*****************************************************************
04/13/04 ****     RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL)       **** VOL 12.89
*****************************************************************
   RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE
*****************************************************************
Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject
line and first line of body

                         NUCLEAR POLICY
 
1 Weapons of Mass Destruction being shipped into Iraq
2 JoongAng Daily: Seoul shies over nuclear claims
3 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: North Korean Nukes Whole New Ballgame Now
4 Hi Pakistan: China to join nuclear materials export control group 
5 Las Vegas SUN: Pakistan Says It's Sharing Info on Nukes
 
                         NUCLEAR REACTORS
 
6 US: Guardian Unlimited: US nuclear industry powers back into life
7 US: NRC: Nuclear Management Company, LLC, Point Beach Nuclear Plant,
8 US: NRC: Regulatory Guide; Issuance, Availability
9 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
10 US: Portsmouth Herald: Despite glitches, NRC rates plant’s year good
11 US: Hampton Union: Nuclear plant gets high grade 
12 US: NRC: NRC to Meet with Omaha Public Power District to Discuss Per
13 UPI: Czech nuclear reactor shut down - 
14 US: North County Times: San Onofre responds to sudden electronic gli
15 US: NRC: NRC to Meet with Exelon Generation Company to Discuss Perfo
16 Globe and Mail: Ontario nuclear plants in limbo   
17 US: Middletown Press: Burton wants NRC probe of CY                  
18 US: OA Online News: AG office wants in on NRC hearing
19 US: NRC: NRC to Meet With TVA Officials to Discuss Safety Performanc
20 US: Newsday: LIPA should consider other energy options
21 MENAFN.COM: Czech nuclear reactor shut down   
22 US: NRC: NRC to Meet with TVA Officials to Discuss Safety Performanc
23 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Meeting April 20 at NFS Nuclear Fuel Plant to D
 
                          NUCLEAR SAFETY
 
24 [du-list] Radioactive Sardinia
25 [du-list] Scots danger from missing du fragments
26 [du-list] correction in 'friendly fire' newsletter 1
27 AU ABC: Scientist denies Ranger drinking water contamination
 
                         NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
 
28 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Revised
29 US: AU The Age: Aboriginal call for uranium mine overhaul - 
30 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Colorado governments oppose opening former N-
31 US: Salt Lake Tribune: New approach planned on N-waste 
32 RGJ: Former Yucca Mountain engineer to give talk
33 US: AU ABC: Ranger Uranium Mine resumes production despite contamina
34 NRC: NRC Issues Report on Quality of Technical Information Under Dev
 
                         NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
 
                        US DEPT. OF ENERGY
 
35 Tri-City Herald: Opinions River corridor cleanup a test of DOE chang
36 Tri-City Herald: Savannah River site contractor faces fine 
37 Oak Ridger: Supercomputer announcement could be soon 							 							
38 Oak Ridger: ORNL partnered in major network project 							 							 
39 Oak Ridger: Lab could power space missions 							 							 							
40 Colorado Daily: Flats meeting Wednesday in Broomfield
41 Oak Ridger: TVA looks for new ways to market former reactor site at 
 
                          OTHER NUCLEAR
 
42 Google News Alert - nuclear
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
                         FULL NEWS STORIES
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
 1 Weapons of Mass Destruction being shipped into Iraq
 
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 06:48:50 -0500 (CDT)

 
Weapons of Mass Destruction being shipped into Iraq

Zinfandel, 13 April 2004 

Various reports suggest that the missing weapons of mass destruction
are likely to be 'found' in the near future as shipments arrive been
unloaded in Iraq by US forces.

On March 13th, the Tehran Times reported that in the wake of the
bombings in Karbala US forces were unloading Weapons of Mass
Destruction at ports in southern Iraq. The report goes on to say that
these weapons were produced in the 1980/90s and are similar to those
which international weapons inspectors announced had been destroyed. 

Tehran Times report: 

http://www.tehrantimes.com/archives/Description.asp?Da=3/13/2004&Cat=4&Num=011

New reports from a source close to the authorities in Basra say that
they are being transported by the Maeresk shipping company in the
guise of Red Cross or USAID consignments and are being moved into
position whilst the world is distracted by the uprising in Fallujah.
Some early reports from inside Iraq about the four US mercenaries
killed and burned on Fallujah bridge strongly indicated that they had
been deliberately placed in harms way which might support this claim. 

Full report: 

http://www.propagandamatrix.com/articles/april2004/130404plantingwmd.htm

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/04/289161.html
*****************************************************************
 2 JoongAng Daily: Seoul shies over nuclear claims

by Choi Jie-ho jieho@joongang.co.kr> 

2004.04.13 
 
Following reports that Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer
Khan claimed to have seen "three nuclear devices" on a trip to
North Korea five years ago, South Korea's immediate reaction was
that the matter was "too sensitive" to comment upon. 

"Recently we received intelligence about North Korea's nuclear
weapons development," a senior official at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade said. "But a lot of things are unclear
and the circumstances seem ambiguous. What we know does not go
beyond the scope of probability." 

The official conceded that besides the United States and Japan,
Pakistan was among the countries that had provided information
to Seoul on the North's nuclear capabilities. 

According to a New York Times report yesterday, Mr. Khan
revealed that five years ago he was taken to a secret
underground nuclear plant กช not the main plant in Yeongbyeon กช
and was briefly allowed to inspect weapons. 

He described seeing "three plutonium devices" and that "the
weapons appeared to be complete." 

The Times report was the first indication of an outsider
actually inspecting North Korean nuclear weapons and sheds light
on what Pyeongyang claims to be its "nuclear deterrent." Mr.
Khan's experience bears little resemblance to that of American
civilian experts who were shown a jar of warm material during a
visit to the North in January. 

The Times report also stated that Mr. Khan admitted that he had
been involved with the sale of equipment for the production of
enriched uranium to the North in the late 1980s. Major shipments
began about 10 years later, he said. 

He also claimed he had shipped designs for centrifuges used for
enriching uranium and provided a "shopping list" of equipment
that North Korea needed. 

The Times article said Washington is still unsure where the
North's uranium weapons program is located and is uncertain as
to whether actual production has begun. 

*****************************************************************
 3 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: North Korean Nukes Whole New Ballgame Now   
 
Updated Apr.13,2004 22:30 KST   
 
The New York Times reported Monday that Doctor Abdul Qadeer Khan, 
the "father of the Pakistani nuclear program," saw with his own 
eyes three completed "nuclear devices" that appeared to be 
nuclear weapons. If Khan's testimony is true, it would be the 
first time an outsider has confirmed the existence of North 
Korean nuclear weapons, and would represent a grave change in the 
North Korean nuclear crisis; the crisis would transform into one 
completely different from the one we've got now. 

Observations that North Korea has already developed and come into 
possession of nuclear weapons have come from several quarters; 
the American CIA believes the North has at least one or two 
nuclear weapons and has the capability to build more. The North 
announced that it reprocessed about 8,000 spent fuel rods, and 
made a display of its "nuclear deterrent" to American experts 
while showing them its nuclear-related facilities and materials. 

Yet the South Korean government has throughout characterized the 
North's provocative attitude as a "tactic to strengthen its 
negotiating position" and expressed skepticism about the North's 
actual possession of nuclear weapons. The Beijing six-party 
talks, too, aims to see the North's nuclear facilities 
dismantled, but they aren't predicated on the North's prior 
possession of nuclear weapons. If, as Khan testified, North Korea 
had nuclear weapons five years ago, it's impossible to know just 
how many they have now. The essence of the North Korean nuclear 
crisis, as well as its solution, cannot help but be fundamentally 
altered. 

The issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons is directly connected 
to the fate of our race. The NYT reported that Khan's testimony 
had been passed between the South Korean, American and Japanese 
governments. The government must inform the citizens of this 
intelligence as quickly as possible and devise multifaceted 
responses in accordance with the fact that the North's possession 
of nuclear weapons has gone from a hypothetical situation to an 
actual one. The government and people, who have grown insensitive 
to the current crisis as the North Korean nuclear issue grew 
prolonged, should not misunderstand the situation as being 
stable. If the North one day suddenly announced its possession of 
nuclear weapons or conducted a nuclear test, how would the 
government cope with the people's confusion and the extreme 
crisis situation that would result on the Korean Peninsula? 

*****************************************************************
 4 Hi Pakistan: China to join nuclear materials export control group 




                                                 
 
April 14 2004     
 
SHANGHAI: China is set to join a 40 member-multilateral group 
--NSG--which controls the export of nuclear materials and 
technology, a foreign news agency reported on Tuesday.

China also attended as an observer for the first time a meeting 
in Paris in February of the Missile Technology Control Regime 
(MTCR), another global institution aimed at preventing exports to 
countries outside the group's safeguards.                                                                                            
				 				   				 				
      
Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved.



April 14 2004     
*****************************************************************
 5 Las Vegas SUN: Pakistan Says It's Sharing Info on Nukes

 By MATTHEW PENNINGTON ASSOCIATED PRESS 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan said it was sharing with
other countries information divulged by disgraced top scientist
Abdul Qadeer Khan, but refused comment on a report he had
visited a secret underground plant in communist North Korea and
seen nuclear devices. 

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Khan, the father of
Pakistan's nuclear bomb, told interrogators he inspected the
weapons briefly during a trip to North Korea five years ago. If
true, it would be the first time that any foreigner has reported
inspecting an actual North Korean nuclear weapon, the newspaper
said. 

The report cited unnamed Asian and American officials who have
been briefed by the Pakistanis. 

Khan, long regarded as a national hero for helping Pakistan
obtain a nuclear deterrent against rival India, confessed in
February to transferring sensitive technology to North Korea,
Iran and Libya. 

He received a pardon from Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez
Musharraf, a key U.S. ally, but remains under house arrest in
Islamabad as investigators continue a probe into his illicit
nuclear deals. 

Jon Wolfsthal, who served as a U.S. government monitor at North
Korea's main plutonium site in the 1990s, said Washington has
believed for more than a decade that North Korea had enough
material for one or two bombs. 

Khan is not a credible source, however, Wolfsthal said. 

"A.Q. Khan is a liar, and he's doing whatever he feels necessary
to protect his own interests and protect the government that has
pardoned him," said Wolfsthal, now with the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace in Washington. 

"One way of doing that is saying, 'It doesn't matter what we
sold to North Korea because they had weapons already,'" he said. 

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Tuesday that
Pakistan had shared information arising from its investigations
of Khan to other countries, but he did not elaborate. 

"We have investigated scientists. We are in touch with the
world," he told a press conference in Islamabad. 

Pakistani officials have previously said they have offered
information on the investigation to China, Japan, South Korea,
as well as the United States and the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the
International Atomic Energy Agency. 

The Times said that Pakistan has begun to provide classified
briefings to nations within reach of North Korea's missiles. 

The CIA believes that North Korea already has one or two nuclear
bombs, although some U.S. intelligence analysts believe it may
have more. 

A high-level South Korean official confirmed Tuesday its
government had received information linked to the Times report
from Pakistan and "related countries." 

"But we are trying to further confirm it as there are many
unclear points about its contents and circumstances," the
official said on condition of anonymity in Seoul. 

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official, who also did not want to
be named, said the government was aware of the report and was
cooperating with other countries to gather information about
North Korea's nuclear activities. He declined further comment. 

The Times reported that Vice President Dick Cheney was briefed
on Khan's assertions before he left on a trip to Asia over the
weekend. 

It said Cheney was expected to cite the intelligence to China's
leaders on Tuesday to press the point that six-country talks
that have been held in Beijing over disarming North Korea are
going too slowly and that the Bush administration may seek
stronger action against Pyongyang, including sanctions. 

The report said Khan told Pakistani officials that he began
dealing with North Korea on the sale of equipment for a
uranium-based nuclear weapons program as early as the late 1980s
but did not begin major shipments to North Korea until the late
1990s agreed with the United States to a moratorium on its
plutonium-based program. North Korea has since renounced that
agreement. 

Pakistan denies any official involvement in nuclear
proliferation, although doubts remain over how top military and
government officials remained in the dark for years over Khan's
activities. 

Pakistani officials said Saturday they've released three men
questioned about the nuclear black market led by Khan. Four
others - two scientists and two administrators who worked at the
same laboratory - are still being held for questioning. 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 6 Guardian Unlimited: US nuclear industry powers back into life

25 years after the Three Mile Island accident, reactor builders 
are active again               
		
David Teather in New York
Tuesday April 13, 2004
The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk]  		
		
Twenty-five years after the United States suffered its worst 
nuclear accident, the moribund atomic energy industry has begun 
to show signs of life. 

A consortium of seven of the biggest companies in the business, 
including a division of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), now says it 
intends to apply for the first licence to build a commercial 
nuclear plant in the US since the near disaster at Three Mile 
Island. 

The consortium has not yet said where it intends to construct the 
plant, only that it will spend millions of dollars on developing 
the plans, at the invitation of the government. 

A series of mechanical malfunctions and human errors led to a 
partial core meltdown at the Three Mile Island reactor in 
Pennsylvania on March 28 1979, causing it to spew plumes of 
radioactive gas into the atmosphere. For five days there were 
fears of catastrophe. 

The accident and the anxiety it caused, plus the soaring costs of 
tighter safety regulations and the availability of cheap, clean 
natural gas were enough to halt the industry in its tracks. The 
final orders for new nuclear-fired plants were placed in December 
of that year. None ordered after 1973 was built. 

Government officials say there was no effect on the health of 
local people from the Three Mile accident. The courts agreed: a 
class action lawsuit brought on behalf of 2,000 people was 
dismissed in 1996. 

But doubts remain. Recent data from the Radiation and Public 
Health Project, a non-profit organisation, suggests otherwise. 
The group claims infant mortality in the local area increased by 
47% in the two years after the accident. It also says that, 25 
years on, cancer-related deaths among children under 10 are 30% 
higher than the national average. 

