveration, Loua’l Latif Kasha, former
director of the Mansour Hospital in Baghdad, has noted that
cases of cancer in Iraq have increased sevenfold in areas where
the Pentagon utilized this powerful weapon in 1991. According to
Kasha, radioactive contamination from depleted uranium causes
cancer of the thyroid and leukemia.
Reports circulated in Washington reveal that some veterans from
the 1991 war in Iraq are currently suffering from unusual
illnesses, grouped together as Gulf War Syndrome.
The first symptoms emerged at the end of 1991 and included
diarrhea, chronic fatigue, loss of memory and concentration,
severe headaches and articular pain, eruptions, hair loss and
bleeding gums and sinuses.
The exposure to radiation also provoked muscular spasms, fever
and night sweats in some sufferers, and even congenital
malformations in babies born to soldiers who participated in
that invasion of Iraqi territory.
Hillary Clinton, senator for New York, has criticized the
Pentagon for not testing soldiers on their return from Iraq,
where those missiles have been deployed.
The likewise member of the Senate Armed Services Committee
insisted that there must be a program of medical checks for the
soldiers.
Clinton has stated that she is to send a letter to Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld demanding a response explaining that
failure.
Editor-in-chief: Frank Aguero Gomez / Editor: Gabriel Molina
Franchossi
[http://www.cubaweb.cu/] Granma International:
http://www.granma.cu/
© Copyright. 1996-2004. All rights reserved. GRANMA
INTERNATIONAL/ONLINE EDITION. Cuba.
*****************************************************************
32 New York Daily News: Inside filthy camp where trouble began
[http://nydailynews.abracat.com/]
By JUAN GONZALEZ DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Train shed at railway dept in Samawah where members of 442nd
slept from June to August last year.
The soldiers of the 442nd Military Police never heard of depleted
uranium before they went to Iraq.
They know only that inexplicable ailments have befallen them.
Last year, more than a dozen of the company's soldiers were
transferred back to Fort Dix for treatment of a variety of
maladies. Frustrated with how the military was handling their
concerns, they gave extensive interviews to the Daily News about
their experiences, and nine of them eventually volunteered to be
tested by a team of experts headed by Dr. Asaf Duracovic.
According to the soldiers, most of them became sick last summer
while stationed in Samawah, a town 150 miles south of Baghdad
that was the scene of heavy combat in the first weeks of the war.
Their unit entered the town in June, following short stays in
Diwaniyah, Karbala and Najaf. They pitched camp at a huge,
dusty, vermin-infested train depot on the outskirts of town.
That's where, they claim, their problems began.
"One night, I had 10 or 15 people with temperatures over 103,
unexplained night chills, all kinds of things," said Sgt. Juan
Vega, the company's principal medic. About a dozen of the 160
soldiers in the company suddenly developed kidney stones, he
said.
A 1990 Army study linked DU, to "chemical toxicity causing
kidney damage."
"I told our commander, 'We need to get the hell out of this
place, there's something wrong with it,'" said Vega, 34, an FDNY
paramedic.
The soldiers recall that two Iraqi tanks, one all shot up, had
been hauled onto flatbed railroad cars less than 100 yards from
where the company slept.
Pentagon officials have confirmed that tanks hit by DU shells are
the biggest potential sources of battlefield radioactivity
because when DU penetrators hit a target and explode, a fine
aerosol of uranium oxide, or radioactive dust, is formed. The
closer the tanks are to people, the greater the danger of
inhaling the dust.
In addition, a UN environmental report on Iraq warned last year
of a "high risk of inhaling DU dust" within 150 meters of any
target hit by DU shells "unless high-quality dust masks are
worn." The soldiers never received dust masks.
Originally published on April 3, 2004
All contents © 2004 Daily News, L.P.
*****************************************************************
33 New York Daily News: Juan Gonzalez: Gov goes to bat for G.I.s' health
Email: jgonzalez@ edit.nydailynews.com
[jgonzalez@edit.nydailynews.com]
Gov. Pataki joined the growing list of local leaders yesterday
calling on the Pentagon to provide better health screening and
treatment for soldiers returning from Iraq.
The governor's appeal came after the Daily News revealed Sunday
that four of nine soldiers from a New York Army National Guard
unit serving in Iraq have tested positive for depleted uranium.
"Our division of military and naval affairs is urging the Army
medical command to immediately administer the appropriate tests
and necessary treatment, and to provide for the long-term
monitoring of our troops' health," Pataki said in a statement.
The nine G.I.s, all members of the 442nd Military Police
Company, based in Orangeburg, Rockland County, say they and other
members of their company became sick last summer while stationed
in the Iraqi town of Samawah.
The soldiers were examined and tested at the request of The News
by an independent uranium expert, Dr. Asaf Durakovic. He
concluded that four had "almost certainly" been exposed to
radioactive dust released by depleted uranium shells fired by our
own troops.
Several of the soldiers said that doctors at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center and Fort Dix refused for months to test them for
depleted uranium - a heavy metal used by the military in
tank-busting artillery since the first Gulf War.
On Sunday, Sen. Hillary Clinton blasted Pentagon officials for
not properly screening soldiers returning from Iraq - and vowed
to introduce legislation mandating screenings.
Yesterday, two Democratic members of Congress also demanded
answers - Nita Lowey, in whose district the 442nd is based, and
Eliot Engel of the Bronx, where several of the soldiers live.
"It should not take an exposé by the Daily News to get the Army
to respond to the complaints of its own soldiers when they had
complained of symptoms since last summer," said Engel, a
Democrat.
"The Department of Defense must treat these men and women
expeditiously and check all illness complaints to determine the
extent of the problem," he added.
Lowey and Engel also released a letter they plan to send to
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, requesting a briefing from
the Army over its medical screening program.
Meanwhile, a public affairs officer at Fort Dix confirmed
yesterday that all members of the 442nd now at Fort Dix are
currently being tested for depleted uranium exposure.
The entire company, which was deployed to Iraq last Easter, is
not scheduled to return home until later this month.
Originally published on April 6, 2004
All contents © 2004 Daily News, L.P. Disclaimer and Copyright
*****************************************************************
34 New York Daily News: News investigation spurs testing on GIs
exposed to uranium
[http://nydailynews.abracat.com/]
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT DIX, N.J. — The U.S. Army is conducting medical tests on a
handful of GIs who complained of illnesses after reported
exposure to depleted uranium in Iraq.
Up to six soldiers from a National Guard unit based in
Orangeburg, N.Y., have undergone exams at Fort Dix, and three of
them remain there under observation, Fort Dix spokeswoman Carolee
Nisbet said Monday.
“We are following up on this. We are on top of it. It’s not
something that has fallen by the wayside,” she said.
Of nine members of the unit examined by a doctor at the request
of the New York Daily News, four had “almost certainly” inhaled
radioactive dust from spent U.S. artillery shells containing
depleted uranium, the newspaper reported Monday.
Six of the nine contacted the newspaper after unsuccessfully
appealing to the Army for testing because of unexplained
illnesses, the Daily News reported.
The soldiers complained of headaches, fatigue, shortness of
breath, nausea, dizziness, joint pain and unusually frequent
urination.
The exposures apparently occurred last summer when the 442nd
Military Police Co. served in Samawah, Iraq. Most members of the
unit, which includes many New York police officers, firefighters
and prison guards, remain in Iraq.
Military medical officials from Walter Reed Army Medical Center
in Washington and the Army’s Center for Health Promotion and
Preventive Medicine conducted testing at Fort Dix, Nisbet said.
The Army would not identify the soldiers or say whether testing
revealed contamination or illness.
All National Guard and Reserve soldiers mobilized through Fort
Dix receive physical exams upon their return from overseas,
Nisbet said. The soldiers who complained of ailments asked for
and received a second round of evaluations, she said.
Depleted uranium, which is left over from the process of
enriching uranium for use as nuclear fuel, is an extremely dense
material that the U.S. and British militaries use for tank armor
and armor-piercing weapons. It is far less radioactive than
natural uranium.
According to a Depleted Uranium Information Web page posted by
the Army, depleted uranium recently provided to the Pentagon by
the U.S. Department of Energy contained trace amounts of
contaminants like neptunium, plutonium, americium, technitium-99
and uranium-236.
“These contaminants in (depleted uranium) add less than one
percent to the radioactivity of (depleted uranium) itself,” the
Web page said. “Medical scientists consider this insignificant.”
Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith would not comment Monday on
whether other troops have complained of similar ailments or
whether the Pentagon would take precautions aimed at preventing
future exposure.
Originally published on April 6, 2004
All contents © 2004 Daily News, L.P.
*****************************************************************
35 Expatica: Radioactive package sparks airport scare
6 April 2004
BRUSSELS - Police were called to Belgium's Bierset airport on
Tuesday after a radioactive substance leaked out of a package
being handled by a courier company.
The package, which had arrived in Belgium from the United States,
contained Cobalt 51.
Police set up a security cordon around the section of the airport
where the package was found and an expert on nuclear material was
called to identify the precise nature of the leaked substance.
[Copyright Expatica News 2004]
Subject: Belgian news
© copyright 2004 Expatica Communications BV
*****************************************************************
36 THE JOURNAL NEWS: Military is testing for exposure to uranium
By JANE LERNER THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: April 6,
2004)
Army reservist Thomas Bicknell telephoned his parents in West
Haverstraw from Iraq a week ago and told them they would soon be
hearing upsetting reports about soldiers and possible exposure to
radioactive depleted uranium.
Bicknell told his family that military doctors were testing
soldiers in his unit, the Orangeburg-based 442nd Military Police
Company of the Army National Guard.
"He said he was getting tested, and I shouldn't worry," his
mother, Debbie Bicknell, said yesterday. "But of course, I am
worried." She said she expected her son to return home later this
month.
The issue of soldiers' exposure to depleted uranium used in some
military applications took on greater urgency yesterday when Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., asked top military officials to
screen all returning troops to see if they were exposed to the
highly toxic metal on the battlefields of Iraq.
Reps. Eliot Engel, D-Bronx, and Nita M. Lowey, D-Harrison, also
asked the Department of Defense yesterday to investigate possible
exposure of New York troops to depleted uranium.
Clinton said she planned to introduce federal legislation calling
for returning troops to be tested to see if they came into
contact with depleted uranium or other toxic substances.
"We will get to the bottom of this," Clinton said in a telephone
conference with reporters yesterday. "No one who serves his or
her country should get home suffering from some undiagnosed
condition and not get answers."
She took the step after the Army reversed its policy and ordered
immediate testing for signs of the radioactive metal among
members of the 442nd Company.
Nine reservists with the unit sought testing from a private
doctor who has long contended that depleted uranium poses a
health risk for troops. Asaf Durakovic, a former U.S. Army doctor
who has written extensively about the dangers of depleted
uranium, said he found elevated levels of the radioactive
substance in the urine of four of the nine reservists. Durakovic
examined and tested the nine men at the request of The Daily
News, which reported the results yesterday.
Exposure to depleted uranium has been linked to an increased
incidence of kidney damage and several types of cancers,
including lung cancer, bone cancer and lymphatic cancer.
Suffern resident Jose Henriquez spoke yesterday to his son, Joel
Henriquez, a medic in the 442nd. Joel Henriquez is still
stationed in Iraq but hopes to return home soon.
"He didn't say anything about uranium," his father said. "Maybe
he didn't want us to worry."
Pfc. Jasmine Ramirez served with the 442nd in Iraq for eight
months before returning home to Valley Cottage last month.
While she said she was not worried specifically about depleted
uranium, she was concerned that she and other troops were exposed
to other toxic substances while serving.
The unit was stationed at a train station in Iraq, and Ramirez
said she wanted to know what chemicals were stored nearby.
"But I'm sure that when the military finds out, they'll tell us,"
she said.
Scientists have long been concerned about the health effects of
depleted uranium.
Bullets made of depleted uranium are heavier than conventional
bullets and can pierce a tank's armor. But the bullets can also
release a radioactive dust after they are fired. Traces of
uranium also remain once the bullets hit their targets.
The depleted uranium was used in shells for tanks and was used
during Operation Desert Storm more than 10 years ago.
Veterans groups have been concerned about the lingering effect
exposure might have since then, said Jerry Donnellan, director of
the Rockland County Veterans Office.
"It's like Agent Orange when the Department of Defense didn't pay
any attention to it until the 1980s," he said. "The soldiers were
out (of Vietnam) in 1972."
Soldiers who suffered mysterious symptoms after serving in the
first Gulf War prompted some speculation that depleted uranium
may have been to blame, said Dan Fahey, a Gulf War veteran from
Bedford who has written several papers on the issue of depleted
uranium.
"There has never been an adequate study of veterans who were
exposed to depleted uranium," he said.
The military needed to investigate the issue, said Fahey, who
teaches a class in environmental health a the University of San
Francisco, where he now lives.
But the research shouldn't be limited to depleted uranium, or
other chemical toxins might be overlooked, he said. "That's why
there should be a full assessment of the health of people who
serve in the field."
Send e-mail to [jlerner@thejournalnews.com]
[http://www.thejournalnews.com] -
*****************************************************************
37 This is London: Radiation Scare
[http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk]
[SCARY SIGHT: Mary Flanagan and David Polden don radiation
suits to get their point across LH1859/3]
PROTESTERS drummed up support to ban trains carrying nuclear
waste through the capital.
Members of the Nuclear Trains Action Group (NTAG) distributed
leaflets outside the Clocktower, in Lewisham High Street, last
Saturday.
The trains, which transport radioactive fuel rods from Dungerness
power station in Kent to Sellafield in Cumbria, travel through
Lewisham.
Campaigners are worried a terror attack on the trains could cause
a disaster.
NTAG convenor Mary Flanagan said: "Our protest calls attention to
the nuclear trains which run right through Lewisham and have done
for 30 years.
"They are now a potential target for terrorists. We could have a
mini-Chernobyl as these things are packed with radiation."
1:56pm Tuesday 6th April 2004 Printer friendly format
Privacy Policy © Copyright 2001-2004 Newsquest Media Group - A
*****************************************************************
38 chillicothe gazette: Resignations won't hurt Piketon plant -
www.chillicothegazette.com
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
By GREG WRIGHT
Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- A problem-plagued program to help sick nuclear
weapons workers at the Piketon uranium enrichment plant and in
other locations won't be crippled by the resignation of two key
program officials, Energy Department officials said Monday.
"It's not going to have any effect on it," department spokesman
Joe Davis said. "We are moving forward with eliminating the
backlog of cases out there."
On Friday, energy undersecretary Robert Card and assistant energy
secretary Beverly Cook announced their resignations. Card oversaw
the program until his resignation. Cook ran the program before
Card.
Congress created the energy program in 2000 to help ailing Cold
War-era nuclear bomb workers get state workers' compensation
benefits. The workers claim they got cancer and lung diseases
from working around sites contaminated with radiation and toxic
chemicals.
Lawmakers complain the program is failing. By the end of 2003,
the department had processed only 6 percent of more than 23,000
worker claims it received. And only one employee had received a
state workers' compensation check in the mail.
Card's resignation came three days after he appeared at a Senate
hearing on the program. During the hearing, Sen. Charles
Grassley, R-Iowa, Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and other lawmakers
again slammed Card for not doing enough to help nuclear workers
and their families.
"Our Cold War veterans are not being treated fairly," Cantwell
said at the hearing.
Davis said Card and Cook resigned to spend more time with their
families, not because of criticism about their handling of the
program.
Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Appropriations
subcommittee on energy and water development, last week honored
Card's request to divert $32 million to the program to help the
Energy Department work through the case backlog, Davis said.
Grassley said he will monitor the program to ensure claims
processing does not slow down after Card's resignation takes
effect April 18.
"I guess Senator Grassley hopes Energy will have people that will
move the program forward," Grassley spokeswoman Beth Levine said.
David Garman, assistant energy secretary, will fill in for Card
until a replacement is found.
Garman is a good pick because he helped craft the compensation
program as a congressional aide, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski,
R-Alaska.
More than 1,300 Ohioans who worked at the Piketon uranium
enrichment plant, the Feed Materials Production Center at
Fernald, and Mound Plant at Miamisburg have filed claims.
Workers from the Oak Ridge plant in Tennessee filed the most
claims in the nation -- 4,319.
Originally published Tuesday, April 6, 2004
*****************************************************************
39 Las Vegas RJ: Kerry criticizes Bushon Yucca
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
President has broken pledges, flip-flopped, opponent charges By
TONY BATT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
John Kerry
Democrat among 39 senators to vote against Yucca Mountain Project
WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic
presidential nominee, drew a distinction Monday between himself
and President Bush on the Yucca Mountain Project, accusing his
rival of breaking promises and flip-flopping on the proposed
nuclear waste repository.
Kerry said he does not know if he can win Nevada solely on the
issue of Yucca Mountain. But he said Nevadans should know he
voted against designating a site for nuclear waste 100 miles
northwest of Las Vegas.