Still, broader sentiment appears to have changed as America's 
thirst for energy continues to increase. A number of factors are 
working in the nuclear industry's favour. Power blackouts such as 
the one that blanketed the north-eastern US last summer, concerns 
about greenhouse gases from coal-fired plants and the shortage of 
natural gas that is pushing prices higher have combined to 
rehabilitate nuclear power. The costs of operating nuclear power 
plants have fallen. 

According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, the industry's future will depend upon its ability to 
argue that nuclear power, which produces no greenhouse emissions, 
is necessary to fight global warming. 

"The principal motivation to reconsider the nuclear option is 
that nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuel resources 
does not impair air quality and does not release greenhouse gases 
into the atmosphere," said Professor John Deutch, of the MIT. 

There are 103 commercial reactors still operating in the US, 
generating about 20% of the nation's electricity. The US accounts 
for almost a quarter of the 435 nuclear power reactors in the 
world. The fleet of reactors in the US is ageing, however, and 
many are now applying for licences to extend their lives. By the 
end of this year, a third of the existing plants, built to last 
for 40 years, will have applied for licences to continue 
operating for another 20. 

The consortium put together to apply for the new plant is made up 
of Exelon Nuclear, the largest operator in the US, with 17 
reactors; Entergy Nuclear, the second largest US operator; 
Constellation Energy; the Southern Company, and EDF International 
North America, a unit of Electricit้ de France. General Electric 
and Westinghouse Electric, a unit of BNFL, are the associated 
manufacturers. 

So far, all they have committed to is spending tens of millions 
of dollars of their own money as well as cash from the government 
to design a plant. They hope to submit an application by 2008 and 
have a decision from the nuclear regulatory commission by 2010. 

"To protect consumers against spiking energy prices and for our 
own national security, we need to maintain fuel diversity in the 
energy industry," said Chris Crane, president and chief nuclear 
officer of Exelon Nuclear. "Nuclear energy is safe, reliable and 
non-carbon emitting. We must keep the nuclear option open for the 
future." 

The licensing system was streamlined in 1992 to allow new plant 
to be built more quickly, but it has yet to be tested. 

A number of utilities have applied for "early site permits", part 
of the department of energy's programme to breathe new life into 
the industry. Applicant companies have 20 years to decide whether 
they want to build. 

The Bush administration's stalled energy bill provides incentives 
for nuclear power and seeks the extension of liability against 
lawsuits in case of accidents. The administration is eager to 
lessen America's reliance on other countries for its energy 
needs, particularly nations in the Middle East. 

The industry cites statistics that it claims shows reactors are 
safer than they have ever been. The number of "scrams" - 
emergency shutdowns - has fallen from 1.6 for each plant annually 
in 1990 to 0.4 in 2002. 

But there have been worrying incidents. The Davis Beese plant in 
Ohio run by FirstEnergy has been closed since early 2002 after it 
was discovered that an accumulation of acid had almost eaten 
through the six-inch steel reactor vessel. 

Two other obstacles loom large. The first is what to do with 
nuclear waste. The second is what would happen if plants were 
targeted by terrorists. 

The government is developing a plan to bury nuclear waste at 
Yucca mountain in Nevada, 90 miles north-west of Las Vegas, but 
faces opposition from nearby residents. The concerns don't stop 
there. Moving waste across the country on trains is a security 
risk. 

And New York residents note that one of the planes that crashed 
into the World Trade Centre in 2001 flew directly over the Indian 
Point plant on the Hudson river, 35 miles from midtown Manhattan. 
	
Guardian Newspapers Limited

*****************************************************************
 7 NRC: Nuclear Management Company, LLC, Point Beach Nuclear Plant,
 
                         FR Doc 04-8286 
[Federal Register: April 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 71)] 
[Notices] [Page 19559-19561] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13ap04-109]                         
 
Units 1 and 2; Notice of Acceptance for Docketing of the 
Application and Notice of Opportunity for Hearing Regarding 
Renewal of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-24 and DPR-27 for 
an Additional 20-Year Period The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC or the Commission) is considering application for 
the renewal of Operating License Nos. DPR- 24 and DPR-27, which 
authorize the Nuclear Management Company, LLC, to operate the 
Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 at 1540 megawatts 
thermal for each unit. The renewed licenses would authorize the 
applicant to operate the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 
2, for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in the 
current licenses. The current operating license for the Point 
Beach Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 expires on October 5, 2010, and the 
current operating license for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Unit 
2 expires on March 8, 2013.
 
On February 26, 2004, the Commission's staff received an 
application from Nuclear Management Company, LLC filed pursuant 
to 10 CFR Part 54, to renew the Operating License Nos. DPR-24 and 
DPR-27 for Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, 
respectively. A Notice of Receipt and Availability of the license 
renewal application, ``Nuclear Management Company, LLC; Notice of 
Receipt and Availability of Application for Renewal of Point 
Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, Facility Operating License 
Nos. DPR-24 and DPR-27 for Additional 20- Year Period,'' was 
published in the Federal Register on March 8, 2004 (69 FR 10765).
 
The Commission's staff has determined that Nuclear Management 
Company, LLC has submitted sufficient information in accordance 
with 10 CFR 54.19, 54.21, 54.22, 54.23, and 51.53(c) that is 
acceptable for docketing. The current Docket Nos. 50-266 and 
50-301 for Operating License Nos. DPR-24 and DPR-27, 
respectively, will be retained. The docketing of the renewal 
application does not preclude requesting additional information 
as the review proceeds, nor does it predict whether the 
Commission will grant or deny the application.
 
Before issuance of each requested renewed license, the NRC will 
have made the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 
as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations.
 
In accordance with 10 CFR 54.29, the NRC will issue a renewed 
license on the basis of its review if it finds that actions have 
been identified and have been or will be taken with respect to: 
(1) Managing the effects of aging during the period of extended 
operation on the functionality of structures and components that 
have been identified as requiring aging management review, and 
(2) time-limited aging analyses that have been identified as 
requiring review, such that there is reasonable assurance that 
the activities authorized by the renewed licenses will continue 
to be conducted in accordance with the current licensing basis 
(CLB), and that any changes made to the plant's CLB comply with 
the Act and the Commission's regulations.
 
Additionally, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the NRC will 
prepare an environmental impact statement that is a supplement to 
the Commission's NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants,'' dated 
May 1996.
 
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.26, and as part of the environmental 
scoping process, the staff intends to hold a public scoping 
meeting. Detailed information regarding this meeting will be the 
subject of a separate Federal Register notice.
 
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this Federal 
Register Notice, the requestor/petitioner may file a request for 
a hearing, and any person whose interest may be affected by this 
proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the 
proceeding must file a written request for a hearing and a 
petition for leave to intervene with respect to the renewal of 
the licenses. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to 
intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's 
``Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings'' in 10 
CFR Part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 
10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the Commission's Public 
Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852 and is 
accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management 
System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet 
at 

 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] 
. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter 
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should 
contact the NRC's PDR reference staff at 1-800- 397-4209, or by 
email at  [pdr@nrc.gov] . If a request for a hearing or a 
petition for leave to intervene is filed within the 60-
 
[[Page 19560]] day period, the Commission or a presiding officer 
designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge 
of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the 
request and/or petition; and the Secretary or the Chief 
Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board 
will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order. In the 
event that no request for a hearing or petition for leave to 
intervene is filed within the 60-day period, the NRC may, upon 
completion of its evaluations and upon making the findings 
required under 10 CFR parts 51 and 54, renew the licenses without 
further notice.
 
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene 
shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner 
in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the 
results of the proceeding, taking into consideration the limited 
scope of matters that may be considered pursuant to 10 CFR parts 
51 and 54. The petition must specifically explain the reasons why 
intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the 
following factors: (1) The nature of the requestor's/petitioner's 
right under Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (2) the 
nature and extent of the requestor's/ petitioner's property, 
financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (3) the 
possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in 
the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's interest. The 
petition must also set forth the specific contentions which the 
petitioner/requestor seeks to have litigated at the proceeding.
 
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue 
of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the 
requestor/petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the 
bases of each contention and a concise statement of the alleged 
facts or the expert opinion that supports the contention on which 
the requestor/ petitioner intends to rely in proving the 
contention at the hearing. The requestor/petitioner must also 
provide references to those specific sources and documents of 
which the requestor/petitioner is aware and on which the 
requestor/petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or 
expert opinion. The requestor/petitioner must provide sufficient 
information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the 
applicant on a material issue of law or fact.\1\ Contentions 
shall be limited to matters within the scope of the action under 
consideration. The contention must be one that, if proven, would 
entitle the requestor/ petitioner to relief. A 
requestor/petitioner who fails to satisfy these requirements with 
respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to 
participate as a party.
 
Each contention shall be given a separate numeric or alpha 
designation within one of the following groups and all like 
subject- matters shall be grouped together: 1. 
Technical--primarily concerns issues relating to technical and/ 
or health and safety matters discussed or referenced in the Point 
Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 safety analysis for the 
application (including issues related to emergency planning and 
physical security to the extent that such matters are discussed 
or referenced in the application).
 
2. Environmental--primarily concerns issues relating to matters 
discussed or referenced in the Environmental Report for the 
license renewal application 3. Miscellaneous--does not fall into 
one of the categories outlined above.
 
As specified in 10 CFR 2.309, if two or more 
requestors/petitioners seek to co-sponsor a contention or propose 
substantially the same contention, the requestors/petitioners 
will be required to jointly designate a representative who shall 
have the authority to act for the requestors/petitioners with 
respect to that contention within ten (10) days after advised of 
such contention.
 
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, 
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to 
intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the 
conduct of the hearing, including the opportunity to participate 
fully in the conduct of the hearing. A request for a hearing or a 
petition for leave to intervene must be filed by: (1) First class 
mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 
Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; (2) courier, 
express mail, and expedited delivery services: Office of the 
Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking 
and Adjudications Staff; (3) Email addressed to the Office of the 
Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,  [ 
HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV] ; or (4) facsimile transmission addressed 
to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC, Attention: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff at 301- 415-1101, verification number is 
301-415-1966. A copy of the request for hearing and petition for 
leave to intervene must also be sent to the Office of the General 
Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be transmitted either 
by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by email to  
[OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov] . A copy of the request for hearing and 
petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to the 
attorney for the licensee. Attorney for the Applicant: David R. 
Lewis, Esq., Shaw Pittman, 2300 N Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20037. Nontimely requests and/or petitions and contentions will 
not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the 
presiding officer, or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that 
the petition, request and/or contentions should be granted based 
on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 
2.309(a)(1)(i)-(viii). Detailed information about the license 
renewal process can be found under the Nuclear Reactors icon at 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/lice 
nsing/renewal.html] on the NRC's Web page. Copies of the 
application to renew the operating licenses for the Point Beach 
Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, are available for public inspection 
at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, 20855-2738, 
and at 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/lice 
nsing/renewal/applications/point-beach.html] the NRC's Web page 
while the application is under review. The NRC maintains an 
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), which 
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. These 
documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public Electronic 
Reading Room on the Internet at 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] 
under ADAMS accession number ML040580020. Persons who do not have 
access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the 
documents located in ADAMS, may contact the NRC Public Document 
Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by 
e-mail to  [ pdr@nrc.gov] . The staff has verified that a copy of 
the license renewal application is also available to local 
residents near the Point Beach Nuclear Plant at the Lester Public 
Library, at 1001 Adams Street, Two Rivers, Wisconsin 54241.
 
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this the 7th day of April 2004
 
[[Page 19561]] For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director, License Renewal and Environmental 
Impacts, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 
[FR Doc. 04-8286 Filed 4-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-U

 
*****************************************************************
 8 NRC: Regulatory Guide; Issuance, Availability
 
                         FR Doc 04-8287 
[Federal Register: April 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 71)] 
[Notices] [Page 19582] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13ap04-113]                         
 
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued errata sheets 
for two guides in its Regulatory Guide Series. This series has 
been developed to describe and make available to the public such 
information as methods acceptable to the NRC staff for 
implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques 
used by the staff in its review of applications for permits and 
licenses, and data needed by the NRC staff in its review of 
applications for permits and licenses.
 
Errata sheets have been issued for Regulatory Guide 1.184, 
``Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors,'' and Regulatory 
Guide 1.185, ``Standard Format and Content for Post-Shutdown 
Decommissioning Activities Report.'' These errata sheets update 
Reference 1 in both guides to Supplement 1, ``Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear 
Facilities'' (Volumes 1 and 2) to NUREG-0586 (November 2002), 
which supersedes the previous version of NUREG-0586, issued in 
August 1988.
 
Comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion 
in guides currently being developed or improvements in all 
published guides are encouraged at any time. Written comments may 
be submitted to the Rules and Directives Branch, Division of 
Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Questions on the 
content of this guide may be directed to Mr. T. Smith, (301) 
415-6721; e-mail tbs1@nrc.gov [tbs1@nrc.gov] . Regulatory guides 
are available for inspection or downloading at the NRC's Web site 
at http://www.nrc.gov 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov]  under NRC Documents 
and in NRC's ADAMS System at the same site. Single copies of 
regulatory guides may be obtained free of charge by writing the 
Reproduction and Distribution Services Section, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by fax to 
(301) 415-2289, or by e-mail to distribution@nrc.gov [ 
distribution@nrc.gov] . Issued guides may also be purchased from 
the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) on a standing 
order basis. Details on this service may be obtained by writing 
NTIS at 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161; telephone 
1-800-553-6847; http://www.ntis.gov/ 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ntis.gov/] . Regulatory guides 
are not copyrighted, and Commission approval is not required to 
reproduce them.
 
--(5 U.S.C. 552(a)) Dated at Rockville, MD, this 31st day of 
March 2004.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Ashok C. Thadani, Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory 
Research.
 
[FR Doc. 04-8287 Filed 4-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 9 NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
 
                         FR Doc 04-8419 
[Federal Register: April 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 71)] 
[Notices] [Page 19561] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13ap04-111]                         
 
Dates: Weeks of April 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 2004.
 
Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, Maryland.
 
Status: Public and closed.
 
Matters to be Considered: Week of April 12, 2004 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 Therea re 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 Monday, May 10, 2004 1:30 p.m. 
Briefing on Grid Stability and Offsite Power Issues (Public 
Meeting) (Contact: Cornelius Holden, 301-415-3036).
 
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] .
 
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).
 
Week of May 17, 2004--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled 
for the Week of May 17, 2004.
 
* The scheduled 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.
 
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By a vote of 3-0 on April 1, the 
Commission determined pursuant to U.S.C. 552b(e) and Sec.  
9.107(a) of the Commission's rules that ``Discussion of Security 
Issues (Closed--Ex. 1)'' be held April 7, and on less than one 
week's notice to the public.
 
* * * * * The NRC Commission 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 wish 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 schedule electronically, please send an 
electronic message to dkw@nrc.gov [dkw@nrc.gov] . Dated: April 8, 
2004.
 
Dave Gamberoni, Office of the Secretary.
 
[FR Doc. 04-8419 Filed 4-9-04; 9:24 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M

 
*****************************************************************
 10 Portsmouth Herald: Despite glitches, NRC rates plant’s year good 

[webmaster@seacoastonline.com

  Portsmouth, NH     Tuesday, April 13, 2004   

By Susan Morse
 smorse@seacoastonline.com [smorse@seacoastonline.com] 

SEABROOK - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave FPL Energy 
Seabrook Station good grades for safety Monday during a year the 
nuclear power plant experienced a reactor coolant system leak, 
increased restrictions on overtime for security guards and a 
reduction of 18 percent of its work force. 

The NRC held its fourth annual assessment meeting at the 
Hampshire Inn in Seabrook. 

"Seabrook had a good year and the results show that," NRC branch 
chief Jim Trapp told representatives from FPL Energy Seabrook 
Station, the majority owners of the nuclear power plant. 

The one "white" mark against the plant for 2003, in a grading 
system ranging from a low of green, to white, yellow and red, was 
a quarter-inch reactor coolant leak inside the containment dome 
found on Nov. 11, 2003. The source was a transmitter that 
monitors coolant flow and was traced back to lack of clamping 
force, according to site Vice President Mark Warner. 

Station director Gene St. Pierre said the plant had four "green" 
findings due to improper implementation of procedures, driven, he 
said, by "complacency" and the operation department’s relatively 
large turnover, with staff going over to other departments. 

"We noticed an increase in operation performance issues," said 
resident NRC inspector Glenn Dentel. 

Seabrook Station’s Phil Prugnarola addressed security concerns. 
Overtime is being managed below the NRC rule, he said. In April 
2003, the NRC mandated security guards work no more than 48 hours 
a week in a six-week period, except during refueling outages. It 
also outlined new training procedures, with other upgrades 
expected for October. 

Engineering manager Paul Freeman said two diesel generators have 
been brought in to be used if the plant loses AC power. The 
generators were planned before August, when a blackout darkened 
parts of New York and beyond. 

A graded exercise of the plant is scheduled for November. 

FPL Energy bought the majority of Seabrook Station in November 
2002. The sale occurred simultaneously with deregulation, in 
which the nuclear power plant was no longer guaranteed a rate of 
return. Seabrook Station laid off 76 employees early this year. 
Another 60 employees took early retirement last year. Total staff 
reduction went from an estimated 790 to 645 employees. |

[http://www.seacoastonline.com/subscribe.htm] | | Back to the 

Portsmouth Herald 

 Copyright ฉ 2004 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please
*****************************************************************
 11 Hampton Union: Nuclear plant gets high grade 

[webmaster@seacoastonline.com

  Hampton, NH       Tuesday, April 13, 2004   
By Susan Morse
 smorse@seacoastonline.com [smorse@seacoastonline.com] 

SEABROOK - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave FPL Energy 
Seabrook Station good grades for safety Monday during a year the 
nuclear power plant experienced a reactor coolant system leak, 
increased restrictions on overtime for security guards and a 
reduction of 18 percent of its work force. 

The NRC held its fourth annual assessment meeting at the 
Hampshire Inn in Seabrook. 

"Seabrook had a good year and the results show that," NRC Branch 
Chief Jim Trapp told representatives from FPL Energy Seabrook 
Station, the majority owners of the nuclear power plant. 

The one "white" mark against the plant for 2003, in a grading 
system ranging from a low of green, to white, yellow and red, was 
a quarter-inch reactor coolant leak inside of the containment 
dome found on Nov. 11, 2003. The source was a transmitter which 
monitors coolant flow and was traced back to lack of clamping 
force, according to site Vice President Mark Warner. 

Station Director Gene St. Pierre said the plant had four "green" 
findings due to improper implementation of procedures, driven, he 
said, by "complacency" and the operation department’s relatively 
large turnover, with staff going over to other departments. 

"We noticed an increase in operation performance issues," said 
resident NRC Inspector Glenn Dentel. 

Seabrook Station’s Phil Prugnarola addressed security concerns. 
Overtime is being managed below the NRC rule, he said. In April 
2003, the NRC mandated security guards work no more than 48-hours 
a week in a six-week period, except during refueling outages. It 
also outlined new training procedures, with other upgrades 
expected for October. 

Engineering Manager Paul Freeman said two diesel generators have 
been brought in to be used if the plant loses AC power. The 
generators were planned before August, when a blackout darkened 
parts of New York and beyond. 

A graded exercise of the plant is scheduled for November. 

FPL Energy bought the majority of Seabrook Station in November 
2002. The sale occurred simultaneously with deregulation, in 
which the nuclear power plant was no longer guaranteed a rate of 
return. Seabrook Station laid off 76 employees early this year. 
Another 60 employees took early retirement last year. Total staff 
reduction went from an estimated 790 to 645 employees. | The 

[http://www.seacoastonline.com/hsubscribe.htm] |

[''] Seacoast Online is owned and operated by Seacoast 
Newspapers. Copyright ฉ 2004 Seacoast Online. All rights 
*****************************************************************
 12 NRC: NRC to Meet with Omaha Public Power District to Discuss Performance of Fort
Calhoun Nuclear Plant

News Release - Region IV - 2004-01
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region IV
  No. IV-04-017           April 12, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Victor Dricks
Phone: 817-860-8128
     E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov [opa4@nrc.gov]   
  


Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with
representatives of the Omaha Public Power District on Tuesday,
April 20, to discuss the results of the agencys annual
assessment of safety performance at the Fort Calhoun nuclear
plant. The facility is located north of Omaha, Nebraska.
 
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Holiday
Inn Express, 10729 J Street (just north of 108th Street) in
Omaha. The public is invited to observe the meeting, and NRC
officials will be available before the conclusion of the meeting
to answer questions from the public. In addition, the NRC staff
will provide an overview of how the agencys Reactor Oversight
Process works. 

The performance period to be discussed is January 1 to December
31, 2003. A March 3 letter from the NRC to Fort Calhoun
officials addresses the performance of the plant during this
period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion.
It is available at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/fcs_2003q4.pdf
[PDF Icon] . 

Overall, the plant operated safely last year, and fully met all
cornerstone objectives (cornerstones are measures of plant
performance). 

With regard to security issues, the letter points out that the
NRC has issued several orders and threat advisories to enhance
security capabilities and improve guard force readiness since
the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The agency has also
conducted inspections to review the implementation of these
requirements and has monitored the action of plant operators in
response to changing threat conditions. The NRC will continue
security inspections during 2004. 

Current performance indicators for Fort Calhoun are available on
the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/FCS/fcs_chart.html.   



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, April 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 13 UPI: Czech nuclear reactor shut down - 

(United Press International)
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 
  April 13, 2004 			   

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 13 (UPI) -- A reactor at the Czech 
Republic's Temelin nuclear power station had to be shut down over 
the weekend due to a fault, an official said Tuesday.

 The spokesman said the fault lay in a steam pipeline that was 
not directly connected to radioactive material.

 Nevertheless, the news is likely to provoke a strong reaction in 
neighboring Austria, which has long expressed concerns about 
safety in nuclear power stations in the former Soviet bloc.

 Temelin is just over 30 miles from the Austrian border.

 The official said the reactor could be brought back on line late 
Tuesday.                                                                           

All site contents copyright ฉ 2004 News World
Communications, Inc.
*****************************************************************
 14 North County Times: San Onofre responds to sudden electronic glitch

North San Diego and Southwest Riverside County News
 
[http://www.nctimes.com

Monday, April 12, 2004 9:59 PM PDT 

By: PAUL SISSON - Staff Writer 

SAN ONOFRE ---- A short circuit at the San Onofre Nuclear 
Generation station Saturday shut down the plant's Unit 2 reactor 
just as it was about to reach full power after a routine 45-day 
refueling outage.

On Saturday, at 11:50 a.m., two of Unit 2's "feedwater" pumps 
shut down, forcing operators to turn off the plant's Unit 2 
reactor. 

Nuclear regulators tasked with overseeing San Onofre said there 
was no radiation leakage associated with the shut down. While 
Unit 2 was inoperative, local utilities purchased voltage from 
other regional generators to keep pace with demand. 

Victor Dricks, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
said Monday that plant engineers traced the power loss to a 
faulty ground wire that caused a short circuit.

"It was an electrical glitch," Dricks said. "They have informed 
the NRC that they have diagnosed and repaired the problem."

San Onofre's feedwater pumps constantly circulate water through 
the plant's steam generators, which in turn are used to convert 
heat from the reactor core into steam that turns an electrical 
turbine and generator.

Ray Golden, spokesman for Southern California Edison, San 
Onofre's majority owner and operator, said Monday afternoon that 
the plant operators were able to manually "trip" the reactor when 
they detected that the main feedwater pumps had quit working. 
Tripping the reactor immediately drops carbon control rods into 
the reactor's core, stopping its sustained nuclear reaction.

Golden said there was no release of radiation related to the 
unexpected loss of two critical feedwater pumps.

"It's a routine normal shutdown," he said. "We have lost 
feedwater pumps before."

Golden could not cite the last time either of San Onofre's twin 
reactors had suffered an unexpected shutdown of its main 
feedwater pumps. Had the back-up pumps not worked as designed, it 
would have been more difficult to dissipate heat in the reactor's 
core, perhaps resulting in a loss of radioactive coolant.

Golden said the malfunction was caused by a faulty ground wire in 
the low-voltage circuit that controls the two steam-driven pumps. 
When the main pumps failed, secondary pumps kicked in, keeping 
water flowing through Unit 2's steam generator thus continuing to 
draw heat from the reactor's supply of pressurized coolant.

Golden added that the short circuit has been repaired and said 
the plant should be at full power today or Wednesday.

Saturday's emergency shutdown was the second since Edison 
finished a biannual refueling process that was supposed to last 
only 45 days. The refueling outage was scheduled to last until 
Feb. 25, but operators detected two faulty coolant temperature 
sensors that forced a shutdown.

Dricks, of the NRC, said the twin problems detected during the 
process of slowly returning Unit 2 to full production have not 
shaken the agency's belief that the refueling outage was anything 
but successful.

"These are unrelated events," Dricks said. "They have corrected 
the problems and made repairs. Our resident inspectors are 
reviewing and doing follow-up inspections, but we plan nothing 
further at this point."

Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or 
psisson@nctimes.com. [psisson@nctimes.com.] 

[http://www.nctimes.com/maillist/index.php]   
             [webmaster@nctimes.com]  
  ฉ 1997-2004 North County Times - Lee Enterprises
  webmaster@nctimes.com 
[http://www.lee.net]     editor@nctimes.com [editor@nctimes.com]
*****************************************************************
 15 NRC: NRC to Meet with Exelon Generation Company to Discuss Performance of Braidwood
                          Nuclear Plant

News Release - Region III - 2004-02
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region III
  No. III-04-021           April 12, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663
 Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662     E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov
[opa3@nrc.gov]   
  


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with
representatives of Exelon Generation Company on Thursday, April
15, to discuss the results of the agencys assessment of safety
performance at the Braidwood Nuclear Power Station during 2003.
The facility is located in Braceville, Illinois. 

The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. at the Fossil Ridge Library,
386 Kennedy Road, in Braidwood. The public is invited to observe
the meeting and NRC officials will be available before the
conclusion of the meeting to answer questions from the public on
the safety performance of the plant. In addition, the NRC staff
will provide an overview of how the agencys Reactor Oversight
Process works. 

The NRC concluded that the plant operated safely. However, Unit
1 showed a degradation in safety performance due to an increase
in unplanned maintenance time for an auxiliary feedwater pump
caused by equipment problems in the third and fourth quarters of
last year. As a result, in addition to routine inspections, the
NRC will conduct a supplemental inspection at Unit 1 to better
understand the declining performance of the auxiliary feedwater
system. 

Braidwood Unit 2 does not require additional inspections beyond
the normal inspection program. Routine inspections are performed
by the two resident inspectors assigned to the plant and by
inspection specialists from Region III office in Lisle,
Illinois. 

A March 4 letter from the NRC to Exelon Generation Company
officials addresses the performance of the plant during this
period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion.
It is available at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/brai_2003q4.pdf
[PDF Icon] . 

With regard to security issues, the NRC has issued several
orders and threat advisories to enhance security capabilities
and improve guard force readiness since the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001. The agency has also conducted inspections to
review the implementation of these requirements and has
monitored the action of plant operators in response to changing
threat conditions. The NRC will continue security inspections
during 2004. 