"George Bush went out there and stood in the state and said I
promise this, and he's done the exact opposite," said Kerry,
referring to Bush's statement during the 2000 presidential
campaign that sound science should guide the project.
"I would hope the people of Nevada would understand," Kerry
said. He said Nevadans should keep in mind the adage, "Fool me
once ... shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."
Bush designated Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste storage in
February 2002. After Gov. Kenny Guinn vetoed the president's
action, Bush signed legislation in July 2002 overriding Guinn's
veto.
When the Senate voted 60-39 in favor of a Yucca Mountain nuclear
waste repository on July 9, 2002, Kerry voted against the
project. "I think that's an important distinction between us,"
Kerry said, though he did not mention what he would do about the
repository if elected.
Bush campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said Kerry's criticism
is baseless.
"This is a smokescreen to distract Nevadans from his record of
voting for a weaker national defense and supporting a 50-cent per
gallon gas tax," Schmitt said. Kerry made his comments during a
roundtable discussion with about 20 regional reporters from the
South and Southwest.
On another issue that could impact Nevada, Kerry said he would,
if elected, cancel the Bush administration program to study and
possibly develop a new bunker-buster tactical nuclear weapon
known as the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator.
If the bunker-buster is developed, it could be tested at the
Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
"The new weaponry they're talking about, I think, is
unnecessary," Kerry said.
The issue Kerry most wanted to talk about was his economic and
budget proposal to create 10 million new jobs during his first
term. He charged Bush has lost 2.2 million private sector jobs
after promising to create 5.2 million. Kerry released documents
claiming his program would create 82,000 new jobs in Nevada in
his first four years in office. The senator said he would create
those jobs by eliminating incentives for corporations to send
jobs overseas, reducing health care costs, and training workers
for new jobs in the future.
Schmitt said Kerry's plan would not help workers, but hurt them.
"Senator Kerry's campaign rhetoric doesn't change the fact that
he has voted for higher taxes over 350 times and his policies
would, in fact, kill jobs," Schmitt said. "He is calling for at
least $1.7 trillion in government spending that would cripple
small businesses, the very engine of job creation."
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
40 Las Vegas RJ: YUCCA MOUNTAIN: DOE formalizes nuclear waste plan
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Most shipments expected to reach Nevada by rail By STEVE
TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Energy announced Monday it has
formalized a decision to ship most nuclear waste by railroad
across the country and through rural Nevada to a proposed
repository at Yucca Mountain.
The decision marks an early milestone as the government shapes a
plan to move 77,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel and government
radioactive waste from 39 states to be buried in Nevada starting
in 2010.
It means we now are going to go forward with transportation
planning based on rail," said Allen Benson, spokesman for DOE's
Office of Repository Development in Las Vegas.
DOE planning includes construction of a Nevada railroad along a
319-mile corridor from Caliente to the Yucca repository. That
segment also took a step forward Monday with the announcement of
public scoping meetings in May.
The DOE announcement also opened the government to fresh
criticism from Nevada elected leaders.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said DOE "is grasping at straws in its
haste to ram the project through."
"The agency doesn't even know if it can build an entirely new
rail line, yet says that's what it intends to do," Reid said.
"There is absolutely no way that they can safely transport
nuclear waste regardless of how they want to do it."
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said DOE's plan to move ahead while a
half dozen lawsuits against the project are pending in federal
court "is indicative of the department's arrogance."
Outside Nevada, nuclear waste shipping routes across railroad
networks in key parts of the country won't be specified for
several more years, DOE officials have said.
Under the "mostly rail" scenario DOE has decided to adopt, an
estimated 1,079 nuclear waste shipments over 24 years still would
be sent to Nevada by truck because some nuclear utilities do not
have access to rail, according to the government.
Although DOE managers have said for months they were leaning
toward a rail plan, an official designation was greeted by the
nuclear industry as a step forward for a key element of the Yucca
Mountain Project.
"We see this as an important building block, another encouraging
sign that (the department) is serious about implementing a
national transportation program," said David Blee, spokesman for
the U.S. Transport Council, an association of nuclear waste
shipping firms. Nevada leaders also have been waiting for the
transportation decision, for different reasons. They said the
rail designation opens up a new segment of the Yucca program to
formal scrutiny and possibly more lawsuits.
Bob Loux, executive director of the Nevada Nuclear Projects
Agency, said once a formal record of decision is issued later
this week he intends to meet with the state's lawyers to
determine if any legal actions will be taken.
In comments to the Bureau of Land Management about withdrawing
public land for the Caliente rail corridor, state officials
raised questions about what they view as DOE's reluctance to
follow the National Environmental Policy Act in forming a
transportation strategy.
"I personally remain of the belief that in the end this is going
to be 100 percent truck," Loux said about DOE's strategy to ship
the waste mostly by rail instead of by heavy haul trucks.
"Rail will be too costly and take too much time to build, and
there are logistical problems in the rail plan itself that will
be too difficult to manage and overcome," he said.
Benson said formal notification of the "mostly rail" strategy
will be published by Thursday in the Federal Register, along with
a notice that the department plans to develop an environmental
impact study of the rail corridor through rural Nevada.
The Federal Register notice will kick off a 45-day public
comment period that will include scoping meetings in Amargosa
Valley, Goldfield and Caliente. It will take about a year to
finalize an environmental study, Benson said.
No meetings are scheduled in Clark County. Benson said the
sessions were scheduled for locations along the rural Nevada
corridor.
Among topics for discussion at the scoping meetings is whether
the Nevada railroad should be used to transport commercial goods
when it is not being used for nuclear waste, DOE said.
Reid and Ensign charged DOE was moving ahead prematurely as
questions mount about a strategy that includes building a rail
line across rugged terrain and at costs estimated by the state to
top $1 billion.
DOE officials confirmed last week they have analyzed a backup
plan if a railroad can't be built on time for a planned 2010
repository opening. That plan envisions shipping nuclear waste by
rail to Caliente, then trucking the material to the Yucca site.
Review Journal writer Keith Rogers contributed to this report.
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
41 Las Vegas SUN: DOE settles on trains for shipments
Decision lets feds go forward with Yucca plan
By Suzanne Struglinski SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- Nuclear waste will be shipped to Nevada mainly
via train, the Energy Department announced Monday, if its
proposed nuclear waste storage site gets approved.
The department selected the option of using trains to ship
waste to Nevada from 127 sites around the country to Yucca
Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The department also
decided to move ahead with the proposed 319-mile Caliente
corridor rail route in Nevada, spokesman Allen Benson said. A
Federal Register notice announcing the decision could come later
this week.
Since February 2002, the department has said it preferred the
mostly rail mode of shipping waste, and in December it named the
Caliente corridor -- a route that goes through Caliente and to
the Yucca Mountain site -- as its preferred route. A route
through Carlin is the backup plan. Formally announcing it will
use the rail plan allows the department to move forward with
environmental planning, Benson said.
The department has public hearings planned for early May in
Amargosa Valley, Goldfield and Caliente. Out of these meetings,
a draft analysis will be issued sometime next year, Benson said.
The Nevada congressional delegation criticized the
announcement. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said it was "outrageous"
for the department to issue a decision when the state's six
legal challenges against the project have yet to be decided.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said there is no way the department can
safely move the waste no matter how it plans to do it.
"With this latest announcement, DOE (the Energy Department)
solidifies the impression it is grasping at straws in its haste
to ram the project through," Reid said.
Monday's announcement did not include a decision on whether the
department will use dedicated trains, or a train that only moves
spent nuclear fuel. Benson said that will be decided as the
environmental analysis gets done.
Based on the rail choice, waste will come via 3,300 rail
shipments over 24 years, Benson said. Waste will come from 127
sites around the country to Nevada. Because not all waste
storage sites are near tracks, another 1,079 shipments would
still be sent by truck to Nevada. Benson said a supplemental
plan to move waste in Nevada to the site via truck still exists.
"If you don't have rail, we have to have the ability to move
the material," Benson said, adding that the department wants to
minimize the amount of road shipments by using rail.
Robert Halstead, the state's transportation consultant said
that at least 24 of the waste storage sites cannot ship by rail
so other plans will have to be made to deal with their load.
"None of DOE's problems are solved," Halstead said. "Mostly
rail could mean more shipments, more political controversy."
He cautioned that the shipment estimates the department gives
out are the "optimal target" and can increase.
Bob Loux, director of the state's Agency for Nuclear Projects,
predicted that the department will end up using the truck plan
anyway since building a rail line will cost too much money, take
too long to build and have too many logistical problems.
"Rail is the safer choice but it has a lot of uncertainties
associated with it," Loux said.