Current performance indicators and inspection findings for
Braidwood are available on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BRAI1/brai1_chart.html
 and
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BRAI2/brai2_chart.html. 
 



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, April 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 16 Globe and Mail: Ontario nuclear plants in limbo   
 
[http://www.globeandmail.com]

Tuesday, Apr. 13, 2004   
  
By RICHARD MACKIE
    
The fates of Ontario's five out-of-service nuclear plants will be 
left up in the air on Thursday in a speech by Energy Minister 
Dwight Duncan setting out the government's plans for the 
province's troubled electricity industry. 

Mr. Duncan said on Tuesday that the speech is also unlikely to 
deal with the extent to which the government will consider new 
nuclear reactors to deal with a looming shortage of 
electricity-generating capacity. 

Instead, much of the speech will cover the government's plans for 
reorganizing the agencies that oversee the industry, the Ontario 
Energy Board and the Independent Electricity Market Operator. It 
also will set out the government's ideas for the future shape and 
roles of Ontario Power Generation, which provides about 70 per 
cent of the province's electricity, and for Hydro One, which 
operates the massive transmission grid. 

The things I'll be speaking about Thursday will be fairly 
sweeping changes to the sector, Mr. Duncan told reporters at 
Queen's Park. 

The ideas in the speech will be incorporated into legislation to 
be introduced next month. It will provide a basis for public 
consultations over the summer. 

Details about the future of the nuclear reactors and whether 
Ontario will seek construction of a new generation of nuclear 
reactors will come later, most likely in time for the planned 
passage of the legislation in the fall. 

Also still to come is the government's conservation offensive. 

Premier Dalton McGuinty is expected to make a major speech later 
this spring on the need for electricity conservation and the 
incentives the government will provide to encourage people and 
businesses to cut their use of electricity. 

Recent predictions by the IMO say that the province should have 
sufficient amounts of power to cover demand for the next 18 
months. But the IMO warns of looming shortages, especially if the 
Liberal government keeps its promise to shut all coal-fired 
generating plants by the end of 2007. 

A key decision will be whether to proceed with rehabilitation of 
two out-of-service reactors at the Bruce A nuclear station, which 
is operated by Bruce Power, a private company. 

Also under serious consideration is a proposal to proceed with 
repairs to a second unit at Pickering A, owned by OPG. If this 
were successful, two other units at Pickering A that were 
mothballed in 1998 also would be brought back into service. 

In the past year, one mothballed unit at Pickering A and two at 
Bruce A have been brought back on line, sharply improving the 
electricity outlook from the situation a year ago.   

*****************************************************************
 17 Middletown Press: Burton wants NRC probe of CY                    
  
By AMY L. ZITKA

Middletown Press Staff 04/13/2004
    

HADDAM -- An attorney who recently filed a federal lawsuit 
against Connecticut Yankee and state and town officials for 
allowing a nuclear waste storage facility to go forward is 
seeking an investigation into the matter by the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission.                                                  

Nancy Burton sent a letter to the three leading members of the 
commission in Washington, DC days after filing the lawsuit in 
U.S. District Court to look into what transpired allowing the 
Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. to build the spent fuel rod 
storage facility where it was proposed.

"I write to request an immediate investigation by the United 
States Nuclear Regulatory Commission into the circumstances 
surrounding the plans of the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power 
Company to site a depository for highly radioactive spent fuel 
rods within the Venture Smith Archaeological Site, a site 
eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, 
without a proper ‘Section 106’ review as mandated by the National 
Historic Preservation Act," Burton wrote to commission Chairman 
Nils Diaz and commissioners Edward McGaffigan, Jr. and Jeffrey S. 
Merrifield.

NRC Region I spokeswoman Diane Screnci said if a person sends a 
letter or complaint to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, they 
will "get a response usually in several weeks."

If the commission receives a request from a person, the members 
will "evaluate it and do what’s appropriate," she said. 

As of Monday, Burton had not received a response from the NRC.

"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was provided with false 
and misleading information about the Venture Smith Archaeological 
Site by the Connecticut Historical Commission. Connecticut Yankee 
and its lawyers, Day, Berry &Howard LLP, and Attorney General 
Richard S. Blumenthal aided and abetted the Connecticut 
Historical Commission in this deception," Burton claimed within 
the letter. The claims were also made within the lawsuit that was 
filed March 26.

Burton claimed within the lawsuit, as well as in the letter to 
the NRC, that state Historical Commission officials "directly and 
indirectly misinformed the U.S. Department of the Interior and 
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the site of the 
proposed Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation is not 
historically associated with Venture Smith and therefore lacks 
historical, cultural or archaeologically significant attributes."

"The NRC considered potential archaeological impacts as part of 
their approval of Connecticut Yankee’s License Termination Plan, 
which has been approved," Connecticut Yankee spokeswoman Kelley 
Smith said. "Expert archaeologists conducted a rigorous 
investigation of the fuel storage site prior to it being built, 
and nothing of archaeological or historical significance was 
found."

"We are continuing to work with the state to investigate any 
potential areas of archaeological significance on the remainder 
of our 500-plus acre property," she said.

The state Historical Commission has been working with Connecticut 
Yankee since September 2000, staff archaeologist David Poirier 
said. The state’s recommendation was for CY to work with American 
cultural specialists, a group of specialized archaeologists, who 
have been doing "extensive archaeological research since 2000," 
he said.

Some ceramics were found in the area of the proposed spent fuel 
storage facility, but it was determined that it only represented 
food scraps where residents had thrown away garbage at one time, 
Poirier said.

Burton said it has been well established that Venture Smith, a 
captive African, owned the site.

"Indeed, the area may well have served as a sacred burial ground 
for family members in the African tradition," she wrote. "Pottery 
shards from the Venture Smith era, c. late 18th century, were 
recovered at the site by archaeologists. Captive Africans such as 
Mr. Smith were known to mark familial graveyards with such 
relics."

"There was no architectural feature or foundation" at the site of 
the storage facility, Poirier said.

However, the specialists are looking at other potential sites of 
historical or archaeological significance on the CY property, he 
said.

"CY is working to protect and preserve" any potential African 
American or Native American historical sites for a state 
archaeological preserve, Poirier added.

"There are archaeological sensitive sites scattered throughout 
the property," he said. "CY has been working and doing its best 
professional effort to preserve and protect."

The Section 106 review under the National Historical Preservation 
Act requires any federal undertaking to be looked at by state 
historical commissions.

"That was the trigger for us to work with Connecticut Yankee," 
said Poirier.

Burton, within her letter to the NRC members wrote, "This is to 
further request that the NRC investigate whether Connecticut 
Yankee, aided and abetted by its lawyers, intentionally destroyed 
artifacts and archaeologically significant natural features 
relating to the period of Venture Smith’s occupation of the site 
and the prior occupation by indigenous Americans."

To contact Amy L. Zitka, call (860)347-3331 ext. 211. 

ฉThe Middletown Press 2004                                        

Copyright ฉ 1995 - 2004  [http://www.poweronemedia.com] All
Rights Reserved.
    
*****************************************************************
 18 OA Online News: AG office wants in on NRC hearing
 
[http://www.oaoa.com] 
   
Tuesday April 13, 2004   

American Online   
  
c /o Odessa American 222 E. 4th Street P.O. Box 2952 Odessa, TX 
79760
 
Copyright ฉ 1999-2004 Odessa American. All rights reserved. 

By Ruth Friedberg Odessa American                         

LEA COUNTY, N.M. — Concerns about how proposed uranium enrichment 
facility near Eunice, N.M., will dispose of its waste have 
prompted the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and others to 
file for standing in an upcoming Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
hearing on the plant.
                        
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not set a date for the
hearing yet. 

Washington, D.C.-based organizations Public Citizen and the 
Nuclear Information and Resource Service have filed a combined 
petition with the NRC. The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office 
has filed separately as has the New Mexico Environment 
Department.

The waste is really the concern,” said Michael Mariotte, 
executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource 
Service in Washington. 

Mariotte said people fear waste from the plant will stay on the 
site and be a danger to them. He said waste from the plant will 
be UF6, or uranium hexafluoride, a dangerous substance.

According to a news release from Public Citizen and the 
organizations joined with it, “the license application presented 
by LES (Louisiana Energy Services) is replete with inaccuracies 
and blatant omissions.”

“We intend to call LES to task on these deficiencies,” said 
Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen’s Energy and 
Environment program.                    

Marshall Cohen, vice president of communications and government 
for LES, which wants to build the National Enrichment Facility 
near Eunice, said the corporation is analyzing the petitions to 
intervene and will be responding to the issues raised in them. 

Public Citizen and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service 
have followed LES’ efforts to build a uranium enrichment plant 
for many years. “We don’t think the case has been made that this 
plant is necessary,” Hauter said. 

Mariotte said there is no place in the country to dispose of 
uranium hexafluoride. To deplete it, Mariotte said the hydrogen 
fluoride can be stripped out of UF6, but you have to have the 
facility to do it.

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to build two facilities to 
deplete uranium in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah, Ky.

Hauter said there are many site issues with the proposed plant:

* Public Citizen is concerned that the NRC has not adequately 
assessed the impact of the facility on local ground and surface 
water.

* The plant won’t use too much water, but it is “one more
strain” on the arid environment.

* The organization is concerned about LES’ deconversion plans; 
the company’s plans to dispose of spent uranium.

* Public Citizen is also concerned about plant security issues,                         
especially given the current world climate, Hauter said. In line                   
with that, there is also concern about the natural gas lines that                  
run fairly close to the plant and the chance for explosion and 
fire.                  

Cohen said NRIS and Public Citizen are “admittedly out to kill 
the project.”

The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office has the following 
concerns:

* “Ultimately, if the plant is not economically viable, the 90                      
percent majority owners, which are foreign entities, may simply                  
abandon their investment,” the filing said. In that case, 
problems of cleanup and plant dismantling might fall on New 
Mexico.

Cohen said this is not going to happen. He said LES has not had a                   
chance to talk to the Attorney General’s Office to see what their                      
thinking is on this issue. 

* If UF6, known as tails, is left on the plant site for decades, 
it could pose environmental risk to the state, the filing said.

* In its current application, LES identified two “plausible” 
approaches for waste disposal: other private investors would 
construct a “deconversion” plant to change the depleted UF6 into                    
U308, (where the hydrogen fluoride is stripped out) and the U308                        
would be buried in an exhausted uranium mine. Under the second 
plan, LES would require the Department of Energy to dispose of 
the waste at a price determined by DOE. DOE already has 704,000 
metric tons of its own to dispose of, the filing said. “The 
actual obstacles to disposal are suggested by the Jan. 15, 2004, 
letter to NRC from Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio, who stated that waste 
from a New Mexico plant would not be allowed in Ohio,” the filing 
said.                        

* How LES will pay for disposal is unclear also, the filing
said. 			 			

* LES’s estimates for disposing of the “tails” are “suspect” and 
will wind up being more costly than the company thinks. Cohen 
said LES will set aside money for decommissioning as set by                  
the NRC. Cohen said LES believes the issues raised by the New 
Mexico Attorney General’s Office and in a petition from the New 
Mexico Environment Department, can be resolved. “And we look 
forward to working with them,” he said.   

*****************************************************************
 19 NRC: NRC to Meet With TVA Officials to Discuss Safety Performance at Sequoyah Nuclear
                           Power Plant
News Release - Region II - 2004-02
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
  No. II-04-029   		        April 12, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Ken Clark (404) 562-4416
 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417     E-mail:  [opa2@nrc.gov]   
  


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with
Tennessee Valley Authority officials on Wednesday, April 21, to
discuss the results of NRC's annual assessment of safety
performance at the Sequoyah nuclear power plant near
Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

The meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m. at the Sequoyah nuclear
training center, located near the site. The public is invited to
observe the meeting, and NRC officials will be available before
the conclusion of the meeting to answer any questions. 

The NRC says TVA operated the plant safely during the previous
year, and the NRC will conduct normal inspections at Sequoyah as
a result of the assessment. 

The NRC said it will also conduct additional inspections to
follow up on industry issues related to possible reactor
containment building sump blockage, reactor pressure vessel
lower head penetrations and spent fuel material control and
accountability, along with Sequoyahs Spent Fuel Storage
Installation (ISFI) project. Inspections related to security
orders and any changes in security requirements will also be
conducted in addition to the normal inspection program. 

A letter from the NRC to TVA is available from Region II Public
Affairs and on the NRC web site at
www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/seq_2003q4.pdf [PDF
Icon] . 

Current performance indicators for the two units at the Sequoyah
plant are available at
www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SEQ1/seq1_chart.html and
 www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SEQ2/seq2_chart.html.   



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, April 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 20 Newsday: LIPA should consider other energy options

   [http://www.newsday.com]       

[April 13, 2004] 
	       
Raymond J. Keating              
        
No shelter when rage explodes

Long Island's electricity story just keeps getting weirder, while 
costs remain among the nation's highest.

 Last week, Richard Kessel, chairman of the Long Island Power 
Authority, a state government entity, stunned just about everyone 
when he said privatization of the Island's electricity 
transmission and distribution system was under consideration. 
This would be another dramatic reversal in policy.

 In the 1960s, when the Long Island Lighting Co. announced its 
intention to build a nuclear power plant in Suffolk County, local 
politicians loved the concept. But costs exploded, and after the 
1978 Three Mile Island accident, political opposition grew. 
Later, Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo pushed for a government-run 
system, but his Republican opponent in 1994, candidate George 
Pataki disagreed. However, Gov. Pataki reversed course, and LIPA 
took control in 1998. Now, Kessel says that privatization - just 
six years after a government takeover - is on the table, along 
with leaving the system as is or buying KeySpan's Long Island 
power plants.

 Meanwhile, Long Island still labors under some of the highest 
electricity rates in the nation. Local businesses face 
electricity costs that are 53-percent higher than the national 
average, according to 2002 revenue per kilowatt hour data from 
the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The differential on 
residential rates is even wider, as LIPA customers paid 67 
percent more than the average in 2002.

 Prices are on the rise as well. For four years, a surcharge has 
been applied to LIPA bills. That surcharge increased from 8.8 
percent to 13.3 percent this year. Last month, Kessel 
acknowledged rates could climb still higher this year.

 In 1998, a 20-percent rate reduction, on average, took effect 
under LIPA. LILCO's enormous debt - largely due to its Shoreham 
nuclear power plant, which never produced electricity 
commercially - was refinanced with tax-exempt municipal bonds. 
Since bondholders do not pay taxes on the interest from such 
bonds, interest payments do not have to be as large as with 
corporate debt. So it wasn't the case that government was able to 
run an electric utility more efficiently and create real savings. 
Instead, costs were merely shifted around. Federal taxpayers 
provided a bailout.

 A good chunk of the savings generated by the bailout, though, 
has been wiped out through LIPA's subsequent surcharges, and 
could dwindle further.

 So, while Pataki and other elected officials may have garnered 
some short-term political points in 1998, today they must face 
rising costs and the fact that Long Islanders still face some of 
the most burdensome electricity costs in the country.

 Meanwhile, LIPA fiddles with measures like its "Green Choice 
Program" for customers who are willing to pay even higher 
electricity prices. This program isn't about running an efficient 
company; it's political pandering.

 The worst possible scenario would be for LIPA to purchase 
KeySpan's plants. Having government running the entire 
electricity system creates considerable cost risks, whether 
tallied up on electricity bills or tax bills.

 Privatization would be a sound step. However, all involved would 
want to maintain the tax-exempt status of LIPA's bailout bonds, 
which could be a tricky feat.

 In the end, LIPA or a private utility should explore 
diversifying its energy portfolio. While Pataki wants to boost 
the amount of energy the state generates from more costly 
renewable sources, like wind and solar, ratepayers and the local 
economy need cheaper options.

 Coal, for example, in 2003 ran at about one-fifth the cost of 
natural gas, and less than a third of petroleum. Regulatory 
obstacles need to be removed to allow for the possibility of 
coal-generated power.

 Over the years, political leaders have gone from embracing 
nuclear power to pushing a government-run electric system. 
Meanwhile, consumers have paid dearly. Why not consider solid 
measures, such as market-driven energy diversification, that 
would provide much-needed reduction in what residents and 
businesses actually pay for electricity?

He can be reached at rjknewsday@aol.com. 	

 	Copyright ฉ 2004,  [http://www.newsday.com] 	 	           

*****************************************************************
 21 MENAFN.COM: Czech nuclear reactor shut down   

Middle East North Africa - Financial Network
 
[http://www.menafn.com]       
    
  UPI - Tuesday, April 13, 2004   
    
PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 13 (UPI) -- A reactor at the Czech 
Republic's Temelin nuclear power station had to be shut down over 
the weekend due to a fault, an official said Tuesday. 

The spokesman said the fault lay in a steam pipeline that was not 
directly connected to radioactive material. 

Nevertheless, the news is likely to provoke a strong reaction in 
neighboring Austria, which has long expressed concerns about 
safety in nuclear power stations in the former Soviet bloc. 

Temelin is just over 30 miles from the Austrian border. 

The official said the reactor could be brought back on line late 
Tuesday. -- Copyright 2004 by United Press International. All 
rights reserved. --

*****************************************************************
 22 NRC: NRC to Meet with TVA Officials to Discuss Safety Performance at Browns Ferry Nuclear
                           Power Plant
News Release - Region II - 2004-03
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
  No. II-04-030   		        April 12, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Ken Clark (404) 562-4416
 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417     E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
[opa2@nrc.gov]   
  


The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with
Tennessee Valley Authority officials on Tuesday, April 20, to
discuss the results of NRC's annual assessment of safety
performance at the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant near Athens,
Alabama. 

The meeting will be held at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) in the Browns Ferry
training center auditorium, located near the site. The public is
invited to observe the meeting, and NRC officials will be
available before the conclusion of the meeting to answer any
questions. 

The NRC says TVA operated Units 2 and 3 safely during the
previous year. As a result of that assessment, the NRC will
conduct normal inspections for those two units at Browns Ferry
this year. 

The NRC says it will also conduct additional inspections (not
related to the plants performance) on spent nuclear fuel
material control and accountability, the plants spent nuclear
fuel storage construction project, and license renewal
activities. Inspections related to security orders and any
changes in security requirements will also be conducted in
addition to the normal inspection program. 

Additionally, the NRC plans to continue to conduct routine
oversight inspections of the Unit 1 recovery work and
specialized inspections of significant Unit 1 modifications. The
NRC also plans to review Unit 1's readiness for transition to
normal NRC oversight in the areas of emergency preparedness,
security and radiological protection. 

A letter from the NRC to TVA is available from Region II Public
Affairs and on the NRC web site at
www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/bf_2003q4.pdf [PDF
Icon] . 

Current performance indicators for the two operating units at
the Browns Ferry plant are available at
www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF2/bf2_chart.html and
 www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF3/bf3_chart.html.   



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, April 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 23 NRC: NRC to Hold Meeting April 20 at NFS Nuclear Fuel Plant to Discuss NRC Performance
                  Review of Licensee Activities
News Release - Region II - 2004-03
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
  No. II-04-031   		        April 12, 2004   
  CONTACT:     Ken Clark (404) 562-4416
 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417     E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
[opa2@nrc.gov]   
  


Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials will meet with officials
of Nuclear Fuel Services, Incorporated, in Erwin, Tennessee, on
April 20 to discuss the agencys latest review of the facilitys
safety performance. 

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. at the NFS
Training Center in Erwin, located on Jackson Love Highway near
Exit 15 on Interstate 181. The meeting is open to observation by
the public, and NRC officials will be available prior to its
conclusion to answer questions from interested observers. A
second meeting following the one at 8:00 a.m. will discuss
material declared proprietary and will be closed to the public. 

The NRC review, which covers a period from January 20, 2003
through January 23, 2004, indicates that NFS has continued to
safely conduct its activities. However, NRC officials said that
improvement is needed in communication of facility safety
information to workers and in management oversight for selected
processes 

The NRC has informed NFS that the plants performance and
ongoing facility changes warrant increased NRC oversight which
will involve increased inspection effort, including the addition
of a second resident inspector. 

NRC officials said that procedural compliance at the facility
has improved and no longer warrants increased NRC oversight. 

Copies of a March 12 letter to NFS may be obtained from the
Region II Office of Public Affairs in Atlanta and will be
available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public
Document Room (PDR) in Washington, D.C., or on the NRCs
Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Internet web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Help in using ADAMS is available through the NRC PDR at
301-415-4737 or 1-800-397-4209.   



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, April 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 24 [du-list] Radioactive Sardinia
 
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 14:42:40 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
Translated from the Italian by Patricia (Pandora
Project - Italy)





Comitato Sardo Gettiamo le Basi (Name of the
association)
OBJECT: Radioactive Sardinia, image damage
Date (20/03/04)
The tourist season is near, while a clear and reliable
information
about the eventual contamination, and the risks for
the inhabitants and the tourists,
caused by the devastating USA and NATO war-like
activities in Italy, is far from being present.
The accident occurred on last October to the nuclear
submarine of the II U.S.A. Fleet and
the long series of death and pain happenings centred
around the Interforce Shooting-range
of Salto di Quirra (place of military training in the
Cagliari city countryside)
have underlined the bare evidence of the inadequate,
or careless cure
(which one is the worst behaviour?) of the authorities
to guarantee the safety
to the environment and the right to the safety and
health of
the Sardinian people and their hosts.
The absence of certainties about the environmental and
sanitary impact of
the U.S. military base of La Maddalena (Sassari
province) and the endless experimentation
and military training in the area of Quirra (Cagliari)
has caused an irreversible
damage to the image of our island and the risk to
endanger the alredy fragile economy
of Sardinia, based upon the healthiness and
environmental quality of its territory and products
and the beauty of its coasts and sea.
Since too much a long time, we insistently asked for
independent and serious investigations,
for a reliable scientifical control of the huge
Sardinian areas used by world-wide armies,
aviations and marines (*).

The military and political heads have answered with a
flood of chatters and common places to
deny the evidence and try to persuade us that
everything is normal: the terrifying percentage
of 20 tumors of the emolymphatic system on 150
inhabitans of Quirra, the 30% of birthrate
of children with genetical modifications and serious
malformations during the year 1998
in Escalaplano town (Cagliari),
the 28 children with serious malformations born and
the 30 new cases of tumors
registered during just one year around the military
base of La Maddalena.

These authorities, pushed by the public opinion, has
made a fantastic scene of self-called
scientifical researches; these investigations haven't
investigated at all, and furthermore
they sound like a burning offence to the dignity,
intelligence and sensibility of the
Sardinian population. An example of this was the
attempt of the Public Health System
ASL n.8 to demonstrate that the emolymphatic tumors in
Escalaplano were due to the sudden presence
of arsenic in the well water. Another ridiculous
example was the visible
research of the DRs CUCU-RICCOBONO to detect traces of
Depleted Uranium in n. 03 shovelful
of soil. Continuing the series: the improbable report
of the military Procura (attorney),
presented in advance
by the ex-commander of PISQ Gen. Carlo Landi, talks
about the Quirra area: "there is no trace of
any kind of Uranium", element that is notoriously
present in every part of the soil;
missiles, rockets and radio-targets fall freely on the
beaches, sheep stables and vineyards
"because of the Mistral wind". The monitoring system
about the Maddalena has been judged unreliable
by the Health and Defence ministry since the year
1988. Furthermore there have been amazing
discoveries of "natural" deposits of Thorium 234 and
seaweeds incredibly greedy of radioactive
Thorium (**) nearby the U.S. atomic base of La
Maddalena.

Basta! Stop! The time of chatters and of the
scientifical slapstick must be ended now!.
The authorities have to demonstrate now, before the
tourist season too is compromised,
that living together with nuclear propelled submarines
and nuclear weapons does not expose the population
to any kind of risk, they have to show us how the
Quirra area is not the centre of leaukemia.
They have to show it with verifiable data, numbers,
percentages; they have to indicate the
metodologies, analysis types and name of laboratories,
giving to the scientific community the
possibility to verify the results.

We invite all the Councils and the tourist operators
to calculate how much the damage cost
because of the endless shadows about this matter. We
invite all the people and economic operators to
present the bill to the responsibles of the lacking
controls and of the contamination and to
ask for:

- The immediate stop of all the deadly activities
taking place on the Quirra Training area, at
least until the science has not found a satisfying
explanation of all the anomalies.

- The accomplishment of the Regional Council Of
Sardinia document that asks for the dismantling,
in reasonable and agreed time, of the U.S. Military
basis of La Maddalena.
Comitato Sardo Gettiamo Le Basi
Phone n. 0039 070 82 34 98 - 0039 338 61 32 753



(*) This is my note. The Italian people cannot have
information about the nationality of the armies that
came
and trained in the Sardinian base, because this is a
Ministry of the Defence
reserved information, not to be told in name of OUR
SECURITY.
(apparently the most greedy in the whole mediterranean
sea!)




	
	
		
____________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping"
your friends today! Download Messenger Now
http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com.  Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to 
du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.  In the body of the message type 
unsubscribe and send.
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
      http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
      du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
      http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
  

</x-flowed>
*****************************************************************
 25 [du-list] Scots danger from missing du fragments
 
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 14:42:33 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
Scots danger from 'missing' DU fragments:
Army range lost pieces of killer shells
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor

Sunday Herald, 11 April 2004

Depleted uranium (DU) is still contaminating the
military firing range near
Kirkcudbright in the south of Scotland, according to
an unpublished
Ministry of Defence survey.
Since 1982 over 90 shells have been misfired or have
malfunctioned and
scattered fragments of DU, which is radioactive and
chemically toxic,
across the ground. Despite searches, some of the
fragments have never been
recovered.

Local concern about the risks is going to be
highlighted this week, when
peace activists take to the streets to hand out cards
to members of the
public warning that DU could make them ill. The cards
are deliberately
designed to mimic those handed to troops in Iraq, and
revealed by the
Sunday Herald in February.

Over the last 22 years over 6500 DU rounds have been
fired at the
Dundrennan range, near Kirkcudbright. The shells are
meant to pass through
shoreline target screens and drop more than two miles
out to sea.

But the latest official report passed to the Sunday
Herald says that 79
have broken up in flight, 10 have hit the ground and
four hit the target
gantry. The report was written by the Ministry of
Defence (MoD)
Radiological Protection Services at Alverstoke in
Hampshire.

"Higher levels of contamination have sometimes been
found at points where
malfunctioning DU rounds or fragments landed on the
range, but this has
been removed when MoD clean-up levels were exceeded,"
the report states.

Other areas were less contaminated, but fenced off "as
a matter of good
practice". But, the report adds: "Some projectiles and
fragments have not
been recovered."

The report reveals the results of the latest and most
comprehensive survey
of the range, which was carried out between September
2001 and March 2002.
"There are some isolated areas of DU contamination
close to firing points
and target gantries and it is recommended that any
discrete fragments of DU
should be removed from these areas," the report
concludes.

"There are also a small number of areas where it would
be advantageous to
carry out further intrusive investigations to
investigate some apparently
anomalous monitoring results."

One of the most polluted areas was around the Raeberry
firing point and
target, on cliffs overlooking the Solway Firth. But
there the radiation
readings were confused by the discovery of a luminous
radium dial in an
abandoned tank. The report recommends that this should
be disposed of as
radioactive waste and the area resurveyed.