The state will examine the Federal Register notice, expected to
be published Thursday, to see exactly what the department
proposes and if there is a possibility of legal action.
The delegation and other critics of the site point to potential
terrorist threats and accidents as the main problems of moving
waste to the state, among others.
"If the DOE (Energy Department) thinks that the Nevada
delegation's commitment to halting the Yucca Mountain project
will somehow lessen because they have bypassed more heavily
populated areas in favor of Caliente, the department is
completely mistaken," Ensign said.
Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said there is no good choice
because the waste should not come to the state.
"The only positive is that now that the decision had been made
we can focus on the follies of the rail," she said.
She said the department has still not explained what routes the
waste will travel, what type of canisters it will use and how it
will protect the shipments from terrorist attacks or who would
be responsible to clean up the aftermath of any accident.
Berkley still has a pending bill that calls for transportation
security studies.
She pointed to the Baltimore tunnel fire in 2001 that, had
there been nuclear waste on a train, it could have damaged a
shipping cask.
"It could have contaminated major metropolitan areas on the
East Coast," Berkley said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the industry maintain
that a transportation cask would not have released radioactive
material inside the tunnel at the time of the fire.
Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., called the selection "premature and
unnecessary."
"The DOE (Energy Department) is putting the proverbial nuclear
waste cart before the horse, all to the detriment of Nevada's
rural communities, mining companies, and property owners,"
Gibbons said.
He opposes the department's proposal to withdraw 300,000 acres
of land to study the proposed route.
"Withdrawing that much land will cause many Nevada businesses
and land owners, primarily ranchers and miners, tremendous
economic loss," Gibbons said. "Yet, it continues to move forward
with this reckless plan despite the state and communities'
strong opposition."
Steve Kraft, director of waste management for the Nuclear
Energy Institute, a nuclear power industry group, said it is
hard to comment on the decision because the exact details will
not be known until the Federal Register notice gets published.
"We don't know what the full story is yet," Kraft said. "You
have to read the whole thing to understand what they are doing."
Kraft emphasized though this has always been a "mostly rail"
option so it should come as no surprise that a percentage of the
shipments will be made by truck.
Lincoln County Commissioner Tim Perkins said he supported the
decision to ship the nuclear waste by rail through Lincoln
County.
"I think it was a good decision. Rail is the safest way to
transport it," Perkins said.
Perkins said the railroad might bring jobs to the county.
"They're going to have inspection stations, and maybe they can
hire locals to work there," Perkins said.
Perkins said county officials will have to be sure to address
concerns of ranchers and make sure a new rail line won't be a
problem for grazing animals.
"Those are issues we will have to deal with, and if worked
right I'm sure it can be a benefit to them," he said.
Lincoln County Commissioner Hal Keaton opposes the Yucca
Mountain project and the proposal to ship nuclear waste through
his county.
"I'm probably the only elected official in Lincoln County
opposed to bringing nuclear waste through here," Keaton said.
"Most people in this county seem to be pretty complacent about
it."
Keaton said he has pressed supporters of the project on the
issue of whether the county would see any economic boost from
nuclear waste coming through Lincoln County.
While there might be some jobs for locals to help build a new
rail line, Keaton said, once the railroad is built he doesn't
think there will be any economic benefit to having nuclear waste
travel through the county.
Suzanne Struglinski can be reached at (202)662-7245 or
suzanne@lasvegassun.com [suzanne@lasvegassun.com]
*****************************************************************
42 KLAS: Nevada Receives Shipment of Nuclear Waste
April 6, 2004
(April 6) -- A U.S. Department of Energy contractor has finished
shipping tons of solidified low-level radioactive waste from the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Nevada for disposal.
Government officials reported all the shipments arrived safely.
The lab had stored about 185,000 gallons of low-level waste from
research reactors and other nuclear operations in tanks. Some of
the waste dated back to the activities in the World War II
Manhattan Project to build the first nuclear bomb.
Since 2000, Bechtel Jacobs, the department's environmental
manager in Oak Ridge, has trucked 232 cylinders to the
government's Nevada Test Site.
The cylinders weighed ten tons apiece and were filled with the
waste and cement.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
[http://www.worldnow.com] All content © Copyright 2000 -
2004 WorldNow and KLAS. All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
43 El Paso Times: NM tries to stop nuclear dumping
[http://www.elpasotimes.com/] |
Borderland Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Associated Press
CARLSBAD -- New Mexico's environment secretary is threatening to
block permission for a key expansion of operations at the federal
government's nuclear waste dump if the Department of Energy
continues its campaign to send new types of radioactive sludge
there.
The expansion would allow highly radioactive remote-handled waste
at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad for the first
time, but it requires a state permit.
Until the U.S. Energy Department drops its effort to bring the
sludge to WIPP, the state will not take action on the
remote-handled waste permit, New Mexico Environment Secretary Ron
Curry said.
DOE officials say the state is required by law to deal with the
remote-handled waste permit, regardless of other issues.
The state has been trying to prevent shipments of waste sludge
from the DOE's Hanford (Wash.) reservation from being sent to
WIPP. A federal judge ruled last summer that high-level waste,
such as the sludge, is prohibited at WIPP, and blocked the DOE's
attempts to reclassify it.
The DOE is trying, both through an appeal of the court decision
and through congressional action, to win the right to reclassify
the waste so it can be sent to WIPP.
[http://www.elpasotimes.com/] |
2004 El Paso Times, a Gannett Co., Inc. newspaper.
*****************************************************************
44 AU ABC: Operators confident as uranium mine re-opens.
07/04/2004. ABC News Online
"Australian Broadcasting Corporation Online">
[http://www.abc.net.au/]
The operators of the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern
Territory say it is too early to publicly detail what changes it
is making to ensure processing water never again contaminates
water used by employees.
Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) resumed full operations at
the mine overnight.
The mistaken switch of processing water into the fresh water
supply forced the mine's closure late last month.
ERA has confirmed 24 workers at the site have reported some
symptoms of ill health following the incident.
The Commonwealth's supervising scientist has overseen extensive
investigations and is confident all environmental and safety
standards are now being met.
ERA chief executive Harry Kenyon-Slaney says with three
investigations continuing, he cannot say how extensive the
changes will be.
"We've had engineers crawling all over the process water system
for the last couple of weeks and we're very confident that this
can't happen again," he said.
ERA remains tight-lipped about how much money was lost during
the closure but says it has had no impact on its customers.
© 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
*****************************************************************
45 KLAS: Nevada Receives Shipment of Nuclear Waste
April 6, 2004
(April 6) -- A U.S. Department of Energy contractor has finished
shipping tons of solidified low-level radioactive waste from the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Nevada for disposal.
Government officials reported all the shipments arrived safely.
The lab had stored about 185,000 gallons of low-level waste from
research reactors and other nuclear operations in tanks. Some of
the waste dated back to the activities in the World War II
Manhattan Project to build the first nuclear bomb.
Since 2000, Bechtel Jacobs, the department's environmental
manager in Oak Ridge, has trucked 232 cylinders to the
government's Nevada Test Site.
The cylinders weighed ten tons apiece and were filled with the
waste and cement.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
[http://www.worldnow.com] All content © Copyright 2000 -
2004 WorldNow and KLAS. All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
46 BBC ON THIS DAY 1978: Carter delays N-bomb production
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/
1978: Carter delays N-bomb production The controversial neutron
bomb developed by the Americans has been put on the back burner.
The bomb - properly called an Enhanced Radiation Weapon or ERW -
is a specialised thermonuclear weapon which produces a minimal
blast but releases large amounts of lethal radiation.
It is designed to kill people while minimising damage to property
unlike a conventional nuclear missile.
President Jimmy Carter's administration had wanted to install
neutron warheads on the Lance missile and artillery shells
planned for deployment in Europe.
'Capitalist' bomb
US military chiefs believed the weapon would be ideal to use
against an advancing Soviet army in Europe.
But many left-wingers and liberals in Europe and America dubbed
it the "capitalist" bomb and condemned it for making nuclear war
more likely.
They said the massive destruction and wide fallout area
associated with conventional nuclear weapons was the chief
deterrent to their use.
There have been mass protests against the N-bomb across Europe
and several countries including Norway, Belgium and Holland have
refused to have the N-bomb on their soil.
The decision to postpone production of the bomb came after a week
of diplomatic confusion for which President Carter has been
blamed.
However, he has kept open the option of proceeding with
production at a later date so he can use it as a "bargaining
chip" with the Russians in arms reduction negotiations.
The development of the neutron bomb is credited to US scientist
Sam Cohen in 1958.
It was his idea to remove uranium casing from a hydrogen bomb to
allow neutrons to travel greater distances and penetrate heavily
shielded armour and structures.