It adds: "Given the known history of malfunctions that
have occurred at the
site in the distant past, it is very encouraging that
this wide-ranging
survey has resulted in the discovery of a relatively
small number of
previously undiscovered DU fragments."

This is not, however, how it is seen by some local
residents, who claim
that there are many incidences of leukaemia along the
Solway coast. "We are
not at war, but we live in a theatre of DU testing and
this has the
potential to cause ill health," said Chloe Bruce from
the Galloway
Coalition for Justice and Peace.

The coalition is planning to distribute DU health
warning cards in
Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas on Friday, prior to a
public meeting in
the evening.

"The focus of our action on April 16 is to highlight
the hypocrisy of the
MoD issuing warning cards to our troops, but not to
the civilians they
supposedly protect," declared Bruce.

The MoD cards say: "You have been deployed to a
theatre where depleted
uranium (DU) munitions have been used. DU is a weakly
radioactive heavy
metal which has the potential to cause ill-health. You
may have been
exposed to dust containing DU during your deployment."

DU is a very hard metal produced as a waste product by
the nuclear power
industry. It is regarded by British and US armed
forces as the best
available material for armour-piercing shells, and has
been extensively
used in battles in Iraq and the Balkans.

The British Army's Challenger 2 tanks fire a
120-millimetre DU round. DU
"has a unique battle-winning capability", says the MoD
report. "At present
no satisfactory alternative material exists to provide
the level of
penetration needed to defeat the most modern battle
tanks."

A spokesman for the MoD insisted on Friday that the
risks from DU
contamination at the Kirkcudbright range were
"minimal, to say the least".
The ministry carried out a comprehensive programme of
monitoring at the
site.

"It shows that levels of depleted uranium present a
negligible risk to
health," he said. "There is no reliable scientific or
medical evidence to
link DU with ill-health of either service personnel or
the general
population."






	
	
		
____________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping"
your friends today! Download Messenger Now
http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com.  Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to 
du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.  In the body of the message type 
unsubscribe and send.
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
      http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
      du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
      http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
  

</x-flowed>
*****************************************************************
 26 [du-list] correction in 'friendly fire' newsletter 1
 
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 14:42:23 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
The article on the McDermott Bill has been corrected. Sorry for sending a
wrong version yesterday.  Henk

"FRIENDLY FIRE" NEWSLETTER #1
Newsletter of the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW)
ICBUW Website: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org

April 12, 2004

In this issue:

1. EDITORIAL
2. THE MCDERMOTT BILL
3. GAO STUDY
4. LET'S GET THE STORY STRAIGHT
5. DUTCH MILITARY IN IRAQ DELAYS TROOP TRANSFER FROM
SUSPECTED DU CONTAMINATED AREA

The Newsletter can also be viewed at the ICBUW Website. See:
http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&
sid=120


----------------------------------------------------------------------
stichting Laka                                         Laka foundation
documentatie en onderzoeks-                 documentation and research
centrum kernenergie                           centre on nuclear energy
Ketelhuisplein 43                                    Ketelhuisplein 43
1054 RD Amsterdam                                 NL-1054 RD Amsterdam
tel: 020-6168294                                           Netherlands
fax: 020-6892179                                   tel: +31-20-6168294
                                                    fax: +31-20-6892179
                             www.laka.org


                         laka@antenna.nl
----------------------------------------------------------------------


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com.  Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to 
du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.  In the body of the message type 
unsubscribe and send.
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
      http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
      du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
      http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
  

</x-flowed>
*****************************************************************
 27 AU ABC: Scientist denies Ranger drinking water contamination

13/04/2004 

   [http://www.abc.net.au/news/] 

The Commonwealth's supervising scientist says a group of 
scientists and traditional owners should not have drunk water 
from the Ranger uranium mine but it was not contaminated.

Dr Arthur Johnston says last night's story on ABC TV's 7:30 
report, which reported that the water the group took from the 
site last week was contaminated, is incorrect.

As the scientist responsible for regulating the mine, he says the 
water has been thoroughly tested and did not pose a health risk.

"It's been tested from the very first day of the incident at 
Ranger," he said.

"It's satisfied all the Australian drinking water standards, it 
was tested on a number of occasions between that time and the 
collection of the water a week ago.

"It was tested immediately afterwards, and at all times it's 
satisfied the Australian drinking water standards."

But the Gundjemi Aboriginal Corporation is not convinced the 
water was safe. 

The corporation represents the traditional owners of the Ranger 
mine site.

Spokesman Andy Ralph says it is another example of the failure of 
the mine's safety protocols. 

"That water has been off-tap since the 24th of last month, as you 
would have seen on the 7:30 Report last night.

"There is danger tags everywhere all over Jabiru East, and yet 
somehow this valve was open on Sunday and traditional owners and 
ERA staff drank the water on the Monday. 

"Now as I say, no-one can tell us for sure what levels of 
contaminants were in that water because it wasn't tested until 
the day after."
 
 [http://www.abc.net.au/news]     

[http://www.abc.net.au/privacy.htm] 
*****************************************************************
 28 NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Revised
 
                         FR Doc 04-8285 
[Federal Register: April 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 71)] 
[Notices] [Page 19561] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13ap04-110]                         
 
The agenda for the 149th meeting of the Advisory Committee on 
Nuclear Waste (ACNW) scheduled for April 20-22, 2004, 11545 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, has been revised to include 
a presentation on the Scientific and Technical Priorities at 
Yucca Mountain on Wednesday, April 21, 2004, as follows: 4 p.m.-5 
p.m.: Scientific and Technical Priorities at Yucca Mountain 
(Open)--The Committee will hear presentations by and hold 
discussions with representatives of the Electric Power Research 
Institute regarding their December 2003 report on scientific and 
technical priorities at Yucca Mountain.
 
All other items pertaining to this meeting remain the same as 
previously published in the Federal Register on Thursday, April 
1, 2004 (69 FR 17243).
 
For further information, contact Mr. Howard J. Larson, Special 
Assistant, ACNW, (Telephone: 301-415-6805), between 7:30 a.m. and 
4:15 p.m., ET. Dated: April 7, 2004.
 
J. Samuel Walker, Acting Secretary of the Commission.
 
[FR Doc. 04-8285 Filed 4-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 29 AU The Age: Aboriginal call for uranium mine overhaul - 

BusinessNews - www.theage.com.au
 
April 13, 2004 - 1:34PM
 		 	   	   		
Aboriginal traditional owners have called for an immediate 
overhaul of regulation of ERA's controversial Ranger uranium mine 
in Kakadu National Park. 

The renewed calls follow two further alleged procedural mishaps 
at the mine, where drinking water last month became contaminated 
with uranium. 

Twenty-four workers reported suffering nausea, headaches and 
stomach cramps after drinking the contaminated water, before it 
was discovered on March 24. 

The Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the Mirrar 
people, today said Aboriginal people and scientists last week 
drank water from a system that should have been shut down at 
Jabiru East. 

In another incident, the office of the Supervising Scientist was 
investigating claims ERA had allowed a contaminated bobcat to 
leave the Ranger mine site in January this year. 

Gundjehmi executive officer Andy Ralph called for the 
establishment of a taskforce, comprising traditional owners, ERA 
and government regulators to implement recommendations of the 
2003 Senate Inquiry into uranium mining. 

The report, which is still before the federal government for 
consideration, called for an overhaul of the regulation of 
uranium mines and for better monitoring of the environmental 
impact of uranium mining. 

"With what's happened over the past few weeks, you wouldn't put 
ERA and the government regulators in charge of a sandpit in your 
local playground," Mr Ralph said. 

The mine's Supervising Scientist Dr Arthur Johnston said while 
the water drunk at Jabiru East last week was not contaminated, it 
should have been shut down as the whole water system needed to be 
flushed out. 

"It is a minor breakdown in the way in which things were carried 
out but it is not a health risk," Dr Johnston told ABC radio. 

In another incident, Dr Johnston said his office was 
investigating claims a contaminated bobcat had left the Ranger 
site in January. 

Tests later revealed there was a small amount of material left on 
the bobcat, but it contained "barely distinguishable" levels of 
radiation. 

"The radiation levels were barely distinguishable from 
background, so on that basis we were able to give some 
reassurance to the people working at CDEP," he said. 

"It (the bobcat) should not have left the mine site and the 
investigation we are carrying out is looking at just how that 
came about." 

An ERA spokeswoman confirmed a CDEP vehicle was taken from the 
Ranger site without proper clearance on January 5. 

ERA reported the incident to regulators at the time, and had 
since implemented measures to further improve clearance 
procedures for equipment, she said. 

- AAP 	 	

Copyright  ฉ 2004. The Age Company Ltd
*****************************************************************
 30 Salt Lake Tribune: Colorado governments oppose opening former N-site to public 
 
April 13, 2004   

The Associated Press 
 
    BOULDER, Colo. -- At least three local governments are 
opposing federal plans to open the former Rocky Flats nuclear 
weapons site to widespread recreational use. 
 
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service favors public access once 
the 6,200-acre site is cleaned of most radioactive contaminants 
and transformed into a wildlife refuge. 
 
    Boulder's City Council last week called for a cautious 
approach, an option that would make ecological restoration the 
top priority at Rocky Flats for 15 years while allowing limited 
public access. 
 
    Boulder County and Superior also favor a restrictive approach 
to public use, similar to Boulder's position. 
 
    Officials from Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield and 
Jefferson counties all back a plan allowing recreational access 
on foot, horseback or bicycle to at least 16 miles of trails. 
That alternative is also what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
favors. 
 
    The Energy Department is expected to hand over control of all 
but about 1,000 acres to the wildlife service when cleanup is 
finished in 2006. 
 
    That core area of the site, where plutonium triggers for 
bombs were produced for more than three decades, would remain off 
limits. 
 
Copyright Salt Lake City Tribune
*****************************************************************
 31 Salt Lake Tribune: New approach planned on N-waste 
 
April 13, 2004   

By Judy Fahys 
 
    Proponents of a second low-level radioactive waste facility 
in Tooele County plan a new approach to win county government's 
support. 
 
    Instead of appealing the county's decision against the new 
disposal site, Cedar Mountain Environmental will submit a new, 
slightly revised application, company President Charles Judd said 
Monday. 
 
    Tooele County commissioners, saying there is not enough 
demand, rejected Judd's proposal for a new specialized landfill 
for radioactive rubbish on 500 acres adjacent to Envirocare of 
Utah's mile-square site about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. 
But Judd, who is confident of the need for more disposal, said 
his new proposal will target types of waste not already coming to 
Utah. 
 
    "It's still going to be Class A, low-level waste," said Judd, 
a former Envirocare president. "It's just waste Envirocare isn't 
taking." 
 
    The Class A-B-C scale refers to low-level radioactive waste 
largely from government cleanups and commercial nuclear reactors. 
With the lowest concentration of radiation on the A-B-C scale, 
Class A waste poses a diminished threat to humans and the 
environment within a 100-year time frame, according to the state 
and federal regulatory scheme. 
 
    Utahns complained bitterly last year after the federal 
government cleared the way for B and C level waste to go to 
Envirocare from Fernald, Ohio, despite a state ban on waste 
hotter than Class A. This winter the state Legislature passed a 
law to block hotter waste from coming to the state unless the 
governor and lawmakers specifically approve it. 
 
    Judd's project would have to go through that approval process 
to get a state license, but its biggest stumbling block so far 
has been Tooele County. The county's planning commission denied 
Cedar Mountain a temporary conditional use permit last fall, and 
the county commission rejected the company's appeal last month. 
 
    "Approaching it from a different way might resolve some of 
the issues the planning commission had," said Gene White, a 
Tooele County Commissioner and member of the state Radiation 
Control Board. 
 
    Tooele leaders are in a tough position because, while the 
county relies on revenue from radioactive waste impact fees -- 
Envirocare pumps roughly $5 million into the county budget each 
year -- politicians worry about looking too friendly toward the 
industry during an election year. 
 
    White noted that, even if there is a market for new 
radioactive waste disposal, Tooele County might not be the place 
for it. 
 
    "At this point," at least" he said, "I don't think that's 
what citizens want." 
 
     [fahys@sltrib.com] 

Copyright Salt Lake City Tribune
*****************************************************************
 32 RGJ: Former Yucca Mountain engineer to give talk
 
 [http://www.rgj.com/]       

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL

4/12/2004 10:47 pm      

Richard Morrisette, who worked as a nuclear systems engineer on 
the Yucca Mountain project from 1986 to 2003, is scheduled to 
speak to the Carson City Republican Women at their monthly 
luncheon next week.

The luncheon meeting is planned from 11:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. 
April 20 at the Carson Nugget, 507 N. Carson St.

Morrisette plans to share his view of how the Yucca Mountain 
project would affect Nevada.

Cost is $15 per person.

To make reservations, call Phyllis Furlong at 841-3553 or Mary 
Wolkomir at 841-4101.   

ฉ Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett 
*****************************************************************
 33 AU ABC: Ranger Uranium Mine resumes production despite contaminated
water incidents
 
   [http://www.abc.net.au/]

PM - Tuesday, 13 April , 2004  18:38:00
 
Reporter: Anne Barker

 MARK COLVIN: After a string of contamination incidents, 
traditional owners of the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern 
Territory have called for immediate changes. The mine is back to 
full production, even though the investigations into how workers 
were able to drink water with uranium 100 times the legal limit, 
are still not finished.

And there are revelations of two more embarrassing incidents that 
exposed local traditional owners to potential harm.

Anne Barker reports. 

ANNE BARKER: It's barely a week since the Ranger Mine resumed 
full production after 24 workers fell ill last month from 
drinking contaminated water.

In recent days the mine's management and the supervising 
scientist responsible for overseeing Ranger, have given public 
assurances that measures are in place to stop such an incident 
happening again.

One of those measures was a decision to shut down the water 
supply to the local township at Jabiru east until the whole 
system could be flushed out. But now comes the embarrassing 
revelation that one tap was still working, and last Monday a 
group of scientists and traditional owners drank water they 
shouldn't have.

The supervising scientist Arthur Johnston says tests have showed 
the water was fine to drink, but the tap still should have been 
switched off.

ARTHUR JOHNSTON: There was a valve, a bypass valve, which had 
been installed many years ago, which allowed water in 
emergencies, when the tanks weren't operational, to flow directly 
into the water system, and the contractor who maintains our water 
system out there was unaware of the existence of that valve which 
had been put in place some years ago.

ANNE BARKER: And as if the water problem wasn't enough, Arthur 
Johnston has also confirmed another incident – that a bobcat 
contaminated with uranium was allowed to leave the mine site 
without the proper clearance and without being properly cleaned.

It was left at a local yard where Aboriginal people work and 
children sometimes play.

ARTHUR JOHNSTON: We were able to give assurances to people 
immediately that as of now there is no radiation hazard at the 
site. However the investigation has to look at just exactly what 
happened, and already we have a draft report which has been sent 
out to the CDEP, and to ERA for their comments, and we'll 
finalise that initial investigation once we have comments back 
from those parties.

ANNE BARKER: Traditional owners of the Ranger mine are naturally 
upset at this latest string of incidents, and say it displays a 
Keystone cops approach to regulating the mine.

Andy Ralph, Executive Officer of the Gundjehmi Corporation, which 
represents traditional owners, says he's not even confident the 
water drunk last week was well within the legal limits.

ANDY RALPH: Granted, the supervising scientist has tested the 
water the day after and found that it was 11 parts per billion, 
which is around background for the Brockman bore fields on the 
Ranger mine site. 

But only days prior the mining company tested the fire hydrant 
outside of the supervising scientist's laboratories and found it 
was 19 parts per billion, which is only one ppb below the maximum 
allowable for human consumption in Australia. 

So, you know, what's happened to the water which was in the pipe 
between the test of 19 and the test of 11? Was it drunk by the 
traditional owners and area staff? That's the question.

ANNE BARKER: What do you say about the way the regulatory system 
is set up for Ranger? Is it adequate?

ANDY RALPH: We don't think so. We think there's a lot of things 
that could be done. We've put in a huge submission to the senate 
inquiry in 2002, the Australian Parliament bought down the 
recommendations – 15 very good recommendations in October last 
year. Only one has been implemented by the mining company: that's 
the introduction of 1401, and of course that did nothing to stop 
these incidents here.

MARK COLVIN: Andy Ralph, Executive Officer of the Gundjehmi 
Corporation, talking to Anne Barker.

 [http://www.abc.net.au] 
[http://www.abc.net.au/common/copyrigh.htm] | 
[http://www.abc.net.au/privacy.htm] 
*****************************************************************
 34 NRC: NRC Issues Report on Quality of Technical Information Under Development by DOE for Yucca
                      Mountain Application
News Release - 2004-04
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION   
  Office of Public Affairs     Telephone: 301/415-8200   
  Washington, DC 20555-0001     E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
  No. 04-041     April 13, 2004   
  


The Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards has issued a report on its recent team
evaluation of the quality of certain technical information in
three documents that the Department of Energy is preparing to
support its expected application for a license to build and
operate a high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca
Mountain, Nevada. 

The report finds that, if DOE continues to use their existing
policies, procedures, methods, and practices at the same level
of implementation and rigor, the license application may not
contain information sufficient to support the technical
positions in the application. This could result in the NRC
issuing a large volume of requests for additional information in
some areas, which could extend NRC staffs time for review and
could prevent the NRC from making a decision regarding a
construction authorization to DOE within the three years
required by law (with a possible extension to four years). 

The NRC has made no determination on the technical adequacy of
the documents evaluated. This would be done during the review of
the license application. Conclusions drawn from the results of
this evaluation indicate neither NRC acceptance nor rejection of
any DOE documents. 

The team found that the Department and its contractor, Bechtel
SAIC Company, had used several good practices and found the
technical information was much improved over what was presented
in the DOEs Total System Performance Assessment for Site
Recommendation in 2001. The team also found that the information
was up to date, more comprehensive and contained more data. 

However, the team identified some concerns with both the clarity
of the technical bases and the sufficiency of technical
information used to support DOEs explanation of the technical
bases. DOE could reasonably have identified and corrected these
problems during the information checking and review process. The
team also had concerns with the effectiveness of DOEs
corrective actions. The number and similar pattern of concerns
found in the three documents that NRC reviewed suggests that
other DOE documents may have similar limitations. 

To review DOEs potential license application, the NRC will need
to understand DOEs explanation of its technical bases and find
that DOE has supplied sufficient technical information to
justify that explanation. 

The three DOE documents evaluated, known as Analysis Model
Reports, were selected because NRC believes their subjects are
of high or medium significance to repository performance. These
documents are on (1) general and localized corrosion of the
waste package outer barrier, (2) commercial spent nuclear fuel
waste form degradation model and (3) drift (i.e., tunnel)
degradation analysis. The team, which conducted week-long audits
during the months of November, December and January at the DOE
and contractor facility in Las Vegas, evaluated DOEs processes
for developing and controlling the three documents and
corrective actions. 

Copies of the report, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Staff
Evaluation of U.S. Department of Energy Analysis Model Reports,
Process Controls, and Corrective Actions, will be available on
the NRC web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/waste/hlw-disposal/reg-initiatives/resolve-key
-tech-issues.html.   



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, April 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 35 Tri-City Herald: Opinions River corridor cleanup a test of DOE changes 

This story was published Tuesday, April 13th, 2004 

The Department of Energy's plans for speeding up Hanford cleanup 
work and cutting costs can't succeed without savvy management. 

And the decision to give the Pacific Northwest National 
Laboratory more time to move out of Hanford's 300 Area is a 
promising step forward. 

About 1,000 scientists and other technical workers are assigned 
to laboratory and office space at the aging complex north of 
Richland, which makes the orderly transition to replacement 
facilities an important economic issue. 

Perhaps even more important, last week's announcement of a 
two-year extension on the lab's deadline for moving showed 
Mid-Columbians that DOE can overcome bureaucratic inertia. 

It's heartening to see the department exercising qualities that 
it will need in abundance to complete the work at Hanford. 

Near the top of the list of critical attributes is the ability to 
listen to folks in the field. 

Officials in Washington, D.C., need the input of DOE's Richland 
office, contractors, workers, regulators and the community to 
accelerate Hanford cleanup successfully. 

U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings deserves credit for working the 300 Area 
issue through top channels at DOE headquarters in Washington, 
D.C. 

But paying attention to local representatives and their 
constituents is only part of what Hanford needs from DOE 
headquarters. 

DOE officials must also respond appropriately. 

In the case of Hanford's 300 Area, the department needs to look 
at more than the timeline. 

The other piece of the message Hastings has carried to department 
headquarters is that the community wants to see the River 
Corridor Contract, which includes cleanup of the 300 Area, made 
more accessible to small businesses. 

Energy Deputy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow indicated in his 
announcement last week that the final request for proposals on 
the river corridor will include provisions that favor small 
businesses. 

The Tri-Cities Local Business Association, which represents 
smaller contractors, has called for DOE to divide the massive 
contract into pieces small enough for association members to bid 
on. 

Changes being drafted in the request for proposals won't go that 
far, but McSlarrow assured the Herald that there'll be a 
significant role for small business. 

It's impossible to judge the merits of changes to the contract 
proposal until the final draft is released, but anything more 
than lip service is bound to be an improvement. 

The department has spent the last few years earning a reputation 
as a top-heavy bureaucracy determined to run the show from 
Washington, D.C. 

The decline in collaboration and compromise left a vacuum that 
was quickly filled with divisions and distrust. The result has 
been unneeded hurdles to cleanup. 

Any developments that disprove local perceptions about DOE are 
more than simply a welcome change; the future of cleanup depends 
on forging new ties to the regions near the nation's former 
nuclear weapons sites. 

ฉ 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
 36 Tri-City Herald: Savannah River site contractor faces fine 

This story was published Tuesday, April 13th, 2004 

By Annette Cary Herald staff writer 

The Department of Energy plans to fine the primary contractor at 
the Savannah River, S.C., nuclear site after workers were 
unnecessarily exposed to radiation and dose records falsified, 
DOE announced Monday. 

The proposed fine against Westinghouse Savannah River Co. is for 
$206,250. 

"DOE took this action because of the number of personnel 
protective barriers that were overcome and the potential this had 
for significant radiation exposure levels to personnel," 
according to a statement from DOE. Problems were similar to those 
in an event five years ago, it found. 

In the most recent incident in late July, workers at Savannah 
River were repackaging scrub alloy material from the Rocky Flats, 
Colo., nuclear site. 

On the previous shift workers had worn lead vests because of the 
unusually high dose rates of the material, according to a DOE 
report. But when the evening shift began on July 28, the shift 
operations manager did not warn workers of the danger, according 
to the report. 

When a radiation control inspector and others realized that 
hazardous conditions existed the morning of July 29, they failed 
to stop the work, according to DOE. 

The inspector and two operators should have been wearing lead 
vests, and other controls should have been in place, according to 
DOE. None was wearing required hand dosimeters. 

In addition, neither of the operators had electronic personal 
dosimeters worn on their chests as required with their primary 
dosimeter. One wore the personal dosimeter on his waistband and 
the other in his pants pocket, according to DOE. 

All three of the workers' electronic personal dosimeters 
activated alarms, but the three continued working instead of 
leaving the area, according to DOE. 

When the operators left the area, they were required to record 
their electronic personal dosimeter readings. Although their 
dosimeters read 378 and 229 millirems, a manager told them they 
should record values of less than 100 millirems, according to 
DOE. 

One recorded a reading of 36.9 millirems, and the other recorded 
a reading of 33.4 millirems after another worker told them the 
alarms were activated at 35 millirems, according to DOE. 

DOE later determined that one of the operators received an 
estimated dose of 840 millirem in the incident, which put his 
annual exposure for the year above 1,500 millirem. 

ฉ 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
 37 Oak Ridger: Supercomputer announcement could be soon 							 							 							
 
Story last updated at 11:16 a.m. on April 13, 2004

FASTER: New system would be three times more powerful than the 
current fastest computer. 

By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff paul.parson@oakridger.com 
[paul.parson@oakridger.com] 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory could find out this week if it will 
help the United States capture the leadership role in the 
high-performance computing arena.

The Department of Energy could announce "on or about April 15" 
the winning proposal in an effort to build "the world's largest 
unclassified supercomputer," according to a media advisory ORNL 
issued Monday afternoon. Proposals were submitted at the 
beginning of the month.

ORNL officials said the new supercomputer is expected to exceed 
100 trillion calculations per second - nearly three times more 
powerful than the current Japanese machine known as the Earth 
Simulator.

Last November, Japan's supercomputer was ranked as No. 1 on the 
22nd edition of the "Top 500" list of the world's fastest 
supercomputers. The list is compiled by researchers at the 
University of Tennessee, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 
California and the University of Mannheim in Germany.

In the effort to build the new supercomputer, ORNL is working 
with several universities, including UT, and possibly a number of 
other research facilities. The Oak Ridge-based computer facility 
would be available for scientific research by universities, 
national laboratories and private industry, officials said.

UT-Battelle is also awaiting word from DOE on its contract to 
manage ORNL. The federal agency must decide whether to extend the 
deal or put the contract out for rebid. 
*****************************************************************
 38 Oak Ridger: ORNL partnered in major network project 							 							 							
 
Story last updated at 12:01 p.m. on April 13, 2004

By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff
paul.parson@oakridger.com [paul.parson@oakridger.com] 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is working with National LambdaRail 
on a project that would connect researchers via high-speed 
networks that live up to their guarantee.

Officials said National LambdaRail is building the nationwide 
infrastructure to be made available to the research community, 
while ORNL is developing technologies that allow for high-speed 
switching, user scheduling and connections to supercomputers. Not 
only will the network provide access to ORNL's computing 
facility, but the Spallation Neutron Source will be added to the 
effort once the research facility is completed in 2006.

"Scientists need large amounts of dedicated bandwidth, but for 
relatively short periods of time," Bill Wing, one of the 
directors of the project and a member of ORNL's Computer Science 
and Mathematics Division, stated in a news release.

"Developers of commercial networks have spent 15 years optimizing 
aggregation, but they do not serve the needs of large-scale 
computational science," Wing said. "Our work with [National 
LambdaRail] will address that problem for the scientific 
community."

An ORNL news release indicted that the lab would provide four 
10-gigabit - 10 billion bits per second - lambdas between Atlanta 
and Chicago. Lambdas are wavelengths of light used to transmit 
data.

In addition to getting access to 10-gigabit lambdas from National 
LambdaRail, ORNL is being granted membership to the organization 
and a seat on its board, according to the news release. National 
LambdaRail is a consortium of research universities and private 
sector technology companies created to provide an infrastructure 
for research and experimentation in networking technologies and 
applications. 


*****************************************************************
 39 Oak Ridger: Lab could power space missions 							 							 							
 
Story last updated at 11:48 a.m. on April 13, 2004

SUPPORT: Funding exists for transportation of material, but not
for facility-related work. 

By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff
paul.parson@oakridger.com [paul.parson@oakridger.com] 

A stockpile of material known as neptunium-237 should be
transported to Oak Ridge later this year as part of an effort to
power future space missions.

The project has taken a while to get off the ground, with news
reports dating back to at least 1998 and a "record of decision"
to essentially greenlight the task being issued in 2001. Funding
issues still exist, though.

Neptunium-237 is a feedstock to make plutonium-238, according
to Bob Wham, program manager in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's
Nuclear Science and Technology Division. Plutonium-238 has been
used in space jaunts since 1961 and more recently in the Mars
Pathfinder and Cassini missions.