But in the 1960s President Kennedy decided against producing
neutron weapons because it could have jeopardized the nuclear
test moratorium in force at the time.
In Context
Jimmy Carter's successor, Ronald Reagan,
changed US policy and gave the order for the production of
neutron warheads to start in 1981.
However, only a small number were produced and they were never
deployed alongside America's other nuclear forces in Europe
because of the controversy surrounding them.
France, which also tested and produced neutron warheads during
the early 1980s, abandoned them in 1986 because of domestic and
foreign pressure.
However, in 1999 China announced it had the technology to build
a neutron bomb.
1978: Carter delays N-bomb production
1968: Jim Clark killed in car smash
1986: Sinclair sells computer business
1999: US claims 'banana war' victory
©MMIV | News Sources | Privacy [http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy/]
*****************************************************************
47 Contra Costa Times: Livermore lab makes bidder wish list
| 04/06/2004 |
By Chris Metinko
LIVERMORE - Lawrence Livermore Laboratory officials and the
public shared their visions Monday of what they want from
organizations interested in taking control of the lab and its
sister facility, Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico.
And the overriding sentiment didn't come as much of a surprise --
that bidders to operate the two labs had best know their science
and be passionate about it being conducted right.
The special meeting, convened by a panel of the National
Academies of Science committee, was intended to develop standards
for evaluating the capability of bidders to manage science and
technology at the labs.
Michael Anastasio, lab director, said any bidder interested in
taking charge of the lab should meet a variety of criteria,
including demanding intellectual integrity and scientific
objectivity, fostering an atmosphere of innovative science,
promoting a culture committed to ambitious goals and nurturing a
cooperative yet competitive relationship with Los Alamos.
The committee will report its findings to the National Nuclear
Security Administration. The information gathered is expected to
be incorporated into an official request for bids to be released
by the federal Department of Energy.
It was the lab's relationship with Los Alamos that took
precedence for most of the two-hour meeting, with many committee
members asking for differences and similarities between the two
top nuclear weapons labs and whether separate contracts to two
different bidders would be acceptable for both labs.
Anastasio said that while both labs have different environments
-- with Los Alamos being more academic, in his opinion -- they
weren't that incompatible.
"I believe the same contract is best" for operating both of them,
said Anastasio. If the labs were run by different public or
private groups, he added, the two facilities could run into a
situation where they were competing against each other for market
share.
"I think that would be to the detriment of national interest,"
Anastasio said.
The committee also heard comments from a few members of the
public on what would make a good bidder.
"I was always impressed with the caliber of personnel the lab
attracts," said former state Assemblywoman Lynne Leach, who
represented Livermore from 1996 to 2002. "These individuals are
out in their community.
"The lab is not only a science and technology facility, but a
very good neighbor to the Tri-Valley," Leach added.
Julie Orvis, a member of the Livermore School Board, echoed those
sentiments about the role the lab plays in the community,
specifically pointing to the education programs the lab has
supported in the area.
"I believe it's an essential feature that has been recognized by
the current administration and must be in the future," Orvis
said.
The University of California's contracts with both labs expire in
early 2005. UC had run both labs unchallenged for more than a
half-century.
However, the federal Department of Energy last year decided to
put the contract of Los Alamos up for bid after business problems
were brought to light. Following that decision, a congressional
amendment was executed last year that requires all lab contracts
that have not faced competition for 50 years or more to be
subject to competitive bidding.
That action brought Lawrence Livermore, managed by UC since it
was founded in 1952, into the mix.
The committee's report is due to the DOE in May.
Reach Chris Metinko at 925-847-2125 or cmetinko@cctimes.com
[cmetinko@cctimes.com] .
*****************************************************************
48 DAILY BRUIN: Lab combats terror with technology
[http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/]
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Lawrence Livermore Labs
George Vinson (left), director of the California Office of
Homeland Security, is briefed on work at the Forensic Science
Center by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist
Armando Alcaraz. The UC-affiliated lab in Livermore received
funding from the federal government for homeland security
measures.
By Emily Inouye DAILY BRUIN REPORTER einouye@media.ucla.edu
At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, researchers are
doing more than just science
experiments. They are fighting the war on terrorism.
In his recently released budget proposal for 2005, President Bush
recognized the importance of the work Livermore and other
laboratories around the country are doing by granting a
substantial amount of money to their research and other projects
that combat terrorism.
The laboratory is part of the Department of Energy, and last year
it was added to the Department of Homeland Security.
It is managed by the University of California and has a loose
affiliation with all the campuses. As a result, the UC receives a
sum of money for oversight and management of the laboratory, and
UC students receive access to the laboratory's resources.
While this access primarily refers to students at UC Davis,
students at all the UCs, including UCLA, are eligible to apply to
utilize the laboratory.
The Livermore laboratory is a national security laboratory, and
its scientists work on projects focused on countering weapons of
mass destruction. Such weapons fall into five different
categories including biology, chemistry, radiation, nuclear
technology and high explosives.
The UC-run labs have a history of dealings with the federal
government in issues of national security. The first atomic bomb
was developed in part by the UC-managed Los Alamos National
Laboratory, though the UC Board of Regents were not told about
the project at the time.
Last year, the Bush administration set aside $15 million for
scientists at Los Alamos to research the development of a new
bunker-busting bomb that would be able to penetrate thousands of
feet beneath the earth's surface to destroy buried targets.
Recently, the university's management of the labs has fallen into
tough times. A series of administrative scandals at the Los
Alamos labs led to overhauls of the UC management system. Though
the UC says it has largely fixed the problems, the U.S.
Department of Energy is putting the labs up for bid in 2005.
Increasingly, the war against terrorism is fought as a war of
technological resources and advancements, and the Livermore
laboratory is focused on helping the United States remain one
step ahead of the game.
"We have a comprehensive program to try to prevent the attacks
from taking place," said Harry Vantine, deputy for programs in
Livermore's homeland security organization. "Then, if you can't
prevent an attack and it's already happened, you do consequence
management."
The preventative program is found in many forms around the
country. Livermore has been a key player in developing detectors
to look at both people and containers entering the United States
at primary entry points.
One project the laboratory developed is known as the Biological
Aerosol Sentry and Information System. It was used both at the
2002 Winter Olympics and the one-year anniversary ceremonies for
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
BASIS is a type of alarm system that monitors the environment for
signs of biological weapons so people can be evacuated and
treated before too much damage is done. The other part of the
project focuses on determining what biological weapon was
released in order to respond properly.
"We find ways using genomics and other technology to find what
that biological fingerprint is so that we can rapidly detect what
it is to let the authorities know," said Lynda Seaber, a
spokeswoman for the laboratory. "Right now the only way to know
if something is released is when someone gets sick."
Researchers are continually working to improve their systems and
are occasionally putting the energies of UC students to use.
UC Davis has a department of applied science in which students
will often work for the laboratory, conducting research on a
variety of projects and occasionally on homeland security issues.
"There is restricted access to certain things, especially things
for national defense or national security," said Ann Orel,
chairwoman of the applied science department at UC Davis. "But
there are some homeland security things that students have been
involved in."
Such projects typically will include taking ideas developed by
Livermore researchers and making them marketable for private
corporations and usable for organizations such as fire
departments.
But with the amount of research and money being poured into the
effort to combat terrorism, there are still no fail-safe plans to
avoid attack.
"We don't know where the next threat is coming from," Vantine
said. "You can't protect against everything, and that everything
may change because the terrorists may have new capabilities. But
I think eventually that we will win this war."
*****************************************************************
49 Oak Ridger: Alexander says ORNL should house world's fastest supercomputer
Story last updated at 11:52 a.m. on April 6, 2004
By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff [paul.parson@oakridger.com]
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told a crowd of officials
Monday that the world's fastest supercomputer should be housed
locally.
"Oak Ridge is a brand name heard around the world when we talk
about science and technology," said Alexander, who spoke during
an East Tennessee Economic Council event.
[http://oakridger.com/photo_pages/040604/8237.html]
Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., attended an East Tennessee Economic
Council event at the University of Tennessee Continuing Education
and Outreach Center.
During his visit, Lamar also stopped by Oak Ridge National
Laboratory's computer facilities. Lab officials sent a proposal
to the Department of Energy last week that could put the research
facility at the forefront of the supercomputing initiative.
In a couple of weeks, Alexander will head to Japan where he will
view what's currently considered the world's fastest
supercomputer - the Earth Simulator, which can perform 35.8
trillion operations per second.