Wham                                                                                            

"It's used as a heat source and hence a power supply for space 
missions that require long-term, stable power supply," Wham said.

The plan, according to Wham, is to transport the stockpile of 
neptunium-237 from the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to 
ORNL this fall. Though Wham couldn't disclose how much of the 
material would be shipped to Oak Ridge, he said it's "enough to 
keep us going in this program for roughly 20 to 30 years."

The Department of Energy lost its ability to produce 
plutonium-238 in the 1980s when production reactors at the 
Savannah River Site were shuttered. Since 1992, the United States 
has relied on Russia to supply extra plutonium-238, a non-weapons 
variety of an element that can be used for bombs in other forms.

According to Wham, the process of creating plutonium-238 involves 
blending the neptunium-237 with aluminum and pressing it into 
small pellets, which are then placed into targets or "metal 
rods." The targets are sealed and placed in reactors where they 
are "irradiated for anywhere from several months to maybe a 
year."

Once the targets are irradiated, they are discharged from the 
reactor and allowed to cool, Wham said. Next, the targets will 
undergo a series of operations that will ultimately purify the 
plutonium in what's called "hot cells" - heavily shielded 
enclosures with walls 4 1/2 feet to 5 1/2 feet thick.

"The purified plutonium is converted back into an oxide and 
shipped out to Los Alamos," Wham said. "The neptunium-237 that's 
not burned up is used to make additional targets and basically 
recycled back into the reactor. Los Alamos will take the 
plutonium powder and press it into pellets, which are then used 
to make these radioisotope power systems."

As for the reactors involved in the process, Wham said officials 
are looking at both ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor and the 
Advanced Test Reactor at the Idaho National Engineering and 
Environmental Laboratory. HFIR has a lot of users, and Wham said 
the plutonium-238 work shouldn't interfere with the research 
reactor's ongoing missions.

One issue that still lingers is financing the program.

"Funding is OK for the transfer of neptunium-237," Wham said. "We 
don't have the funding today for building the equipment for the 
hot cells. But, we hope to get that in (FY) 2006.

"We estimated it's in the neighborhood of about $60 million to do 
the hot cell modifications and buy equipment that's needed for 
the hot cell," he continued. "It's on the magnitude of that type 
of investment." 

*****************************************************************
 40 Colorado Daily: Flats meeting Wednesday in Broomfield
 
[http://www.coloradodaily.com

 By RICHARD VALENTY Colorado Daily Staff Writer 

LeRoy Moore, consultant to Boulder's Rocky Mountain Peace and 
Justice Center (RMPJC), has been through years of public process 
regarding the cleanup of radioactive contamination at Rocky 
Flats.

On Wednesday, Moore will go through the process again. Citizens 
are invited to a meeting called the "Rocky Flats Cleanup 
Availability Session" since it is designed to make state and 
federal officials "available" to the public. The meeting will be 
held at 6 p.m. at the Broomfield City Hall.

A panel made up of representatives from the U.S. Department of 
Energy (DOE), Colorado Department of Public Health and 
Environment (CDPHE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) will give brief presentations, then answer citizens' 
questions about possible future uses of the Flats site.

According to session facilitator John Huyler, a panel probably 
made up of David Abelson, Rocky Flats Coalition of Local 
Governments executive director, representatives from both the 
U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service and the Rocky Flats Citizen Advisory 
Board, and Moore will also give presentations and answer 
questions.

Huyler said "at least half" of the meeting time will be reserved 
for citizen question-and-answer sessions. 


   [http://www.talbotcorp.com]   


"It's an important opportunity to have an exchange about things 
that really matter to people," said Moore. "It's fascinating that 
the issue about what the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service is proposing 
has become enormously controversial. The community is quite 
divided over it."

According to current plans, the former Rocky Flats plutonium 
trigger manufacturing plant is scheduled to become the Rocky 
Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Kaiser-Hill Company -the site's 
cleanup operator - and DOE are performing a site cleanup which is 
scheduled to be completed Dec. 15, 2006.

If CDPHE and EPA determine the cleanup is sufficient, part of the 
Flats site will then be transferred from DOE to Fish &Wildlife 
control for operation as a refuge.

Fish &Wildlife is currently proposing four different alternative 
use plans, and favors Alternative "B," which will allow some 
human recreational uses on the site. The City of Boulder and 
RMPJC favor Alternative "C," which would bar recreation for at 
least 15 years and would require Fish &Wildlife to perform 
"ecological restoration" on the site.

"Alternative 'C' wouldn't allow hiking, biking, horseback riding 
or hunting on the Flats site," said Moore. "It allows only 
accompanied walks from the west gates of Rocky Flats to the 
overlook of Lindsay Ranch (a historic ranch on site). Because 
people must be accompanied, they wouldn't be running off into the 
surrounding environment and stirring up the dust." 

According to Moore, people should be wary of using the Flats for 
recreation because of the possibility that the cleanup may not 
remove 100 percent of the contamination from the ground surface.

"Plutonium in miniscule quantities, too small to see, can be 
dangerous," said Moore. "Stirring up the dust could make it 
possible for someone to inhale or ingest a speck of plutonium. 
Once inside the body, it continues to bombard the surrounding 
cells, and in 20-30 years, that may result in cancer."

Moore said he began studying Rocky Flats issues in 1979 as a 
nuclear disarmament activist, but soon learned that public health 
issues were also of great concern.

"Rocky Flats had become a big issue because there had been fires 
and accidents that had released contamination into the 
environment," said Moore. "I became a serious student, trying to 
learn about radiation, especially from plutonium, and its health 
effects."

For example, in May 1969, a plutonium fire broke out at Rocky 
Flats, and soil tests after the accident found radioactive 
cesium-137 in samples up to 31 times background level, according 
to a passage in "A Citizen's Guide to Rocky Flats" by Marcia 
Klotz.

Still, representatives of Jefferson County and the cities of 
Arvada, Broomfield and Westminster favor Alternative "B" along 
with Fish &Wildlife.

Dean Rundle, Fish &Wildlife refuge manager for the Rocky Flats 
project, says his agency is taking public comment in favor of and 
opposed to "B" very seriously.

"It's not a done deal since the public comment process is not 
over," said Rundle. "We've received a lot of comments, both 
verbally at hearings and some very extensive and well-thought-out 
written comments from a diversity of individuals and 
organizations. There's no doubt in my mind that we will make some 
changes based on the input we got during this comment period."

Wednesday's meeting could be one of the last chances for the 
public to comment verbally, since the Fish &Wildlife comment 
period ends April 26.

Rundle said the final decision documents on the refuge plans are 
required to be signed by the end of December 2004. 

Moore said that he still thinks well-stated public comments could 
change or at least delay plans to allow human recreational 
access.

"I believe in the integrity of public process," said Moore. "If I 
didn't believe in it, I wouldn't go through with it. I hope it's 
(alternative "B") not a done deal. One of the reasons they're 
having this meeting is to respond to the unhappiness in the 
community over what they're talking about."

To get to the meeting from Boulder, take U.S. 36 to the 
Broomfield exit, turn left, take a right at Midway, turn right at 
Main Street, and turn left on 1st Street. The address is One 
DesCombes Drive.   

*****************************************************************
 41 Oak Ridger: TVA looks for new ways to market former reactor site at Watts
Bar                                                                                                                                                                     
 
Story last updated at 11:22 a.m. on April 13, 2004

(AP) - The Tennessee Valley Authority is rethinking its land plan 
for the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site, a 1,200-acre 
stretch that has unsuccessfully been marketed to big industry.

TVA is considering reclassifying some of the land for uses such 
as conservation, recreation, wildlife management, forestry and 
residential development. Some of the land could remain pegged for 
industrial use, but by multiple tenants rather than one large 
user.

The breeder reactor site re-evaluation is part of a larger 
reassessment being conducted of the 14,000 acres of the Watts Bar 
Reservoir. The Watts Bar land management plan began in 1988, with 
TVA trying to update the plans every 10 to 15 years.

"We have been (re-examining) the old land use allocations," said 
Mike Crowson, manager of TVA's Melton Hill Watershed Team. "We're 
using an interdisciplinary team with representatives from 
economic development, flood control and natural resource 
management. We will come up with a draft plan."

The plan will be unveiled during a public meeting at an 
undetermined date. TVA will take public comments on the plan and 
form an Environmental Impact Statement on the use of the Watts 
Bar Reservoir.

"We will try to do it on a neutral basis, based on the 
suitability of the land," Crowson said.

Breeder reactors get their name because they were designed to 
produce more nuclear fuel than they consumed while producing 
electricity. Almost all the breeder reactor land is now allocated 
by TVA for industrial use.

Since TVA owns the site, its economic development officials have 
worked with Oak Ridge officials trying to market the site.

"That site is a very large piece of property and would take a 
very particular industry," TVA spokesman John Moulton said. 
"They've had some prospects come in and look at it, and it wasn't 
chosen."

The site has steep terrain and a 35-foot-deep hole from when the 
Department of Energy considered developing a breeder reactor in 
the early 1980s. That project was canceled in 1983 after the 
government had already spent $1.6 billion.

The land also contains no roads, water or sewer lines, or 
electrical capability.

Mercedes-Benz looked at locating a plant there but ultimately 
chose an Alabama site. A study two years ago by Fluor Global 
Services of Greenville, S.C., recommended the site be marketed 
for use as a midrange industrial property for use by multiple 
tenants.

"It's a very desirable piece of property," said Parker Hardy, Oak 
Ridge chamber of commerce president. "It has traditionally been 
positioned as a very, very large site for one user. It has been 
rethought by TVA as something that could be used for several 
smaller sites. The rethinking and planning are just that. Nothing 
is cast in stone."

Along with government representatives, members of the Advocates 
for the Oak Ridge Reservation, a group of citizens who promote 
the "wise use" of excess Department of Energy land, will attend 
the future public hearing.

Jo Ann Thompson, AFORR secretary, said she and other group 
members toured the breeder reactor site in February with TVA 
officials.

"I was impressed with the land's beauty and the abundant 
wildlife," Thompson said. "We're trying to get some balance 
between the development of TVA land and environmental protection. 
We're striving for some balance because the demands for 
development are great."

One tract at the site has the highest density of white tail deer 
in Tennessee. 







*****************************************************************
 42 Google News Alert - nuclear
 
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 14:51:19 -0700 (PDT)

 
ONTARIO leaves nuclear plants hanging
The Globe and Mail - Canada
The fates of Ontario's five out-of-service nuclear plants will be left
up in the air on Thursday in a speech by Energy Minister Dwight Duncan
setting out the ...
<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040413.wnuke0413/BNStory/National/>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040413.wnuke0413/BNStory/National/>

SEOUL shies over nuclear claims
Joongang Ilbo - Seoul,South Korea
Following reports that Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan claimed
to have seen "three nuclear devices" on a trip to North Korea five years
ago ...
<http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200404/13/200404132254455509900090309031.html>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200404/13/200404132254455509900090309031.html>

DUKE faces fine at Oconee nuclear plant
Charlotte Observer (subscription) - Charlotte,NC,USA
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $60,000 fine against
Duke Energy Corp., saying the Charlotte company should have gotten regulators
...
<http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/8418140.htm>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/8418140.htm>

CZECH nuclear reactor shut down
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 13 (UPI) -- A reactor at the Czech Republic's
Temelin nuclear power station had to be shut down over the weekend due
to a fault ...
<http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040413-073309-8568r.htm>

NUCLEAR weapon campaign stepped up
Glasgow Evening Times - Glasgow,Scotland,UK
Anti-nuclear campaigners were today stepping up their fight to rid Scotland
of nuclear weapons. More than 200 peace protesters marched ...
<http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/5025507.shtml>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/5025507.shtml>

NUCLEAR arms protest in Britain
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
... England, April 12 (UPI) -- After a 52-mile march, hundreds of peace
campaigners protested Monday at the headquarters of Britain's nuclear
weapons program at ...
<http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040412-102113-9171r.htm>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040412-102113-9171r.htm>

UN nuclear inspectors try to check Iran vow
Boston Globe - Boston,MA,USA
TEHRAN -- Five UN nuclear inspectors arrived yesterday to try to confirm
whether Iran has stopped suspicious nuclear activities, including the
building of ...
<http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2004/04/13/un_nuclear_inspectors_try_to_check_iran_vow>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2004/04/13/un_nuclear_inspectors_try_to_check_iran_vow>

NUCLEAR plant gets high grade
Hampton Union - Hampton,NH,USA
SEABROOK - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave FPL Energy Seabrook Station
good grades for safety Monday during a year the nuclear power plant experienced
a ...
<http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/hampton/04132004/news/10506.htm>

CHINA poised to join nuclear supplier group
Financial Times - London,England,UK
China is poised to join the multilateral group controlling the export of
nuclear materials and technology next month, the government has said.
...
<http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1079420290125>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer%3Fpagename%3DFT.com/StoryFT/FullStory%26c%3DStoryFT%26cid%3D1079420290125>

MOSCOW believes NATO may deploy nuclear weapons in Baltic ... 
Pravda - Moscow,Russia
The General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces does not rule out that NATO
may deploy nuclear weapons in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the former
Soviet republics ...
<http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2004/04/13/53393.html>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2004/04/13/53393.html>

This daily-once News Alert is brought to you by Google News (BETA)...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Remove this News Alert:
http://www.google.com/newsalerts/remove?s=92d1672a1b037a07&hl=en

Create another News Alert:
http://www.google.com/newsalerts?hl=en

Try Google News:
http://news.google.com/
    
*****************************************************************

NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this 
material is distributed without profit or payment to those who 
have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for 
non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more 
information go to: 
<http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml> 
    
*****************************************************************