Alexander suggested that ORNL's supercomputer could be used to
help solve the air quality problems in Tennessee. In addition to
studies showing that Knoxville's air quality is among the
nation's worst, Knox and Anderson are among seven counties that
are at risk of being out of compliance with federal clean air
rules.
[http://oakridger.com/photo_pages/040604/8236.html]
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., from left, and U.S. Rep. Zach
Wamp, R-3rd District, received a tour Monday of Oak Ridge
National Laboratory's high-performance computing area from Jeff
Wadsworth, the lab's director.
While attending the East Tennessee Economic Council event at the
University of Tennessee Continuing Education and Outreach Center,
Alexander also heard presentations about modernization plans for
Oak Ridge High School from Principal Ken Green and about the Oak
Ridge schools' Education Foundation from Thom Mason, who serves
as the foundation's chairman.
As a thank you for all his work, Oak Ridge Mayor David Bradshaw
presented Alexander with a 1945 hardbound copy of a book
pertaining to the Manhattan Project written by professor Henry
DeWolf Smyth of Princeton.
The Manhattan Project was the secret effort that developed an
atomic bomb during World War II.
*****************************************************************
50 Oak Ridger: Sick worker program leaders quit
Story last updated at 11:40 a.m. on April 6, 2004
MOOD: Critics agree it's time for a change in management and
authority of effort to assist sick workers.
By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff paul.parson@oakridger.com
[paul.parson@oakridger.com]
Two top officials affiliated with the Department of Energy's
compensation program for job-sickened nuclear workers are
stepping down, leaving some critics ready for the change.
On Friday, Energy Department Undersecretary Robert Card submitted
his resignation citing personal family reasons; while Beverly
Cook, assistant secretary for Environment, Safety and Health,
said she was leaving her post to be closer to family members in
the Southwest. They are expected to officially leave later this
month.
"I believe that these departures have everything to do with where
the program is today," said Vikki Hatfield. Her father, Leon
Meade, worked at federal facilities in Oak Ridge and died in 2002
after battling illnesses attributed to his work.
Card's resignation came just days after he testified at a Senate
committee hearing on what's officially known as the Energy
Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.
Both Hatfield and Janet Michel, a sick worker and a longtime
crusader for compensation, were relieved to hear that Card and
Cook were vacating their posts.
"We can only hope for improvement," said Michel.
Getting Compensated
According to news reports, DOE officials recently informed
lawmakers that one unidentified worker from Washington state has
received $15,000 in compensation so far. During the first two and
a half years of the program, ending Dec. 31, 2003, DOE had
completely processed about 6 percent of the more than 23,000
cases that had been filed.
"Time is not on the workers' side," said Hatfield. "More die
everyday.
"They can't afford any more delays. This administration needs to
step up to the plate and do the right thing now with whatever it
takes to put this program on track."
Efforts to compensate job-sickened nuclear workers are divided
into two programs. The Labor Department oversees one that pays
lump sum benefits plus continuing medical coverage for former
workers with diseases potentially related to radiation exposure,
silicosis and chronic beryllium disease.
The program that DOE administers provides no direct benefits, but
assists applicants in pursuing claims with state workers'
compensation programs. DOE's program covers a much broader array
of medical conditions and requires extensive employment history.
Under the DOE compensation plan, the largest group of claimants -
around 4,319 - are associated with facilities in Tennessee. Other
claims are dition to the $26 million they already have received
this year," Hatfield said. "We are puzzled, after it was revealed
by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa) that DOE is spending twice
what it costs at DOL (Labor Department) to process claims, that
they would want to spend even more money feeding an overpriced
and underperforming claims contractor.
"I don't believe that there is any good explanation for where the
program is today and where it should be," Hatfield continued.
"How can you explain spending the kind of money that has been
spent, and the workers' claims not being processed?"
Governing the program
David Garman, currently DOE's assistant secretary of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will serve as acting
undersecretary once Card leaves.
When announcing Garman's assignment, Energy Secretary Spencer
Abraham did not say if a permanent replacement would be named
prior to the November presidential election. A new president
typically results in the appointment of a new energy secretary as
well as other leaders within DOE.
"I can't believe that the program will suffer under new
leadership," Hatfield said. "Even with the learning curve, it has
to be better than the workers have had up to this point."
Hatfield also noted that a new administration could certainly
make a difference. She said the sick worker program has clearly
not been a priority for the current administration.
Both Hatfield and Michel agreed that DOE's portion of the sick
worker program needs to be shifted to the Labor Department.
Hatfield said the Labor Department has "the expertise to process
claims and serve as a willing payer." She added that DOE is
failing to "read the writing on the wall" that the agency lacks
the infrastructure and the expertise to implement the
compensation program.
"DOE's only role should be to provide records and develop site
profiles," said Michel, adding that the shift could happen. "The
site profiles will lead to more special exposure cohorts and make
it so that claimants are given the benefit of the doubt like the
gaseous diffusion plant workers with certain cancers."
The "special cohort" cases Michel referred to involve cancer
victims who worked at gaseous diffusion plants like the Oak Ridge
K-25 site or people diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease.
According to the compensation program, employees from specific
DOE facilities may be treated as members of the "special exposure
cohort" if it is not feasible to estimate with sufficient
accuracy the radiation dose they received, and if there is a
reasonable likelihood that the dose may have endangered the
worker's health.
Michel also pointed out that reports issued in 2000 by the
National Economic Council indicated that state workers'
compensation programs were not equipped to deal with the multiple
illnesses that many DOE workers have. However, she said Congress
went ahead and wrote the law that way.
"It must be changed," Michel said.
*****************************************************************
51 Oak Ridger: Protests at weapons plant will occur April 18
Story last updated at 12:07 p.m. on April 6, 2004
ACTION: In the past, protesters have risked arrest by going
beyond a "no cross" zone at the plant's Bear Creek entrance and
crossing over barbed wire fences along the front outskirts of
the facility.
By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff
paul.parson@oakridger.com [paul.parson@oakridger.com]
Ralph Hutchison said he doesn't know if anybody will express
their opposition to nuclear weapons production by illegally
trying to enter the Y-12 National Security Complex during an
April 18 demonstration.
"We never plan that in advance," said Hutchison, coordinator
for the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. "We normally
hear from people as the day grows closer that they plan to do
civil obedience."
The action is considered a federal offense.
"Breaking the law is not a casual thing," said Hutchison. "It's
a serious thing."
Throughout the history of the Y-12 demonstrations, it's been a
common practice for protesters to risk arrest by going beyond a
"no cross" zone at the plant's Bear Creek entrance. And, on
occasions, protesters even went over barbed wire fences along
the front outskirts of the plant.
However, since trespassers began to face federal charges in
2002, the number of people who were arrested has declined from
four in April 2002 to zero in August 2003. Prior to that, 22
people were arrested for trespassing at a protest in August 2001
while about the same number were cited at an April 2001 event.
As for other charges, Anderson County District Attorney General
Jim Ramsey said his office would prosecute felonies and violent
misdemeanors like assault.
"But we expect the city to use its ordinances for routine
consequences of a peaceful demonstration such as blocking the
streets ...," explained Ramsey.
Participants in this year's Y-12 demonstration are expected to
gather at A.K. Bissell Park at 9:30 a.m. on April 18, with a
peace rally set to begin at 10 a.m. At noon, the participants
will march to the Y-12 plant where a peace action is scheduled
to start at 1 p.m.
June Griffin said her organization, the Citizen-Soldiers for
the Atomic Bomb, are planning to be at Y-12 on April 18 to voice
its opposition to the demonstration and show its support for the
country's veterans. The group has been doing this for the last
several years.
Steven Wyatt, a spokesman for the National Nuclear Security
Administration, said he couldn't discuss any specific security
measures that would be implemented during the April 18
demonstration. In the past, Wackenhut Services Inc. - the
federal government's Oak Ridge security contractor - has closely
monitored the event with assistance from local law enforcement
officials, including the Oak Ridge Police Department.
Built in the 1940s as part of World War II's Manhattan Project,
the uranium enriched at Y-12 ultimately fueled the "Little Boy"
bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, near the end of the
war in 1945.
Today, not only does Y-12 produce and refurbish weapons
components, but the facility is also the nation's principal
storehouse for bomb-grade uranium.
BWXT Y-12 manages the plant for the National NNSA - the
quasi-independent agency within the Department of Energy that
oversees the nuclear weapons complex.
Typically, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
coordinates two annual protests - one in April and one in August.
Initially, the plan was to forego the April demonstration this
year because the events take a long time to plan, but that
decision was reversed due to "popular demand," according to
Hutchison.
*****************************************************************
52 Colorado Daily: Rocky Flats Coalition plans future
By RICHARD VALENTY Colorado Daily Staff Writer
Officials from Boulder County and the City of Boulder might
disagree, but after a cleanup is completed at the former Rocky
Flats nuclear weapons facility, the new Rocky Flats National
Wildlife Refuge could be open for recreation.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Kaiser-Hill Company have
listed a target date of Dec. 15, 2006, for the completion of the
cleanup. After that, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will
evaluate the site, primarily for levels of contaminants.
If Rocky Flats gets a 'clean bill of health," the land could
become open for human recreation, such as hiking, biking,
equestrian and even outdoor education, depending on which plan is
adopted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments (RFCLOG) is a
citizen group made up of representatives from the city and county
of Boulder, Jefferson County, Broomfield, Arvada, Superior and
Westminster.
On Monday, RFCLOG heard information from the DOE regarding what
they hope would be a smooth transition between nuclear weapons
facility and wildlife refuge.
In 1996, DOE, public health department and EPA entered into a
Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement. On Monday, DOE representative Joe
Legere gave a presentation outlining what would have to be done
to modify the cleanup agreement into a "Post-Closure Agreement."
According to Legere, the post-closure parties will have to
complete plans for site operations, maintenance, surveillance and
monitoring for environmental hazards before opening for
recreation.
Legere said the Post-Closure Agreement parties will also have to
determine where to monitor, what to monitor for, how often to
monitor, and what level of surveillance, if any, will be on site.
A future wildlife refuge could be divided into two basic
components. DOE would retain the central part of the site, where
some buildings used for weapons production are still located. The
Fish and Wildlife Service would operate "buffer zones" on the
outskirts of the property, and according to its plans, any
recreational trails would be located in the buffer zones.
Several radiation-contaminated buildings are still located on
site, scheduled for demolition. Also, according to RFCLOG member
Lisa Morzel, some contaminated foundations will be left
underground, and the basic site cleanup will focus on the upper
12 inches of soil.
Paul Danish, Boulder County Commissioner and RFCLOG member,
expressed concern that DOE should maintain some on-site security
because of the possibility that a vandal or an accident could
expose visitors or workers to the underground contaminants.
Also, Legere indicated that DOE did not have current plans to
fence off the former industrial area. Shaun McGrath, Boulder City
Council and RFCLOG member, believes that a fence is necessary.
"This is not to suggest that the cleanup has been inadequate, but
the city will draft a letter suggesting that a fence be
constructed," said McGrath. "There are a number of monitoring
devices, caps and holding ponds on-site that we believe need to
be protected. We think a fence in this case would be the best way
to keep people out, and that DOE needs to take responsibility for
the area."
FWS has completed a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed refuge. The
deadline for public comment on the documents is April 26.
David Abelson, RFCLOG executive director, presented a draft
letter to be sent to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Abelson's
letter asked FWS or DOE to work with the communities on a
tangible plan to restrict visitors from the industrial area.
Abelson's letter also asked for increased testing on the buffer
zone lands before transferring the land from DOE to FWS.
McGrath, in his first RFCLOG meeting, offered a large list of
amendments to Abelson's letter, but only one sentence made the
final document.
"Additionally, we believe ongoing post-closure monitoring must be
conducted in the buffer zone to verify the ongoing safety of
these lands," read McGrath's sentence.
RFCLOG voted 6-1 to accept Abelson's letter with McGrath's
amendment. McGrath, as the City of Boulder representative, was
the lone opponent.
"The vote against it was not a statement that we are completely
at odds with what RFCLOG did," said McGrath. "I just felt the
letter needed some further refinement to clarify a couple of
points. I also felt that there should be a contingency plan in
the post-closure agreement, in case there are exceedances
detected in monitoring."
Representatives from Jefferson County, Broomfield, Arvada and
Westminster said they were in favor of FWS alternatives that
would allow recreation in the buffer zones, while Boulder County,
Boulder and Superior were opposed.
Morzel said the communities in favor of recreation in the
National Wildlife Refuge could be taking risks with the safety of
their own citizens, and they should consider doing what Boulder
does to obtain recreational options.
"I think these other communities need to go out and buy some of
their own Open Space," said Morzel.
*****************************************************************
53 Oak Ridger: Our View: Hats off to SNS project; open house
Story last updated at 11:36 a.m. on April 5, 2004
Friday's annual open house at the headquarters of the Spallation
Neutron Source certainly emphasized the rapid progress of
construction on site during the past year, as has been reiterated
by those associated with the $1.4 billion project.
Described as the nation's largest civilian science construction
project, the SNS project is 80 percent complete and scheduled to
be up and running by 2006.
When completed, about 400 permanent staff will be employed at
SNS, which is being constructed on Chestnut Ridge, an 80-acre
site near the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Though being built
physically in Oak Ridge, the project is actually being designed
and constructed by a partnership of six Department of Energy
national labs including Argonne, Brookhaven, Jefferson, Lawrence
Berkeley, Los Alamos and Oak Ridge.
A new, accelerator-based science facility that will provide
neutron beams with up to 10 times more intensity than any other
such source in the world, SNS will provide opportunities for up
to 2,000 researchers each year from universities, national labs
and industry for basic and applied research and technology
development in the fields of materials science, magnetic
materials, polymers and complex fluids, chemistry and biology.
More simply stated, most people don't even realize how much
neutron-scattering research impacts their everyday lives. As
mentioned in previous articles, things like aircraft, credit
cards, pocket calculators, compact discs, shatter-proof
windshields, adjustable seats and satellite weather information
for forecasts have all been improved due to neutron-scattering
research.
But, neutron research also provides insight into the behavior of
materials used in biological systems, pharmaceuticals,
high-temperature superconductors, powerful light-weight magnets,
aluminum bridge decks and stronger, lighter plastic products.
We're fortunate to have this billion-dollar-plus project going up
in Oak Ridge, even as other countries are running a race with the
United States to create this sort of technological facility.
Special thanks to Thom Mason for the tour and the insight
provided at Friday's open house, which was open to the press and
the general public.
*****************************************************************
54 Google News Alert - nuclear
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 13:51:50 -0700 (PDT)
IRAN promises to accelerate cooperation with impatient UN nuclear ...
Channel News Asia - Singapore
TEHRAN : Iran promised the head of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei
that it would show greater transparency and cooperate more in a bid to
quell ...
See all stories on this topic:
NUCLEAR regulators refuse to move hearing on Grand Gulf proposal
Biloxi Sun Herald - Biloxi,MS,USA
PORT GIBSON, Miss. - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will ... Grand Gulf
is operated by Entergy Nuclear, which would operate a second reactor if
one were built. ...
See all stories on this topic:
BRAZIL reaffirms its peaceful nuclear program
Charleston Post Courier (subscription) - Charleston,SC,USA
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL--Brazil's nuclear program is peaceful and the country
remains committed to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Foreign Minister
Celso Amorim ...
See all stories on this topic:
NUCLEAR workers held for 'stealing'
NEWS.com.au - Australia
SIX employees of a nuclear power station in western Ukraine were detained
for allegedly stealing nuclear materials for sale on the black market,
the Ukrainian ...
See all stories on this topic:
PAKISTAN offers India nuclear talks in May
Daily Times - Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday proposed May 25 and 26 as the dates for expert-level
talks on nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs) with India. ...
See all stories on this topic:
COMING of Age: The Danger of a Nuclear North Korea
Christian Broadcasting Network - USA
... Triplett outlines the determination of Pyongyang, North Korea to build
a nuclear weapon with which it can target the United States. ...
SF calls for nuclear plant closure
Belfast Telegraph (subscription) - Belfast,Nothern Ireland,UK
... Commission threatened the British government with stiff penalties after
the plant once again failed to comply with rules on the disposal of nuclear
waste. ...
S.KOREAN, Japan FMs exchange views on DPRK nuclear issue
Xinhua - China
... with his Japanese counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi on Tuesday to discuss
the standoff over Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear
program and other ...
RUSSIAN researcher guilty of selling nuclear documents
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
... at Moscow's respected USA and Canada Institute, was jailed in October
1999 after he was arrested on charges he sold information on nuclear submarines
and ...
See all stories on this topic:
FEDERAL plan announces transportation of nation's nuclear waste ...
Environmental News Network - Berkeley,CA,USA
LAS VEGAS — Radioactive waste bound for a planned national nuclear dump
in Nevada would be transported by trains on a 319-mile rail line to be
built across ...
See all stories on this topic:
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55 [du-list] DU in the news - 31 items here of 65 total (in
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 2004 19:35:58 -0700
TESTING of possible uranium contamination urged
Puerto Rico Wow - Puerto Rico,USA
... called on Monday for the testing of Puerto Rican military personnel
returning from Kosovo and Iraq to ascertain if they are contaminated with
depleted uranium. ...
<http://www.puertoricowow.com/html/general-detail.asp?amaspHidden_listActive=true&amaspField_newshd=Testing%20of%20possible%20uranium%20contamination%20urged%20&amaspHidden_newshd_dataType=string>
THE Hidden Unseen War: The Reality of Bush's Iraq
Scoop.co.nz (press release) - New Zealand
... not we forget, thousands of these brave and young men and women will
carry with them back to their homes the pulverized remnants of depleted
uranium from our ...
<http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0404/S00051.htm>
WORLD / Nation Briefs
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
... GIs TESTED FOR URANIUM EXPOSURE. The Army is testing a handful of GIs
who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium
in Iraq. ...
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usnatl063743008apr06,0,7083772.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines>
US soldiers
could be contaminated
Granma International, Cuba - 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON (PL).—Around 20 soldiers from the New York National Guard have
undergone medical checks on their return from Iraq to see if they have been
...
Health Highlights: April 6, 2004
Health Day, United States - 5 hours ago
The US Army has begun testing members of the New York National Guard
returning from Iraq for possible depleted uranium contamination. ...
Pataki
urges Pentagon to tend to soldiers' health
Kansas City Star (subscription), MO - 18 hours ago
BY JUAN GONZALEZ. NEW YORK - (KRT) - New York Gov. George E. Pataki joined
the growing list of local leaders yesterday calling on ...
Army to
Test New York National Guard Unit Returning from Iraq for
...
Miami Herald, FL - 18 hours ago
By Juan Gonzalez, Daily News, New York Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
Apr. 5 - Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army ...
GIs
tested for depleted uranium exposure
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA - 22 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ -- The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of GIs
who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium in
Iraq. ...
Soldiers
home from Iraq being tested for uranium contamination
Kansas City Star (subscription), MO - Apr 4, 2004
BY JUAN GONZALEZ. NEW YORK - (KRT) - Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter
Reed Army Medical Center are rushing to test all returning ...
Military
is testing for exposure to uranium
The Journal News.com, NY - 13 hours ago
By JANE LERNER. Army reservist Thomas Bicknell telephoned his parents in
West Haverstraw from Iraq a week ago and told them they ...
Returning GIs tested for
exposure to depleted uranium in Iraq
KPLC-TV, LA - 17 hours ago
Fort Dix, New Jersey-AP -- The US Army is conducting medical tests on a
handful of soldiers who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to
depleted ...
Broadcast
Exclusive: US Soldiers Contaminated With Depleted
...
Democracy Now - Apr 5, 2004
A special investigation by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez of the New
York Daily News has found four of nine soldiers of the ...
Soldiers
tested for uranium exposure
Springfield News Leader, MO - Apr 4, 2004
By New York Daily News. New York — Army officials are rushing to test all
returning members of the 442nd Military Police Company ...
GIs
Tested for Depleted Uranium Exposure
Guardian, UK - 18 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ (AP) - The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of
GIs who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium
in Iraq ...
Returning GIs
tested for uranium exposure
CNN - 18 hours ago
FORT DIX, New Jersey (AP) -- The US Army is conducting medical tests on a
handful of GIs who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to
depleted ...
GIs
Tested for Depleted Uranium Exposure
San Jose Mercury News, CA - 18 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ - The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of GIs
who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium in
Iraq. ...
GIs
Tested for Depleted Uranium Exposure
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA - 18 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ (AP)--The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of
GIs who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium
in Iraq. ...
GIs
tested for depleted uranium exposure
MLive.com, MI - 18 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ (AP) — The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of
GIs who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium
in ...
GIs Tested for Uranium
Exposure in Iraq
FOX News - 22 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ — The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of GIs
who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium
(search ...
GIs tested for depleted
uranium exposure
Salon (subscription) - 21 hours ago
April 5, 2004 | FORT DIX, NJ (AP) -- The US Army is conducting medical
tests on a handful of GIs who complained of illnesses after reported
exposure to ...
GIs
Tested for Depleted Uranium Exposure
Newsday, NY - 22 hours ago
By Associated Press. FORT DIX, NJ -- The US Army is conducting medical
tests on a handful of GIs who complained of illnesses after ...
Soldiers Tested
For Depleted Uranium Exposure
Boston Channel.com, MA - 9 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ -- The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of
soldiers who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted
uranium in Iraq ...
Gov goes
to bat
New York Daily News, NY - 13 hours ago
Gov. Pataki joined the growing list of local leaders yesterday calling on
the Pentagon to provide better health screening and treatment ...
Returning
GIs tested for exposure to depleted uranium in Iraq
WCNC (subscription), NC - 17 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ — The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of
soldiers who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted
uranium in ...
Returning GIs
tested for exposure to depleted uranium in Iraq
Anchorage Daily News, AK - 20 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ (April 5, 2:39 pm ADT) - The US Army is conducting medical
tests on a handful of GIs who complained of illnesses after reported
exposure to ...
GIs
Tested for Depleted Uranium Exposure
The Ledger, FL - 22 hours ago
The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of GIs who complained
of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium in Iraq. ...
GIs
Tested for Depleted Uranium Exposure
Worcester Telegram, MA - 22 hours ago
FORT DIX, NJ- The US Army is conducting medical tests on a handful of GIs
who complained of illnesses after reported exposure to depleted uranium in
Iraq. ...
Soldiers
home from Iraq being tested for uranium contamination
Twin Falls Times-News, ID - Apr 5, 2004
NEW YORK -- Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical Center
are rushing to test all returning members of the 442nd Military Police
Company of ...
Soldiers
home from Iraq being tested for uranium contamination
Corvallis Gazette Times, OR - Apr 5, 2004
By Juan Gonzalez. NEW YORK — Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed
Army Medical Center are rushing to test all returning members ...
Army tests
company for radiation exposure
Contra Costa Times, CA - Apr 5, 2004
By Juan Gonzalez. NEW YORK - Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed
Army Medical Center are rushing to test all returning members ...
Army to
test NY Guard unit
New York Daily News, NY - Apr 5, 2004
Army officials at Fort Dix and Walter Reed Army Medical Center are rushing
to test all returning members of the 442nd Military Police Company of the
New York ...
In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some
entries very similar to the 31 already displayed.
If you like, you can
repeat
the search with the omitted results included.
Kind Regards, David Broatch, Environmental Futures Research
efr@xtra.co.nz
http://www.eco-expo.org/EFR_Consulting.htm
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56 NEA: Dr. Gail Marcus appointed new Deputy Director-General of the NEA
Press Communiqué 5 April 2004 -
[OECD Nuclear Energy Agency / L'Agence pour l'é
[http://www.oecd.org]
The Secretary-General of the OECD, Mr. Donald Johnston, is
pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gail H. Marcus as
Deputy Director-General of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA),
succeeding Ms. Carol Kessler. Dr. Marcus takes up her duties at
the NEA on 5 April 2004.
Gail Marcus has extensive experience in nuclear technology
development and policy, nuclear regulatory policy and risk
management.
From 1999 to March 2004, Dr. Marcus was the Principal Deputy
Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology
at the US Department of Energy. She carried out the research
programme on advanced reactor designs, and managed the DOE
research reactors, isotope production programmes, space reactor
programmes and other nuclear energy initiatives. Dr. Marcus was
also President of the American Nuclear Society in 2001-2002.
In 1998-1999, as Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Institute of
Technology, she conducted research on nuclear regulatory policy.
From 1985 to 1999, Dr. Marcus held several positions at the US
Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington, DC. She was Acting
Deputy Executive Director for the Advisory Committee on Reactor
Safeguards and the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Senior
Executive in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation; NRC
liaison to Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry;
Technical Assistant to a Commissioner; and Senior Executive in
the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
From 1980 to 1985, Dr. Marcus held the position of Assistant
Chief of the Science Policy Division of the Congressional
Research Service in Washington, DC. Prior to that she was Deputy
Chief of the Support Systems Division at Analytic Services, Inc.,
a government contractor, and a physicist for the US Army
Electronics Command.
Dr. Marcus, who is of American nationality, holds the following
degrees: a Doctor of Science in Nuclear Engineering and both a
Bachelor and Master of Science in Physics from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
News media contacts: Karen Daifuku Head, Central Secretariat,
External Relations and Public Affairs Tel. 33 (0)1 45 24 10 10
Fax 33 (0)1 45 24 11 10 E-mail: daifuku@nea.fr
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